Antigo Area Catholic Churches Newsletter — March 2022

MARCH 2022

Antigo Area Join Us for Our Parish Retreat “The Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship” with Fr. Godfrey Mullen: March 12

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here are few ways to nurture our faith life in a more meaningful way than by participating in a parish retreat — and as we begin Lent, this is a wonderful time to do so! We are blessed to have the opportunity to increase our spiritual awareness with a one-day parish retreat on the Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship, led by the dynamic Fr. Godfrey Mullen, OSB. By opening our hearts and minds during such an important liturgical time, we can answer the call to deepen our faith this Lenten season.

Fr. Godfrey, the current Rector at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville, Ind., is looking forward to joining us on March 12 to share his deep passion for the stewardship way of life.

Fr. Godfrey Mullen, OSB He brings with him a great enthusiasm for the topic in addition to a wealth of personal experience.

“Through the grace of God, I’ve been a Benedictine monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey since 1988 and a priest of the Catholic Church since 1994,” Fr. Godfrey says. “Each assignment I’ve been given by the superior has brought many blessings. I have served the Church as a seminary teacher, pastor, chaplain for a community of Benedictine Sisters, seminary administrator, Choirmaster, and other tasks. I’ve directed retreats since soon after I was ordained a priest.”

Our retreat day will be a unique opportunity for parishioners to come and experience spiritual renewal as they learn more about the Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship — Hospitality, Prayer, Formation, and Service — and opportunities to transform both individual lives and entire faith communities. The theme of continued on page 2

Join Us for Our Parish Retreat stewardship is near and dear to Fr. Godfrey’s heart as it provides us with a valuable guide to a life in Christ.

“This topic is important because it helps people see their true vocation as Christian disciples,” he says. “In other words, what has Christ asked me to do? The pillars are important because they embody the movement of the Christian life. Each of us has the call to grow along the four ways: What does welcoming look like in our day? Do I tell God what I need and also listen for the answer? Am I willing to learn, be formed, and grow in my faith? And how does all of this move me to notice the needs of others and serve Christ in them?”

In today’s busy world, a parish retreat invites us to step out of our daily routines for a moment and focus on strengthening our relationship with God and, in turn, more fully answering the Gospel call to community and discipleship.

“It’s not an easy task to take stock of the most important elements of our lives while we’re in the

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thick of daily living,” Fr. Godfrey says. “A retreat, at its best, gives us the ‘time away’ — even if it’s in our parish — to examine what is important and how we’re measuring up. Retreats also encourage the important art of listening to God’s grace speak to our hearts. It’s so easy to miss that still, small voice in our otherwise hectic lives. It’s also a wonderful time to connect with other parishioners, an act of hospitality in itself so that we become stronger communities of faith.”

With Fr. Godfrey at the helm, our 2022 parish retreat promises to be an engaging experience for all.

We hope that parishioners will plan on taking advantage of this opportunity to experience a deepening of faith during the Lenten season by participating in our one-day retreat on March 12!

“More than anything, I appreciate the good work the Holy Spirit chooses to do in the lives of people as a result of drawing near to the quiet voice of God’s grace,” Fr. Godfrey says. “I look forward to getting to know my fellow disciples on the journey.”

With Fr. Godfrey at the helm, our 2022 parish retreat promises to be an engaging experience for all. We hope that parishioners will plan on taking advantage of this opportunity to experience a deepening of faith during the Lenten season by participating in our one-day retreat on March 12!

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Joan Burmeister at 262-375-7383, or joanburm60@gmail.com. The retreat is free and breakfast and lunch will be provided.

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A Letter From Our Pastor

THE JOY OF SACRIFICE Dear Parish Family,

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gain we keep this solemn fast…” sings one popular Lenten song, in a tune that resembles a dirge. We all know the drill: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards (from the U.S. Bishops’ page “Fast & Abstinence”).

The senior members of our congregation might remember that fasting was once required every day of Lent. There were additional fast days in the old calendar, notably ember days and the vigils of feast days. I’ve recently been combing through documents looking for what the rules of fasting used to be and how and why they changed.

