Kiel, New Holstein, St. Anna parishes courting

By Ken Turba

	Stewardship Stewardship: A Way of Life is the diocesan thrust. It invites Catholics to acknowledge that all of life is a gift of God and to respond through prayer, service and sharing. This series will look at ways to do that.

Three parishes in the southeast corner of the Green Bay Diocese are putting stewardship into practice by prayerfully determining how to best use their resources as they prepare to implement diocesan local area planning guidelines of 2004.

Their efforts are moving in the right direction because "a good linkage starts with a courtship by the parishes to be linked," Tom Donovan, diocesan consultant for Stewardship and Pastoral Services told representatives of Ss. Peter & Paul Parish, Kiel; Holy Rosary, New Holstein; and St. Ann, St. Anna.

The "courtship" is well on its way in the three parishes. In April of 2005 the three parish pastoral councils held a combined "get acquainted" meeting at St. Ann. A second meeting was held the following September at Ss. Peter & Paul, with a third meeting at Holy Rosary in January of 2006.

The three councils meet together every four months, continuing to get acquainted, sharing ideas and news from their parishes.

The courtship has developed into planning combined activities and ministries. On March 9 there was an "Evening of Reflection" at Holy Rosary for members of the three Parish Councils, Finance Committees and Boards of Education.

Following a potluck supper, the parishes took turns in leading a prayer service, providing a hands-on demonstration of what it means to be "church" today, and providing inspirational speakers.

The evening concluded with a celebration of the Eucharist, led by Frs. Harry Berryman and Loren Nys, SDS, and Dcn. Pat Knier.

A summer social is being planned for the three parishes on Aug. 6. Frs. Berryman and Nys, assisted by Dcn. Knier, will concelebrate a polka Mass, featuring the music of Jerry Schneider and his orchestra, at 10 a.m. at St. Anna. There will be a meal and live music at the St. Anna Firemen's Park.

That day both Ss. Peter & Paul and Holy Rosary parishes will celebrate their regularly scheduled 8 a.m. Masses in their respective churches, but will cancel the later Mass so priests and parishioners can come together to celebrate the 10 a.m. liturgy at St. Anna. The public is invited.

This past year catechumens from the three parishes participated in a joint RCIA program at Ss. Peter & Paul. A new RCIA program will begin shortly after Labor Day for interested adults.

At 7 p.m. Dec. 6., Bp. David Zubik will celebrate Confirmation Mass for students of the three parishes. A combined choir from the three parishes will lead the singing.

The parishes formed a Unification Committee to develop ideas and strategies to unify the two Catholic schools that serve the parishes to ensure a quality, affordable and accessible Catholic grade school education for these communities. Five members from Ss. Peter & Paul and Holy Rosary and four from St. Ann, and the pastors are on the committee.

The committee has formed several subcommittees to study as thoroughly as possible every aspect of Catholic grade school education. Surveys have been sent to the teachers and the parents of students attending the schools. They also did a random sampling of parishioners from the three parishes.

The Unification Committee meets monthly and hopes in the fall to present a plan to parishioners at a series of town meetings in the parishes. After the parish councils approve a plan it will be submitted to Bp. Zubik for his approval.

Plans call for announcing acceptance of the plan at the start of Catholic Schools Week in late January 2007 and having it take effect in the 2007-08 school year.

"From the beginning we realized how great it was for us to get together to pray and share our visions of what it means to be church here in the rural areas of the diocese," said Fr. Loren Nys, SDS, Ss. Peter & Paul pastor.

"We have a wealth of gifted individuals who are eager to minister together, sharing our talents and resources in so many different ways," Fr. Nys said. "By coming together, planning together for the future, we can use our financial resources in a much more responsible way. We are learning that by working together we will be a better, stronger church."

This summer, when Fr. Berryman is on vacation, weekday Mass will be at Kiel and when Fr. Nys is on vacation, weekday Mass will be at New Holstein.

The diocesan long range plan calls for one pastor to serve the three distinct parishes of Holy Rosary, Ss. Peter & Paul and St. Ann. Until then the courtship will continue in Kiel, New Holstein and St. Anna, as parishioners continue to find ways in which they can minister, socialize and worship together to nurture the Kingdom of God.

(Turba is president of the St. Ann Parish Council, St. Anna.)