Sharing Faith Through Fellowship: How a Seeds of Faith Grant Is Bringing Families Together in Winona

When families gather around a table to share a meal, something special happens. Conversations flow more easily; laughter fills the room, and connections deepen. For the Cathedral of Sacred Heart in Winona, these simple meals have become moments of grace that are transforming their parish community. 

With support from a Seeds of Faith – Faith Formation grant from the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota, the Cathedral has been able to continue offering meal hospitality to families participating in their Faith Formation program. What began as a simple way to share food and fellowship has grown into a powerful tool for faith formation and parish unity. 

“We believe a meal brings people together.  We serve a family meal about twice a month, to help make Faith Formation more doable for families.  On these nights, our hope is that you might need to hurry a little less, have some time to sit down with your family for a meal, and grow in community with each other.”  - Anna Therneau 

And it’s spreading. With so much success at the Cathedral, beginning this fall, all three of the Winona parishes, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, St. Stanislaus Kostka, and St. Mary’s, will be partnering to rotate through hosting family faith formation. They hope to be able serve many more local Catholics in this way. 

A Shared Table That Builds Community 

As Anna Therneau, Director of Lifelong Faith Formation for the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, explains, the opportunity to share a meal before faith formation sessions have become a key part of their ministry’s success. 

“The ability to offer a meal of hospitality is transformational in our community,” Therneau shared. “Adults and children are joyfully coming together to share life and learn about our Catholic faith.” 

This shared table has created a space where families feel welcomed and supported. Parents are able to engage in meaningful discussions about faith while children build friendships that extend beyond the classroom. Through shared meals, the parishes are not only teaching the faith but also living it out—creating what Therneau describes as a “positive sense of community growth” and “fraternal care,” especially among high school youth who help host and participate. 

Faith Formation That Unites 

This year marks an important milestone for Winona’s Catholic parishes: for the first time, the Family Faith Formation program is being offered jointly across all three parishes. What once were individual efforts have now become a shared mission to form families together in faith. 

With the help of the Seeds of Faith grant, the parishes can continue providing meals twice a month from September through April, serving an estimated 80 people per gathering. Parishioners volunteer to cook and serve; desserts are lovingly donated by families, and a portion of the cost of food is covered by the grant. 

The result is more than just a meal—it’s a visible expression of the Body of Christ in action. 

Hospitality as Evangelization 

What makes this program so impactful is its simplicity. A meal—something ordinary and everyday—has become a powerful form of evangelization. Parents who may not have felt connected to parish life now feel drawn back through fellowship. Children who might have rushed home after class are lingering to help clean up or talk about what they’ve learned. 

Through these shared meals, the Faith Formation program is helping families encounter Christ through one another. By eating together, praying together, and sharing faith conversations, families are discovering new ways to bring their faith home. 

Seeds of Faith in Action 

Since 2004, the Seeds of Faith endowment has provided millions of dollars in grants to strengthen Catholic life across the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Each grant tells a story of faith in action—whether it’s supporting Catholic education, music ministry, clergy formation or family faith formation.  

In Winona, this grant has done more than just fund food—it’s built as a foundation for deeper faith and community. Elizabeth Williams, Executive Director of Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota said, “It was with great pleasure that we were able to bestow the Seeds of Faith Formation grant on the Cathedral of Winona. The Seeds of Faith Fund exists to help ministries like this one flourish. When we support family-centered initiatives like this, we invest in the future of the Church.” 

A Grateful Community 

The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and its partnering parishes express deep gratitude to donors like you who sacrificed through giving in the early 2000s and now make these grants possible through the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota. Every meal served, every conversation shared, and every moment of fellowship reflects your generosity in action. 

If your parish or ministry has a vision for deepening faith in your community, we encourage you to learn more about Seeds of Faith – Faith Formation grants. 

Apply or learn more about our Seeds of Faith Grants