News writers weigh in on top religion stories of 2008

Below are links to a variety of news sources--Catholic, generally religious, and secular--that provide views of the top religion stories of 2008:

National Catholic Reporter
Top 10 neglected Catholic stories of 2008, by John Allen
For most media outlets in the United States, there were really only two big Catholic stories in 2008: Pope Benedict XVI’s April 15-20 visit to Washington and New York, and the fate of the “Catholic vote” in the November elections.

Both, of course, were important tales to tell, and for the most part church officials have no right to complain. Saturation coverage of the pope’s trip alone probably meant the Catholic church drew more positive notice in ’08 than in most years, especially recently.

Yet inevitably, plenty of other important Catholic stories flew below the radar. To remedy that, here’s a rundown of the “Top Ten Neglected Catholic Stories of the Year”...

Catholic News Service:
Year in review: Financial woes leave millions wondering how far down economy can go
Pope Benedict XVI will look back on 2008 as an important year for interreligious dialogue, with the inauguration of a major Catholic-Muslim forum, notable meetings with Jews in the United States, and the opening of ecology as a new terrain for interfaith cooperation...

Year in review: For pope and Vatican, 2008 was important interfaith year
History likely will frame 2008 as the year America overcame lingering questions about racism as the country elected its first African-American president in Barack Obama.

But even such a historic election could be overshadowed by the deepening concern about just how far the U.S. economy would sink into recession in the worst economic slump since the Great Depression...

Year in review: U.S. Catholics receive strong dose of encouragement from pope's visit
U.S. Catholics were repeatedly encouraged to find renewed hope in Christ during Pope Benedict XVI's April 15-20 visit to the United States...

American Catholic
Elections, economic crisis top ’08 stories, pope top newsmaker
The election of the first African-American president and controversy surrounding the role of Catholic voters in the U.S. campaign topped the religious news stories of 2008, and Pope Benedict XVI and President-elect Barack Obama were the top newsmakers, according to the annual poll conducted by Catholic News Service.

Religion Newswriters Association
Presidential Election yields 2008's Top 10 Religion Stories
The U.S. presidential election was the impetus for the nation's top religion stories of 2008, according to a survey of more than 100 religion journalists.

Time Magazine
Top 10 Religion Stories

USA Today
Year in religion

Do you have a link to add? Contact us at holycrossfamily@yahoo.com.

The Holy Cross Blogspot Year in Review

Thank you to everyone who has supported Holy Cross Catholic Parish in cyberspace! This past year we've had over 16,500 visitors. While the majority of our traffic comes from right here in Northeast Wisconsin, we've had visitors from over 80 countries. Below is the blogspot "year in review." These are the ten most popular entries from the past year:

1. Meet the Holy Cross Catholic School faculty and staff
This is hands-down the most popular feature on the blogspot. Each entry profiles a member of the Holy Cross Catholic School faculty and staff. Click on the link to read all profiles to date.

2. St. John the Evangelist Homeless Shelter blog entries
St. John the Evangelist has continued to offer a vital ministry in the Green Bay area in spite of many obstacles. The HC blogspot receives daily visitors to the blogspot in search of news and information about the shelter.

3. Holy Cross Community builds school addition
Our big news! Click on the link and scroll through the blog entries to relive the progress of the school addition project.

4. Weekly Catholic Virtue Reflection: The Beatitudes
This explanation of the Beatitudes by HCCS Principal Robin Jo Jensen continues to receive many visitors. Most visitors come across the entry looking for clarification about the Beatitudes.

5. Holy Cross Parish Picnic Features Local Booyah Guru
This article features Don "Soup" Jacobs and his family, who have served the Holy Cross community with their booyah ministry for 28 over years.

6. Mobile computer lab delivers for Holy Cross students
They call it the COW, but it's not the kind that gives milk! This is Computers On Wheels--a state-of-the-art mobile computer lab used by the students of HCCS. The story was covered by (and reprinted thanks to) The Compass.

7. Congratulations Fr. Tom on the 45th Anniversary of your Ordination!
Forty-five years of service! Click on the link to read a short biography of Fr. Tom, and to read all the well-wishes from parishioners.

8. Have a Blessed Easter Triduum from Holy Cross Catholic School
The HCCS fifth graders put on an incredible interpretation of the Stations of the Cross. The resulting video was viewed over 1000 times during Holy Week last year. Click on the link to view the video.

9. HCCS sixth graders reflect on the first beatitude, 'Blessed be the Poor in Spirit'
The HCCS sixth graders' interpretation of this Beatitude has resulted in quite a bit of traffic for the blogspot.

10. At UW-Green Bay, Chapel in the Woods
A piece of local history with ties to Holy Cross through the Jadin family.

This year resolve to never miss a blog entry! Sign up for daily blogspot updates straight to your in-box by entering your e-mail address into the Feedblitz field on the right hand side of the blog. Questions? Contact holycrossfamily@yahoo.com.

