Cathy Behrens grew up in Buffalo and lived in Louisiana for 13 years. About 23 years ago, she was looking for a strong homeschool community for her two daughters, and she found it in Sedan, Minn. She attended the parish there until it closed, then started attending St. Donatus.
Now involved with parish life at St. Donatus, Cathy helps with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion for the homebound. She also is involved with leading music for Mass and the Praise and Worship nights and is involved with the Jesus Heals Ministry.
“Leading music is my favorite ministry,” she says. “That’s the one that most speaks to my heart.”
When St. Donatus has adoration on Wednesdays, Cathy has an hour. She also helps each year at the St. Donatus Turkey Dinner. She loves the strong faith community she has found at the parish.
“I like that it’s smaller, and the spirituality there is reverent and humble,” Cathy says. “There’s a holiness there that is so appealing.”
Cathy has also served on our youth’s Steubenville Conference trips. As a graphic designer, she also built and maintains the Parishes on the Prairie Area Catholic Community website.
“I make sure I pray before every ministry,” Cathy says. “I don’t want to be stretched too thin. Prayer helps me with that.”
Another ministry near and dear to Cathy’s heart is the Magnificat Ministry, a global women’s ministry. It is based on the greeting Mary said to Elizabeth in Luke 1:46, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” The ministry aims to help women develop a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit and Jesus. Cathy is involved with music, special projects, books, publications, the global ministry website, and more.
“This is outside of the ministries at St. Donatus,” Cathy says. “But this is good to extend outside the parish because the Church is universal.”
Cathy loves that the ministries she’s involved with help her grow in faith while also fostering discipleship.
“All ministries are very rewarding and fulfilling,” she says.
While Cathy was raised Catholic, she left the church for about a decade. She had a powerful conversion experience that brought her back. For a while, she was attending a Baptist church in Louisiana. A number of experiences helped bring her back to the Catholic Church — one of the most powerful was when she overheard two coworkers talking. One told the other that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and they believed that with their whole heart.
“Hearing that set me on my journey to find truth,” Cathy says. “So, don’t be afraid to share your faith because you don’t know who is listening and how it will affect them. That is discipleship — sharing your story and sharing what you know. It is important.”
In her free time, Cathy enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with family.
