Father Patrick Arens to local tri-parish
The tri-parish of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Windom, Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Heron Lake and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Brewster will be holding a farewell for “Father Russ” – Father Russell Scepaniak, who will be leaving to serve a pair of parishes and a K-8 school in Albert Lea. The farewell will be held at the Windom church on Sunday, June 21, from 6 p.m. until – whenever.
Father Russ Scepaniak came to the Windom, Heron Lake and Brewster tri-parish in February 2010 after serving congregations in Chatfield, Preston and Lanesboro.
Ironically, the new priest that will serve St. Francis Xavier and the two Sacred Heart parishes – Father Patrick Arens – is 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’ duties 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.
Between Scepaniak’s departure and Arens’ arrival, the churches will be served by retired priests during the month of July.
