AUG 2022
Antigo Area Meet Brennan Livermore: Joyfully Embarking on a Lifelong Faith Journey
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he Easter Vigil of 2022 was a night that will stay in Brennan Livermore’s memory for a lifetime. Brennan, supported by his fiancé, Natasha, and his sponsor, Deacon Andy, entered the Church and received the sacraments at St. John. “Even though it was a longer Mass, it felt very in-depth and comfortable,” Brennan says. “It was a beautiful Mass with the candlelight. Everyone wanted to be there.” Brennan and Natasha met when they were in high school and will be getting married in July 2023. Natasha is Catholic and as their relationship moved toward marriage, Brennan decided to become Catholic as well. Brennan Livermore with his fiancé, Natasha, While Brennan grew up Lutheran, becoming at the Easter Vigil Catholic was not simply a change from one church to another — it was an opportunity to deepen his faith and relationship with God. “I grew up going to church, but it was mostly on holidays,” Brennan says. “So when I really started paying close attention, it really opened my eyes. I hadn’t put much thought into it before.” Natasha accompanied Brennan through the RCIA classes. The classes met once a week and Brennan had some homework “I feel like a happier person reading to do on the side. While learning the faith is truly every day. God pushes us to and a lifelong process, the RCIA classes themselves packed in a lot be better. In RCIA you learn of information for Brennan to learn. a lot and when you have Brennan met Deacon Andy through Natasha and quickly realized that he was someone who would support and encourquestions, everyone is willing the journey as a new Catholic. So, Brennan asked Deacon to help you. They are there to age Andy to be his sponsor. support each other.” “He’s been one of those people that pushes you to be better every day,” Brennan says. — BRENNAN LIVERMORE continued on page 5
The Eucharist and Stewardship
as a Way of Life “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ ‘The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and the works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church.’” – CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1324
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n 1992, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published a groundbreaking pastoral letter titled Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response. This document was designed to be an invitation to follow Christ, Who gave of Himself for us. Each of us is called to serve our neighbors and to be stewards of God’s creation and of all that has been entrusted to us. However, to truly understand stewardship, we must look to the Holy Eucharist — the total gift of our loving Savior to us. Stewardship is our response to that gift. Even the word “Eucharist” implies stewardship. The word finds its roots in the Latin word eucharistia, which in turn came from the Greek word eukaristos, which simply meant, “gratitude” or “thanksgiving.” Since we are called to be a stewardship people, how fitting is it that we celebrate an act of thanksgiving and gratitude at the focal point of every Mass — namely, the reception of Jesus’ gift to us, the Eucharist. In Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, the bishops tell us “The Eucharist is the great sign and agent of this expansive communion of charity… we enjoy a unique union with Christ and, in Him, with one another. Here His love — indeed, His very Self — flows into us as disciples and, through us and our practice of stewardship to the entire human race.” When we receive Christ’s Body in the Holy Eucharist, we hear the minister say, “The Body of Christ.” To this, we respond,
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“Amen” – which means in Hebrew, “Yes; it is so.” This is the essence of stewardship. We should enter the church for Mass out of gratitude. We recognize the presence of the Lord in Holy Communion, and then we truly receive the Lord. What’s left after we receive the Eucharist is going out into the world to fulfill our stewardship mission in love of God and neighbor. This holistic experience is the essence of stewardship. We are grateful, we recognize the Real Presence of the Lord, we receive the Lord, and then we share what we have received. Christ’s gift of the Eucharist is an invitation to us. We are called to give beyond what is convenient or comfortable. We are called to forgive even when forgiveness may not be deserved. We are called to love as God loves us. The Eucharist is stewardship celebrated. The Mass is more than a ritual. It is an actual encounter with God, with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. What we experience in the Eucharist should, in turn, translate into our daily lives. We are committed to the Church, which is Christ’s body. We show our love for His body through acts of charity and generosity. We spend time in prayer, expressing our gratitude and our love. God’s greatest gift to us is Christ’s great love for us — this was shown when He was crucified on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sins and to give us eternal life. God’s love for us is without limit, and He offers Himself to us in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. Stewardship is how we respond to that gift.