Two things emerged from my research. First, in reducing the number of fast days, Holy Mother Church had no intention of encouraging Christians to not fast. In fact, all the documents I read warmly encourage fasting and other acts of penance. Still to this day, Catholics are required to abstain from meat every Friday throughout the year, not just in Lent (a 1966 document allows American Catholics to substitute some other suitable penance for the abstinence from meat on Fridays that

are not in Lent). Unfortunately, Catholics in this regard, as in so many other areas, began to follow the American norms. By this, I mean that we almost never fast, preferring to indulge ourselves to the point of illness, and then we “go on a diet.” Selfcontrol has never been more necessary, or more unpopular.

The second thing I noticed is that the Bishops, by making a very basic requirement, are leaving lots of room for Catholics to voluntarily choose penance. Sacrifices done out of duty are meritorious and rewarding. But sacrifices freely chosen as an act of love bring much greater reward. Why would I voluntarily choose suffering and penance? Because Jesus did! He lived a life of self-giving love and He called us to a life of self-giving love.

Small penances help train us to, “lay down our lives.” True love requires sacrifice, and sacrifices lead to joy. If your life lacks joy, perhaps you should consider a few more voluntary sacrifices. Happy Lent!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Joel Sember Pastor 3

B U S Y B AG S

Treating Our Children as Par

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f you’ve ever brought a toddler to Mass or sat behind one, you know that keeping them content at church can be a daunting task. As a parent, it’s easy to feel as though your child is a disruption at Mass. In our parishes, we want you to know that your child is welcome and belongs here, no matter how fussy they are. At St. John, the Stewardship Committee came up with a way to help parents keep their young children engaged. You’ll notice as you enter the church that there are Busy Bags available for preschool-age children.

Margie Kirk-Schuh, a retired teacher, helped facilitate the Busy Bags. Designing activities that actually enrich a small child’s experience at Mass was the perfect way for her to offer her time and talent to the parish. She is passionate about treating children as part of the community.

“Those children belong there,” Margie says. “It’s not just that they can be there, but they belong there, and we need to nurture them as members of our parish and church community.”

The Busy Bags offer the children board books, coloring pages, and photo books with pictures of things in the church.

Margie has also made paper dolls from photos of the priests so that the children can dress them in the proper vestments.

Another item in the bag is a book of activities related to the Mass. When Margie designed these activities, she had one of the priests look them over to make sure they were liturgically accurate. Through these thoughtfully-designed activities, children can relate to the Mass in an age-appropriate way.

“Now parents have something to take into the church that will enrich their children’s experience,” Margie says.

In addition to giving the children something to do, the Busy Bags are there so that parents know that their children are welcome and wanted in the parish. Margie has always remembered that Fr. Zach Weber used to say, “if the church isn’t crying, it’s dying.” Even if it isn’t always easy to bring a child to Mass, or to stay focused when there are children around you, it’s more important that they are there, being loved and catechized, than behaving perfectly.

Margie has enjoyed using her teaching experience to design the bags. She also cleans and maintains the bags every week. If the bags tear — a sign that they are well-used — she repairs them and returns them to the church.

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rt of the Community and Nurturing Their Faith “My goal is to use my talents and to contribute what I can in that manner,” Margie says. “It seems like something I’m called to do.”

Although Margie has mostly worked behind the scenes, she has seen that the bags are being used more as families return to Mass. Parishioners have mentioned on social media that the bags have truly been a game-changer in bringing their children to Mass.

“Those children belong there. It’s not just that they can be there, but they belong there, and we need to nurture them as members of our parish and church community.”

— MARGIE KIRK-SCHUH

The next time you come to Mass with a small one, borrow a Busy Bag and know that forming your child in the faith is a gift to them and to the Church!

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Highlights of Our 2021 Stewardship Renewal

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his past fall, our Antigo Area Catholic Churches conducted the 2021 Stewardship Renewal. The Stewardship Renewal gave our community the opportunity to discern how we are using our gifts of time, talent, and treasure in service to our parishes and in return to God. This month, we are happy to share with you some of the highlights of the 2021 Stewardship Renewal.

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There were 247 commitment cards received from 33 percent of active households.

There were 1,484 prayer commitments — the stewardship of time — from 85 percent of participating households.