Have a safe and enjoyable celebration of the New Year!

This week at Holy Cross Parish, December 29 - January 4

Monday, December 29
NO MASS
7:00 pm Choir Practice, Church

Tuesday, December 30
NO MASS

Wednesday, December 31
6:00 pm Mass for the Holy Cross Parish Family

Thursday, January 1
10:00 am Mass for the VanLieshout Family

Friday, January 2
NO MASS

Saturday, January 3
4:00 pm Mass for the Holy Cross Parish Family

Sunday, January 4
8:00 am Mass for Mike Corsten, deceased & family
10:00 am Mass for Shirley Corsten

What's happening in Faith Formation?

Wednesday classes resume January 14.

Sunday classes resume January 11.

About Holy Cross Faith Formation
All children in the Holy Cross Parish Family have the right and opportunity to be educated in their faith. Children and young adults often have questions about God. The Holy Cross Parish Faith Formation program works with parents to answer these questions and to bring our young people into a closer relationship with God; a relationship which motivates them to make good moral decisions in order to live Christ-like lives.To see Faith Formation photos, click on the photo albums underneath Faith Formation Contact Information on the right hand side of the blog. To read all Faith Formation blog posts, click here.

December 27/28 From the Pastor's Desk...

My Dear Parishioners,

I do hope that your family's celebration of Christmas was a happy and blessed one. I had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and I had guests for a very joyous and beautiful Christmas dinner. Christmas always brings to my mind memories of past and happy Christmases with my parents, family and friends. I hope that your memories are as beautiful and pleasant as mine.

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, and it is a good opportunity for us to reflect and give thanks to Almighty God for the gift of our family—both our natural one and our “Faith Family” here at Holy Cross.

Please take note that January 1, the first day of our New Year, is a Holy Day of Obligation. It is the Feast of the Motherhood of Mary, the Mother of God. Our Holy Day Masses for this feast will be at 6 pm on Wednesday, December 31 (New Year's Eve), and at 10 am on New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1.

I do wish all of you a Blessed and Happy New Year and pray that God will bless you and your family with his peace, joy, and love throughout this New Year.

“Oremus pro invicem”
Fr. Tom H.

Prayer for Family Life

Dear Lord,

With Mary and Joseph, you have lived within a family. Teach me always to appreciate the precious gift of being part of a family.

Show me ever new ways to protect and comfort those closest to me, and let me, each day, do something that will say "I love you" without speaking the words. But remind me also to frequently say those words. Let me never part from any member of my family in anger. Prompt me always to turn back without delay—to forgive and be forgiven.

And let me see your image within each person in my own family, and in my greater family, knowing that in your Kingdom, we will truly be one family, united by your sacrifice on the cross.

Amen

Congratulations to our Holy Cross 'Everyday Heroes'

Three members of our Holy Cross Community were nominated for the Everyday Hero Award sponsored by the Green Bay Press Gazette. The newspaper invited people throughout Northeast Wisconsin to nominate individuals who are working to make the community a better place to live. Winners and nominees are being featured daily in the paper throughout this week following Christmas.

Holy Cross parishioners Tim Reineck and Rosie Vanderkelen were nominated for their work to make the school addition project a reality. Principal Robin Jo Jensen was nominated for her leadership of Holy Cross Catholic School.

Below are the descriptions submitted on their behalf:

Rosie Vanderkelen, Holy Cross parishioner

Holy Cross Catholic School on the northeast side of Green Bay was fortunate over the past several years to have grown to a student population of 189. That is up from 166 students in the 2007/08 school year and 152 students in the 2005/06 school year.

With the growth came a need for additional space to accommodate the school as well as the Faith Formation programs.

Robin Jensen, the principal at Holy Cross, summarized it best during the dedication Mass, "In 1958, a young girl named Rosemary, was given an assignment in her 8th grade Religion class at Holy Cross School by her teacher and principal, Sr. Jane Francis. Rosemary's response was that it was her dream and desire for God to gift her with what was needed to help others.

In 2008, this same Rosie, fulfilled that dream and desire, by donating the funds, in memory of her Mother and Father, Orville and Bernadette VanLieshout, to allow us to build the new addition to our school. In Rosie's own words, in a letter she wrote to Father Tom and I in May: "The Holy Spirit is guiding and directing each and every one of us, if we are aware of His presence or not. The Holy Spirit has prompted me often…and the light finally came on!!" Rosie told me, "This is what I was meant to do, to honor my Father and Mother, for all of the sacrifices they made, to provide a Catholic education for me and for my siblings." Because of them, and this addition to the Parish Education Center, their great-grandchildren and all the children of Holy Cross will have the opportunity to receive the Catholic Education that was begun here in 1868 and continues 140 years later!"

