Parishioners from the four parishes in Lee and Van Buren counties participate in the Catholic Rural Life Mass of Thanksgiving on the Farm on Nov. 10 at the Kevin and Mary Overton farm in West Point.
By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger
WEST POINT — A massive bean head for harvesting soybeans, near the temporary sanctuary in the shed of Kevin and Mary Overton, unintentionally emphasized the reason for this gathering: celebration of a Catholic Rural Life Mass of Thanksgiving on the Farm.
The Overtons had removed combines, tractors and other vehicles from the shed before they swept, power-washed and dried it out for the Nov. 10 celebration on their farm in Lee County, the Davenport Diocese’s southeastern-most county. A quilt displayed on a wall behind the altar featured a “Farmer’s Prayer” and other quotes on separate patches reflecting an appreciation for God and family.
“People really enjoy the Catholic Rural Life Masses and Catholic Rural Life blessings,” said Deacon Mike Linnenbrink, who coordinates the annual fall Mass. Catholic Rural Life, for which the Mass takes its name, is a national, Catholic nonprofit organization promoting Catholic life in rural America.
Deacon Linnenbrink, whose assignment includes Catholic Rural Life ministry, has coordinated each of the four Catholic Rural Life Masses to date. The four parishes he serves — St. Boniface Parish-Farmington, St. James the Less Parish-St. Paul, St. John the Baptist Parish-Houghton and St. Mary of the Assumption Parish-West Point — collaborate on the event. This year it included a Family Fun night featuring a hayride and kids’ games.
Parishes rotate hosting duties. The Overtons, members of the West Point parish, accepted the invitation to host this fall. “Deacon Mike came to me and said, ‘Hey, would you like to have a Mass at the farm?’” Mary Overton recalled. Sure, she responded, and then the event grew to include a hayride, bonfire and games for the kids. “We were all in,” she said of herself and husband. “We figured we had the shed.”
The hayride before Mass was a big hit for kids of all ages, including Father Dan Dorau, the parishes’ pastor, who presided at Mass. Kevin Overton drove the tractor that pulled a trailer carrying kids and adults seated on hay bales. “We saw a sunset and before the sunset, we saw rays of sun,” Mary Overton said. “Someone said, ‘It’s God kissing the earth!’”
Father Dorau began the Mass expressing gratitude for agriculture and the fruits of the farmers’ labors that nourish people. He told the gathering that his homily would focus on his vocation journey to acknowledge National Vocations Awareness Week, which concluded Nov. 9. Planting seeds of vocations in families and in parishes is essential, he said, in sharing his heartfelt message with the gathering of 50 to 60 adults and children.
The seeds of his vocation were planted during the eighth grade but did not come to fruition until he was in his 50s. By then, he was the father of four adult children. The Diocese of Davenport accepted him into the seminary after other dioceses and religious organizations had declined. Ordained to the priesthood in 2017, he said, “There have been ups and downs but I always love being a priest.”
Father Dorau urged the faithful not to be afraid to ask a young adult or their parents whether that young person might have a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. “It is the responsibility of we as the Church to keep it supplied with priests, deacons and consecrated religious … How hard are we praying for vocations? Are we raising our children to consider a life with the Church? Do we portray religious vocations as something positive?”
“The religious life is a fantastic life,” he said. “Pray for priests, from among us. Pray for deacons and religious brothers and sisters to come forth from our numbers. Pray for sacramental marriages in the Church because we need future generations of faith-filled Catholics to keep our churches open, just as much as we need priests.”
Father Dorau drove home a message that his parishioners could relate to: “If we are tired of parish mergers, reduced services and sharing of priests, then let’s do something about it. Pray, ask, encourage and share your faith — but don’t do nothing.”
Father Dan Dorau elevates the host during the Catholic Rural Life Mass of Thanksgiving on the farm Nov. 10 in the shed of Kevin and Mary Overton’s farm in West Point. Assisting at Mass are Deacons Mike Linnenbrink (left) and Gary Johnson.
During the presentation of the gifts that followed, children and adults brought up the gifts in bushel baskets filled with fruits of the fall harvest: ear corn, shell corn, soybeans, oats, aronia berry wine and cherry pie filling (“our cherry trees went crazy,” Deacon Linnenbrink said).
“It’s great that we can make this connection between faith and farm,” Father Dorau said at the end of Mass. His voice quavered as he said, “It’s great to be here with my family. You all are my family.”
His “family,” with his encouragement, turned their folding chairs around to place them at the tables soon filled with plates of food from the potluck line.
Geoff Overton, the son of Kevin and Mary, attended the Mass and other activities with his wife Kara and their four daughters, ages 12, 10 and 7-year-old twins. “It’s kind of nice to celebrate Mass outside the church,” Geoff said. He appreciated that the liturgy inside the makeshift church included deacons, musicians and the presentation of the gifts from the harvest. “That was neat.”
Kara said she appreciated the opportunity for the kids to eat, play and spend time with their friends after Mass. In the parish, “Everybody goes home after Mass.” Her mother, Nancy Hunold, said, “I loved it. It was very relaxing and everybody here has a smile on their face. I was impressed that we had a priest and two deacons (serving) here.”
Deacon Gary Johnson of Divine Mercy Parish-Burlington/West Burlington, served at Mass, invited by Deacon Linnenbrink, one of his deacon formation classmates. “It is enjoyable to experience Mass in a different setting,” Deacon Johnson said.
“Any Catholic Rural Life Mass is a good event,” said Deacon Kent Ferris, diocesan director of Social Action and Catholic Charities who attended but did not serve at the Mass. Giving thanks for the harvest gets the main billing. But it’s also “another opportunity to gather for Mass and great fellowship.”
Altar servers Peninah Pidgeon (11), Addison Menke (11), and Nicholas Menke (13), all said they enjoyed the event and serving at Mass. “It would have been cool if there had been a cow bell,” Peninah said. Addison appreciated the readers at Mass, saying they were good.
“I loved that they had a blessing of the harvest and brought that up (to the altar),” said Peninah’s mom, Sabrina Pidgeon. The Mass and other activities, she said, created a “great sense of community.”
