With a beautiful sunset as a backdrop, a group of more than 50 fathers and sons stood together at St. Patrick in Oak Grove for prayer and flag raising.
The radiant colors glowing over their shoulders seemed to affirm the beauty of this gathering, which serves as a way for men and boys to share faith, fun, fellowship and time in nature.
They call themselves the Troops of St. George. They are part of a nationwide apostolate designed to foster “a life of adventure coupled with virtue,” according to the national Troops of St. George website. Founded in 2013, this apostolate “aims to use the outdoors as our canvas and the sacraments as our path to light the way for the formation of Holy Catholic men and boys,” its mission statement said. By participating in regular gatherings, including hours and even days in the outdoors, “fathers and sons will take a prayerful pilgrimage together to fulfill Christ’s desire to grow in virtue and in their Holy Catholic faith as they journey toward heaven.”
Several dads in the north metro formed a St. George troop in 2020. They found out about the organization and learned that St. Agnes in St. Paul had a troop, which the parish started in 2013. That provided the motivation to start one at Epiphany in Coon Rapids, with the enthusiastic support of Father Thomas Dufner, the pastor and an avid outdoorsman himself who now serves as chaplain for the troop and calls it “a great group.”
Several parishioners formed the Epiphany troop, and extended the invitation to neighboring parishes like St. Patrick in Oak Grove and St. Paul in Ham Lake. There even are a few dads and sons from All Saints in Northeast Minneapolis. In just three years, it has grown from about 15 to 20 dads and 30 boys — called cadets — to more than 30 dads and about 60 boys who show up regularly at the Epiphany troop’s monthly gatherings. It is one of seven troops in Minnesota, with six located within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Nationwide, there are 133 troops in 33 states, according to the national website.
“It’s a beautiful apostolate,” said Gale Merriman, 40, who formed the Epiphany troop with fellow Epiphany parishioners Paul Wagner and Tim Amireault and now serves as leader, or captain. “I get to be around 35 other Catholic men who are striving for holiness and trying to instill that in their sons. And so, it’s like this village of men growing in the faith and we get to walk side by side, and all of our strengths and all of our weaknesses are brought out.”
Merriman, who has eight children with his wife, Bernadette, has five sons in the troop, which accepts boys from first grade (age 6) through high school. Another of his sons is 2 and Merriman has already decided he will join in four years. He said Bernadette is “thankful” that the boys can have quality time with their dad, which he said is important, especially in a culture that often does not promote the kind of values found in the Troops of St. George.
“Fatherhood is being attacked, and masculinity is being attacked,” Merriman said. “Authentic Catholic manliness is something that we want to reclaim, we want to give to our sons.”
They also want to help build fraternity among the dads, many of whom work in secular environments that often are not friendly to any mention or practice of faith. This troop is a place where men can find support from other dads and, hopefully, friendship.
Tom Schulzetenberg, 40, of St. Patrick in Oak Grove has two sons in the troop, ages 6 and 11, with plans to add his two younger sons in future years. He has been in the troop since the beginning, when he was looking for a Boy Scout troop for his oldest son, Mathias. He thought about joining the St. Agnes troop, but he was happy to discover that a troop was forming much closer to home. Once he heard that, he eagerly jumped on board.
“We all knew this is what we wanted, we all knew that we wanted something of substance that taught our boys good life, practical skills,” said Schulzetenberg, who noted there were challenges in the beginning because of COVID-19 restrictions on in-person gatherings. “And so, we were just going to do whatever it took to make it work.”’
The monthly format includes prayer, outdoor activities and usually a campfire at the end. Dads are not required to come, but they are highly encouraged not only to attend, but to help with various activities. So far, they have done so eagerly, Merriman said.
There also are camping trips during the summer, plus a campout in July for troops in the Midwest. Dads and sons from the Epiphany troop have attended every year since the troop was formed. Schulzetenberg said both of his sons are eager participants, especially Mathias, 11.
“He just loves this,” Schulzetenberg said. “He’s always enjoyed the outdoors, so this is just a really enjoyable experience for him. He never fails to remind me when Troops is coming up.”
With other activities, Mathias can be reluctant to head out the door. “But, with Troops, he’s always on the ball, always early, always ready to go. And, that spilled over into our young son, Felix, who’s in first grade. It’s his first year in Troops this year, and he’s been anxiously awaiting it. For the last year, he’s been asking, ‘When can I join, when can I join?’”
When it’s time to depart, the Schulzetenberg boys are ready with the three things every cadet is asked to bring to gatherings: a pen, a knife and a rosary. That helps fulfill the motto: Semper Parati, a Latin phrase that means “always prepared.”
At the November meeting, boys in the youngest cadet group, called St. Matthew’s Angels (each group has a name), will make what is known as the St. Joseph Knife Pledge. They will learn the proper use and care of a knife, then sign a pledge to follow these guidelines. After that, they are allowed to carry a knife, which all cadets do after completing the training and signing the pledge.
This is one example of the progression all boys make so they can grow in virtue and responsibility. It is at the heart of Troops of St. George, and Schulzetenberg said it’s important for boys to go through the process of learning, praying and advancing in practical skills.
“I think the idea is that we want to help these boys grow into men,” he said. “We certainly do not coddle them. We’re very forthright and up front with them about what the expectations are.”
Along with the training and growth is the foundational principle in Troops that it is best for fathers to be the ones who lead and help their sons in this type of formation and growth.
“I don’t think we should delegate raising our children,” Merriman said. “To some extent we have (in the modern culture) because it’s convenient. This (Troops) takes a little bit more of a sacrifice, and I hope that the boys realize that. I can say from my own experience, I’ve had my sons thank me for the time that I’ve given to them” in Troops.
Merriman said he hopes the Epiphany troop will continue to grow. To help that along, there has been fundraising and building awareness at the parish with brief talks at Masses. It’s working.
“Lots of families approached me after Mass and said, ‘I’d love for my son to get involved in this,’” he said. “Normally, it’s the mom who asks that, and I say, ‘Well, tell your husband to contact me.’ What I’ve learned about dads is they need a personal invitation or they just don’t … take their son to do these things.”
At the same time, having a smaller number of dads and boys isn’t bad, either, he noted, because of the intimate feeling it creates.
“So, we aren’t trying to grow just for the sake of growth,” Merriman said. “I think it’s like anything: If the Lord wants it, Our Lady is going to wrap her mantle around it and it’s going to grow and it’s going to continue to be blessed.”
For more information on Troops of St. George, visit troopsofsaintgeorge.org.