A Letter From Our Pastor
Much Will Be Required of the Person Entrusted with Much Dear Parish Family,
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hat keeps us from living a stewardship way of life? We might look around us and see people with more gifts than ourselves — bigger homes, better vacations, more talents, etc. We might think that we have nothing to give. In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus gives some interesting insights into stewardship. A man in the crowd says to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” Jesus responds, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions” (Luke 12:15). How often do we mistakenly judge our own value and the value of others by the quantity and quality of the things we possess? You and I both know that God does not judge us based upon what we may have accumulated during our lifetimes, but based upon how we lived those lives. Then Jesus tells the story of a “rich man” who builds larger grain bins to store his abundant harvests. God calls the man a fool and reminds him that growing rich for himself is not as important as growing rich in the sight of God. He had plenty to give but he chose to try and hoard it for himself. He missed the opportunity to store up treasure in Heaven before he himself was called home. The very next week (the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time), Luke again tells us how Jesus warns and cautions His disciples — “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Luke 12:34). Again, Jesus is concerned about our attitude. The Lord warns them that they do not know what day or what hour He will return and summarizes it all with another important insight into what is expected of us — “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” (Luke 12:48). Each of us is gifted whether we want to admit it or not. We are not “off the hook” because our gifts
seem less than others’ gifts. Stewardship demands that each of us use our gifts to serve God and others. Luke’s implied stewardship messages come full circle in the Gospel reading on Aug. 21 — “For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13:30). That admonition from the Lord has always seemed a bit confusing. It more or less says that to be first, we need to try not to be first, and if we are first, we may be last. I think perhaps all of these messages, including the first and last one, are cautions to us that we cannot be complacent and we cannot take salvation and holiness for granted. We are not measured by our possessions; God indeed does expect a lot of us, no matter how small or extensive our gifts may be. Regardless of how holy we may strive to be, it is God who will judge; it is by His grace that we will be saved. Amid all these magnificent stewardship messages, we celebrate the Assumption of our Blessed Mother (a patroness of our SS. Mary & Hyacinth parish) on August 15 — “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant” (Luke 1:46-48). While we were busy comparing ourselves to others and counting the cost of stewardship, Mary was quietly giving God everything. Her strategy appears to have worked out the best. Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Joel Sember Pastor
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Golf Outing Benefits Stu
Fun, Fellowship and O
“People are great about coming out and helping support community, not only for this out
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hine up your clubs, stock up on golf balls and make plans to attend the All Saints Catholic School Golf Outing set for Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Bass Lake Golf Course. The outing begins at noon with a shotgun start and runs until 5 p.m. Not only will you have a fabulous day of golf and fellowship with friends, but you will be helping All Saints Catholic School provide the best education possible for its students. Last year’s event raised $38,000 for the school, and the goal this year is to not only meet that number but to top it. “The proceeds go to various items, such as scholarships, busing for field trips, technology, such as the Chromebooks supplied to students, supplies for the classrooms, retreats for staff and students, newspapers and magazines in the library for research, lunch or milk account balances, and matching shirts for each student to wear to Mass,” says Joanna Hilger, administrative assistant at St. John Parish. Faith-enriching field trips are an important part of student life at All Saints. “If a student finishes all the grades at All Saints, he or she will have visited several major Catholic landmarks in the area,” Joanna says. “We’re capable of doing that due to the Golf Outing proceeds. Principal Paul Galuska is great
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The carts are all ready to go in the fundraiser for All Saints Catholic School.
about using the money to help the kids.” Pandemic restrictions in 2020 caused some of the events surrounding the Golf Outing to “swerve a bit,” as Joanna says. Nevertheless, the event was still able to make a profit. One change made that year was to put the basket raffle online for a week. Bidders could look over the offerings online and bid safely. Another change was changing the post-game dinner to a sack lunch offered to the golfers during the day. If golfers wanted to purchase grilled items at the clubhouse after the game, that option was also available.
