We are thrilled to be welcoming two new teachers to St. Anastasia Catholic School for the 2024-2025 academic year! Ms. Taylor Tollefson will be teaching 4th grade, and Ms. Katie Kennedy will be teaching middle school.

Ms. Tollefson was born and raised in Hutchinson and attended St. A’s through 6th grade. She graduated from Hutchinson High School in 2017 and attended the College of St. Scholastica for Elementary Education. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, listening to music, spending time with family and friends and cuddling her dog, Toby. Ms. Tollefson is thrilled to be back teaching in her elementary school and is looking forward to an amazing school year filled with learning, growth and lots of fun!

Ms. Katie Kennedy is from Chaska but currently lives in Hutchinson. was born and raised Catholic, and it has always been a big part of her life. She joined our parish last year when her fiancée was confirmed. Ms. Kennedy graduated from Luther College in Decorah, IA in 2020. She is an avid reader and swimmer and enjoys spending time with her loved ones. Ms. Kennedy is excited to be joining the staff at St. A’s and being able to include her faith in her daily work.

Welcome, Ms. Tollefson and Ms. Kennedy! We are looking forward to you both joining our fabulous team of teachers!

We owe a big thank you to everyone who attended the Roots to Wings Gala on Saturday, April 20 at the Crow River Golf Club. It was a beautiful evening filled with good food and great company, all to raise funds for a cause that is close to our hearts – our school! We were blown away by the support shown before, during and after the event – a preliminary glance has us raising nearly $40,000!

Thank you to everyone who donated their time, talent and financial resources to help make this a successful event. We look forward to sharing the items we’re able to purchase for our classrooms thanks to the funds raised at the gala.

Join us for this RESTORED Parish Mission Friday night May 3rd through Saturday morning May 4th. International Catholic speaker and podcaster John Edwards will deliver three powerful talks for all the men and women of the parish. John is the host of the popular Just a Guy in the Pew podcast and the founder of Pew Ministries. Friday night, John will kick off the mission with his powerful conversion story and we will end the night with some time to fellowship. The mission will resume with mass and the final two powerful talks Saturday morning. You don’t want to miss this! See the full mission schedule below:

Friday, May 3 (for all)

• 6:30 PM: From Addict to Evangelist, John’s Powerful Conversion Story
• 7:45 PM: Reception Meet & Greet

Saturday, May 4 (for all)

• 8:00 AM: Mass
• 8:30 AM: Light Breakfast
• 9:00 AM: Restoring Your Identity – Who you are, Whose you are, and Why you’re here
• 10:00 AM: Break
• 10:15 AM: The Most Important Thing – A personal relationship with Jesus
• 11:15 AM: Mission Ends

Saturday, May 4 (Men only)

• 11:15 AM-1:00 PM: Men’s Lunch & Men’s Ministry Training

Construction has begun on the school kitchen! While we are still in demo mode, the space is already looking different, and we are so excited for the upgrade. This renovation will make a big difference in both school operations and parish functions. Thank you to all who have supported our Capital Campaign so far – we are grateful for your faith in our plan to improve the school and parish facilities!

We will do our best to keep you updated with pictures as the renovation continues to progress. A big thank you to our cooks, students and staff who have been patient and flexible as we transitioned our lunch room to the hospitality area of the church.

This year’s Youth Mission Trip is to Duluth, MN on June 23-28! Mission trips allow youth in our parish the opportunity to grow in their faith through serving others, connecting with peers, attending daily Mass, participating in Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation, and answering God’s call to be a faithful follower.

Hannah Visser has attended two mission trips and shares the impact these trips have had on her life: “My name is Hannah Visser and I have attended the St. A’s mission trips for the past two years. The first one was to Nashville, Tennessee. This week opened my eyes and I realized that my faith is my life. I also learned that I love serving others and the importance of laying down your life for the good of someone else. Throughout this week I was also able to connect with other youth and leaders on the trip. By the end of the week we became a mission trip family. My second mission trip was to  Alamosa, Colorado. I had some of the same experiences as my first mission trip plus more. I felt God’s presence like never before and that is a feeling that I will never forget because it changed my perspective on God. On this trip I started to realize what God was calling me to and what he has planned for me. This week was an opportunity for me to let God work through me and share my gifts with others. Spending a week focused on how I can grow and build my faith and surrounding myself with other people who shared that same passion, was exactly what God needed me to do. It changed my perspective and shaped my relationship with God. Thank you to everyone who has supported these past mission trips, they have been such a life changing experience for many. If you want to support this year’s trip, all donations and support are appreciated.” 

As we prepare for this year’s mission trip, we are asking St. A’s parishioners to consider helping us in two ways:

1. Pray for us! Use the “Prayer” tab of the mission trip website to let us know how you are praying for us & how we can be praying for you. We will read submissions every night and spend time in prayer–offering up these intentions with a nightly Rosary.
2. Provide a financial contribution. You can make a gift online or contribute through our Envelope Fundraiser. Simply take an envelope from the bulletin board in the church with the amount you’d like to donate and return the envelope during the collection at Mass.

Thank you for your support! If you have any questions about the mission trip, reach out to Jake Burmis at 320-484-4864 or [email protected]