Parish/Church
St. Clare, Greenleaf, WI (Greenleaf Site)
Date and Mass time
January 17, 2015 – 7:00PM Mass
Celebrant
Father Dennis Bergsbaken
Weather
January thaw! Warm and in the mid-30’s!!!
The trip there and back
Kay’s mom Joanne joined us today and this trip was different in a couple different ways in that we went to Mass on a Saturday evening instead of Sunday morning. We also went to the same parish, St. Clare, as last month, but to a different “site”, in Greenleaf.
The trip was normal but as it was dark out we didn’t see much, but the warm weather we had today made it a very nice change from the sub-zero temps we’ve had.
After Mass Joanne wanted pie, but the diner in Greenleaf was already closed. Rats! So we headed home, but did stop and pick up All Saints bulletins on the way.
Parish History
Same as last month’s report from St. Clare’s Wrightstown site.
Reflections
I travel past this church almost every day going to and from work so I have often wondered about it. We visited at night so we didn’t get to see much of the outside in the dark, but I may stop in some time in summer and take a walk around the grounds. It is out in the middle of the country on Hwy 96, just east of Greenleaf, so it is in a beautiful area.
I really liked the inside as it REALLY gave the impression of what I would call rural or farm type life. It is simple but austere and really beautiful. There isn’t much in the way of fancy-ness, but it is really clean and neat and like most churches, you can really feel the presence. I think I liked the look and feel of the sanctuary best as it looked roomy and large, but not cluttered. In fact, it almost gave a bit of look of being bare, but it wasn’t, it was just setup just right.
Other than looking at the church, our first impression was the absolutely beautiful music and singer. I seriously thought at first that they were playing a tape of someone, her voice was THAT perfect and wonderful. The church is great acoustically too, so that just made everything even more beautiful. If anything, that was the HIGHLIGHT of the visit, other than the Lord of course, but I am sure he was in that voice.
Last month we weren’t sure if we had Fr. Dennis celebrating Mass or not. We didn’t as we most assuredly had him to preside of Mass this evening, and that wasn’t him at Wrightstown. Nice Mass and very reverent, but I will need to send him a note thanking him for some inspiration he gave me in his homily. His message of being called, piety, and a true relationship with Jesus is exactly the message I needed for the closing of a talk I will be giving in a few weeks. I wish I could have thanked him, but like most priests, I think he is pretty busy and we didn’t get time to talk. Anyway, THANKS Fr. Dennis!!!
My last impression was concerning the parishioners. We hung around after Mass, lit a candle, took some pictures, and generally checked things out. Usually in 5 minutes the church is mostly empty. Not here! Much like our Holy Trinity, people were there talking and visiting and socializing well after we left. My guess is the person locking up has the shut the lights off on them too! Such a beautiful witness!
Great trip, and there is a good change St. Clare’s Askeaton site will be soon on the list as well…
Pictures
