Holy Cross Students Give N.E.W. Keyboard Academy Spring Concert

Holy Cross students enrolled in the N.E.W. Keyboard Academy showed off their talents with students from Prince of Peace School to an admiring crowd of parents, teachers and friends. The Spring Piano Recital took place Saturday, April 22, 2007.

N.E.W. Keyboard Academy teacher, Kris Skaletski commented: "The students' outstanding performances were the culmination of weeks of hard work and practice. The recital was a great success because of each student's efforts."

The N. E.W. Keyboard Academy is a school day piano lesson program committed to providing the highest quality instruction to students, maximizing their music appreciation, performance skills, and their development of self-worth. Teachers Kris Skaletski and Darlene Rich have over 55 years of combined piano teaching experience. In addition to offering lessons at Holy Cross, school day lessons are offered at St. Bernard, Resurrection and Prince of Peace - Holy Martyrs School.

Holy Cross parent Kathy Janquart is thrilled that the program is an option at Holy Cross School: "We are so fortunate to have the Keyboard Academy at Holy Cross School. My son is able to take piano lessons from an incredible teacher, during the school day. Not only is this a convenience, but I believe it is an enrichment to his current curriculum. He looks forward to his lessons and is able to learn more effectively. Thank you to the Keyboard Academy and the staff at Holy Cross School for making this possible."

If you are interested in having you child participate in the school day piano lesson program, please call Kris Skaletski at 920.639.9396 or Darlene Rich at 920.713.7070

Located on the growing northeast side of Green Bay, Holy Cross School has been in existence for nearly 138 years and has an enrollment of 166 students in grades EC3 to 8th grade. The school educates children within the Catholic faith and under the auspices of the Diocese of Green Bay, and provides them with opportunities to develop the values, attitudes and skills that will enable them to become vital members of the community. For more information about Holy Cross School, please call 920.468.0625.

From the Pastor's Desk...

My Dear Parishioners,

On behalf of the entire Holy Cross Parish Family, we congratulate the 40 children who made their First Communion this weekend. Thank you to all the wonderful parents and teachers, who faithfully brought their children to church in preparation of receiving our Lord Jesus Christ, under the appearance of bread and wine.

Oremus pro invicem,
Father Tom

Holy Cross Community in Bay Settlement Raises Funds to Support the Growth of the School

The results are officially in and the Holy Cross Hand in Hand Dinner Auction, held on April 14, 2007 at the Riverside Ballroom, was an overwhelming success with over 260 people in attendance. The event raised over $60,000.00 for the school.

Principal Robin Jensen said that the funds raised will go straight into the school's operating budget for the 2007/08 school year, with plans for an upgraded, mobile computer lab, additional classroom space and another staff member to accommodate the school's growing enrollment.

"We appreciate the efforts of everyone who made our fundraising effort a success," commented Principal Robin Jensen. "We have been blessed by the support of the volunteers who worked to put the auction together, the generous local businesses that donated their products and services to the auction, and all of the people who showed up to take part in this fun community event. It is because of their combined efforts that we can continue to offer a vibrant faith and educational experience to all who seek to be a part of this community."

Located on the growing northeast side of Green Bay, Holy Cross School has been in existence for nearly 138 years and has an enrollment of 166 students in grades EC3 to 8th grade. The school educates children within the Catholic faith and under the auspices of the Diocese of Green Bay, and provides them with opportunities to develop the values, attitudes and skills that will enable them to become vital members of the community. For more information about Holy Cross School, please call 920.468.0625.

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An Invitation from the Diocese of Green Bay to the Members of Holy Cross Parish

Bishop David Zubik and Fr. Tom Hagendorf will be hosting a meeting regarding the Diocese of Green Bay’s Advancing the Mission Stewardship Campaign on May 2 at 7PM in the Holy Cross School gym. An invitation from the Diocese of Green Bay reads:

You are cordially invited by Bishop David Zubik and Fr. Tom to a special meeting to learn about the Advancing the Mission Stewardship Campaign. Come and find out what all the excitement is about. Learn about the benefits of the campaign for Holy Cross Parish and the Church of Green Bay.

