Book sharing idea grows into library and more at Holy Cross

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

In an effort led by a women’s faith sharing group at Holy Cross Parish in Sioux City, a mostly unused building on the campus of Blessed Sacrament Church that once housed Angel House Preschool and years earlier served as a convent has gained new life and purpose.

Deemed the Holy Cross Spiritual Center, the building houses a library, reading lounge, hospitality/meeting room, room for spiritual direction/faith sharing, an atrium for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, kitchen/coffee bar and sewing/quilting room.

Jeanne Hindman, a member of the Holy Cross Women of Faith group at the parish, pointed out they recently held an open house to showcase the new parish library that drew more than 150 parishioners. While all members of the group and many others have helped get the library up and running, Hindman is one of a trio of women who coordinate the library. The other two are Jeannie Forker and Michelle Brady, both members of the women’s faith sharing group.

“It all started on Jan. 2 with the donation of a bookcase for our small group,” she recalled, adding that the idea of establishing a library for parishioners to use came to mind as they reflected on how they could be of service to the parish.

Forker pointed out it was a homily by Father Travis Crotty at Cathedral, St. Joseph ChurchJeannie Forker stamps a new book to be added to the parish library. that triggered the inspiration to find ways to evangelize and catechize. The priest had mentioned that once families are grown, sometimes parishioners will no longer continue to propagate the faith. After that homily, members of the women’s group discussed how they might take up that call to action.

Simple idea
It was Hindman who had the simple idea of sharing books, but the concept grew quickly. At first it was going to be the women of the group donating their personal extra religious books to share. From there it turned into developing a parish library. In time, it grew into making over several rooms in the building to form a spiritual center.

At the time the bookcase was donated in early January, the Women of Faith - with a membership of 12 women - were meeting in a small room in the building that would evolve into the spiritual center. By early February, then-pastor Father David Hemann, showed them a larger room in the building that had some built-in bookshelves and he gave his approval for it to be used as a parish library.

“The only thing that was in here was a folding table,” said Hindman. “We thought this would be a big task to fill up the library.”

Taking a cue from the phrase, “built it and they will come” and having a desire to offer access to Catholic books to parishioners, just a few days after Father Hemann showed them the space they rolled up their sleeves and began cleaning. On Feb. 9, they had the large room cleaned and began moving in books and a few extra bookcases.

By the end of February, the shelves of the bookcases began to fill and religious art was added to the walls of the library as well as other rooms in the spiritual center.

Brady pointed out that the library room also contains one of two spaces for the children’s liturgy.

Project grows
“This project has exceeded our imagination and by leaps and bounds,” said Forker. “We started out thinking this would be small, but the Spirit is helping us grow this. It’s been a lot of work, but a lot of fun.”

Brady agreed that the Holy Spirit “is definitely pulling us along – not just pushing but pulling us.”

Through their efforts to repurpose and revitalize the building, she said it would serve as a springboard to “revitalize our parish and church community. I’ve been in charge of the kitchen and we want it to be very hospitable and very welcoming.”

“The library is the heart of the building and we expanded from there,” said Brady. “We want people to use this building.”

Jeanne Hindman shows a book offered in the new Holy Cross parish library.Hindman mentioned she believes they are all on a mission to serve. As their families have been raised, they have come to realize the best way to be of service is to serve young families of the parish.
Given so many things have fallen into place through the right ideas at the right time, donations of books, art and furniture as well as many individuals offering their time and talent, she is also a believer that the Holy Spirit has been at work.

Books for all ages
It was Forker who recognized the importance of adding children’s and youth books to attract young families.

“Initially it was just to share the books we had and then it expanded,” said Forker, who maintains the children’s collection. “I really felt we needed children’s books.”

The library contains books for younger children along with those for middle school or high school. They anticipate Holy Cross School students will even be able to utilize some of their resources, such as their book collection on the saints. The school principal had mentioned they might be able to do a research day in the library. There has been talk of training some school students to reshelve books and clean the library to earn service hours.

Hindman, who maintains the adult collection, pointed out the library offers many individual books or small group sets for those who want to form a faith sharing group.

In the end, the library was filled with a combination of books from private collections, books contributed by the chancery and many books were purchased by members of the women’s faith sharing group and others.

Project supported
The coordinators pointed out that Father Hemann had given them great latitude on how to proceed with the project and utilize the space in the center but kept him informed and sought his approval on various aspects of the project.

In July, Father Randy Schon became pastor of Holy Cross Parish and he has offered support and appreciation of their work in the spiritual center.

Just as the number and scope of the books in the library grew, so has the number and variety of religious art, which are marked with brass plates naming the title of the work and so on.

“We started adding art just so the walls didn’t look so bare, and it became something more than we ever envisioned,” said Forker.

Given that Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is now offered in the building for the first year, Hindman said it is their hope that “parents will gather for coffee and conversation and to check out books.” In addition to faith sharing groups and other programs, she noted the space could be available for other uses such as baby showers.

Using an old-fashioned card system, books can be checked out for a month at a time.

“If there are any parishes that want to start a library, we can be a resource for them to guide them through it,” said Hindman, who noted they can leave a message for her at the parish office.

Parishioners can view what books are available in the library on the parish website at holycrosssc.org/parish-library.  The library is open 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and after Mass on Sunday.

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