Rosie was involved in planning through project completion. She was a regular at the job site helping whenever and wherever she could.

The addition of the two new Holy Cross classrooms was completed in eight short weeks by a team of volunteers, and donations from parishioners and school families.

Tim Reineck, Holy Cross parishioner

Holy Cross Catholic School on the northeast side of Green Bay was fortunate over the past several years to have grown to a student population of 189. That is up from 166 students in the 2007/08 school year and 152 students in the 2005/06 school year.

With the growth came a need for additional space to accommodate the school as well as the Faith Formation programs. One of the many everyday heroes that surfaced from this project was the Project Manager, Tim Reineck. Robin Jensen, the principal at Holy Cross, summarized it best, "Tim had the dream and desire to build two classrooms on to our existing building, in eight short weeks. He said it COULD be done! We said no, it's not possible! He said it WOULD be done, and it was! Because of his dream, desire and fortitude, the dream is a reality!"

Robin Jo Jensen, Holy Cross parishioner and principal of Holy Cross Catholic School

"She's just such a great leader, the kids swarm to her, they just love her. Through her hard work we built a new addition to the school … and enrollment has increased substantially."

To read about the education category's award-winner and all the other nominees for the P-G's Everyday Hero award, please click here.

HCCS students text about Jesus' birth

Holy Cross Catholic School students in Sr. Carolyn Zahringer's second grade class took part in the 21st annual "Just for Kids" contest sponsored by The Compass. Each year the diocesan newspaper invites kids, grades five and under, to participate. The results are published just prior to Christmas.

Compass Associate Editor Patricia Kasten reported on the contest in the December 19 issue:

We posed this scenario: Look up the gospel readings about Jesus' birth (Matthew 1:18-2:12 or Luke 2:1-20). Choose a favorite passage from one of them and write it as a text message.

We heard from 85 children - both families and students in 10 different school classes or religious education programs across the diocese.

The responses this year was quite low, compared to previous years. It proved to be a challenging exercise for students and teachers. Of interest were the variety of Gospel verses chosen by the students who did participate, and their insights into the readings.

Below are the entries submitted by Holy Cross students:
On xmas yzmn followed the [star] 2 the nbk 2 cum + adore hm (On Christmas Wisemen followed the star to the new born king to come and adore him.) -- Rachael Basten

d angl z 2 em, dnt B fraid, I brng nws uf gr8 joy 4 d ppl. 4 2day a savir hs bn brn 4 u who z messiah n Lord. (Lk 2:10-11. "The angel said to them do not be afraid for I bring news of great joy for the people. For today a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.") -- Katie Ziefle

xmas is a gr8 time of yr BC Jesus' BDay wz rly spshl. (Christmas is a great time of year because Jesus birthday was really special.) -- Brelyn McCarron

D 0:) z 2 em, B nt fraid, 4 bhold, I brng u gud nws of a gr8 joy wich wl cum 2 ll d ppl, 4 2 u iz born dis dy n d ct of David a savior who's Christ d Lord (Lk 2:10-11. "The angel said to them, be not afraid, for behold I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people, for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.") -- Mia Turek

I [heart] Jesus -- Jenna Cuene

To read the full article and view responses from children throughout the Green Bay Diocese, please click here.

About Holy Cross Catholic School
Located on the growing northeast side of Green Bay at the historic crossroads of Church and Bay Settlement Roads, Holy Cross Catholic 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 Catholic School has been in existence for 140 years and has an enrollment of 191 students in grades EC3 to 8th grade. For more information, please visit the school's website: www.holycrossfamily.org/.

Merry Christmas from the Holy Cross Parish Family!

A Christmas Prayer

Lord, in this holy season of prayer and song and laughter, we praise you for the great wonders you have sent us: for shining star and angel's song, for infant's cry in lowly manger. We praise you for the Word made flesh in a little Child. We behold his glory, and are bathed in its radiance.

Be with us as we sing the ironies of Christmas, the incomprehensible comprehended, the poetry made hard fact, the helpless Babe who cracks the world asunder. We kneel before you shepherds, innkeepers, wisemen. Help us to rise bigger than we are. Amen.

Prayer from Catholic Online Prayers.

Homily reflection: Mary Did You Know?

Excerpted from Fr. Tom's homily on December 21, 2008

(Feedblitz readers will need to go directly to the Holy Cross Family Blogspot to view the video.)

How could Mary know what was happening to her when the Angel Gabriel came to her?

Luke tells some of the details of the story of Jesus’ birth from Mary’s point of view, including her visit to Elizabeth, her cousin. You won’t find these details in any other Gospel.

The angel tells Mary that she is full of Grace and that she should not be afraid for she will bear a Son. His name will be Jesus. Mary simply asks: How this can be? The Angel replies: “FOR NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.”