Advancing the Mission benefits:
~ Vibrant Parish Ministry: Projects to strengthen and enhance all the parishes of the diocese.
~ Leadership Development: The identification and training of Priests, Deacons and Lay Leadership.
~ Evangelization: Sharing our Catholic faith with others, witnessing our faith to the world, and reaching out to fallen away Catholics, alienated Catholics, non-Catholics, and non-Christians.
~ Lifelong Catechesis: Lifelong Catholic Education for RCIA, public school students, Catholic grade school and high school, young adults and adults.
~ Priestly Care: Priest retirement and healthcare.

God has great things in store for the Church of Northeastern Wisconsin and for Holy Cross Parish. Through a process of discernment, the Bishop, pastors and parish leaders across the diocese have identified the way forward, the way for us to make our diocese and the parishes of our diocese stronger.

The effort here at Holy Cross Parish starts with an Advancing the Mission informational meeting on May 2 in the Holy Cross gym. This is a wonderful opportunity for all members of your parish to listen to the Lord’s call, learn the specific benefits for your parish, and learn how you can make your parish successful in this process.

This meeting will include:
~ A presentation by a staff member of the Catholic Foundation Office.
~ A presentation by our RSI Consultant, John Dean.
~ A video presentation by Bishop Zubik.
~ A time for you to ask questions about Advancing the Mission Stewardship Campaign.

Join us on May 2 at 7:00 PM in the Holy Cross gym. Mark your calendar now and pray with us,
"Lord, what do You want to do, through me, to accomplish Your will in our parish and diocese?"

From the Pastor's Desk...

My Dear Parishioners,

Holy Cross Parish Family warmly welcomes the two candidates who were received into full communion in the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. They also received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Micheal Ziefle and Christi Nooyen have been journeying through the RCIA process. Through this program they become adults in the community of the Catholic Church, where they are shown ways to deepen their relationship with Jesus and learn what it means to believe, pray and serve within the Catholic Church Community. Members of the RCIA team, Virginia Moreau, Pat Davister, and Sylvia Corbeill, have recognized the desire of these candidates to participate fully in the Sacramental life of the Church and have considered them ready for the Sacraments of Initiation.

We also welcomed Alvaro Avilies to the Table of Our Lord on Saturday, March 24th. Alvaro and his wife Judy are new members of the Holy Cross Parish Family.

At the 10 o'clock Mass this weekend three of our Boy Scouts will receive the "Ad Altare Dei"("to the altar of God") medal. This medal is earned by the scouts after participating in a program which strives to have them develop a fully Christian way of living within their faith community. Congratulations to scouts -- George Blaney, Matt Jadin, and Sasha Trabert.

Congratulations to Jeffrery and Cynthia Zuege on the occasion of the Baptism of their daughter Halle Joan Zuege. Baptisms are important events in the life of our faith community because they assure us of our future and remind us of the importance of passing on our faith.

On Sunday, April 15, 2007 after 10 o'clock Mass there was an important meeting about the upcoming Advancing the Mission Campaign and the white paper which proposes what we need and want to do to assure the future of Holy Cross Parish. Copies of this paper are available at the entrance to the church. Please check back for more information regarding this important topic.

Oremus pro invicem,
Father Tom

Holy Cross School Now Enrolling Students in Preschool to Grade Eight

Holy Cross School, 3002 Bay Settlement Road in Green Bay, WI, is now enrolling children in preschool through grade eight. Accredited by the Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation (WRISA), Holy Cross School offers a diversified curriculum as well as a variety of programs that cater to the lives of busy families.

