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Issue 11 Spring 2014
Holy Trinity/St. Michael Spring 2014 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
I received good feedback from the book Rediscover
Catholicism that was given out at Christmas. The
book, by Matthew Kelly, reminds us of the beauty
of our Catholic faith and the universal call to
holiness.
A beautiful part of our Catholic faith is the season
of Lent, which begins with the blessing and
imposition of ashes. This year, we have a late start
to Lent (March 5th) but hopefully, it will guarantee a
warm, pleasant Easter (April 20th).
The ashes are symbolic of the shortness of life and
the call to prayer, fasting and weeks of service and
mercy. Masses for Ash Wednesday are 6 a.m. and
7:45 a.m. at Holy Trinity and 6:30 p.m. at St.
Michael. Stations of the Cross and area wide
Penance Services are also a prayerful part of Lent.
Stay tuned to the bulletin for dates and times.
May Lent 2014, be a meaningful time for all of us
to rediscover Catholicism. Several books are still
available, if you lost yours or didn’t receive one. It
is a great book highly recommended by Bishop
Donald Hying.
A blessed Lent,
Fr. Ed Kornath
Holy Trinity School News
It’s hard to believe that we have just finished
the first semester, which means the school year
is half over. Our 3rd
, 5th
and 7th
grade students
are preparing to take the Iowa Basic testing the
beginning of March, so please keep them in
your prayers during this time,
Catholic School’s Week: The week started out
with two days off due to the cold weather, but
we still managed to have a great week. The
Spelling Bee (Grades 5-8) was held on
Wednesday, January 29th
, and the top two
spellers compete in the district bee in February.
Congratulations to Reagan Dricken 1st,
Dominic Zillmer 2nd
, and Everett Quissek
(alternate). Thursday started out with Mass and
was dress your best day. The students looked
wonderful all dressed up. Thursday evening the
Holy Trinity students had their science fair
projects displayed in the church basement for
everyone to see. The week ended with an all
school trip to Lighthouse Lanes for a fun-filled
afternoon of bowling! Thanks for your support
of Catholic Education.
Chili Dinner: It was a successful event. A hot
bowl of chili with sides and dessert along with
good fellowship made the chilly weather more
bearable. We brought in $851.00.
THANK YOU!
Congratulations: Kate Butschlick in 3rd
grade
earned a 2nd
place finish for her Dig Deep
poster in the Conservation Poster contest.
Athletes: As the basketball season comes to the
end, we would like to congratulate the boys and
girls who played and practiced hard. Several
trophies were added to our trophy case this
season. Go Wildcats!
Kindergarten Open House: A special open
house for the 3K, 4K and 5K was held on
Thursday, February 6th
.
Registration: It is registration time for the
2014/2015 school year. We have a wonderful
School Family incentive program this year. If a
school family enrolls a new family to Holy
Trinity School, both the new family and the
school family receive a $500 Drexel Building
2
Supply voucher and a $500 Tuition credit. So
now is a great time to enroll at HTS.
Again we would like to thank you for your
continued support of Holy Trinity School.
Without your help, all this would not be
possible.
The caring, supportive community of Holy
Trinity School might be just what you’re
looking for-an environment where your child
can thrive.
A Catholic education offers many benefits,
including:
Personal attention
Opportunities for spiritual growth
Academic excellence
It’s never too late to enroll in Catholic school.
Call us and find out why Catholic education is
the answer!
Jodi Casetta, Principal
262-626-2603
Holy Trinity Buildings & Grounds
Our broken central vac has been replaced and
paid for. Money for this unit came from four
members of our parish, whose names will be
kept anonymous with the highest amount being
$500.00 and the other three paying the rest. We
thank those that helped out and give yourselves
a pat on the back. THANKS
Cleaning the first part of January, which was a
good crew that came in, we found that we could
use a vacuum with a hose on it to clean up the
hard to reach areas. A lot of salt was brought in
and it gets to areas that can’t be reached with
the other vacuums. One of our small vacs went
on the blink and it is not worth fixing per the
vacuum people in West Bend. A new one
would be $60.00. We use these small hand
vacuums for stair areas. So if there are some
good working vacs available, drop them off in
the Narthex furnace room. It would be
appreciated.
Thanks to Jim L., the small water heater was
replaced in the sacristy closet. It lasted about
11 years. It was replaced with a 2-½ gallon
one. The former was a 6 gallon one. It is used
to wash the Mass chalice and cups.
We have another problem with a leaking
heating pipe in the church boiler room. Andy
P. has temporarily patched part of the pipe and
we are hoping that the leak don’t get too bad so
we can repair it later, after the heating season.
Thanks Andy for staying on top of these
problems. He also indicated there is a water
pipe in the school basement that needs
attention.
