A GREETING FROM THE NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR PASTORAL STAFF

Hello, my name is Grant O’Neil, and I am excited and eager to begin my work here at Holy Cross! I have taken on the role of Director of Lifelong Discipleship and Outreach, and I look forward to getting to know the wonderful people of this parish even more and bringing the joy of the Gospel into an even more prominent place in our lives.

A little about me; I was raised in St. Michael, MN and attended the parish of the same name, and I am the youngest of three. My older brother is interceding for me in Heaven, and my sister has been happily married for ten years, and she has gifted me with two wonderful and loving nephews! I was actively involved in my parish’s youth group, both in middle school and as a high school leader.

I began my higher education at Winona State University (WSU) in the fall of 2011, though I would leave after my sophomore year. During my freshman year at WSU, I met the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs) on a spring break mission trip to New York City. I had never met religious before, and so I didn’t really know what to expect. The only assumption I had was that they would all be old men who solely spoke in Latin. Much to my surprise, the Lord had called – for the most part – normal people to this way of life. As I returned to my studies for the rest of spring semester, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Lord was calling me back to New York. Naturally, I ignored Him. As my sophomore year rolled on, the call came back stronger and louder. I couldn’t ignore our Lord any longer and so I scheduled a vocational visit with the CFRs. Home. This is the feeling I felt most profoundly during my four-day visit. I was so sure in this feeling that I asked for an application two weeks later. And so, I quit school and worked for a year so I could pay off my loans. In the first week of September in 2014, I packed up, moved to Harlem, and began ministering to the materially poor and the homeless. I was quite the fish-out-of-the-pond for my first few months, but I found my stride. By my third year with the friars, I was helping fully operate a private homeless shelter in the Bronx. It was also during this year that the Lord was calling me back home to Minnesota.

I returned to Minnesota in 2017 and resumed studies at WSU in the fall of 2018. Since July of 2021, I have been serving St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Brooklyn Park as the Coordinator of Elementary Faith Formation and First Sacraments. I have seen tremendous growth in the spiritual lives of the families that I worked with, and I am confident in the Lord that He will bless us with the same blessings.

Peace and Good,

Grant, Director of Lifelong Discipleship & Outreach

A WORD OF WELCOME TO GRANT! It has been a blessing to get to know Grant throughout the past few years as he has been a parishioner and living in Northeast. I am very excited to welcome him to our team and confident that he brings much to our parish. You will enjoy getting to know him. He is here to serve and support our ongoing growth as lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. Please join me in welcoming him to our parish! -Fr. Howe, Pastor