Curriculum includes:
~ Art
~ Computer Education
~ Health
~ Music
~ Physical Education
~ Religion/Sacramental Preparation
~ Spanish Language Instruction
~ Character Education
~ Artist/Expert in Residence Programs
~ Field Trips

Family Friendly Programs:
~ Morning Nutrition Program
~ Hot Lunch Program
~ Before and After School Care Program
~ Summer Care
~ Family Fun Nights

Extra-curricular activities:
~ Keyboard Academy
~ Athletic Program for grades 5-8
~ Bellin Run Training/Kids For Running Program
~ Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts
~ Community Service Program

Located on the growing northeast side of Green Bay at the historic crossroads of Church and Bay Settlement Road, Holy Cross School is the point at which faith, community and education converge. The school educates children within the Catholic faith and provides them with opportunities to develop the values, attitudes and skills that will enable them to become vital members of the community. Holy Cross School has been in existence for 138 years and has an enrollment of 166 students in grades EC3 to 8th grade. To set up a tour and/or visiting day for your child at Holy Cross School, please call 920.468.0625.

From the Pastor's Desk...He is Risen!

My Dear Parishioners,

Alleluia, Alleluia! He is Risen! This is the Day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it ! Alleluia!

On behalf of Deacon Dick, his wife Joan, Karen our parish Secretary, myself as your Pastor and the entire Parish Staff I want to wish all of you a Happy Easter and may the Blessings of this Springtime Season fill your hearts and homes as we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ!

To Karen Dahlke and her family our entire parish community offers its sympathy on the sudden death of her daughter Charlene. Charlene was employed by St Norbert Abbey and was well known and loved for her cheerfulness and kindness. She will be greatly missed. Let us continue to hold Karen and her family in prayer as they mourn Charlene’s passing. May the Easter message bring them comfort and hope.

A special word of thanks to Jan and Jeff Walton and their “Church environment” committee for their work in preparing our church for the Season of Lent, our celebration of Holy Week and for decorating it so beautifully so that we can truly celebrate the Season of Easter. Thank you also to the Over the Hill Gang and the others who clean our church on a regular basis. We thank our music ministers for the long hours of practice that went into preparing for Lent and Easter.
Your music ministry is vital to our worship. Thank you to Gary Davister for scheduling our altar servers, lectors and Eucharistic ministers. To all who work and give of their time and talent to our parish – Thank You and God Bless you.

Oremus pro invicem,
Father Tom

"Runway to Reality" Makes Stop at Holy Cross School to Talk to Girls About Fashion

Every young woman has an inner beauty that she wants to show through. Her outer appearance can help or hinder her in doing that. Runway to Reality, a non-profit group from Appleton, came to Holy Cross on Sunday, April 1st to talk with middle school girls and their Moms about inner beauty, self-esteem and fashion. Speakers were Terri Muskevitch, who has been in the cosmetic industry for over 10 years, and Pam Hamman, a dentist with experience in cosmetic dentistry.

Girls were invited to find out their own fashion personality with a quiz that sorted them into sporty, classic, romantic, dramatic or natural styles. Most of the girls in attendance found themselves in the 'sporty' category, which favors comfortable athletic wear. Participants made collages of the kinds of clothing that they might wear. They had to include a dress or outfit that would be appropriate for a wedding. The collages were shared with the rest of the group.

The presentation talked about the fact that most people make up their minds about you based on your appearance in the first six seconds. Girls were asked what kind of image they wanted to project. They were also encouraged to dress in ways that focus attention on their faces, especially their eyes. Girls also heard about the dangers of some piercings, and the chemicals contained in certain sodas that will destroy gum tissue.

The evening was a great reminder to Catholic girls and their Moms of the dignity that women have as children of God.

Runway to Reality is a non-profit organization, located in the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin, designed to combat the current trend of suggestive clothing and help women find their dignity and improve their self-esteem. For more information visit their website: http://www.runwaytoreality.org/.