What a powerful statement. Jesus’ birth is a miracle. Nothing is impossible with God.

When I was in theology, a teacher taught me that everything in the Bible can be explained two different ways and his reason was this: “If something happens and you can’t explain it another way, then God didn’t do it.” Think about that for a moment...if you can’t explain it a second way, God didn’t do it. God always gives us a second way to look at anything that happens.

GOD NEVER OVERPOWERS US WITH CERTAINTY.

Everything we know about God is seen “through a glass darkly.” That is what faith is. It is never certainty. It’s faith. There can always be another explanation. This is so we can still be free to say YES to God or to say NO. If you have difficulty with the idea of miracles, God doesn’t hold it against you. Just be careful, when it comes to God, about what you say is impossible.

Mary was free to say NO to God, just as we are because God never forces Himself on anyone. Mary’s response in Faith was “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” Her openness and obedience to God is the message of today’s Gospel.

“MARY DID YOU KNOW?"

Mary couldn’t have known where this meeting with an angel would take her. But today, 2,000 years later, we know and understand that she was FULL OF GRACE, BLESSED and knew that in her life NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.

DOES THAT ALSO WORK IN YOUR LIFE?

This week at Holy Cross Parish, Dec. 22-28

Monday, December 22
NO MASS
7:00 pm Choir Practice, Church

Tuesday, December 23
8:00 am Mass for Jeanne Kaster

Wednesday, December 24
4:00 pm Mass for Jim DeGroot
6:30 pm Mass for the VanLieshout Family
10:00 pm Choir Concert
10:30 pm Mass for the Holy Cross Parish Family

Thursday, December 25
9:00 am Mass for the Holy Cross Parish Family

Friday, December 26
NO MASS

Saturday, December 27
4:00 pm Mass for Donald VanLieshout

Sunday, December 28
8:00 am Mass for the Holy Cross Parish Family
10:00 am Mass for Leo & Marion Salmon

What's happening in Faith Formation?

Wednesday, Dec. 24: NO CLASSES TODAY OR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS! Classes resume January 14

Sunday, Dec. 28: NO CLASSES TODAY OR NEXT WEEK! Classes resume January 11

The Christmas play was a success!
The Faith Formation Program would like to thank the many people who stepped forth to share their time and talent to make our 2nd Annual Christmas Play the wonderful success that it was: Catechists who generously excused their students from class for play practice; Families who brought the delicious treats to our social afterward; The children in the cast for their dedication and exuberance; Erin LeMoine, our Director and Fearless Leader; Marcia Knoebel, our accompanist; Coordinators: Costumes: Michelle Hinz; Angels: Tonja Gerondale, Melissa Coulombe; Social: Lori Delwiche; Kitchen Helpers: Angie Sutter & family, Lisa Blaney & family; Student Helper: Mckayla Stitz; Inn-keepers and Shepherds: Jennifer Strohmeyer; Narrator: Nancy Beckers; Ushers: John & Sasha Trabert, Len & David Yanda; Inn Construction: Christine O'Toole, Ali Michaud. YOU ARE A BLESSING TO ALL OF US, THANK YOU!

NEED A THOUGHTFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA?? Our Holy Cross Parish Family Cookbook "Serving Body & Soul…since 1852" is for sale now and are available prewrapped in All Occasion, Birthday, and Christmas paper. The cookbooks can be purchased after all weekend Masses or in the Rectory, School, and Faith Formation offices. Prices are: $15 for 1, $14 ea. for 2, $13 ea. for 3 or more. Our cookbooks contain 355 recipes from the best cooks around, OUR PARISH FAMILY, and boast a 3-ring binder for ease in adding your favorite recipes. GET EM' WHILE THEY LAST!

Holy Cross Young People Learn Stewardship through Parish Program

Dear Holy Cross Parish Families,

Today our young people are faced with a multitude of influences; television, radio, CD's the worldwide web, peer pressure, magazines, etc. - each forwarding their own agenda; sometimes positive, sometimes dubious. But where is God in all of this?

Our Holy Cross Youth Stewardship Program is a tool that we continue to use to help teach the basics of stewardship to our youth. Stewardship is a decision we make to live as Christians and to thank God for all of His blessings by helping to take care of the church and the world on behalf of God. Stewardship is often touched upon throughout the Bible and in our faith formation process; our Youth Stewardship Program helps to bring all of these teachings together.

We invite all of our Holy Cross youth to use the stewardship envelopes that are sent home weekly in both our Faith Formation Program and in our Day School. They are designed to be used by your children as a way to encourage them to share their time, talent, and treasure with others. This program makes our children mindful that our obligation to God does not end after religion class, or as they walk out of church. Our program stimulates an awareness of the many ways each of us can give back to our parish family and the larger community as well. Below are some examples of ways we can be good stewards of God's gifts on a regular basis.

