CONNECTING CATHOLIC BUSINESSES

with Catholic job-seekers and customers in the

archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis

& become our 221st member!

 
OUR MISSION

The St. Joseph Business Guild supports Catholic families by connecting Catholic business owners to workers and customers in the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and provides its members with opportunities for professional and spiritual growth.

OUR BELIEFS

  • Work should respect the worker since each person is made in the image of God: Work is for man, not man for work.

  • Everyone should be able to draw from work the means of providing for his life and that of his family, and of serving the human community.

  • Those responsible for business enterprises are responsible to society for the economic and ecological effects of their operations. They have an obligation to consider the good of persons, not only the increase of profits. 

  • The goods and services produced from work should be truly good for others and truly serve others.

  • Profits, fairly gained, are a great good; they make investment possible, safeguard the future of a business, and strengthen the security of employment.

Interested in joining? Fill out an application and we'll reach out soon.

Want more information? Learn more at one of our Prospective Member Meetings

 
MEMBER BENEFITS

Mentorships

Get practical advice from those who have been in your shoes and succeeded

Networking

Find partners that will help you grow your business or get your foot in the door

More Info

Employment Help

Find a better job by searching our job postings OR find talented Catholic workers by looking through resumes of members

More Info

Events

Join a community of like-minded Catholics. We host retreats, lectures, liturgies, and social hours.

More Info &

Upcoming Events

Advertising

Your business will be  easily found by customers in our business directory

 
OUR STORY

It started with a few of us talking about today’s economic uncertainties and the need for Catholic businesses to support one another. “Wouldn’t it be great," we thought, "If we could keep money spent by Catholics 'in the family' by directing business from Catholics in the pews to Catholic businesses?” A couple months went by and in our conversations with family, friends, and fellow parishioners the topic always seemed to turn towards families struggling financially. Whether it was an inability to live on one income, trouble saving for a down payment, worrying about affording another child, or a mountain of student loans, it became clear that our Catholic families needed help. 

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So we decided to form the St. Joseph Business Guild to do just that: help Catholic families flourish financially in these uncertain times. How? By helping Catholic businessmen and women network, get a better job, find customers and clients, get advice, and find mentors.

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We're all in this together. Now is the time to band together to help others help themselves.

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You can learn more about the history of the guilds here.

 
 
GUILD LEADERSHIP
ROGER VASKO

roger@sjbusinessguild.com

President

Roger spent 30 years working at Vasko Rubbish Removal, the family business started by his dad in 1968.  He began driving on a garbage route in high school and bought the company with his younger brother Gary at the age of 28. The business expanded into different types of services including roll off boxes for construction sites and a solid waste transfer station and public pay dump. His areas of responsibility were sales & customer service management, advertising & marketing, and human resources. Roger currently serves as a parish trustee and on the finance council at St. Peter in North St. Paul and on the Grants Committee of the Catholic Community Foundation.

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JEFF PETERSON

jeff@sjbusinessguild.com

Vice-President

Jeff is a Strategic/Operational Executive focused on developing/executing strategies that drive growth while delivering exceptional strategic, financial and customer outcomes. Operations, sales, and business unit experience developing sustainable/scalable capabilities while leading initiatives that improve capacity, reduce costs, and deliver best in class customer experiences. Ability to influence at all levels and manages diverse groups of people.
Currently Jeff is teaching a class on Entrepreneurship to middle grade students at St. Peter’s Catholic School and is currently a member of the School Advisory Committee.

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JOE GERM

joe@sjbusinessguild.com

Treasurer

Joe has spent 33 years in 3M's Financial Management Reporting organization.  He got his MBA in Management Information Systems in 1994 from the University of Minnesota.  Joe and his wife, Pam of 32 years have raised three daughters, all of whom attended St. Peters school in North St. Paul & Hill-Murray High School.  At St. Peters he has served on the school advisory board, the Finance committee and he chaired the building committee during the construction of the new church.  Joe has also served two terms on the Hill-Murray Board of Trustees.  For many years Joe's favorite way to serve has been by deejaying school & church events, keeping the music tasteful but fun.