We have a couple months of Winter left and
then it’s Spring. Yeah!
H.T. Human Concerns Committee
HT first graders adopt seminarians.
A recent item in the bulletin caught the eye of
Leann Butschlick, and because she acted on it,
all the current seminarians at St. Francis
Seminary have now been adopted by members
of Holy Trinity parishioners.
In the past, adults have volunteered to step up
and write to the seminarians. Butschlick
wondered if students at Holy Trinity could
participate in the program and spoke to Human
Concerns member Judy Harlow about the
possibility.
Harlow was delighted with the idea, especially
considering the wonderful experience it would
be for the children and how the seminarians
would respond to cards and prayers from little
children.
Is Catholic education the
answer to your prayers?
3
Butschlick got the green light to proceed from
principal, Jody Casetta, and got started,
volunteering the first grade, which includes her
daughter, Mara.
Just before Christmas, Mrs. Tammy Duff, who
was subbing while the class’ regular teacher,
Betsy Simon, was out on maternity leave,
explained the project. The children were eager
to help out.
Duff said the children made some beautiful
Christmas cards and, “They know these men
are going to become priests.”
There are seven kids in the first grade, and the
boys adopted one of the candidates and the girls
the other, according to Butschlick. In January,
Butschlick planned to help the class write
letters to the seminarians, and “In February we
are sending Valentines,” she said, adding,
“Beyond that, I don’t know.”
Recently, the children were asked how they
thought the seminarians would feel when they
get their cards. David Zillmer responded by
saying, “I think they will feel good because I
said, “I love you and you will be an awesome
priest.” “Adopting a seminarian makes me
happy because we are helping people” said
Anna Amerling, while Maddie Marquardt said
“I feel great because we will have a new
priest.”
The other participants included: Luke Okrent,
Landon Daniel, Mara Butschlick and Emily
Melzer.
Butschlick also spoke to Fr. Ed about
expanding on the idea of teaching the children
about how men prepare for the priesthood. “I
had talked to Father Ed before his vacation, and
he said after he returned, he was going to talk to
the class about being in the seminary.”
Because of cancelled school days, Fr. Ed has
not been able to visit the class but says he still
plans to do so. Fr. Ed wholeheartedly
applauded the list of children adopting the
seminarians.
Already Butschlick has had a note from one of
the candidates. He responded to a cover letter
she sent along with the children’s cards.
I think they will get a kick out of it, especially
if we keep it going” Butschlick said and
concerning the possibility of attending the
ordination of these men added, “That would be
really neat!”
Joint Human Concerns
As we are now in Ordinary Time and life has
settled back into a daily routine, it is a good
opportunity to praise God for the generosity of
parishioners of Holy Trinity and St. Michael
through projects sponsored by the Joint Human
Concerns committee. The winter Clothing
Drive provided gently used winter clothing for
several organizations. Among the
acknowledgements received, the School Sisters
of Notre Dame provided a written thank you for
the generous gift of clothing including coats,
suits, slacks and blouses. The letter ended with
the following prayer: “May God fill your days
with love, hope, and a thankful heart.” May He
indeed!
Through the Advent Giving Tree project, you
provided hundreds of Christmas gifts to a wide
variety of people including elderly in care
facilities, retired sisters at St. Joseph Convent,
underprivileged children, homeless families,
and members of our sister parish in Nicaragua.
The Sisters and Staff at St. Joseph Convent
expressed their thanks with a lovely Christmas
card thanking our parishes for supporting the
Sisters over the past year.
Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent, the
recitation of the Rosary was added at Holy
Trinity as a weekly devotion prior to the 7:30
a.m. Sunday Mass. More leaders are needed so
that this devotion can continue each week of
the year. For more information, contact Sharon
Ellefson at 262-629-5670.
As the committee has done for several years,
we will again be collecting hygiene items
during Lent for distribution to the needy. These
4
items are distributed to residents in Milwaukee
through the St. Ben Clinic program and to our
sister parish in Nicaragua. We look forward to
the generosity of both parishes again this year
in participating in this project that provides
basic necessities to those less fortunate.
Parish members will be offering Lenten
Devotions (Stations of the Cross) for the
residents at Kettle Moraine Gardens each
Wednesday during Lent. If you would like to
participate in this worthwhile program or for
more information, please call Sharon Ellefson
at 629-5670. Materials are available for use so
there is no need to provide your own. Further,
we recite the Rosary with the Kettle Moraine
Garden residents during May – anyone
available for this devotion can call the above
number as well. If you have lived in
Kewaskum for a while, many of the residents
are probably your friends and former neighbors.
Participating is a great way to connect with
them again.
Please remember to join your fellow
parishioners at Holy Trinity the third Sunday of
each month for Fellowship in the church hall
after the 7:30 a.m. Mass. On February 16th
,
Christian Women will be hosting and they look
forward to seeing you there! On March 16th
,
Home and School will be the hosts.