STEWARDSHIP OF TIME
Involves: volunteering time helping with community and church activities, promoting justice, sharing love, participating at Mass praying, and enriching the lives of other's around you by giving of your time.

STEWARDSHIP OF TALENT
Involves: using skills to help others understand God's Word, drawing, singing, writing, playing an instrument for others, baking for others, gardening, fixing things, helping siblings and friends with school work, and using your mind and strengths to help others.

STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE
Involves: using resources wisely, taking care of things, sharing a bit of my earnings, learning the difference between what I need and what I want, donating outgrown clothes and toys to others in need, sharing possessions.

Our youth can participate in the offering at Mass by reflecting on their week, completing the envelope, and placing it in the collection basket each week. Consistency is the key with this program. Some of our youth's contributions are printed weekly in the bulletin each week in the "Youth Stewardship Corner". PLEASE READ THEM, and have your children read them, it will make us all proud!

Your involvement is crucial in our Youth Stewardship Program. We continue to support all of our parishioners and parents who take time to become involved in the spiritual growth of the children of our Holy Cross Parish Family. Thank you for your ongoing example to your children and for giving good direction to the future leaders of Holy Cross Parish and the Church!

God Bless You,
Marti

December 20/21 From the Pastor's Desk...

My Dear Parishioners,

This is the 4th Sunday of Advent and a word of Thank You to Jeff and Jan Walton and all who came to help them decorate our church for the Glorious Feast of Christmas. Thank you to all who contributed to purchase the flowers and other decorations for our church. Many have given in memory of loved ones and our Christmas Book of Remembrance with their names is on the stand near our Nativity scene. There is also space for you to write in the names of additional loved ones whom you wish remembered in Masses offered in our Church during the Christmas Season.

Please take note of the changes in Mass times and of those days where there will be no Mass during the holiday season. Also note those days when the Parish office will be closed. I am planning on taking some vacation time during the Christmas season and thus will not be available on certain days.

On behalf of the entire Parish Staff and myself I want to wish all of you a very Blessed Christmas and may this coming New Year of 2009 bring you and your family the special Graces of this Season and Peace, Happiness, Prosperity and God’s Blessings in the New Year.

Oremus pro invicem,
Fr. Tom H.

Related link:
12.21.08 Church Bulletin

HCCS third graders learn Advent customs, hands-on

Submitted by Mrs. Mary Wennesheimer

Advent is a season full of traditions and customs that help us prepare as we wait for the joyful feast of Christmas. The Third Graders made Advent Wreaths, sang songs about waiting for Jesus' birthday, read wonderful stories about the true meaning of Christmas, and prepared themselves for the Great Event---Christmas!

About Holy Cross Catholic School
Located on the growing northeast side of Green Bay at the historic crossroads of Church and Bay Settlement Roads, Holy Cross Catholic 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 Catholic School has been in existence for 141 years and has an enrollment of 189 students in grades EC3 to 8th grade. For more information, please visit the school's website: www.holycrossfamily.org/.

A Christmas Message from Principal Robin Jo Jensen

The following prayer was shared with me some time ago. I thought it only fitting to share it with all of you. You hear this from me frequently; however it is worth telling each and every one of you again…you are truly a gift to me. Your children are truly a gift to me. God has blessed me with the gift of being Principal here…I am so fortunate to have answered His call to this ministry. Some days are easier and better than others, but even the difficult days can be considered gifts. I see Jesus in so many children, parents and families. I consider us to be a family, the family of Holy Cross Catholic School and Parish. I am truly blessed to be a part of that family. I hope that in some small way, I have been a gift to you, your child, or your family, this past year.

A GIFT
Persons are the gift of God to me. They are already wrapped, some beautifully and others less attractively. Some have been “Mishandled” in the mail; others come “Special Delivery.” Some are loosely wrapped; others very tightly enclosed.

But the wrapping is not the gift, and this is an important realization. It is so easy to make a mistake in this regard, to judge the contents by the cover.

Sometimes the gift is opened very easily; sometimes the help of others is needed. Maybe it is because they are afraid. Maybe they have been hurt before and don’t want to be hurt again. It could be that they were once opened and then discarded. They may now feel more like “things” than “human persons.”

I am a person: like everyone else I too am a gift. God filled me with a goodness that is only mine. And yet sometimes I am afraid to look inside my wrapping. Maybe I am afraid I would be disappointed. Maybe I don’t trust my own contents. Or it may be that I have never really accepted the gift that I am.

