Program on Berne Church October 18

Rochester, MN— Assisi Heights Spirituality Center invites you to an event of local interest to residents of the West Concord area on October 18 in person or via Zoom.
Join the panelists from the Berne area to learn about its extraordinary history from the book, The Berne Church: Rooted and Grounded in Love. This is a compilation of oral history, articles and research, told in storytelling style, which brings to life the Swiss pioneer families who settled among the indigenous peoples in the 1850s.
The Berne Church, established in 1872, overcame challenges, including discrimination of their German speaking community during WWI with the Americanism movement and the rise of the KKK in the area.
The Berne Swissfest established in 1949, entertained and introduced Swiss cuisine and culture for 58 years. Today, Berne is known for its Wednesday, Wood-Fired Pizza nights. At its center, is the country Church, which is “Small enough to know you, and big enough to do God’s Work.”
Some of the voices you will hear include:
Catherine Eayrs, researcher and editor of The Berne Church: Rooted and Grounded in Love. She grew up in Berne, participated in the Berne Swissfest and lived in Switzerland for three years. She is a retired teacher and writer.
Colleen Hayne, a director of the West Concord Historical Society, is a retired teacher, writer and musician who lives with her husband, Greg, in the Berne area.
Karen R. Larson, current pastor of the Berne Church (Zwingli United Church of Christ), was a professional writer for 25 years before being ordained by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). Rev. Larson got her M.Div. from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.
The program will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18, at Assisi Heights in Rochester or via Zoom. Cost of the program is $15 preregistered/prepaid. Registration is requested by October 17.
Email marlys.jax@rochesterfranciscan.org or call Sr. Marlys Jax at (507) 529-3524 for inquiries. 
If you have never used Zoom, it is very important to download the Zoom application on your computer/device in advance.