The Human Concerns committee welcomes
new members from both Holy Trinity and St.
Michael at any time. Working on the
committee together is a great opportunity for
couples to serve others and spend time together.
Meetings are generally held at Holy Trinity at
7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month
(excluding July and December).
For more information about upcoming meetings
or more information, contact Vicki Heideman
at 626-1317. However, there is no need for
regular meeting attendance to be a committee
member. We are currently looking for new
leaders to organize Sunday morning Fellowship
at Holy Trinity and the Giving Tree project.
Both activities are well organized and training
for new leaders will be provided. Taking over
a successful and well-established project is a
great way to get involved! Again, contact Vicki
at 626-1317 or at [email protected]
for more information.
Birthday List
Feb. 20 – Irma Reindl
K.M.G. I – Apt. 203
1038 Fond du Lac Ave.
Kewaskum, WI 53040
Mar. 22 – John Schoofs
The Sterling House Ste. 18
1001 Primrose Lane
Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Mar. 24 – Jeanne Staehler
K.M.G. #2 – Rm. 11
1040 Fond du Lac Ave.
Kewaskum, WI 53040
Thank You Notes!
Dear Holy Trinity Catholic Church,
Thank you for the lovely gifts you gave to the
residents at the Beechwood Rest Home. The
residents were overjoyed to receive these
presents.
The CD’s that were given are played at meal
time in the dining room; all the residents
benefit from the music.
The markers that were given are used at craft
time, also, used by everyone.
A blessed New Year to your congregation.
Sincerely,
Carolyn A. Beimborn ADC, AP-BC
Activity Director
5
Dear Holy Trinity Congregation,
Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness
concerning the residents at Kettle Moraine
Gardens. If I understand correctly, some of
your parishioners buy a Christmas gift to help
lift the spirits of each resident.
Both my parents now reside at the Gardens and
each received a Wisconsin Badgers throw
(blanket). They love them, especially since they
are alumni.
Please thank the wonderful people who
participated, especially the people who bought
the very thoughtful gifts for my Mom and Dad!
Sincerely,
Sue Chesak
*My parents are Walter and Phyllis Bade*
Spiritual Lending Library
Perhaps with this very frigid and snowy winter,
you have some extra time for reading. There
are always books added to the library. Take a
look! Anyone from either parish is welcome to
sign out books. There are also CD’s on the
right bookcase to listen to. Many are talks from
the Light House Media. These are very
inspirational.
Several books about the saints have been
added. Also, our one Great Act of Fidelity –
Waiting for Christ in the Eucharist by Fr.
Ronald Rolheiser, The Gift of Peace by Joseph
Cardinal Bernardin and Opening the Gift –
Rediscovering the Joy of Being Catholic by
Father E Eschweiler, The Day I Died by
Melanie Pritchard, as well as many others.
After Ash Wednesday, books pertaining to Lent
will be on the top of the bookcase.
Don’t forget to take a look at the books for the
children. Also feel free to use any of them
during the Mass. There are also some books
for Pre-Teens and Teens. When we need to
remove books because of space shortage, they
are offered for anyone to take, on the lower
level near the elevator.
Family Promise
Our next host week in Kewaskum is March 2-9.
It’s been a busy time at Family Promise this
winter. The Day Center recently took over the
responsibilities of answering and responding to
the Homeless Hotline in Washington County.
They have been inundated daily with phone
calls from folks in need of help. Stringent
guidelines and requirements prevent them from
being able to help all, and families are always
given priority. Please remember these people
in your prayers.
Exciting events for Family Promise of
Washington County are on the horizon as
Spring knocks on our door.
- March 13 is Match Day. This is an
online giving opportunity sponsored by
the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.
Anyone interested in giving to Family
Promise of Washington County can go
online to www.matchdaymke.org on
this day and donate any amount. Your
amount will be proportionately matched
with total proceeds staying local to our
organization. Last year over $20,000
was raised just for Family Promise of
Washington County. This money does
not go to the homeless families directly;
it is used to support the program
services to help the families get back on
their feet.
- April 1 is Moving Day (hopefully) The
Day Center will be moving its offices,
along with Habitat for Humanity and
the Youth and Family Project, to its new
facility in the former Restat building
across from Holy Angels School in
West Bend. Renovations are underway
- now and hope to be completed by April
1st.
- May 10 is FP 5th
Annual Golf Outing at
Scenic View Country Club. You
golfers who are looking for an early
6
season outing, this is the one for you!
This unique outing comes with
unlimited Schwai brats served at the
turn and steak dinner after golf. A
special early bird team fee of $350 is for
participating host and support churches
(that’s us) who sign up before April 1.