Every meeting and sharing of persons is an exchange of gifts. My gift is me; your gift is you. We are gifts to each other.
Anonymous

I sincerely wish each of you a Merry and Blessed Advent, Christmas and New Year! Enjoy every moment with family and friends, find time to rest, relax and play,

Mrs. Robin Jo Jensen
Principal

Holy Cross Faith Formation students put on 2nd Annual Christmas Play

Our Christmas Play is based on a tradition that dates back to St. Ignatius Loyola of the 16th century.

The Las Posadas was later introduced to Southwestern U.S. and Mexico by Spanish Missionaries. A novena of nine days sought to teach people the story of the birth of Jesus.

Today, Las Posadas is celebrated with nine nightly processions beginning December 16, and ending on Christmas Eve.

The processions re-enact the journey Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem and their search for lodging (posada).



At the last inn, a stable is offered and Jesus is born.


About Holy Cross Faith Formation

All children in the Holy Cross Parish Family have the right and opportunity to be educated in their faith. Children and young adults often have questions about God. The Holy Cross Parish Faith Formation program works with parents to answer these questions and to bring our young people into a closer relationship with God; a relationship which motivates them to make good moral decisions in order to live Christ-like lives.To see Faith Formation photos, click on the photo albums underneath Faith Formation Contact Information on the right hand side of the blog. To read all Faith Formation blog posts, click here.

HCCS Spanish classes learn about Our Lady of Guadalupe

Submitted by Mrs. Mary Lardinois

The Spanish classes at Holy Cross Catholic School learned about the famous feast of OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, celebrated in Mexico on December 12th.

In anticipation of Christmas we are also learning to sing "Noche de Paz" (Silent Night). Soon we will all be using Christmas phrases as we anticipate the arrival of Baby Jesus.

May you and your family have a holy and joyous Christmas!

About Holy Cross Catholic School
Located on the growing northeast side of Green Bay at the historic crossroads of Church and Bay Settlement Road, Holy Cross Catholic 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 Catholic School has been in existence for 140 years and has an enrollment of 189 students in grades EC3 to 8th grade. For more information, please visit the school's website: www.holycrossfamily.org/.

Area Catholic Schools Seek New Name and Logo

Green Bay Area Catholic Schools’ President Dr. Carol Conway-Gerhardt announced that the system will hold a contest to name and provide a logo for the new system.

The contest is open to anyone affiliated with the 23 member Catholic parishes and related schools. Entries will be accepted until 5 PM Monday, December 22, 2008. Voting will occur in churches and schools during Catholic Schools’ Week from January 24 – February 1, 2009. The new name and logo will become part of a broader marketing campaign to promote Catholic school enrollment and greater community involvement in Catholic school education.

“The contest is one part of involving the faith community in creating an identity that reflects our history, our hopes and our future. I am confident that with all the talented people in the area we will have outstanding names and logos from which to choose,” said Conway-Gerhardt.

Uniting Catholic schools in the Green Bay area is one of the initiatives to strengthen the Catholic Church under the Faith Alive project announced by then Green Bay Bishop David Zubik in January 2006. The school system incorporated in May 2008 and is phasing in full operation of the area’s Catholic schools to be final no later than the 2012-13 school year.

“We will select final entries to take to all of the parishes and schools for input before a final decision is made,” said Conway-Gerhardt.

For submission information please contact:
Dr. Carol Conway-Gerhardt
920.499.7330

This week at Holy Cross Parish, Dec. 15-21

Monday, December 15
NO MASS
7:00 pm Choir Practice, Church
7:00 pm Finance Council, Library

Tuesday, December 16
NO MASS
6:00 pm Christmas concert, Gym

Wednesday, December 17
8:00 am Mass for Bob Madigan Family
6:30 pm Faith Formation Christmas Play, Church

Thursday, December 18
8:00 am Mass for Poor Souls in Purgatory
8:30 am Church cleaning

Friday, December 19
8:00 am Mass for the deceased Members of the Truman Corsten Family

Saturday, December 20
4:00 pm Mass for the Holy Cross Parish Family and
Bernard Herman

Sunday, December 21
8:00 am Mass for Anton VanDenMeerendonk
10:00 am Mass for the deceased members of the Henry & Clara Jacobs Family

What's happening in Faith Formation?

Wednesday, December 17:
NO CLASSES TODAY! See announcement below…

Sunday, December 21:
NO CLASSES TODAY OR NEXT WEEK! Merry Christmas everyone!

THIS WEEK! THE FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM PRESENTS OUR SECOND ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PLAY - Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008, 6:30 - 7:00 pm - Social to follow in the school gym. There will be no regular classes scheduled for Grades 1 - 10 this evening! All students and catechists are expected to attend our play with their families. This is part of the regular Faith Formation curriculum and attendance will be taken.

ALL PARISHIONERS ARE INVITED!