“We had great ideas from the committee,” Joanna says. Volunteers are welcome to help at the various course holes, such as those requiring measurements to qualify challenges, such as “closest to the pin.” One of the favorite parts of the day for Joanna is watching the fellowship shared among the golfers. “One of the things I do is sit at the last hole and I see people walking up, and I know a lot of them, and I talk to them and thank them for helping,” Joanna says. “People are great about coming out and helping support the kids. I see them talking and laughing and
udents and Teachers of Our Parish School
Opportunity to Make a Difference
the kids. I see them talking and laughing and having fun. We have such a supportive uting but for other events. These are people you can count on.” — JOANNA HILGER having fun. We have such a supportive community, not only for this outing but for other events. These are people you can count on. “The great thing about our whole community with all three parishes, is they are more than willing to help our neighbors,” she adds. “There is a real sincerity, and they really want to help. It’s amazing to see. We know we’re all together, all Christians and trying to do what we can in discipleship, living to be giving.”
Golf, fun and fellowship are all major parts of this favorite annual outing.
The lush greens of the Bass Lake Golf Course await golfers in the All Saints Catholic School Golf Outing.
To register for the All Saints Catholic School Golf Outing, visit www.ascscrusaders.org/ascs-golf-outing/, or call the school at 715-623-4835. There also are opportunities to sign up as a sponsor on the website.
Brennan Livermore
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Brennan decided to choose St. Michael as his confirmation saint. Four years ago, Brennan and Natasha went to visit the Shrine at Holy Hill and Natasha bought him a St. Michael medal. “It was one of the first places we went on a trip together,” Brennan says. “I’ve worn the medal every day since.” With the accompaniment of Natasha and Deacon Andy, as well as the intercession of St. Michael, Brennan has taken a big step in faith. RCIA taught him about the Catholic faith, but it also went deeper — it showed him the value that faith has in his life. Brennan would encourage others who are on the fence to go and learn more. “I would encourage them to go and do it — get closer to God and learn more about the religion,” Brennan says. “It has definitely been a big help. I feel like a happier person every day. God pushes us to be better. In RCIA you learn a lot and when you have questions, everyone is willing to help you. They are there to support each other.” 5
A Significant Moment in Our Prayer The Presentation of the Gifts
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The physical act of carrying the gifts forward to the priest is meant to serve as a tangible reminder of the fact that we are all called to stewardship. We are all called to present to God our lives — our work, our talents, the struggles and victories of the past week — as an offering and gift to God. 6
ccasionally, you might hear someone jokingly refer to “halftime” during Mass — the interval following the Prayers of the Faithful, as the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins. It can be easy, even tempting, to zone out as you sit, waiting for the collection basket to make its way to your pew. But if you pay attention, you’ll have the opportunity to enter into something deeper — a significant moment in our prayer. It’s mentioned by St. Justin Martyr, one of the earliest Christian writers, when describing the Mass in the second century, “Bread is brought up and wine and water…” This practice, of people bringing up the gifts, has been part of our Catholic tradition from the very beginning. Although we might think of this action as being merely practical, in reality, it serves a much deeper spiritual purpose. Each Sunday Mass, someone is chosen, whether an usher, or another member of the parish, to bring forward “the gifts” — bread, wine and, in many cases, the collection of money that has been gathered moments before, from the generosity of the congregation. These gifts not only symbolize, but also in reality, are the work of human hands. The bread and wine are fruit of God’s creation, which, through the effort of human hands, are made into the gifts that we present to the Lord. Certainly, the collection that is presented to the priest also serves to represent the work and sacrifices of the previous week. Sharing our monetary “treasures” is one of the ways that we embrace stewardship. It’s an opportunity to generously give back to the Lord, from the fruit of our work. In his book What Happens At Mass, Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, OSB explains, “We should not think of the collection of money at this point as some sort of banal, dirty but necessary affair. Money is our work. Money is hours of our lives. And now we give it away, we sacrifice it, for the work of the Church.” In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul instructs Christians to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). The physical act of carrying the gifts forward to the priest is meant to serve as a tangible reminder of the fact that we are all called to stewardship. We are all called to present to God our lives — our work, our talents, the struggles and victories of the past week — as an offering and gift to God. Those who bring forward the gifts each week have the privilege and responsibility of remembering what their action represents — that we are called to give generously of our time, talent and treasure to God, who gives us His very self, at Mass. And for those sitting in the pews, tempted to “check out” for a few minutes, seeing the gifts being brought forward should serve as a powerful reminder to offer our lives back to God, through serving and honoring Him. So next week, don’t just sit back and wait for “halftime.” Come to Mass a few minutes early and approach an usher to ask if you and/or your family may bring up the gifts that week. Don’t be surprised if you start to notice a change in your heart and a desire to be even more generous with God in the coming week!
