Catholic Stories I've Enjoyed Telling


The STORY

Oral Histories or Documentaries may utilize personal, and at times, powerful stories from the experiences of people's lives.  Whether it's the traumatic accounts of such things as wars or economic struggles or simply people's common life stories of schools, communities or events defined by location, activities or shared emotions - oral histories provide insightful perspectives to times, places and events.

This project, call "The Story", was developed by the diocese of Sioux Falls Education Formation department to promote and teach the Catholic faith to people across the diocese and, possibly, beyond.

The Story features people with interesting "connecting" stories. These personal accounts are expressed with spiritual energy and emotion derived from their experiences to not only give the viewer a new perspective, but provide an opportunity for them to be motivated to want to learn more.

The Story, is a part of a multi-media, multi-disk package designed to be an effective tool in evangelization, adult faith formation and cathechetical training.

The Story was produced to give the Church's teachings context in an understandable way that is related to daily living.

Here are some excerpts from The Story.


The Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery

Over fifteen hundred years ago, St. Benedict wrote a Rule to show women and men what it means to seek God and how to recognize God’s presence in their lives.

 In 1874 five Benedictine Sisters from Maria Rickenbach in Switzerland came to Conception Abbey in Missouri to teach.  In 1880 five more followed.  Six years later the sisters found themselves answering a call from Fr. Martin Marty, a pioneering missionary among the Sioux Indians, to come to the Dakotas to teach at the Standing Rock Agency at Fort Yates, North Dakota.

Since than, nearly 500 Benedictine Sisters have answered the call of what has been a long tradition of ministry and service to the needs of the people of the Dakotas and surrounding states.

This is a glimpse of their story…

The complete video can be watched at www.yanktonbenedictines.com.


The Native American Treasure of Blue Cloud Abbey

In the critical year of 1876 Benedictine Monks came to Dakota Territory and at the request of Sitting Bull at Standing Rock set up the first of several schools. In 1966 there evolved from the schools and from the inspiration of the students the AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURE RESEARCH CENTER at Blue Cloud Abbey.
 

The principal purpose of the Center is to inform the general public of the world view, the philosophy of life, the spiritual insight of Native Peoples.

This video gives a brief glimpse into the AICRC formation and developments.

 www.bluecloud.org


When You REACH for One You REACH for All

Let the Children Come to Me......for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. 

Jesus spoke those words in the Gospel of Matthew.  He spoke of no limitations, only of an invitation. 

One in three families is touched by disability.

REACH is an endowment that was started in 2002.  It stands for Religious Education For All Children, and it came about from a number of people coming together, seeing a need in the Catholic school and religious education programs for kids with special needs to be included in that setting versus the - the public school setting or - or being non included in a religious education setting.

Though this video focuses on one special child, Jacob, it serves to illustrate how REACH has provided much for hundreds of children throughout the Diocese.


Building Update:  St. Katharine Drexel Parish

In 2009 St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Sioux Falls, South Dakota embarked on a building project to expand it's facilities to better provide for its parishioners and youth.  Thoughout the building project newsletters were sent to the community to keep it updated on the building process.  Each "E-Letter" contained a video update.  Here's one of them.

Links to several of the E-Letters can be found at:

Building Update #1
Building Update #2
Building Update #3
Building Update #4
Building Update #5