Quiet devotion: the Lofgren family of Sacred Heart Parish
Russell and Bridgett Lofgren and their adult son, Logan, outside of Sacred Heart Church in Wichita Falls. (NTC/Bertha Salazar)
Without fail, Russell and Bridgett Lofgren and their adult son, Logan, walk through the doors of Sacred Heart Church in Wichita Falls every Sunday. And while parishioners might have noticed the Lofgrens sitting in the first pew in view of the American Sign Language interpreter, they might have missed the sack of donation groceries the Lofgrens bring to the parish every week — a practice they’ve committed to for over a decade.
The sack points to the quiet devotion that is central to the Lofgren family’s practice of faith, which they shared with the North Texas Catholic.
“Russell is our faith leader, but he keeps to himself because that’s what he knows God wants you to do: to not brag,” Bridgett said. “Logan’s the same way.”
HOW THEY MET: Bridgett and Russell met as teenagers, marrying in 1983 before Bridgett was Catholic. Bridgett remembers her initial frustration with the church’s Pre-Cana requirements, but she credits the Catholic marriage prep for the strong marriage they enjoy today.
“We always tease and say, ‘That’s why we’ve been married so long, because we had to go through so much just to get married,’” she said, adding her gratitude to Russell’s insistence for the classes.
Even little things like the finance lessons in marriage preparation enhanced their relationship: “Everybody should go through [that part of] it because it brings up stuff that you don’t think to talk about, so it taught us communication,” Russell said.
ALL IN: Bridgett entered the Church in 1992 when Logan was 4 and their daughter, Taylor, was 6. She’s been all in ever since.
“I knew that I wanted to be like Russell,” she said. “I wanted our family to do everything together. The very first time, when we walked into the church after we visited all those other churches, it was like I took a sigh of relief. I knew what I needed to do.
“I wouldn’t do it any other way now because I would miss it,” she added. They make Mass a priority because “it’s just something we want to affect us.”
A TURNING POINT: Their faith practices deepened significantly after attending a local Christ Renews His Parish retreat. Russell’s first retreat was after he helped a family member through domestic abuse.
“That took a toll on all of us, especially him,” Bridgett nodded. “He’s got such a tender soul, and so Godly. That next Sunday, they were talking about Christ Renews His Parish. Right there was a turning point for all of us.
“That’s really when we started as a family acknowledging how important prayer was for us,” she continued. “That was a big part of our coming to a closer relationship with the Lord.”
After the retreat, Russell joined the Knights of Columbus and began his weekly habit of donating canned food and the family became more reverent during Mass. Most importantly, Bridgett noted, they stopped leaving Mass early.
WORKING LIVES: For over 45 years, Russell has been a machinist, welder, and fabricator, while Bridgett has been with Blue Cross Blue Shield since 2004.
Logan took the creative route, receiving his BFA in illustration from Rochester Institute of Technology. His ink art is fluid, psychedelic, and densely expressive while precise and stark in his signature black-and-white style, “simple for the eye,” he explained. “It’s a clear line.”
In addition to expressing himself on paper, he also appears on stage in comedic and dramatic roles. His ASL improv group, Dangerous Signs, even tried out for “America’s Got Talent.”
FAMILY TIME: Though Logan stopped attending Mass in college, he never misses a Sunday now. His advice to parents and adult children is “put God first and do not let things get in the way.”
Spending time as a family is important to the Lofgrens.
“Adults have a lot of worries,” Logan said, advising families to “come together and leave all the worries outside. Go with the flow.”
TALK ABOUT GOD: Russell and Bridgett raised their kids having constant conversations about God, watching their faith develop in time.
“It needs to be in daily conversations — have a prayer time together and discussion — then it’s in everybody’s mind, regardless of age,” she said. “Do some sort of educational materials where they can look forward, like a timeline: ‘Pretty soon you’re going to be old enough to do this.’ That’s what kids look forward to. Definitely when they get older, you need to advance on your thinking and teaching.”
AN OPEN INVITATION: While Bridgett and Russell’s daughter, Taylor, attends protestant services, she allows her children to accompany their grandparents.
“My oldest granddaughter, when she was with me a few times in Adoration, leaned over and whispered, ‘Are we getting ready to pray the necklace?’” Bridgett recalled with a laugh. “She would see me with [the rosary], and say, ‘I want to pray the necklace!’ We want everybody in our family to know God and come to Christ, but we would love it if they’d come to the Catholic faith.”
SHARING A QUIET DEVOTION: The Lofgrens don’t cite specific devotions or saints that shape their worship. If they follow anything, it’s Russell’s lead, a quiet devotion his mother instilled in him.
“When you see us bring [donation] cans, that’s Russell. You see us with our butts in the pew, that’s Russell,” Bridgett said. “He is the oak of our family. He is the faith leader completely.”