To help Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis elevate Sundays as a day for prayer and rest, the archdiocese is releasing a monthly video series starting in September.
The effort stems from implementing Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s 2022 pastoral letter “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent from the Upper Room.” The initiative focuses on a proposition of the Archdiocesan Synod 2022 process: “Form and inspire parents to understand and fulfill their responsibility as the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith.”
In a video introducing the initiative, Archbishop Hebda said, “I invite every Catholic in our archdiocese into a practice ever ancient, ever new: reclaiming the peace, rest and leisure of Sundays with the Lord, who is the giver of all good gifts, and with our families.” The video series “will share ideas for building lasting habits to anchor our weeks in a joyful, prayerful and restful observance of Sunday,” the archbishop said.
The effort, which also includes a “Guide to Reclaiming Sundays for the Lord” published online, grew out of recommendations made to the archbishop by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Parents as Primary Educators — a group of clergy, religious, educators, parents and grandparents. After its introduction in 2023, the commission worked to determine practical resources to offer parents as part of the pastoral letter implementation. The commission presented its recommendations to the archbishop in May 2024.
The goal of the “Reclaiming Sundays” effort is to “root families in the understanding that Sunday is an essential in the life of a family of faith,” said Alison Dahlman, associate director of educational quality and excellence for the archdiocese’s Office for the Mission of Catholic Education (OMCE), who was an OMCE liaison for the commission.
The “Guide to Reclaiming Sundays for the Lord” offers suggestions for keeping the Sabbath holy. It introduces a theme for each month from September through August, including prayer, rest and recreation, beauty, music, invitation, no/low-tech Sundays, elevated conversation, breaking bread, community, screen-free Sundays, creation and service.
“The themes that have been identified are ways to deepen parents’ understanding of, well, what does it mean to live the Sabbath? What does it mean to have a day of worship and leisure? What does that really look like?” Dahlman said.
Pam Patnode, former director of Catholic school leadership at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, offers perspective in the October video on the theme of rest, recreation and prayer. She said guidelines for keeping Sundays holy can be found in the commandments.
“When we look closely at the third commandment, we can see two mandates: We are called to worship, and we are called to rest. Honoring both worship and rest is necessary for our growth as Christian disciples and for our growth as human persons,” Patnode, a parishioner of Holy Name of Jesus in Medina, said in an email. “We live in a culture that many have referred to as one of ‘toxic productivity.’ This constant busyness is unhealthy for individuals and for relationships.”
“It is very counter-cultural today to intentionally make time for prayer and worship, rest, and true recreation/leisure,” she said. “Yet, when we do so, we are able to grow our relationships with Christ and others, while also growing into our own full potential.”
Honoring the Sabbath as a time for Catholics to grow their relationships with Christ and others is also emphasized in the video set for release in April, on the theme of breaking bread and prayer.
“The Eucharist … gathered Christians from the beginning on Sundays, and there are powerful testimonies about the early community celebration of the Eucharist. But the breaking of the bread also refers to the profound moment of sharing a space at the table, like Jesus did with his friends, to share not only a meal, but life,” Marta Pereira said in an email. Pereira is a campus minister at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and a member of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission; she is offering her perspective in the April video.
“In this sense, the meaning of the meal, breaking the bread together, holds an essential place on Sundays for our families,” said Pereira, who frequently attends Mass at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul. “A meal with those who(m) we love is a profound moment of encounter, but also a profound moment of experiencing Christ in our midst.”
Families can respond to these encounters by bringing them into the world, said Megan Plum, executive director of Guiding Star Wakota in West St. Paul, who offers her perspective in the August video on the theme of service and prayer.
“Prayer roots us in God’s love, and service is our response to that love, making both essential for keeping the Sabbath holy,” Plum, a parishioner of Nativity of Our Lord, said in an email. “When families pray and serve together, they grow closer to God and to one another, living out their faith in a way that brings lasting joy and unity.”
Dahlman said the guide and video series are primarily geared toward families with school-age children, though Catholics from all walks of life are invited to participate. The video series is in English and Spanish. The videos — each no more than roughly five minutes and filmed primarily at Bethany Center for Prayer and Renewal in Scandia — will be released on the first of each month, accompanied by discussion questions that could also be “a really easy-to-use resource in a small group,” Dahlman said. Segments of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show will also include interviews with those featured in the video series.
Dahlman said the hope is the “Reclaiming Sundays” effort “will encourage and fortify parents in bringing their children to Mass and living Sunday in that way, and then secondarily, maybe sparking their imagination(s) in ways that they can make Sunday like a holy day — lowercase ‘h’ — within the context of their home,” Dahlman said.
“I hope people are encouraged that their mission as a parent to form their child in the faith is achievable,” she said.
Patnode said she hopes those who follow the guide and view the videos “will be encouraged in their efforts to reclaim Sundays.”
“It is an ongoing challenge, and the different seasons of life bring about unique difficulties,” she said. “However, the value in modeling for our children the importance of prayer, worship, relationship, rest, and leisure is inestimable. It is hard work, but the benefits are eternal.”
Pereira said she hopes those who participate will further “ponder the profound meaning of Sunday, not only as a Church but as family and to rediscover the importance of being together.”
Plum agreed. “I hope families rediscover Sunday as a day set apart for prayer, rest, and love, rather than just another busy day. Even small, intentional habits, like praying together or serving as a family, can transform Sundays into a source of peace, renewal, and deeper connection with God.”
Learn more about the guide and the video series online at archspm.org/sundays.
HALLOW PARTNERSHIP
As part of its “Reclaiming Sundays” effort — which includes a video series, a “Guide to Reclaiming Sundays for the Lord,” and other resources published online for families and small groups — the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has announced that the prayer app Hallow is providing curated content for the initiative.
The collection includes prayers, meditations and sessions for each monthly theme outlined in the guide.
Learn more by visiting try.hallow.com/reclaimingsundays.
