Care and Support Our lives and our faith grow, as we reach out to serve one another.

Grief Ministry at the Basilica of Saint Mary offers support for anyone in the community who is experiencing the loss of a friend or family member through death. When we lose a loved one, grief can turn our life routine inside out. Sadness, confusion, shock and loneliness may occur.

Sometimes it is important to talk; sometimes just to listen. We have Volunteer Listeners available to meet with you in a 1:1 setting.

Trained volunteers with Emmaus Grief Ministry will send cards and letters in the first year and acknowledge the anniversary of a loss, expressing the support and prayers of The Basilica community. They will make phone calls and provide referral resources to other support ministries in the community.

If you or someone you know has experienced loss, we want to offer you our prayers, concern and support.

Contact Jill for more information.

Downtown Coalition for Grief Support

For many, grief support helps the journey toward healing after the loss of a loved one.

What can you expect if you attend?

You will walk into a room full of people who understand what you’re going through.

• They'll get you through the first months, holidays, and anniversaries.

• You can come whenever you need solace and support.

• You can speak of your loved one, no matter how much time has passed.

Are you nervous about attending for the first time?

For some, it's not easy to go to a support group meeting. Know that there are no expectations. What you say. What you do. Whether you share. It is all up to you.

This is a safe place filled with people just like you — people who have been devastated and surprised by the magnitude of their losses.

All are invited to participate in The Basilica’s Employment Ministry.

For an intake appointment, please contact Jill. Following the intake:

• You will be able to sign up to meet with Job Coaches who can help you with your job search. Get one-on-one assistance with resume writing, interviewing, transitions and self-assessment. Set action steps. Be able to tell your story to someone who will Iisten and understand.

We look forward to working with you.

Job Coaches

Joe Clements 

Joe comes from a diverse background of financial leadership roles at both startup and Fortune 500 companies.  For over 25 years he has held roles in financial planning and analysis, product pricing, capital investment, and data analytics.  His career has been fueled by a passion for serving others, whether customers, co-workers or the community.

Having worked under notable leaders at both GE and UnitedHealth Group, Joe developed insights on how to influence others and help those around him.  Building a positive workplace culture has been foundational to his engagements, as is maintaining a connection to Purpose and Values.

Serving others isn’t exclusive to Joe’s professional life.  He’s a former marathon coach, a classical singer, and serves on Boards of local nonprofit and arts organizations.  Being outdoors is important to him, whether biking, canoeing or camping, and he loves helping others take on a new challenge.

When asked why he spends time on career and executive coaching, he often shares a quote from Jordan Peterson, “Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.  When tragic things are in front of you and you feel somewhat powerless, keep your eyes open for little opportunities that highlight the redemptive elements of life that make it worthwhile.  Look for what’s meaningful and soul-sustaining - even when you are where you would rather not be.”

Chris Hawver

Chris was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and still uses his Southern manners.  When he is not at The Basilica, he is most likely volunteering at the MN Streetcar Museum, the American Red Cross, Guthrie Theatre, Salvation Army, MicroMentor, or an Election Judge for the city of Minnetonka.

Many who know him say he is highly creative in defining solutions for various problems. He has a variety of stories from his experiences around the globe, both personal and professional, and thinks we all need to laugh more while trusting God in all things.

He is a retired international Marketing executive with over 30 years of experience in start-ups, enterprises, and Fortune 500 companies. He served on the Board of Directors of twelve (12) industry associations. He launched four successful software companies and is credited with building brand and revenue for three other companies.

A recipient of national and international business and industry awards, he authored numerous articles and strategies focused on leveraging data as a strategic asset.

He coaches and mentors students, entry-level to mid-management, CEOs, and other executives in For-Profit and Non-Profit organizations.

Chris formerly served on the non-industry Board of Directors for the Minnesota Patriot Guard, Accident Scene Management (ASM), and Minnetonka Crime Prevention Association. He was the Director of Wild Prairie Harley Owners Group. He is the Co-founder of Road Guardians.

Chris's education includes the Executive Marketing Program, Georgetown University, Washington D.C.; Master of Business Administration, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon; the Executive Entrepreneurship Program, Babson College, Boston, MA; and Bachelor of Arts (cum laude), Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jodi Holden

Jodi Holden believes deeply in the power of career counseling and coaching and the profound change it can bring about. Her mission is to help move Basilica of Saint Mary’s job seekers towards achieving their full potential by finding their best career fit. Jodi believes that by people discovering their best career fit, they can experience a greater sense of purpose, direction, clarity, and fulfillment. As a career counselor and coach, she helps individuals achieve a deeper awareness, while creating a safe environment to explore beliefs and new ideas and provide support with compassion.