Flyers will be posted at Holy Trinity
and St. Michael, but contact Rhonda
Faehling if you want information sent to
you. There’s a surprise gift for the
Volunteer Coordinator (that’s Rhonda)
who brings in the most golfers!
Consider volunteering with Family Promise in
early March when the homeless families come
to Peace Church. A couple hours in the
evening serving food or talking with the guests
is all it takes. Overnight volunteers are always
in short supply so if you don’t mind sleeping on
an air mattress for the night, become an
overnight volunteer. Meals and food donations
are always welcome. It’s a great activity to do
with your family because the children in the
program love to meet and play with new
children. Often it is impossible to distinguish
between our guests and our volunteers. These
folks are everyday normal people in a tough
spot in their lives. Contact Rhonda to help:
[email protected] or 262-626-4071.
Holy Trinity Finance Committee
Holy Trinity Parish has finished updating our
accounting records to December 3l, 2013. This
is half way through our year which ends June
30, 2014. So far this year we are operating (on
a cash basis) at a surplus of $37,743. This
compares with a surplus at December 3l, 2012
of $64,532. We currently have a little over
$75,000 in unpaid bills including insurance and
the annual assessment to the Archdiocese of
Milwaukee. As we reported in December 2013,
parishioners increased their pledge amounts by
32%. We encourage you to fulfill these pledges
as soon as you can, but definitely before June
30, 2014. Also due to our tuition falling below
our budgeted amount for the 2013-2014 year,
we strongly encourage you to increase your
tithing amounts during these next 6 months to
help cover this shortfall. We currently have
$25,000 in the parish checking account
compared to $60,000 at the same time last year.
We do not have any unrestricted savings. We
do have funds that are restricted for certain
specific causes and can’t be used to pay bills.
Tithing collected through December 31, 2013
was $226,446. Tithing through the same period
last year was $226,767. We did have a Parish
financial appeal in fall 2012 that raised
approximately $35,000.
Most Parish expenses through December 31,
2013 are similar to the same period of the prior
year. We have been hit hard by substantially
higher utility bills ($20,677 for 6 months this
year), plus repairs and replacements of doors
and roofing this year ($7,000).
As Father Ed so beautifully stated in his year-
end pledge card report: (Please accept my
sincere gratitude for all you continue to do for
our faith community. I feel privileged to be a
witness to faith in action. We promise to be
responsible stewards of the financial support,
time and talent you give to the work of our
parish ministries. Thank you, Lord, for the
goodness of Your People.”
Religious Education
Good things are happening with your children
in the CCD and CYE Programs. On Sunday,
January 12, Holy Trinity and St. Michael
Parishes witnessed the Confirmation of 20
young adults. Congratulations to our
Confirmation class. Thanks to Bishop Hying,
Fr. Ed, Deacon Ralph Horner and Deacon Mark
Jansen, the choir and the many liturgical
ministers and all who donated their time and
talents to make this day special.
First Communion is scheduled on Sunday,
May 4. Parents will have the choice of either
the 9:00 a.m. Mass at St. Michael or the 11:00
a.m. Mass at Holy Trinity. The First
Communion Parent’s Meeting will be held on
February 12 from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at
Holy Trinity Church. At least one parent must
7
be present for the meeting. The First
Communion Activity Day is April 26. Parents
will choose between an activity day at St.
Michael from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with Mass
included or a bus trip to the Shrine of Our Lake
of Good Hope in New Franken, WI. The
Shrine of Our Lady of Good Hope is the only
validated Marian Apparition Shrine in the
United States and is only 17 miles from Green
Bay. Practice for First Communion will be
May 2 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Michael and 6:30 p.m.
at Holy Trinity.
Ash Wednesday class for both the CCD and
CYE students will be attending the 6:30 p.m.
Mass at St. Michael. Attendance will be taken
in the church hall. The CCD students will be
released to parents after the Mass, however, the
CYE students will continue with a 30-minute
class immediately after the celebration of the
Mass.
The Sophomores will present the Shadow
Stations at Holy Trinity Church on April 16.
This will take the place of the CCD and CYE
Classes. All are welcomed to share in this
Spiritual Way of the Cross.
The CYE classes will include Adoration and
Benediction on March 19, and a presentation of
Divine Mercy and the Canonization of Pope
John Paul II on April 23. All CYE students
have received a copy of the book, Rediscover
Catholicism by Matthew Kelly and we hope to
read and discuss several chapters time
permitting.
The last day of CCD and CYE is April 30 with
a Mass and a wrap up program.
I am looking forward to working with the
families of the Religious Education Program.
If you have any questions or concerns, please
contact me at the Religious Education Office,
262-626-2650.
Marie Joers
Interim DRE
Nicaraguan News
Greetings to all. Now I remember why I spend
my winters in Nicaragua. This is my first
freezing experience since I retired and left for
the missions in 2006. I will not return to
Nicaragua this year but Ann Neumann, from
Holy Trinity, will travel to Waspam and the
surrounding area. Ann will fly to Managua on
February 17 and onto Puerto Cabezas the
following day. Costina, the only inland plane
company, has canceled their flights to Waspam
so now everyone has to fly to Puerto Cabezas
and then take a four + hour road trip to
Waspam. Unfortunately, the rains have hit hard
and longer this year and the dirt road is now a
mud, pothole ridden, sad excuse of a road.
Good luck Ann. I do not envy you.
Ann will join Padre Elvis on a mission trip
down river. She will visit Miskito communities
including Klampa, Uran, Sih, and Utla Mahta.
Padres Elvis and Ann will then travel by road to
several more communities with Indian names
such as Tee Kiamp, Kuiwi Tingi, Tasba Pain
and Wisconsin. Yes, there is a community
called Wisconsin, approximately two-hour
drive from Waspam. I have never visited
Wisconsin so this will be a new experience
from one Wisconsinite to another. Ann will
bring a map with her showing the distance
between Wisconsin, USA to Wisconsin,
Nicaragua. Ann returns home on March 10.
Our prayers are with her for a safe and dry
journey. Pictures and a write-up on her
experiences will follow.
Our two 45 foot containers have arrived to their
destinations in Nicaragua. The containers were
packed in May and October 2013. The barrels
and boxes, furniture and all goods traveled by
semi to an American port, by boat to Honduras
and through customs, trucked to Managua
where they were examined by Nicaraguan
customs and held in a warehouse. They are
then sorted and trucked to the outlining mission
sights. Word has come from Bishop Paul
Schmitz, Padre Elvis and Padre Chistobal
(Waspam), Padre Nilo (Puerto Cabezas), Padre
Jifer (Seminary Minor in Bluefields) and Padre
Floriano, (Rector of the Cathedral in
8
Bluefields) and the Sisters of St. Agnes that the
much anticipated items have arrived. Thanks to
all who have donated household, blankets,
religious items, candles, furniture, food, school
supplies, and so much more to the needy in
Nicaragua. During the May 2013 Scholastic
Book Fair at Holy Trinity School, parishioners,
parents of Holy Trinity students and CYE
Students purchased books from the book fair.
The book fair held a “buy one book and get one
free” sale. Many families donated their “free”
books to Nicaragua. The 45 picture storybooks
are written in Spanish and will be shipped to
Nicaragua this June. Sister Rose Kowalski,
Congregation of St. Agnes, Fond du Lac,
oversees the school library. Under her care, the
430 students (Kindergarden-6 grade) have the
only library in Waspam and the surrounding
400 miles of the Rio Coco. She has been
asking for children books, which are either hard
to find or are very expensive to purchase in
Managua. This library is open to all children in
the Waspam area. On behalf of the students,
Mucha Gracias…Tingki Pali…Thank you.
Marie Joers
Athletic Association
The basketball season is winding down.
Fall volleyball signup for the 5th
-8th
grade girls
will be held sometime in May.
Holy Trinity Athletic Association has their cash
raffle going on. If you need tickets, you can
pick them up at Holy Trinity parish office or
the school office. The drawing will be
Tuesday, March 4th
, for the raffle.
HT Cemetery Committee
In 2013, Holy Trinity re-established the
Cemetery Committee to look into controlling
the costs of maintaining the four cemeteries that
Holy Trinity is responsible for, namely Holy
Trinity East (old cemetery on the East side of
Kewaskum), Holy Trinity West (new cemetery
west of Kewaskum), St. Bridget Cemetery
(across the road from the old St. Bridget
Church), and St. Matthias Cemetery (adjacent
to St. Matthias Chapel). The goal is to reduce
our expenses by 10 to 15% from their current
level, without affecting the quality and care of
these cemeteries. In 2013, we reduced our
maintenance expenditures by $549.35, which
was an 11.67% savings over 2012 expenses.
Since 1998, our expenses have exceeded our
income by an average of $l, 833.72 a year.
During the past 16 years, we had a surplus in
cemetery funds that allowed us to cover the
excess expenses. That fund is now depleted,
down to the Archdiocese required Perpetual
Care Fund (15% of all cemetery sales) that has
to be maintained and placed in a protected bond
fund. Because of our financial situation, we
had to raise the price per gravesite to $500 and
curtail some summer mowing. Your cemetery
sextons and caretakers are doing everything
possible to hold down maintenance costs and at
the same time give the cemetery the care,
respect and dignity required and deserved.
