Kaukauna Catholic Parishes

 God’s blessings! St. Paul was one of the greatest “missionary disciples” of all time. St. Paul recognized God’s all-encompassing presence in our creation and our life. In this weekend’s readings, he writes to the Romans, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” He goes on, “How unsearchable his ways!” We cannot fully comprehend what is in God’s mind. St. Paul reminds us: “For from him and through him and for him are all things.” That can be our focus in our journey of faith, and as we hear in the Psalm, “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart.”

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds, “I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” Jesus continues, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Peter was given responsibilities to be a key missionary disciple in human history and was motivated to courageously share the kindness and truth of the Lord in the battle against evil.

We are called to carry on as “missionary disciples” in our marriages, families, church and communities. Our mission is to: “Discover, Live and Share Jesus!” Our Christian understanding of Stewardship invites us to be people of “Prayer, Service and Sharing.”

Earlier in the pandemic this spring, the Kaukauna Catholic Parishes attempted to reach out to over 3,000 households in our parishes, starting with the people age 70 and above, and then everyone else. It was one way of connecting with parish individuals and families at a time when we were not able to attend Mass in person and interact with each other directly. We would like to thank the many people who helped by making phone calls in this process approximately 40 volunteers and 10 staff members, all of whom were essentially serving as “missionary disciples.” One could say, “They were essential workers, sharing the love and compassion of God.”

While the purpose of the calls was pastoral, connecting with our parish members and their families, we were not able to get through to every household. Hundreds of phone numbers were disconnected or no longer in service. It appears that many people had converted from home phones (landlines) to cell phones. This was not a huge surprise and makes sense, but it did limit our ability to reach everyone. So, if you did not receive a call, or never got any phone messages, it was because we did not have a current phone number.

We are in the process of trying to get our information for all parish households up-to-date including phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc. We would appreciate your help with that.

As we go forth, let us pray for a safe and effective startup of our schools, and for us to find ways to continue our connection with people who are most vulnerable, and as missionary disciples, may we all stay focused on Jesus and know that we always have a “wireless connection” with God, who is deeply in love with each one of us.

Peace in Christ,

Deacon Steve