Kaukauna Catholic Parishes

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

During the last six months, Holy Cross and St. Katharine Drexel have been working diligently to establish our new partnership. By sharing resources and working together we seek to witness, through our unified efforts, the power of what is possible when people of faith stand together with a common vision and purpose. I am amazed at the progress we have made in these few short months. We simply seek to “Discover, Live and Share Jesus” with all of our brothers and sisters in the City of Kaukauna and Hollandtown, and we know that through our combined efforts we will be able to do far more effectively than we could ever do alone.

By establishing this equal partnership that honors and respects the dignity of each community, we will renew and revitalize both parishes. In the past six months, we have made incredible progress in establishing the foundation of our partnership.

Our temporary joint parish office is set up and working well. Scrip at both parishes is strong and vibrant, and there is a steady stream of people taking advantage of the opportunity to support our parishes through this wonderful program.

We are working with an architect and are beginning the planning of the renovation of our new joint parish office and the new discipleship building. The parish office will be housed in the old school at St. Mary, and the discipleship building will be in the old convent once we complete renovations. We hope to have the renovations completed for the joint parish office by July 1st. The old rectory (currently home to the joint parish office) will be occupied by Elizabeth Ministry. Money from the sale of St. Al Church and rectory will be reinvested in renovations of the joint parish office and discipleship building.

Our parish ministry departments are coming together. We have been blessed to find a new Worship Director, Holly, who started on December 8th. She will work with Donna and Ellen to make our parish celebrations as powerful and sacred as possible. We believe the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist is the source and summit of our experience of God. It is through the Eucharist that God sustains us and gives us the grace we need to walk the path of faith. It is because of our joint partnership and our ability to share financial resources that we are able to provide more support in developing and enhancing our worship experience.

The other new staff member who will be joining us is Brittany Schoeder. Brittany will start February 1st and will work part-time as our Adult Discipleship Coordinator and part-time as a Pastoral Coordinator. Her work will enable us to develop sound year-round opportunities for Adult Discipleship.

With these two additions, our parish team is complete. Our four ministry teams are now in full swing: Discipleship Formation, Pastoral Care, Worship and Resource and Support. The reality is this: it is only because of our shared staffing, done through our joint partnership, which enables us to put together these powerful ministry teams which are the very foundation of our ability to grow and revitalize both of our parishes.

Alpha has been going strong, and I am getting wonderful reports from our many groups about the insights, value and joy they have discovered in their gatherings.

Our joint school, St. Ignatius School, is doing well. The new School Choice voucher opportunity has been extremely beneficial to our well-being and will be an important part of our continued growth.

There are so many large and small happenings, plans are being put into place for continued opportunities, and ministry teams are working to reach out to young adults and families in new ways. I have been humbled by the wonderful response of the people of Holy Cross and St. Katharine Drexel to embrace our journey together and growing understanding of our equal partnership that honors and respects the dignity of each unique parish community and, at the same time, challenges each other to work together in any way possible to lift each other up and help each other grow and be vibrant parish communities.

The work on the foundation in our effort to establish our joint partnership is well under way. We have made incredible progress in a very short time. We know, and we believe, that because of this equal partnership we will be a stronger, more powerful witness to all of our brothers and sisters in the City of Kaukauna and Hollandtown. Together, we are just beginning to discover what is possible.

Peace and Joy,

Fr. Don