Please direct questions and concerns to:
Cemetery Sextons: Holy Trinity East and West
– Zachary Stoffel (626-4852), St. Bridget –
John Amerling (626-2581), St. Matthias – Alex
and Jenni Bolek (626-8208) or Committee
Chair – Al Weiland (334-4152)
Men of Christ Conference 2014
When: Saturday, March 15, 2014
Where: Milwaukee Theatre
Again this year we will be able to provide free
bus transportation to and from the conference.
Early bird pricing is $43 for an adult; after
February 17 adult tickets go up to $48. Student
pricing is $22 until March 10th
.
You can either purchase your tickets online at
www.menofchrist.net or get them from Men of
Christ parish leaders
9
Stewardship
You are probably wondering why Holy Trinity
is receiving so many donations for our
stewardship initiatives. As we grow in
numbers and our presence in the Kewaskum
community becomes prominent, our
commitment to stay in personal touch with our
parishioners remains unchanged. With our
mission focused on bringing souls to Christ, we
have always understood the value in staying
connected with our church family; keeping you
informed with a sense of unity with Holy
Trinity Parish.
We have about 800 parishioner members, with
about 37% very active, another 30%
somewhat active, and final 33% is fairly
inactive. With our Phone Tree system in
place, we can accomplish more of our
communication goals and maintain an
individual connection to each of our
parishioners. Father Ed’s messages are filled
with hope and warmth.
With our Christmas book program, we are
helping our parishioners rediscover
Catholicism. Central to the beauty and richness
of our faith is that it is constantly in need of
being rediscovered. Not because it changes,
because we change. In Matthew Kelly’s book,
Rediscover Catholicism, one of the most read
Catholic books of our time (other than the
Bible), Kelly grips his readers and takes them
on a life-changing journey to rediscover the
genius of Catholicism. Kelly proposes that
Catholicism is not a lifeless set of rules, but a
way of life designed by God to help each of us
reach our full potential.
Because 32% of people today go to Christmas
Mass or Easter Mass only, these are our best
opportunities to re-engage them and re-energize
our Kewaskum community. Parishes that
participate in this program experience a 9.1%
increase in parishioner engagement. These
books cost $2 each and were covered by a
parishioner donation. We had many volunteers
who personally handed 1,000 of Matthew
Kelly’s book to parishioners, visitors, teachers
and students this past month.
This book has been shared with hundreds of
thousands of Catholics nationwide. Here are a
few things people have to say:
- “This book brought my son back to the
Church!”
- “I have been away from the Church for
twenty years, but last Christmas
something drew me to go. On the way
out of Mass, everyone was handed a
copy of a book and for some reason I
read it. I came back to the Church
because of this book.”
- “A great book can transform a life. This
Book Program can transform a parish.”
We would like to do an Easter Book Program
using another widely read book from Dynamic
Catholic. If you would like to be a part of this
stewardship initiative, please contact Father Ed
or send a check to the Parish Office or place in
collection basket and mark it Easter Book
Program. Cost per book again is $2.
Our new website
www.kewaskumcatholicparishes.org is full of
information about our parish. It includes Mass
schedules, bulletins, ministry schedules,
newsletters, and membership and minutes of
committee meetings. Also included are bible
readings, daily prayers, family activities,
recipes and many links to Holy Trinity School
activities and other local Catholic parishes.
Please go to this website, you will be pleasantly
surprised at the beauty and clarity of it.
Our message on the Billboard south of
Kewaskum, Welcome Christ Into Your
Family, is a 24-hour, 7 day a week invitation to
our community to welcome Christ into our
lives. 57,000 vehicles drive past this billboard
every week. With these many outreach
messages, we are beginning to see increased
engagement of parishioners and also many new
families attending Mass at Holy Trinity.
Research shows that over 70% of visitors to a
church are because of a personal invitation.
People will usually stick with a church because
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they have personal relationships. These
relationships are usually through small groups.
We have many committees and bible study
groups now, and will be creating a Ministry
Guide to help parishioners find a group where
they feel welcome and can share their talents.
Please help us welcome new members to Holy
Trinity. Studies show that only 12% of people
who try out a new church come back a second
time. The main reason listed for not coming
back is they didn’t feel welcome. So please
smile and make your new neighbors at Holy
Trinity feel welcome.
If you like what the Stewardship Committee is
doing with these many innovative efforts,
please contact Jim Wessing, Chair at
[email protected] or 262-626-4321. We
are constantly looking for new ideas to
welcome Christ into our parishioners’ lives, and
our local community. Thank you to all for so
many large donations in these first 6 months of
our committee’s existence.
Stewardship Committee Report: We have
completed four All-Committee/Stewardship
planning meetings during the July 1- December
31 time-frame. We achieved the following
accomplishments.
