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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
Parish/Church
St. Clare, Wrightstown, WI (Wrightstown Site)
Date and Mass time
December 7, 2014 – 9:00AM Mass
Celebrant
Father Dennis Bergsbaken
Deacon Mike Zebroski
Weather
We skipped November due to busy schedules, so this was our first real winter weather trip. It was great! Temps in the low twenties, but mostly clear skies and only minimal snow cover made it a very nice trip. A truly beautiful December Sunday morning!
The trip there and back
Kay’s mom Joanne joined us today. The trip was VERY uneventful and the fact that this is my daily commute to work even makes it more uneventful, but it was a nice day. With the cold weather we knew we wouldn’t spend a lot of time outside, but we did get a few pictures. The outside is pretty standard but very nice and well kept.
After Mass we stopped at the grocery store in Wrightstown, which is pretty much required anytime we are in Wrightstown. (As I have mentioned before, the sugar cookies are pretty spectacular) Overall a GREAT trip!
Parish History
There was no parish history to be found on the website and not much via Google. The parish is actually recently merged and includes Wrightstown, Greenleaf, and Askeaton sites. The local scuttlebutt is talk of a “new” church building due to the age of some of the sites. Even though we are trying to visit all “parishes” I think we may try to visit each of these sites along the way…
Reflections
While the outside of the church looks pretty normal or standard, the inside is pretty awesome. I think that is a common theme here as we see different churches. I hope God opens our eyes to the beauty of each, but St. Clare in Wrightstown really was nice. There was a lot of stone but it was very warm and welcoming. The sanctuary was very simple, but beautiful. The stained glass, the statuary, and the ceiling were beautiful.
We are not “positive” Fr. Dennis officiated, but after looking at the picture on the website, I think this was him, he just is looking a little “older”. He gave a nice homily on peace and on St. John the Baptist. Deacon Mike was also there and read the Gospel. Overall, a very nice Mass. Both Father and Deacon Mike took the time to say Hi and shake out hands today.
Also of note was a really nice and special surprise. My brother Carl was in church! Funny as on the way there Joanne asked where Carl went to church and I told her I wasn’t sure but that I knew he at least sometimes went to Wrightstown. There he was! We had a nice talk after Mass to really make it a great day!
One thing about churches with a lot of stone… The music is often not very deep and it gives the impression of it being not as good as some other churches, but I think a lot of it has to do with the stone, and that was the case here… But maybe not many sang either…
This was again another unique trip, which I think is just great! Some of it was due to the different weather and such, and again I think going was a felt to be a bit of a “chore”, but once you get there and see the Holiness of the place and have the opportunity to worship with a whole different group of strangers, but still part of our one Catholic faith, it is REALLY a special thing. It’s great!
Pictures
Parish/Church
St. Thomas More Parish, Appleton, WI
Date and Mass time
October 5, 2014 – 9:30AM Mass
Celebrant
Fr. Jim Lucas
Weather
Well, fall is here and the temperature certainly reflected it as we left for Mass. 43 degrees! No frost, but it was cool! But, once again, it was another beautiful day to travel to another parish for Mass! After quite a bit of rain this week, it was clear and sunny and wonderful!
The trip there and back
We left a little early and also found we made really good time, so we drove around a bit before Mass. We drove up Meade St. and found Plamann Park where “MANY” years ago we went to swim when Charlotte and Larry still lived in Appleton. We saw the little man-made swimming lake and drove around the park. Beautiful and brought back memories.
It was cool walking around the grounds so we didn’t spend much time outside after arrival.
After Mass we stopped for a bite at MacDonald’s and then in the grocery store in Wrightstown. The store in Wrightstown has AWESOME sugar cookies if you ever get a chance to stop there.
After that we stopped at Holy Trinity to light a couple candles and say a couple special prayers and then we headed home. GREAT trip!
Parish History
There was no parish history to be found on the website and not much via Google. But they did just recently renovate.
Reflections
What we are finding is that going into these trips a lot of our daily life and how we are feeling goes in the trip. This week was a bit frantic and I worked all day yesterday and had a late work call, so perhaps we were a little tired too. Regardless, we were probably a little than enthusiastic, but it is amazing what these trips are doing to us. It’s great stuff!
We took a little walk around the outside and there is a really nice park like area out front that is gorgeous, but it was a little cold out, so we didn’t spend much time out there. Otherwise the outside isn’t the old style spectacular church, but it is very nice and the grounds are obviously kept in great shape.
The first highlight? They have a bell tower that plays church hymns. As we walked around the grounds, we were blessed with the bells playing gorgeous music. Awesome!
Inside they have a nice gathering area and shortly after entering the actual church we were greeted by Sister Mary Rose. She introduced herself and told us a little about the church and that she had been there 36 years! How wonderful. We walked around a bit and as people started to arrive we sat down for Mass.
The church itself is the more modern “surround” layout with the Altar in the center and the pews fanning out in a semi-circle from it. The tabernacle is behind the Altar and there is a spectacular Crucifix overhead. The sanctuary is awesome.
Fr. Jim presided and he comes across as a deeply devoted priest but somewhat quiet and perhaps more reflective than outgoing. But it was a lovely Mass and the Gospel message of the vineyard was tied in nicely to the homily and “OUR” stewardship.
At the end of Mass, Fr. Jim announced a couple wedding anniversaries of 55 and 66 years. THEN he had an older couple come up to have their 68 YEAR anniversary blessed! WOW! (Kay and I will need to hit 87 and 88 years old, in 2053 to match that mark!) What a blessing to be there for that!
One item to note were the lack of missels and song books. Everyone got a one page, two sided sheet, with the songs and order of Mass on it. A little different, and Kay and I weren’t sure if we liked that or not. Probably means it didn’t matter, but we had never seen that before…
Kay felt the church was more modern and “urban” in feel. Not unfriendly, but you could tell you were in the city. She loved the fountain going into church and the stained glass picture of Mary in the parent/child area.
Again, we were unable to get a chance to talk to the priest Fr. Jim after Mass, and I think that will become a bit of a trend. Sunday mornings are pretty busy times for the clergy and to afford even a few minutes to talk to everyone is probably too much to ask. Plus we spend time touring the churches, so it is easy to miss those few opportunities there are to chat.
So again, like last week, our pilgrimage was a bit different today, but not in a bad way at all. Pretty much like all days that God gives us! I pray that keeps happening to us! Today was a GREAT day!
Pictures
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
