Call to serve

The generous work of Deacon Brent and Jessica Naslund was honored by the Caritas Award sponsored by the Catholic Charities North Dakota. The annual award is given to those who exemplify the bringing of faith, hope and love to God’s people. Caritas is the Latin term for charity.

The award was presented at a luncheon on May 13. The Naslunds were nominated by Deacon Randy Schmidt and Fr. Josh Ehli, of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.

Brent and Jessica were born and raised in the Fargo-Moorhead area and currently reside in Bismarck. They have been married for 33 years, have six children and two grandchildren.

Brent and Jessica met soon after high school graduation and married in 1992. Brent continued his college education while working for the North Dakota National Guard. Jessica worked as a dental technician. Their first son, Zachary, was born in 1992 while they were still living in Fargo. Two years later, after Brent’s military career took them to Minot where they welcomed their second child, Abigail. The family remained in Minot for 12 years, during which time Brent served as a full-time Army National Guardsman. Living both in town and on the Minot Air Force Base, Jessica stayed home with their young children until they started elementary school, after which she began working with children with special needs in the Minot Public School system.

In 2005, the North Dakota National Guard transferred Brent to serve a position with the State Partnership Program at the U.S. Embassy in Accra, Ghana. The family moved overseas and remained in Ghana for three and a half years. Jessica worked at the local international school. During a class field trip to a children’s home, Jessica met two toddlers, Kwame and Afi (later Cameron and Chloe). She instantly fell in love with them and introduced them to Brent. Before long, they were navigating the adoption process in a foreign country. Cameron and Chloe officially joined the Naslund family in 2008.

After Brent completed his overseas tour, the family relocated to Bismarck and were received into full communion with the Catholic Church in 2009. Jessica continued her work in education as a teacher with the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Elementary School, while Brent completed additional overseas assignments, including a deployment to Kosovo. He retired from the National Guard in 2014 so that the family could serve as long-term missionaries in Kenya, at the diocesan African Mission. 

The family once again moved to Africa, where Jessica homeschooled Cameron and Chloe. Brent continued his service to the mission and the church, eventually being ordained as a deacon in 2016. They spent three years at the Bismarck African Mission before returning to Bismarck in 2017 to raise their children. Jessica resumed her career in education, while Brent took on the role of internal auditor for the Bismarck Diocese.

The couple’s passion for serving others continued, leading them to become foster parents in Burleigh County in 2019. Over five years, they fostered more than 10 children, many of whom were long-term placements. Two of these children, Isaiah and Brynnleigh, were adopted by the Naslunds in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Due to Brynnleigh’s high medical needs, Jessica chose to leave teaching to care for her full-time. In 2023, she opened 3 Little Birds Daycare, employing a small staff to care for nine children. In this nurturing environment, Brynnleigh has thrived, avoiding hospital stays and maintaining stable health. Brent and Jessica also embraced their roles as grandparents, welcoming Cecilia in 2020 and Vincent in 2022. Both grandchildren attend Jessica’s daycare, along with children from local teacher families and friends.

Today, Brent serves as the Chancellor for the Bismarck Diocese. Jessica has recently completed her master’s degree in education and continues to operate her in-home daycare. Their children, Zachary (Christa) reside in St. Michael, Minnesota. Abigail (Ian) lives in Bismarck with their two children. Cameron is a member of the North Dakota National Guard studying at Bismarck State College. Chloe graduated from St. Mary’s High School in May and will study nursing at the University of Mary this fall. Isaiah is a lively student in the pre-K 4 program at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, while Brynnleigh attends the Bismarck Early Childhood Education Program (BECEP) part-time, spreading joy with her resilience and boundless energy.

Brent and Jessica are profoundly grateful for their supportive family. They acknowledge that answering the Lord’s call is not always easy, but it fills their hearts with immeasurable joy and purpose.

—Submitted information