Bp. Grellinger Forum added

The Green Bay Diocese will add a fourth monthly breakfast forum for business people starting this fall.

On Sept. 26, the Bp. John Grellinger Forum will be held at St. Mary Parish, Oshkosh. It will join the seventh annual Claude Allouez Forum, which will begin Sept. 13 in De Pere; the third annual Orville Janssen Forum, which will begin Sept. 19 in Menasha; and the second annual Bill Zimmer Forum, which will begin Sept. 17 in Manitowoc.

The theme for this year's forums will be "Gifted and Giving: Experiences of Stewardship." Speakers at all sessions will talk about what scriptural passages, movies, books or life experiences influence their lives in becoming grateful and responsible stewards.

Each session begins with breakfast at 7:15 a.m. followed by a speaker, and adjourns at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $10 per session for the Allouez and $5 per session for the other three forums, with special early bird discounts available.

"The idea was the brain child of Bp. Robert Morneau to give the opportunity for business people to think about living the gospel values in their workdays," said Cindi Brawner, diocesan director of development. "Each subsequent forum (after the Allouez Forum) evolved because someone from the area expressed interest, and offered to help organize and facilitate the sessions."

Sr. Judy Miller of St. Mary Parish, Oshkosh, will help facilitate the new Grellinger Forum.

The possibility of new forums being formed throughout the diocese in coming years depends largely on interested persons, Brawner said.

"The local organizers are really important to each forum," she said. "We assist with location and scheduling, but it's really the interested people of each community. We're just happy to be able to bring the idea to more and more Catholics."

The Allouez Forum was named for the 17th century Jesuit missionary priest who established Catholic missions in the upper Midwest. The Janssen Forum was named for a Green Bay diocesan priest who befriended the hopeless and served as an ecumenical leader, an evangelizer and a voice for the disenfranchised. The Zimmer Forum was named for a priest best known as a friend to people in need, a man who was a model of courage and conviction in his work for social justice in the Hmong and Hispanic ministries of the Manitowoc area. The Grellinger Forum was named for the first auxiliary bishop of the diocese, who served from 1949 until his retirement in 1974, representing the Green Bay Diocese at the Second Vatican Council and preaching at numerous celebrations.

Here is the schedule for the various forums:

Claude Allouez Forum

The Bemis International Center at St. Norbert College in De Pere will host each session. There is an early bird discount of $75 for all nine sessions. Make checks payable to the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, and mail to: Claude Allouez Forum, Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, P.O. Box 23825, Green Bay, WI 54305-3825.

The following persons will speak:

• Sept. 13, Ellen Kort, poet laureate.

• Oct. 11, Jeff Meulemans, farmer.

• Nov. 8, Fr. Greg Smith, pastor.

• Dec. 13, Jeannie Hannemann, director and founder of Elizabeth Ministry.

• Jan. 10, Cindi Brawner, diocesan director of development.

• Feb. 7, U.S. Federal Court Judge William Griesbach.

• March 7, Margaret Shurgot Hynes, development, St. Norbert College.

• April 4, Frank Wood, publisher.

• May 2, Betty Manion, coordinator of youth ministry.

Orville Janssen Forum

The Mount Tabor Center in Menasha will host each session. There is an early bird discount of $35 for all nine sessions. Please make checks payable to the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, and mail to: Orville Janssen Forum, Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, P.O. Box 23825, Green Bay WI 54305-3825.

The following speakers will attend:

• Sept. 19, Jim Genrich, director of the McCormick Home.

• Oct. 17, Dr. Jack Grandone, physician.

• Nov. 21, Nancy Bourassa, radiologic technologist.

• Dec. 19, Fr. Dave Pleier, pastor.

• Jan. 16, Bp. Robert Morneau, auxiliary bishop of Green Bay.

• Feb. 13, Sr. Joanne Goessl, OSF, pastoral associate.

• March 13, Fr. Tim Shillcox, O.Praem., pastor.

• April 10, Sr. Laura Zelten, OSF, director of vocations, Bay Settlement.

• May 8, Cindi Brawner, diocesan director of development.

Bill Zimmer Forum

Sacred Heart Parish in Manitowoc will host each session. There is an early bird discount of $35 for all nine sessions. Please make checks payable to the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, and mail to: Bill Zimmer Forum, Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, P.O. Box 23825, Green Bay WI 54305-3825.

The following speakers will attend:

• Sept. 17, Jim Genrich, director of McCormick Home.

• Oct. 15, Dcn. Tim Reilly, Resurrection Parish and president of Notre Dame Academy.

• Nov. 19, Ellen Mommaerts, coordinator of youth ministry.

• Dec. 17, Lee Kummer, attorney.

• Jan. 21, Brian and Shirley Shaw, Third World Outreach.

• Feb. 18, Karen Johnston, diocesan director of Catholic Charities.

• March 25, Jim Schmitt, entrepreneur.

• April 29, Cindi Brawner, diocesan director of development.

• May 27, Bp. Robert Morneau, auxiliary bishop of Green Bay.

Bishop Grellinger Forum

St. Mary Parish in Oshkosh, where Bp. Grellinger served as pastor from 1954 to 1965, will host each session. There is an early bird discount of $30 for all eight sessions. Please make checks payable to the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, and mail to: Bishop Grellinger Forum, Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, P.O. Box 23825, Green Bay WI 54305-3825.

These speakers will attend:

• Sept. 26, Bp. Robert Morneau, auxiliary bishop of Green Bay.

• Oct. 31, Nancy Bourassa, radiologic technologist.

• Dec. 5, Dr. Jack Grandone, physician.

• Jan. 23, Dr. David Angell, physician.

• Feb. 27, Dcn. Tim Reilly, Resurrection Parish and president of Notre Dame Academy.

• March 27, Ellen Mommaerts, coordinator of youth ministry.

• April 24, Jim Schmitt, entrepreneur.

• May 29, Cindi Brawner, diocesan director of development.

To register or for more information on any of these forum sessions, call Debbie toll-free at 1-877-500-3580 or (920)437-7531, ext. 8184, or e-mail ddegrave@gbdioc.org.