Parish/Church

Holy Trinity, Casco, WI

http://www.holytrinitycasco.com/

Date and Mass time

September 7, 2014 – 9:00AM Mass

Celebrant

Rev. Milton Suess

Weather

Another beautiful day to travel to another parish for Mass! “Early” fall type weather in the low 50’s but sunny and clear and gorgeous!  Fall is on its way, but it feels GREAT!

The trip there and back

Kay’s mom Joanne came along today and despite the 9am Mass, we had a little bit of a late start but made it in plenty of time for Mass and even to catch the end of the Rosary before Mass.  We pretty much went right into church and did our “touring” after Mass.

On the way home the ladies wanted to stop at the grocery store so we headed back through Luxemburg and stopped at Stodola’s.  Nice place!

We took the back roads home to enjoy the beautiful day and stopped in downtown Stangleville to visit the grave of Kay’s Aunt Betty Jane.  She died in 1930 at 5 years of age.  Her stone is a pretty white little marker and now has a new vase on it.  We said a prayer and headed home…

Parish History

The website is a little outdated and has limited info and no parish history.  But after a little digging I found this link on the Compass Newspaper October 20, 2000 Issue: http://www.thecompassnews.org/compass/2000-10-20/00cn1020l6.htm

All credit to them, but here is the text from the website:

Kewaunee County parish reaches 100

Holy Trinity of Casco's history includes visit from Czechoslovakian cardinal

By Sarah Malcore

One hundred years ago, the small town of Casco was growing. A railroad came through and a highway was built. People were quickly moving in and a new parish was needed because the nearest church was St. Adalbert in Slovan.

So, on May 8, 1899, after several years of consideration, Bp. Sebastian Messmer decided a new church should be built in Casco. On Oct. 24, 1900, the church was blessed.

The parish will celebrate its centennial on Oct. 22, when Bp. Robert Banks presides at a Mass of Thanksgiving, to be followed by a luncheon in the Fr. Hodik parish hall.

Holy Trinity has had 15 pastors over the last 100 years. The longest serving was the 11th pastor, Fr. Rudolph Hodik, whose 35-year tenure started in 1935.

As pastor, he introduced the big Casco parish picnics, which helped to pay off the long outstanding debt from building the church and rectory.

Chet Majeski, a long-time parishioner, said the picnics were huge events. "The picnics started in about 1936, and attracted over 5,000 people from all areas. The annual church picnic was the only one of its kind in the area, so many people made a point to attend."

Fr. Hodik also worked to have the Casco and Slovan churches remodeled. He was known as the "Rosary Priest" because for more than 20 years, he spent a few days each month encouraging families to say the rosary.

In 1945, Bp. Stanislaus Bona decided Holy Trinity needed a school. After many years of fund-raising the parish was able to build the school without taking a loan.

Ground was broken April 13, 1962, on the school. A year later, the parish broke ground in a wooded grove near the school for a convent to house sisters teaching at the school. The school opened on Sept. 4, 1963, with 145 students.

Marvin and Carol Bourgeois say they consider the biggest event ever at the parish was a visit in spring 1964 by Cardinal Beran of Czechoslovakia.

"Fr. Hodik was a world traveler and he met many people along the way," the Bourgeois said. "Cardinal Beran took the time to come and visit Fr. Hodik and his parish. This was a big to do for the parish. Students were excused from school to attend the mass in the Cardinal's honor and the high school band played religious songs welcoming the Cardinal."

Holy Trinity has had many vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the past 100 years. Young women who have entered the convent from Holy Trinity include Julia Marie Vandenack, Celestine Holsbach, Naomi Treml, Annette Koss, Marion Jacobs, Marie Paral, Anne Sirovatka, Raphael Tulacka, Alexia Jandourek and Victoria Krema.

Priests from the parish include Frs. Dennis Burke, Alfred Burke, Norbert Burke, Harold Riedy, Ronald Guillette, James Massart, James Dillenburg, and Dennis Drury. And one of the diocese's seminarians is Rory Cravillion who grew up in Holy Trinity parish. He will be at the centennial celebration and is scheduled to play organ for Mass.

Holy Trinity Parish plans to celebrate their centennial with prayers of praise and thanksgiving, and for continued guidance and benevolence of the Most Holy Trinity as they journey together into the next millennium.

Reflections

Today’s pilgrimage was not quite the same as the past few but was incredibly beautiful! Kay both had some issues its allergy season for Kay and I have an “owie” on my finger from chopping veggies.  No big deal at all, but probably has us in a mood that wasn’t as high as the past few.

We had a bit of a late start so we didn’t get to “tour” around before Mass, but that was fine.  We got there in plenty of time for the end of the Rosary and Mass.  Kay immediately saw the life sized statue of St. Therese and was mesmerized. What a Blessing!  I was a little less preoccupied for some reason Mass was really special.

I would say that Holy Trinity is a little more traditional and maybe “old fashioned”.  The church is a 114 years old and you almost feel that presence there. It was wonderful and Kay especially felt it and loved it. The buildings and grounds are not fancy in any way but very nicely and neatly kept. There were little jewels in different places like the St. Francis statue outside by the cornerstone. Subtle but beautiful.

Fr. Suess first comes across as a “little old man” and is probably “up there” in age, but his voice is vibrant and it carries through to the Mass. By the end of the Mass he didn’t seem old at all. He gave a beautiful homily and after Mass we all gathered outside the front of church to partake in the Blessing of the new Cross on the steeple of the church.  (It must have been newly installed.  I never got to participate in that blessing.  Very cool!) Afterward we took our “tour” of the church and got to take a look around.  Very nice building and grounds. We didn’t get a chance to meet Fr. Suess as he headed out pretty quickly.  I think he serves Luxemburg too so he had another Mass to get to. That probably leads to the church emptying quickly as we were the last ones there.

So our pilgrimage was a bit different today, but in some ways much deeper and more meaningful for some reason. I pray we continue to see and experience other parishes in new and different ways.  Today was a GREAT day!

Pictures