Remsen parish helps missionaries help others

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff writer
Posted Oct.10, 2002

REMSEN - The St. Mary's Mission Society is holding its yearly fundraiser this month that will benefit five missionaries from the parish.

The Mission Society will host its annual breakfast on Oct. 13 at the Remsen St. Mary's High School cafeteria from 8 a.m. until noon.

A mini craft show will also be available for those attending the breakfast. The craft area will include a variety of flower arrangements, embroidered tea towels, among other crafts that have been made or donated. Raffle tickets will be sold to win a queen-sized quilt as well as a baby quilt.

"Basically we have five missioners from Remsen and we would like to help them out because they are helping other people out," said Dorie Kolker. "We donate $600 to each of them. We send them money to help them out in any way we can."

The missionaries that originated in the Remsen area are: Father Lloyd Fiedler who serves in the Philippines; Father Elroy Frank who serves in Central America; Sister Shirley Waldschmitt who serves at Jardin de los Ninos, a daycare center for homeless children in Los Cruces, N.M.; Sister Marilyn Freking who works at Corpus Christi Parish in Chicago; Sister Phillis Vaske who serves at a learning center in Tulsa, Okla.

Besides donating money to the missionaries, the Mission Society they also raises money to help with the general parish needs list. All of the money raised goes either to the missionaries and to help the church.

"We donate money for hosts (for Communion), buy missalettes and blessed candles. Father has a wish list, and we do things that he has on the list. We have a raffle on quilts, small and large. That is how we make money besides our breakfast," said Kolker. "People also sell crafts, and in the summertime we have a garage sale."

The Mission Society has taken a new turn. In the past, the society was mad up of just women, but now it is men, women and children. Since the society is no longer a formal organization, no dues are needed, just new ideas.

Kolker explained that the parish is involved as a whole, but certain people help with certain activities. There are about 100 people who help with the breakfast and about 25 who help with the garage sale. Then a couple of women have their own specialties such as making quilts, handmade rosaries, dish towels, flower arrangements, bird houses, wooden animals and doilies.

This year at the breakfast, Joan Schroeder will be taking orders for the handmade, personal rosaries.

"I order things from Louis and Company in New York," said Schroeder. "I get the eye-pins and the beads that come in a case and put them together."

Without interruptions, it takes about an hour to make one rosary and Schroeder does them herself. She makes the rosaries for new babies, first Communion and birthdays. The rosaries can be personalized with names.

"I don't ever advertise or anything, people just know that I'm the rosary maker," said Schroeder.

The breakfast will be an opportunity to see the Mission Society in action. There will be food, crafts and the community present. For information contact Terri Conover, public relations for the society, at (712) 786-2088.