Dear Friends,
This week I am teaching a course with Dr. Christopher Thompson—Moral Theologian and Academic Dean at the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity—entitled “Rural Ministry Practicum.” This is our 12th year teaching this five-day intensive experience that includes presentations on Catholic social teaching as it relates to agriculture, rural communities, care of creation, and rural ministry. The 20 seminarians are from six dioceses located in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Iowa. Along with classroom presentations, we visited two farms in south-central Minnesota.
One of the farms is Metogga Lake Diary operated by Ray and Bridget Pieper and their family. It is a relatively large dairy operation with 450 cows milking every day. The Pieper’s do a remarkable job combining their faith and their farming. As you enter their farm you see a large, beautiful statute of Mary, signifying their need for her prayers over their family and work.
The seminarians were impressed with how the family balanced the need to integrate technology into their operation with the need to stay connected to the animals and the crops that they work with on a daily basis. Their faith informed their work. Farming is indeed a cooperative art, cooperating with God and creation to provide needed food for communities. After our visit, many of the seminarians said they now have a greater appreciation for all the work that a dairy requires to make it operate efficiently and economically. The Catholic Church has always affirmed the noble vocation of farming, and it is important to help our future priests and pastors of rural communities appreciate all that goes into providing food and milk to our tables.
Finally, please pray for all the farmers who are suffering under the current drought in many parts of our country. Please continue to pray for rain and for farmers and ranchers who are experiencing stress.
Many blessings,