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BRET SUTTON

bret@sjbusinessguild.com

Secretary

Advancement Director, Strategic Consultant, and Investor with a vision and passion for problem-solving and development, Bret Sutton works with mission-oriented organizations that need out-of-box thinking and team building where he puts his revenue-building, community-engagement, and entrepreneurial skills to work, spearheading new ideas, concepts, and methods in conjunction with time-tested strategies for advancing sustainable models. The North Dakota native traveled extensively throughout Europe after attending the University of St. Thomas, ending up in the Metro NYC area where he met and married his wife of 14 years and then convinced her to move back to the Twin Cities where he is now the proud father of five children. Faith, Bret claims, should be the single-most important aspect of anyone’s life; without a fully-formed and fully-lived faith, there is nothing sustainable.

Want to learn more?
Unanswered question?
Have something to say? Let's talk.
 

FAQ

What is a guild?

A guild is an association of workers for collaborative aid and self-help inspired by spiritual values. Guilds were prevalent in medieval times and, generally speaking, they were groups of craftsman and merchants in England and elsewhere who submitted themselves to a system of mutual aid, but also to mutual discipline. Guilds had the effect of leading to the best pay and working conditions for the ordinary working man for five centuries! Learn more about the history of the guilds here.



What does a normal meeting look like?

The Guild holds quarterly meetings for all members, which have previously included Mass, Adoration & Benediction, networking time, dinner, lectures, and member spotlights. Networking meetings are also periodically held at a brewery or bar over happy hour.



Do I have to pay to be a member of the Guild?

Dues vary depending on one's member type. The annual dues schedule is as follows: *There are no dues for business professionals, parishes & non-profits, and mentors.



How can I support the Guild?

  1. Apply to be a member of the Guild
  2. Tell your family and friends, promote the Guild at your parish
  3. Patronize the Guild's businesses by using our business directory to shop for goods and services
The St. Joseph Business Guild is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization which allows contributions to the guild to be deducted as a charitable contribution by its donors.



What benefits does membership provide me?

  • Network at our events and get to know other faithful Catholics
  • Business owners will find qualified employees to grow their companies to a new level.
  • Job seekers will be provided the contacts to find career changing jobs.
  • Entrepreneurs will be informed of business opportunities based on the needs of our Catholic community.
  • Mentors will give practical advice to new and existing businesses owners.
  • Our business directory provides businesses with a customer base without the cost of advertising.



Who are members of the Guild?

Our members are Catholic men and women who are working hard to provide for their families. They are young and old, novices and experts, students and retirees, employees and employers of all occupations. We group our members into one of seven categories: Business Owner- Owner of a for-profit business that employs at least one other employee. Business Professional- Manager with hiring or purchasing power Salesperson- Person who sell goods or services for his/her employer. Entrepreneur- Owner of a for-profit business with no employees, aspiring business owner, free-lancer. Mentor- Experienced businessperson willing to share skills, knowledge, and expertise with others. Individual Member- Employed, unemployed looking for work, student in search of an internship. Parish/Non-Profit- Parishes and non-profit organizations



Why was the Guild started?

We started the Guild to help people, families in particular, during these uncertain times and into the future. We want the best jobs to go to faithful Catholics and direct business to faithful business owners. We facilitate this by helping Catholic businessmen and women network, get a better job, find customers and clients, get advice, and find mentors. This task is too large for one parish to do effectively. The Guild crosses boundaries of parish, age, and occupation and provides the platform, tools, and networking opportunities to assist a community of Catholics to help each other.



What are the expectations of a Guild member?

All Guild members are expected to follow the precepts of the Catholic Church and have a desire to help other members. Members are encouraged to attend as many meetings as possible. The more you get to know other members, the more you can help them find jobs, employees or business contacts. If you are the owner of a mid-size to large business, you are not expected to attend meetings if you don’t have time. Just by posting your open jobs on our Job Posting board you will be a valuable member of the Guild.



Our Mailing Address:

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PO# 9038

North Saint Paul, MN 55109

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