We successfully completed our Enhanced
Offertory Program with a Commitment
Weekend on October 19/20th
. Masses included
over 60 students serving in many different
roles. All students in both the Religious
Education Program and Holy Trinity School
did sidewalk art, painted pumpkins and created
posters; outlining what their Catholic faith
means to them. Parishioners took these items
home, and the young artist was added to their
prayers.
We had a successful turnout with our Enhanced
Offertory Program as 296 parishioners
completed financial pledge cards. This is a
23.3% improvement over the 2012 pledge
campaign. Secondly, the total dollar amount
pledged was 32.2% higher than last year, which
should greatly help Holy Trinity to balance our
2013/2014 budget. Thank you very much for
your generous financial support.
The total cost of printed brochures, prayer
cards, and envelopes for our Enhanced
Offertory Program was $2,180 and was covered
by a donation from a generous parishioner
family.
Through a generous donation of $1,859, we
purchased a Phone Tree Voice Wave Plus
automatic messaging system. This system is a
one-time cost and works with our current
software. Father sent out a wonderful message
of hope and blessings for both the
Thanksgiving & Christmas holiday. This is an
on-going strategy to connect Father more
closely with all parishioners through outbound
messaging. Father will send another message at
Easter.
Through many hours of hard work, Al Weiland
collected telephone numbers that now bring our
Holy Trinity database from about 50% of
parishioners’ numbers to over 90%. Thank you,
Al, for this work.
Through a donation of $1,640 by Father Ed and
a generous Holy Trinity family, 830 books by
Matthew Kelly titled Rediscover Catholicism
were given to parishioners, visitors, teachers,
and students. Also, through a generous
donation of $550, bookmarks and refrigerator
magnets with our newly remodeled website
www.kewaskumcatholicparishes.org were
given to all parishioners. All Holy Trinity
committees chairs, minutes, meeting dates and
times, members and contact information are
now listed on our website.
Through special efforts by Deb Nevsimal, a
beautiful new logo for Holy Trinity Parish &
School was developed and unanimously
approved at our November 26th
meeting. This
logo will help to unify our parish, school and
all ministries around a common theme, thereby
strengthening our local community
identification. All Holy Trinity letterheads,
envelopes, clothing, etc. will eventually use this
new unified brand and logo.
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Through a generous donation of $6,500 a
billboard has been contracted for all of 2014.
This is our second major outreach ministry into
our local community. The message of
“Welcome Christ Into Your Family” has
been favorably received in our community and
ties well with Mathew Kelly’s major theme in
his book.
Sandwich signs have been ordered through
another generous donation of $412 and we have
regular outreach messages to our community
and those who drive past Holy Trinity church.
We are currently on our third message. This
one encourages young parents to register their
children now for the 2014/2015 Holy Trinity
School year.
We have facilitated a list of physical needs that
exist at Holy Trinity Parish. This list includes
things such as repairing/replacing the
Clavinova (wearing out), new electrical service
for Holy Trinity kitchen (circuits fail during
funeral dinners), repairs/improvements in
numerous classrooms at Holy Trinity School,
replacement of Holy Trinity parking lot, etc.
Recently we received wonderful news as a
Holy Trinity family has offered to donate the
money required to replace our Clavinova, in
loving memory of their daughter. Thank you
very much.
Also, we have already raised $1,000 towards
the electrical improvements needed for Holy
Trinity kitchen. If you support this important
capital project, please provide Holy Trinity
with a donation. Also if you are an electrician
and can provide donated services, please
contact Father or Jim Wessing, so that we can
get this project completed.
In 2014, our stewardship focus will be on
efforts to plan and implement a Ministry Guide,
a Welcome Packet, and a Ministry Fair so that
parishioners can learn about some of our
wonderful ministries here at Holy Trinity.
And finally I wanted to share this quote from
Father Ed in his December 20th
letter to all
parishioners:
“I am truly grateful for all the ways you support
parish. Your prayers and financial support are
the life-blood of our parish. Again, thank you
very much.”
Holy Trinity parishioners are very appreciative
of Father Ed’s dedication to our parish. On
behalf of all parishioners, Father, thank you.
Semi-Annual Pastoral Report: Welcome…hospitality…community. These are
words that we use often when talking about our
parish.
Community and faith thrive when the sick and
elderly receive the Eucharist in a home visit,
when children learn about their faith, when
families in need receive help from our outreach
ministries and when we worship together in
times of joy and times of sorrow. All of the
ministries that are the heart and soul of
“community” here at Holy Trinity are alive
because of your generous and consistent
support.
Our parish is a faith community with members
called by baptism to build the kingdom of God.
Here are some of the ways your support is
helping to build this kingdom. Our parish
operates on a July 1 – June 30th
reporting year.
During the first half of this year, from July –
December, we engaged in the following
ministries:
Welcomed 15 newborn Catholics into
our midst.
United 2 couples in the sacrament of
Matrimony.