About Holy Cross Faith Formation
All children in the Holy Cross Parish Family have the right and opportunity to be educated in their faith. Children and young adults often have questions about God. The Holy Cross Parish Faith Formation program works with parents to answer these questions and to bring our young people into a closer relationship with God; a relationship which motivates them to make good moral decisions in order to live Christ-like lives.To see Faith Formation photos, click on the photo albums underneath Faith Formation Contact Information on the right hand side of the blog. To read all Faith Formation blog posts, click here.

December 13/14 From the Pastor's Desk...

My Dear Parishioners,

This weekend is the Third Sunday in Advent and was known as "Gaudete Sunday," the Latin word Gaudete meaning to rejoice. The rose-colored candle in traditional Advent wreaths was used for this Sunday, and if the parish had a set of rose-colored vestments, the priest would wear them. The fourth Sunday of Lent is likewise known as "Laetare Sunday." Again the Latin word "Laetare" also means to rejoice and the color rose is permitted in place of the Lenten purple. At any rate, we are called, in the midst of our Advent preparations, to rejoice because our feast of Christmas is at hand. I do hope that you have taken time to prepare your heart for this coming feast. So often, this season of the year brings out the "Best" in people, but it is sometimes also accompanied by the "Worst" in people. Do not let this happen to you. If you find that you are angry, annoyed, etc. more often than at other times, stop, get hold of yourself, and let the "Best" in you take over.

I am sure that you have heard about or read of the family in Waushara Co. who died tragically in their house fire. Kindly keep them and their family members in prayer. We live in a very small world and Marilyn Van Dyke, a parishioner, is related to those who have died. Let us hold them in prayer.

Keep in mind that on Tuesday evening our school children will have their annual Christmas Concert at 6 pm in the school gym. The next evening , our Faith Formation children will have their annual Christmas program in the Church. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, I will be hearing confessions in neighboring parishes.

Last but not least remember that we will be having our 5th Annual Christ-mas Open House in the rectory this Sunday afternoon from 3 until 7 pm. Come and enjoy and begin the Christmas Celebration.

"Oremus pro invicem"
Fr. Tom H.

Catholic Virtue Reflection: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice

Submitted by Mrs. Robin Jo Jensen

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice."

Jesus Christ is the one who leads the just person through life. It is Jesus who helps us make the decisions that are just and righteous. For the righteous believer, all of his or her daily actions, everything that he or she thinks about, every decision that he or she makes, everything that he or she reads and looks at, will be done in the same way that Our Lord Jesus Christ would have done them.

Remember “What Would Jesus Do”? The true believer will know immediately whether something is right or wrong, just or unjust, godly or ungodly. How could one that is truly just not know that something is wrong, when the Son of God is guiding all decisions and actions?

God also gives us the beautiful sacrament of reconciliation as a gift for us to use, when we do make unjust, wrong or ungodly decisions. Celebrate this sacrament as you prepare your heart during advent.

May God bless you during this Advent season, and always.

What is Catholic Virtue Education?

Catholic Virtue Education focuses on teaching students and their families about Catholic virtue as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. While all of the virtues, works, gifts and fruits are intricately intertwined into our Catholic Faith, Catholic Virtue Education at Holy Cross Catholic School focuses on certain aspects each month in order to enhance learning for all students, of all abilities, in all grades.

Each month a new virtue is developed, and the students are involved in defining, discussing and exhibiting that trait in their daily lives. Principal Robin Jo Jensen includes reflections on the month's virtue in her weekly parent letter to spur discussions at home. At the end of the month parents are encouraged to attend a student-directed, all-school assembly focusing on the lessons taught throughout the month.

About Holy Cross Catholic School

Located on the growing northeast side of Green Bay at the historic crossroads of Church and Bay Settlement Road, Holy Cross Catholic 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 Catholic School has been in existence for 140 years and has an enrollment of 189 students in grades EC3 to 8th grade. For more information, please visit the school's website: www.holycrossfamily.org/.

Green Bay's Catholic book store to remain open

Group of supporters steps forward, creates new St. Catherine board of directors

Reprinted from the December 12, 2008 edition of The Compass.

Written by Compass Editor Sam Lucero

GREEN BAY -- A news report in the Nov. 28 issue of The Compass, detailing the planned closure of St. Catherine's Book and Gift Shop in January, did not sit well with Bill Calawerts, a member of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral.

Following discussions with several Catholic leaders, including Msgr. Roy Klister, cathedral rector, Calawerts formed a group of supporters to help keep the book store open.

"It's just been kind of an institution that's been here and accepted by the Catholics in the area," he told The Compass Dec. 9. "My personal feeling is that once something goes out of business, it's really hard to start a new business again."

According to Calawerts, he was contacted by several friends who were alarmed about the store's closing. The book store and gift shop opened as a Catholic lending library in 1946. For the past two years the store has occupied the first floor of a building next to the cathedral.

