Cardinal to visit Good Thunder, New Ulm
Jul. 31—To Good Thunder and New Ulm residents of Luxembourg descent, meeting the first Catholic cardinal from Luxembourg almost feels akin to a royal visit.
"He's a famous guy, kind of a rock star coming to see us," said Donald Hollerich, whose grandfather is Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich's cousin. "But he's also a very down-to-earth, common good guy."
On what organizers are calling his "vacation," the cardinal will soon embark on a 10-stop tour of Midwestern cities with large populations of people of Luxembourg descent. The two Minnesota stops will be Aug. 6 in Good Thunder and Aug. 7 in New Ulm.
Kevin Wester, who organized the trip, founded the Luxembourg American Cultural Society in Wisconsin and is an avid historian and genealogist with dual citizenship to Luxembourg and the U.S.
Wester said descendants from Luxembourg are a tightknit community of people with pride in their heritage. He said bishops from Luxembourg have prioritized visiting communities formed by immigrants, but due to a busy schedule and a global pandemic, the cardinal is only now able to visit.
For organizers and the local churches the cardinal will be attending, the visit is historic. As far as they can remember, a cardinal has never before visited Good Thunder or New Ulm.
Cardinals are created by the pope, and Hollerich has had the title since 2019, the first ever from Luxembourg. Cardinals perform the primary duties of advising the pope at his request and are eventually tasked with electing his replacement.
Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, at about the size of Rhode Island, and borders Belgium, Germany and France. Janet Tauer, president of the board of the Luxembourg Heritage Society of Southern Minnesota, said many people who think they are of German heritage are actually Luxembourgers.
"Luxembourg is such a small country, so it's very intimate," Wester said. "It's like a big small town.
"The previous bishop told the cardinal, 'You've got to come (to the U.S.). These Americans are more into Luxembourg than Luxembourgers!'"
The excitement has organizers expecting large crowds at the Masses the cardinal is attending, though they haven't promoted the event outside of family and Luxembourger circles.
In Good Thunder, about 160 American-born relatives to the cardinal said they plan to come to the Mass and the following family-exclusive meal, said Maureen Hollerich, organizer of the event. The Mass will be 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, holding up to 250 people on a first-come, first-served basis.
"It's a small church, but we're an active parish, and it means a lot to the people of our parish to have the cardinal here to say Mass for us," Maureen Hollerich said.
For the New Ulm visit, anyone is welcome to attend the Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, and reservations can be made to take part in a meal and program by Wednesday. There will be an opportunity to socialize, view Luxembourg artifacts, try authentic German food and learn about activities of the Luxembourg Heritage Society of Southern Minnesota and the cultural background of its members.
The Heritage Society is a sponsor of the cardinal's Midwest tour, and members are excited about what they expect to be their biggest event since their founding in 2007, Tauer said.
She hopes the event will provide a chance for people to learn more about Luxembourg and the history of Luxembourgers in southern Minnesota, even if they are not of Luxembourg descent or Catholic themselves.
"It's an opportunity for people to learn more about our culture and meet a cardinal who is a warm, outgoing person," Tauer said.