Families Make Bread, Break Bread at the Holy Cross Parish First Communion Retreat

Breadmaking was the order of the day for the First Communion Retreat for Holy Cross Parish second graders and their parents. The retreat, which took place on the morning of March 31st, began with prayer. The children then began forming bread dough into any shape that they wanted. The group reflected on how many grains of wheat come together to make one bread loaf - and how we as individuals come together to make a faith community.

The bread that the children formed was baking in the kitchen and the aroma was filling the gym as families watched the video, "Grandma's Bread". They talked about traditions that had been handed down in their own families that were similar to the bread in the story. Some had necklaces or jewelry from family members who were deceased. One Mom even had her own mother's rolling pin that she herself uses when she bakes.

The retreat concluded by remembering another tradition, one that was handed down by Jesus and the Apostles: "The Last Supper". Using the bread that the children had baked, families took roles in a "Bread Party" prayer service, where they recalled what happened on that night. Then, the children shared their bread with their families.

The First Communion Retreat is part of the family centered preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist at Holy Cross Parish. For more information about Sacramental preparation, contact Mrs.Meyer at tmeyer@holycrossfamily.org or 468-6554.

From the Pastor's Desk...Holy Week at Holy Cross Parish

My Dear Parishioners,

This week will bring to a conclusion our annual Lenten journey, and hopefully this Lent saw you enter more deeply into prayer, self sacrifice and almsgiving. This weekend we celebrated Christ's triumphal entry into His city of Jerusalem. His entrance into this city was the beginning of a journey that would lead to his betrayal, arrest, suffering, His passion and Death, and on Sunday, His Resurrection to new and eternal life. I invite you to journey with me this week by attending Holy Week services. They have been arranged so that as many of you as possible would be able to attend.

Holy Thursday Holy Thursday we will celebrate the "Lord's Supper" at 7 PM in the evening. We will receive into the church the Holy Oils that were blessed at Tuesday's Chrism Mass. These oils will be used throughout the year in our celebration of the Sacraments. Also at this Mass we will remember the Lord's washing the feet of His apostles, reminding us that we have been called to serve not be served. We will also celebrate the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

On Good Friday and Holy Saturday no Sacraments are celebrated anywhere in the world in memory of the Lord's death and burial. At 1 PM on Good Friday we will gather for a Liturgy of the Word and hear the Passion read; we will venerate the Cross and then will have a Communion Service. This service is especially beautiful and deeply moving--plan to attend. The collection taken up during the Liturgy is to support the Holy Places and Shrines in the Holy Land. As you know, with all the violence that has taken place there these past few years, they are much in need of our help; kindly be generous. Envelopes are available in the church pews.

Holy Saturday is a quiet day as we prepare for the great Feast of Easter . Our celebration of Easter, "The Resurrection of Jesus" from the dead begins with the Easter Vigil, which will begin at 8 PM. We will bless a Fire, from which we will light our Easter Candle, which is the symbol of the Risen Christ. The Vigil is the first Mass of Easter. Our other Easter Masses are on Sunday at 8 and 10 AM.

A special Thank You to the "Over the Hill Gang" for all their work in cleaning and waxing the church floor. It is a lot of work, and I want them to know how very much it is appreciated. Thank you also for all those who work on keeping the church clean--each and every week--know that your gift of time, work and talent is appreciated by all members of our parish family.

Thank you for your prayers for my grand nephew, who was very seriously injured in a sledding accident a few weeks ago. He has injured his liver, will probably lose one of his kidneys, and has a number of other internal injuries, so he needs a lot of prayers. He will have a long recovery. I will keep you posted.

Oremus pro invicem,
Fr. Tom

Holy Cross Parish Holy Week Schedule

Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord's Supper April 5, 2007 at 7:00 PM Good Friday April 6, 2007 at 1:00 PM Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil April 7, 2007 at 8:00 PM Easter Sunday April 8, 2007 at 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM