Kaukauna Catholic Parishes

God’s blessings! It is the First Sunday of Advent.  As we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day, we are also very much preparing ourselves for his second coming. From the Prophet Jeremiah, the Lord says, “The days are coming, when I will fulfill the promise.” The verses from the Psalm represent us, “Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God, my savior, and for you I wait all the day.” It is a time of anticipation: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”

To live in expectation of the coming of Jesus does not imply a flight from everyday life. St. Paul writes in the second reading: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, so as to strengthen your hearts.” Do we have the love, compassion, fortitude and courage to “discover, live and share Jesus?”

Aware that we will have challenges, in the Gospel from Luke, Jesus cautions us, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life.” Jesus invites us - “to pray that you have the strength.” May we all find some sense of peace and joy.

To help experience Advent, several Behold the Lamb of God Advent concerts are scheduled. This is a wonderful opportunity to focus on the coming of Jesus by hearing some incredible music performed by local musicians and vocalists, including St. Katharine Drexel and Holy Cross people. The first concert was last Wednesday at St. John in Little Chute. Three more are slated:

December  5–7:00 pm at Nativity Parish in Green Bay

December 12–7:00 pm at the Performing Arts Center in Winneconne (sponsored by the Catholic Churches of Omro and Winneconne)

December 19 – 7:00 pm at Holy Cross in Kaukauna (sponsored by the Kaukauna Catholic Parishes)

The month of December also helps us celebrate our Blessed Mother Mary. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is Saturday, December 8, and Our Lady of Guadalupe is Wednesday, December 12.  My wife, Peggy, and I were privileged to be part of a recent pilgrimage to Italy, Fatima and Lourdes, along with Fr. Paul Demuth and 33 others from the Kaukauna, Hollandtown and Green Bay area. Our experiences of prayer were incredible at both Fatima and Lourdes. During the Lourdes apparitions, the Blessed Mother told Bernadette that she was “The Immaculate Conception.” Much like when I  experienced a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2009, my appreciation of the Blessed Mother has grown leaps and bounds.

Our Pilgrimage brought us quite close to Pope Francis as he came into his general audience in Rome. He was kissing children nearby to where we were seated. Everyone in our group was really moved by this opportunity. We toured some of the most beautiful churches in the world, recognizing some of the most remarkable saints in church history, such as St. Peter and St. Paul. The catacombs had a profound impact on many in our group, especially the connection with St. Cecilia, and at Assisi with the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare very present. Kaukauna native, Fr. Luke Hansen, joined us at several junctures in our journey, and it was a pleasure to be with him there. Peace in Christ,

Deacon Steve Vande Hey