As a first-generation college student, Jodi earned her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of St. Thomas, M.B.A. in International Management from the University of Dallas, and in 2015 completed a Master’s degree in Counseling and Psychological Services from Saint Mary’s University. She has over 20 years of work experience in corporate business as a marketing manager, recruiter, staffing manager, and human resources manager. With over nine years career coaching and counseling experience, she has helped hundreds of individuals to identify and pursue satisfying careers, manage successful career transitions, and take advantage of new opportunities. In an academic setting, Jodi has over a year and a half experience counseling international and domestic undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Minnesota.

Jodi’s cultural competency is built on a lifetime of international experiences. She has lived, gone to school, and worked among many other cultures. She has worked with diverse multicultural populations both as a staffing manager for an international management consulting firm and in a career counseling role for a university that prides itself on having a diverse population of students. These experiences help her to better meet the needs of diverse job seekers at the Basilica of Saint Mary.

Teresa Mazzitelli

Teresa has been a longtime member at the Basilica and joined the employment ministry a few years ago to share her background in human resources with those seeking career counseling.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Saint Benedict and completed her postgraduate coursework at the University of Minnesota. Teresa began her career in corporate human resources and has spent the last 35 years in executive recruiting as President & CEO of The Mazzitelli Group. She is a trusted adviser to the C-Suite, business owners, corporate boards, and search committees. 

Teresa is a frequent speaker addressing audiences on candidate selection, interviewing skills, and career planning.  She was an adjunct faculty member for Minnesota State and former Executive-in-Residence for the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict.  Teresa values the Benedictine tradition of service to others and in listening with the ear of the heart. She finds volunteering at the Basilica to be an integral part of living a purpose filled life.

Zack Morrison

Zack was born and raised in the Twin Cities before attending college at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, majoring in Marketing & Management.  He started his professional career working for the startup company LivingSocial out in Washington, DC, and then launched into tech sales with SAP Concur back home in Minneapolis in 2013.  Since that time, he has achieved high levels of success, first as an individual contributor and frontline sales manager, and more recently as an organizational director, leading frontline managers for SAP's European sales team.  Starting in 2024, Zack has taken on the challenge of building out a brand new team for the company, focusing on database cleansing and enrichment to support SAP's field sales reps globally.

Throughout his career, Zack has primarily been motivated by helping others achieve their full potential.  Guided by the principles of Radical Candor and Situational Leadership, he strives to truly meet individuals wherever they are at in their career journey.  That means acknowledging and respecting the circumstances that got them where they are, while also challenging them from a position of care to really help them take their careers to the next level.

Outside of work, Zack has been a parishioner at the Basilica of St. Mary since January of 2023, and was recently Confirmed into the Catholic Church on Epiphany in 2024.  He enjoys golfing, skiing, traveling, studying Church history, and not just watching movies, but dissecting them in conversation as well.

Behind the Mask: Understanding Invisible Disabilities

On March 15, 2021, The Basilica Employment Ministry presented this free virtual workshop, led by Cindy Edwards and Annie Montemayor.

The unique workshop was developed to:

• Educate people on the most common invisible disabilities in the workforce today
• Provide data correlating to the future workforce and invisible disabilities
• Discuss how to build a culture of disability awareness and acceptance
• Give resources on understanding when to refer, disclosure rights, privacy and options that protect people with invisible disabilities
• Promote self-advocacy; helping people understand steps for requesting reasonable accommodations
• Teach conversation skills for discussing invisible disabilities in the workplace and beyond

Get the support you need during your job transition:

You don’t have to do it alone. Numerous organizations have excellent support groups and resources to help you find a job.

• Wooddale Church
• Minnesota WorkForce Center — workshops, trainings, networking, job listings, career fairs and more

Resources for your job search:

• WomenVenture - Career development and transition courses for women
• HIRED - Workshops, training, job clubs and drop-in job search services for those with low incomes
• Twin Cities Rise! - Individualized skills training for jobs paying at least $20,000 annually
• AVIVO - Career training opportunities
• Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota - Career navigation helps individuals enroll in training, find work and prepare for higher levels of future education and employment.

Committed to Making The Basilica Barrier Free

Access and Inclusion Ministry (AIM), formerly The Disability Awareness Ministry.

The Access and Inclusion Ministry's mission is to remove barriers that prevent the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities and their families in parish life and in the community at large. We do this by ensuring that the Basilica is a welcoming and supportive environment for all.

The Basilica’s AIM:  

• We AIM to make our faith accessible
• We AIM to remove barriers
• We AIM to include more people in the work we do
• We AIM to always work to make things better
• We AIM to ensure that everyone feels included regardless of who they are or where they are on their personal and faith journey

We believe that all persons have multiple gifts to share. We also believe that a measure of spiritual and personal growth can come from the purposeful engagement of persons with apparent or with hidden disabilities. This engagement begins with opportunities to increase awareness leading to a realistic understanding of the nature of disabilities--it does not come from pre-conceived notions or from stereotypes portrayed in the media.

A barrier can be defined as anything: 

1) serving to obstruct passage or to maintain separation, such as a fence or gate;

2) that prevents or obstructs passage, access, or progress; or

3) that separates or hinders union.