Assisted 20 young people to accept their
faith as adults in Confirmation this
January.
Prayed with and comforted 8 grieving
families as they commended their loved
one into God’s care.
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Preparing 20 children to receive our
Lord in their First Communion this
Spring.
Brought 12 new members into our Holy
Trinity faith community.
Helped over 250 children and teens
grew in their faith through our Christian
Formation and Holy Trinity School
programs.
Distributed approximately 1,000
Matthew Kelly’s book titled Rediscover
Catholicism to Holy Trinity
parishioners, visitors, teachers and older
children.
Our healing hands touched lives at St. Ben’s,
Family Promise, St. Vincent DePaul, & through
our many Human Concerns projects. And, we
also provided help and support to our sister
parish in Nicaragua. So, the Kingdom continues
to grow in many countless ways, every day,
with our 800-strong member community of
Holy Trinity.
Thank you for your continued support of our
parish and its many important ministries.
Kewaskum Community Food Pantry
Temporary Volunteers Needed – the Pantry is
in need of a couple volunteers to fill in
temporarily, starting mid February—Tuesday
mornings 9 to 11 a.m. and Tuesday and
Thursday afternoons 4 to 6 p.m. If interested
please call Barb at 626-4448.
Items in immediate need; Cereal, oatmeal,
white rice, jams/jellies, all types of chunky
soup, cream soups-chicken-mushroom-potato-
celery, canned pastas, spaghetti sauces,
hamburger helper mixes, ramen noodles, all
types of canned fruits, canned chicken, canned
beef stew, juices, sugar, flour, boxed potato
mixes, all types of pasta, peanut butter, boxed
rice mixes, packaged flavored noodle mixes,
and canned tuna.
Remember, one can, box or jar can make a
difference – PLEASE CHECK YOUR
DONATIONS FOR EXPIRATION DATES,
AS WE ARE UNABLE TO USE ITEMS
THAT HAVE EXPIRED.
Store Hours:
Tuesday – 4:15 - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday – 4:15 – 6:00 p.m.
Address:
1504 Reigle Drive, Kew., WI 53040
From Holy Trinity Parish Office
If you have received tithing envelopes that you
no longer need, we have use for them at the
rectory and would appreciate if you can drop
them off.
Please let the parish office know if you use
WeShare for your tithing and no longer need
envelopes so we can remove your name from
our envelope reorder list.
Also, if you are having problems signing up on
WeShare please call the rectory at 626-2860 or
E-mail: [email protected] or Ben
Schickert at 262-305-1451 or E-mail:
Phone Numbers of Parish Members
If you no longer have a land line and have
switched to a cell phone number, please contact
the Parish Office with your new number so
your records can be updated. Thank you.
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Paczki
What is all the fuss about paczki
(poonch’ke)?
Most of us are more familiar with the term
Mardi Gras that is loosely translated as Fat
Tuesday—a day from French influence to binge
on all sorts of foods that we ordinarily would
not eat during our long forty-day Lenten fast.
Our Anglican brothers and sisters would call
this day Shrove Tuesday. Because Lent is a
time to examine our lives and give up
something we like during Lent to focus our
thoughts more intently on what happens on
Easter, we like to have something we know we
really, really like one last time before the long
period of Lent.
Here in the Midwest there is an abundance of
Polish immigrants; Chicago has the largest
Polish community outside of Poland, and this
pre-Lenten treat has become a mainstay of a
religious practice that has moved to mainstream
secular society. In Chicago and Milwaukee,
long lines begin to form early in the morning,
in front of Polish bakeries for this sweet
Tuesday before Ash Wednesday treat.
Paczki are made of everything that we are told
is bad for us, in great quantities. It is a round
ball of sweet dough, usually filled with a fruit
preserve that is then deep fried and coated with
powdered-sugar or icing. A simple Internet
search for” paczki recipe” will help you to
enjoy your pre-Lenten treat this year.
Lenten Disciplines of Fasting and Abstinence
Here are the rules for fasting and abstinence
on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday:
Fasting consists of eating only one meal, with
the possibility of two smaller snacks that do
not add up to a single full meal.
Catholics in good health ages eighteen to fifty-
nine are required to fast and to abstain from
meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and
to abstain from meat all other Fridays in Lent.
Youth thirteen and older are to abstain from
meat on these days.
Abstinence from meat on Fridays: Canon 1251
specifies that Catholics refrain from eating
meat on all Fridays, as an act of penitence. In
the US, Catholics are permitted to substitute
another penance outside of the season of Lent.
During Lent, however, all Catholics are obliged
not to eat meat on Fridays.
Penance during Lent: The season of Lent is a
penitential time and should also be marked by
some additional form of self-denial.
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Holy Trinity Parish
P. O. Box 461
Kewaskum, WI 53040-0461
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