December 2024
The
COURIER
Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN | dowr.org
When I Was Hungry You Gave Me Something to Eat By KAT LARSON
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ritta Blain is a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona. She is a woman of many talents; if you visit the Cathedral, you might see her singing or possibly hear her playing the flute. In addition to her musical talents, she has the gift for making sourdough bread, which she bakes in her microbakery, Castlerock Sourdough, attached to her home in rural Fountain City, WI. I had the privilege of visiting Britta and witnessing the entire production that making sourdough bread involves. The act of making this bread is nothing less than life-giving. As I walked up to Britta's kitchen, I could feel a sense of joy filling my heart. I knew I was entering a place inhabited by the Holy Spirit. When I walked in, I was greeted not only by Britta, but by three other women, including her youngest daughter, Fiona. All three were moving at lightning speed, performing an assortment of tasks. I was in awe; I could never manage everything as quickly and capably as they did. Some were preparing bread for the oven; Britta and Fiona were placing bread in the oven and taking bread out as they were greeting customers coming to purchase the bread. After I came in, Britta was able to not only continue with all her tasks but also tell me all the benefits sourdough bread has for the human body. Britta has struggled with health issues throughout her life and sought ways to heal them. She found part of her answer in the sourdough itself, with its unique fermentation process making it easier to digest than
The 'O Antiphons' of Advent From Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
�he Roman Church has been singing the "O" other breads; but there is also a spiritual dimension to her healing, which has come from running a business grounded in the Catholic faith. Britta was not always a Catholic; she was Lutheran until she went through RCIA and was confirmed as a
Something to Eat, cont'd on pg. 7
Antiphons since at least the eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer from December 17-23. They are a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes, but present ones as well. Their repeated use of the imperative "Come!" embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah.
O Antiphons, cont'd on pg. 6
INSIDE this issue
Cracking the Codes page 6
Happy Birthday, Bishop Cotter! page 8
The Holy Family Event Series page 9