Listing of all accessibility information

Sacramental Information

Guidelines for Sacraments for Persons with Disabilities from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Lift Every Voice: Race, Disability, and Equality in the Arts

Click here to watch this powerful conversation. Moderator Aaron Gabriel and panelists Kymani Queen, Michael Wolfe, and Naa Mensah, all Twin Cities artists and educators, shared their experiences producing works that explore the intersections of race and disability.

Testimonial

"An usher helped me with the listening device. He had me feel the device until I found the little wheel and then he had me practice moving the volume wheel. He uses the device himself so he was a very good teacher, and checked with me after Mass to see how it worked. As it turned out, I heard Father Bauer very well when he read the gospel and gave his homily. I could also hear the various speakers in the pulpit."

How you can help:

Help us accommodate your special needs by letting us know what you require to worship freely and participate fully in community life at The Basilica.

Let us know whenever you encounter a barrier blocking or impeding your worship, service, learning, or community life so that we may address the situation you experienced.

How to get involved:

If you would like to participate in the work of the Access and Inclusion Ministry, contact Ruth Deckenbach for more information.

We are called by Christ to respond to the mental health needs of our faith community members.

Do you need someone to talk to?

If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, we can put you in touch with someone who can help. We can provide referrals to counselors and therapists.

We also have a network of individuals who have experience with mental health diagnoses and are willing to talk with you or your loved about your mental health journey.

Contact Ruth Deckenbach for more information.

The Mental Health Ministry recognizes that…

• A person's religious faith and spirituality are part of the overall treatment and recovery process

• Secrecy, shame, stigma, and denial are among the great problems surrounding mental illness

• Mental illness causes great pain and anguish for the individual and the community

• Education — of the person, the parish and our community — can alleviate some of this pain

• Mental Health exists at the intersection of the deeply personal AND the collective, profoundly impacting both individuals and the broader community alike.

• Mental health encompasses more than just addressing issues or illnesses; it's about nurturing a holistic well-being that embraces personal growth and resilience.

Mental Health Ministry Committee

If you are interested in participating in the Basilica’s initiative around Mental Health, please contact Ruth Deckenbach.

Examples of events and activities the committee plans:

• Annual Mental Health Ice Cream Social and Resource Fair
• Annual Advent Mental Health Blessing, Dinner, and Speaker
• Awareness trainings
• Choosing speakers, authors, and movies relevant to mental health topics of concern to the parish
• Identifying collaborations within and outside the parish

Upcoming Mental Health Ministry events

Looking for a new way to pray? 

Prayer shawl ministers, experienced and novice, create beautiful shawls to bring warmth and comfort to people in many in life’s transitions. Prayers of blessing, (“May God’s grace be upon these shawls, warming comforting, enfolding and embracing…”) are with each shawl. 

How do I receive a Prayer Shawl?

If you or a loved one is experiencing a challenging time in your life, The Basilica community would like to support you through our Prayer Shawl Ministry.

Prayer Shawls can warm, comfort, enfold, and embrace you--creating a sacred place and a safe haven, for difficult times.

To request a Prayer Shawl, contact Jill.

How do I make a Prayer Shawl?

• If you are a seasoned crocheter or knitter or want to learn, join us!

• Meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month, 10:30am–12:00pm.

• Join by calling Katie, 763.458.8679, or Jane, 763.479.1555.

Prayer Shawl ministry at home

Do you prefer to knit at home or can’t make it to our meetings?  We’re happy to drop off yarn and pick up finished shawls. Call Jane at 763.479.1555 for details.

Emmaus Homebound Communion Ministry

We know that sometimes, despite our deepest desires, we are unable to get to Mass anymore. Perhaps aging or disease has made it impossible for us to celebrate Mass with the faithful as we find movement restricted and independence more limited. Or perhaps we are recovering from surgery and need communion visits for a short duration of time. The Basilica assigns a Homebound Communion minister to visit people on a regular basis, to pray with them, and to bring the Body of Christ. 

Contact Jill to request this ministry for a Basilica parishioner.

Ministers visit record

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Threshold: Merriam-Webster defines this as the means or place of entry; the place or point of beginning. 

We believe that as our loved ones near death, there is an opening to the Sacred.  Our parish offers a small group of singers from the Cathedral Choir willing to come into the home, hospital, assisted living facility, or hospice care setting to sing and pray.  The ministry is not a performance but rather the singers  come with gentle blessing to quiet fears, open hearts, and bring light to all who are present.  Praying with music is a particularly powerful way to help those gathered around a loved one’s side express love and begin to say good-bye. Singers are available to come at various times of the day, on weekdays or weekends.

The ministry is offered as a gift, thus there is no charge.  Please contact Janice in the Caring Ministries office to arrange for this ministry when hospice begins, when a terminal illness is diagnosed, or when death draws near.