There were 1,231 ministry commitments — the stewardship of talent — from 88 percent of participating households. Of these, 418 were new ministry commitments, while 813 were re-commitments to parish ministries.

There were 183 offertory commitments — the stewardship of treasure — from 74 percent of participating households. The average pledge was $1,664.

We thank all those who participated in our 2021 Stewardship Renewal. If you did not have the opportunity to fill out and return a commitment card, we invite you to consider the ways you may share your gifts of time, talent, and treasure with God and the parish community!

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Meet Brian and Karen Prunty:

Answering God’s Call and Embracing a Life of Stewardship

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Karen and Brian Prunty have been working at Living Waters International for 25 years.

They say much of their work is credited to the generosity of our local Diocese of Green Bay parishioners.

ack in the early 1990s, when Karen and Brian Prunty heard God calling them to live out a stewardship-based faith, they didn’t hesitate to answer.

“We were praying over our treasure and how we should use it,” Brian says.

While attending Mass around 30 years ago, Karen and Brian encountered a visiting priest who was working in Tanzania. At the time, the two of them had been considering where to give their tithe outside of the United States. They decided to periodically send money to the priest, praying over the envelope of money that would support the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales and Holy Cross Sisters overseas.

On that same weekend, their friends Mary and Steve Zimmerman encountered another priest at their parish, who discussed the possibility of helping support his missionary work in Tanzania. In 1994, the Zimmermans traveled to Tanzania.

Eventually, after a few years of offering this support, these efforts formalized into the founding of a not-for-profit organization, now known as Living Waters International. Karen says that Mary Zimmerman, who has since passed away, was largely

the inspiration behind Living Waters.

The decision to begin a not-for-profit organization with five young children was not something that Brian and Karen took lightly, but they felt the Lord calling them to do so, along with the Zimmermans. While there have been challenges and an incredible amount of work over the last 25 years, the two say it was truly an answered prayer.

“I don’t think we’ve ever doubted the call,” Brian says.

Living Waters International exists to collect funds for the missionary and international development efforts in East Africa and India. As the organization’s mission statement reads: “This mission arises from faith in Jesus Christ, the belief that He desires that the Gospel be shared with all people, and the belief that He calls each of us to do our part to alleviate human suffering among the poor and marginalized of this world.”

The organization’s work includes a variety of efforts, such as student sponsorship, seminarian support, construction projects, daily living expenses of religious, housing for the poor, solar and wind power facilities, and much more.

Karen and Brian credit much of the Living Waters 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

Meet Brian and Karen Prunty International’s successes to its benefactors, many of whom are local to the Diocese of Green Bay. “I am convinced the generosity is folks listening to their own call,” Brian says. “It’s amazing how Living Waters has grown and how we get funds — sometimes it’s miraculous how the money gets to us. It is unexpected and it fills a need.”

But the two ultimately give credit to God for His calling them and others to a life of stewardship.

The countries of Kenya and Uganda were hit particularly hard when COVID-19 lockdowns caused many locals to lose their livelihood, primarily those who worked as day laborers.

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Around that same time, Karen found herself chatting with someone in the diocese about her work. That conversation led to a $125 donation to 20 schools and parishes, providing food to the communities. Karen received photos from the communities that brought tears to her eyes.

“It was never expected,” she says.

Steve Zimmerman is currently working in Africa for five months, and the Pruntys will travel there for a few weeks this year as well. They hope the organization will continue to grow, entrusting it in God’s hands.

“We are just open to where the Spirit takes us,” Brian says.

If you would like to make a donation, or to learn more about Living Waters International, please visit www.livingwatersinternational.org. Brian and Karen Prunty are also available for presentations about their organization and can be reached at livingh2o@livingwatersinternational.org.

MASS & CONFESSION TIMES SAINT JOHN: Masses: Monday, 8:15 a.m., Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, 8:15 a.m., Thursday, 8:15 a.m., Saturday, 6 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m.

Confession: Tuesday, 5:30-6:15 p.m. & Sunday, 8-8:45 a.m.

SAINTS MARY & HYACINTH: Masses: Wednesday, 7:15 a.m., Thursday, 7:15 a.m., Friday, 7:15 a.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. & 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, 10-10:45 a.m.