Parishioner Karen Braatz
BEGINS JOYFUL SERVICE AS PARISH SECRETARY “I get to accompany our parishioners during their most exciting and sometimes mournful times in their lives. Whether they’re planning a Baptism or planning a funeral, and everything in between, I am there to offer assistance from the parishes and make sure things are in proper order for these life events.” — KAREN BRAATZ
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very familiar face joined the parish staff at St. Wenceslaus and SS. Mary and Hyacinth this summer. We want to extend a warm welcome to Karen Braatz who is now serving as the parish secretary for both parishes. Karen is a familiar face to the St. Wenceslaus community as she was born and raised in the parish. Although she moved away in the 1980s after marrying her husband Jeff, they returned in the early 2000s and Karen has served on the Parish Council and co-chaired the Fall Festival. Having received her first sacraments at the parish, Karen now comes full circle to serve the parish community as a member of staff. “Growing up as a girl in the parish of St. Wenceslaus instilled in me a deep respect and love for the people and families who have for so long been members of that parish,” Karen says. “St. Wenceslaus families have always shown such care and dedication towards maintaining their faith and sense of community within the parish. And in the short time that I have been the parish secretary for SS. Mary and Hyacinth and St. Wenceslaus, I have felt that same dedication from the parishioners of SS. Mary and Hyacinth.”
With a background in medical billing and coding, Karen possesses the organization and precision skills required for many parish office-related tasks. For both parishes, she manages the Gabriel church management software, as well as sacramental records. “It’s been fascinating learning this job to the fullest,” Karen says. “Gabriel is the program we use to keep up to date with our parishioners and their contact information. So if someone changes their address or adds a new member to the family, I get to record that information.” Other tasks Karen addresses within the parish offices are questions from visitors, scheduling Mass intentions, assisting with funeral arrangements, and scheduling visits by the clergy to our homebound parishioners. “I get to accompany our parishioners during their most exciting and sometimes mournful times in their lives,” Karen says. “Whether they’re planning a Baptism or planning a funeral, and everything in between, I am there to offer assistance from the parishes and make sure things are in proper order for these life events.” continued on back cover
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Saint John the Evangelist 415 6th Ave. Antigo, WI 54409 (715) 623-2024 stjohn@antigoareacatholicchurches.com Saints Mary & Hyacinth 819 3rd Ave. Antigo, WI 54409 (715) 623-4938 ssmh@antigoareacatholicchurches.com Saint Wenceslaus N5340 Church Rd. Deerbrook, WI 54424 (715) 627-2126 stwencel@antigoareacatholicchurches.com
Karen Braatz
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Karen can be found at SS. Mary and Hyacinth during office hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (excluding summers). She’s in the parish office at St. Wenceslaus on Tuesdays. Parishioners are always welcome to stop by the parish offices to introduce themselves and get to know Karen a little bit. “It really touches my heart how incredible the priests and deacons are at our parishes,” she says. “They have been so supportive of me as I have stepped into this role. I love the communities I get to serve. I continue to encounter more and more wonderful parishioners, and it’s a joy and a blessing to be able to meet them and help them with whatever they need.” Karen Braatz with her husband, Jeff
MASS & CONFESSION TIMES SAINT JOHN: Masses: Monday, 8:15 a.m., Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, 8:15 a.m., Saturday, 6 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m. Confession: Tuesday, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Saturday, 5:15-5:45 p.m. & Sunday, 8:15-8:45 a.m. SAINTS MARY & HYACINTH: Masses: Wednesday, 7:15 a.m., Friday, 7:15 a.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. (First Saturday only) & 4 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. Confession: Saturday following the 8 a.m. Mass & 3-3:45 p.m. SAINT WENCESLAUS: Masses: Tuesday, 8 a.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. Confession: Sunday, 10:15-10:45 a.m.