Randy Mueller in His Own Words

On the occasion of his retirement, Communications Director Isaac Huss asked Faith Formation Director Randy Mueller to reflect upon his time at Nativity of Our Lord:
 

Isaac Huss: What was your first memory of Nativity (work-related or otherwise)?

Randy Mueller: I started working at Nativity in August, 1995. That month I met two young women whose strong Catholic Faith impressed me. One was an 8th Grader at the time, Angela Barrett, who became one of our children’s favorite babysitters, entered the Carmelite Monastery in Lake Elmo, and is now their Mother Superior, as well as our youngest son’s Godmother. 

The other was Jenny Speltz (now Jenny Maas), who wanted to bring Youth 2000 (a high school retreat run by the Franciscan Friars of Renewal) to the parish. Along with Jenni and other young adults, we brought that retreat to the parish six months later.  It was a huge success.

 
IH: What is your favorite memory of Nativity?

RM: Participating in the Easter Vigils at Nativity. Not only is the liturgy and the music amazingly heavenly, but I have been able to experience the joy of watching the Candidates that I have gotten to know and love at the weekly RCIA sessions for eight months being received into the Catholic Church. This has been the highlight of every year that I have been privileged to work at Nativity.
 

IH: What’s your funniest memory of Nativity?

RM: Coming to the rescue of one of my co-workers who was standing and screaming on top of her desk because another fellow worker had planted a fake mouse underneath her chair.
 

IH: How did you end up working at Nativity?

RM: As my work at the St. Paul Catholic Youth Center (where I helped with high school and young adult retreats and seminars) was coming to an end, I heard that Nativity was looking for a Director of Religious Education. By this time, I was married and had five children under the age of eight years old. I was invited to interview with Fr. Patrick Lannan, Don Eiden, and Jerry Kelly for the position, and the rest is history.
 

IH: What has been the clearest sign for you that God is working at Nativity?

RM: The beautiful and moving Easter Vigils. The hunger that continues to burn in the hearts of Nativity parishioners for our Eucharistic Lord shown by over 25 years of ongoing Perpetual Adoration. And always having over 50 people at each of our daily Masses, year in and year out.
 

IH: What has been the clearest sign for you that God is working through you and/or your work?

RM: Three things:

1. Watching the light of faith and love for Christ and his Church grow in the hearts and minds of the Candidates and Sponsors going through the RCIA process;

2. Watching that light of faith begin to ignite and shine forth in the eyes of the preschoolers going through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd; and

3. Reading the reflection papers of our 7th grade Confirmation students as they share why they believe they are ready to receive a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of Confirmation.


IH: What has been the primary inspiration for your work?

RM: The fire that the Holy Spirit put into my heart as a young adult to spread the love, truth and joy of Jesus Christ to those whom I serve, as well as help them (re)discover the abundant treasures of our Catholic faith.

This along with Saint John Paul II’s call for the New Evangelization. His definition of Catechesis (the passing on of the faith to others) became my own: “The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ” (Catechesi Tradendae, para 5).
 

IH: What do you hope is your lasting legacy?

RM: A strong, spiritually alive and faithful RCIA process that has developed over the years and allowed hundreds of Candidates and Sponsors to come alive in their faith. Along with that would be my hope for the continued growth of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. I have not come across a more powerful program that brings preschoolers and our younger children to life in Christ through the sacred liturgy.
 

IH: What will you miss the most about working here?

RM: The faithful parishioners and generous volunteers that live in this neighborhood, full of young families, lots of children, and a great parish school.  A dedicated, talented and fun group of co-workers and priests. Finally, because of the generosity of all our parishioners, I have never had to worry about having enough in my Faith Formation budget.
 

IH: Anything you’d like to say to the parish(ioners)?

RM: Two things: Thank you for your support and encouragement over these past 24 years. Never stop growing in your faith in Christ and his Church. Our culture needs us more than ever to be a light and leaven and salt so that our children will live to see a thriving, loving, faithful Church that passes on the good news of Jesus Christ to the next generation.
 
Finally, I would like to honor and thank my beautiful wife, Eileen, for allowing and encouraging me to work long hours and many years at Nativity even though that often meant missing two to three family dinners a week because of my work schedule.

She sacrificially picked up the extra responsibilities at home that came about as a result of those demands at work. I would never have been able to do as much — or serve as well — at Nativity without the wonderful gift of my wife.

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Pictured: Randy addresses the crowd at his retirement ice cream social celebration on Sunday, June 9.

And earlier version of this interview was published in the June 9 parish bulletin.