Calawerts then contacted Msgr. Klister. "He said it's an independent board and an independent corporation, not connected with the diocese," said Calawerts. "I met with the old board president, Jim Sickel, and explained what I wanted to do. He said he thought it was a good idea."

To allow the store to remain open, the present board of directors was asked to resign, "so that we could form a new board that would continue to operate St. Catherine's," said Calawerts. "They agreed. We are in the process of forming a new board."

So far, in addition to Calawerts, other new board members will include Msgr. Klister and Patrick Beno, Sr.

"We've been selecting board members and we're not at liberty to say" who the other members include, he said. "We will have an eight-member board."

Calawerts said that St. Catherine's is not operating in a deficit. In fact, he said, "they have enough money in reserve to operate for at least two years."

The new board's plan will be to continue the inventory sale and to upgrade the print and gift items available.

One of the challenges St. Catherine's faced was the emergence of online book sales. Calawerts said the new board plans to revamp the store's Web site and make items available online. "We are kind of excited about it," he said.

In addition, the book store will return to its roots by seeking to offer a place where parish book clubs can come together and hold discussion groups. "We want to try to bring back some of that, because many of our parishes have Catholic book clubs and it's kind of important."

Calawerts said he spoke with Bishop David Ricken following Mass on the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the bishop is behind the group's efforts. "When I explained to him what was happening, he was extremely happy. St. Catherine's is a tradition. It's something that is part of the diocesan history."

A subscription to The Compass makes a great Christmas gift! The Compass is the award-winning official newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin. For subscription information, please click here.

A Day at the New Community Shelter

A story from Executive Director Terri Rufsgard

For some, giving is receiving.

Moments ago I returned from a meeting at the Mayor’s office where the topic of discussion focused on homelessness in our community. At the meeting we discussed how lucky we are to have so very many resources to help those in need. That fact never ceases to amaze me!!! It’s my opinion that the generosity of our neighbors in this community can be matched by none.

During this time of year a typical day includes a number of individuals stopping in to drop off needed items for those who reside here at the shelter – today was no exception.

Today one of our visitors came to the front desk with a small Christmas gift bag filled with 2 or 3 little decorations, a few biblical passages typed on a piece of paper that spoke of “hope” AND two twenty dollar bills.

The woman shared with our staff that she had gone to one of the local pantries to get food. She received a food basket and when she got home she found the little gift bag with an envelope in it. When she looked on the backside of the piece of paper that had the biblical passages, she noted someone had written a note.

The note said, “One year ago this month I was homeless, not knowing what was going to happen for me or to me, I was scared. I put my faith in God, I asked for help and now I have a different life. So don’t give up on yourself or the ones you love. Have hope and faith and you will never live in fear again. God Bless.”

No name was signed – but wrapped in the note was two twenty dollar bills.

This woman who was probably in her forties looked as though she certainly could have used the money herself, but instead she told the staff member: ”I thought I would come here and pass it on to someone who probably needs it more than I do”.

She did not want to leave her name & was not interested in receiving a thank you.

Today another staff member had the pleasure of meeting a woman who asked if her co-workers might consider bringing in donations for the residents of the shelter. She was very proud to share that she was impressed with the number of items (perfume, gloves, make-up, etc.) her co-workers had collected. The woman herself is familiar with the shelter because her & her husband have volunteered to serve meals in our Community Meal program a number of times.

What motivated her generosity you might ask?

Her husband recently lost his job so she knew they would be unable to afford to give as much to their family and organizations who help those in need. She wanted to do something to make herself feel better and feel like she was maybe helping make the holidays brighter for someone who may have nothing. She said it’s not always about “buying” it’s about giving. Her collection of items sent that message loud and clear.

Last but not least, and yes all of these stories occurred in one day, every other Wednesday we hold our mandatory resident meetings here at the shelter to touch base with our residents.We discuss what’s going well and what needs some work here in our little “village”. We talk about respect for self – for others – for our facility – for our neighborhood – and our community during these meetings among other topics.

The staff asked the residents what activities they might be interested in doing Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Their suggestion: Making gift baskets for those who are less fortunate in our community. And yes, they themselves are homeless and have little to nothing to call their own.

It IS the very best time of the year...

New Community Shelter, Inc.

301 Mather Street

Green Bay , WI 54303

Tele: (920) 437.3766 Extension 101

Fax: (920) 617.0036

Terrir@newcommunityshelter.org

Catholic Parishes to Conduct National Appeal for Retirement Fund for Religious December 14

From a press release on the USCCB website.

WASHINGTON—Catholic parishes throughout the United States will conduct the 21st annual national appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious December 14.

In 2007, this appeal, which is conducted by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, distributed $23 million in Basic Grants that benefited 482 of the nation's Catholic religious institutes of women and men.

Since the first national annual appeal took place in Catholic parishes in 1988, the National Religious Retirement Office has raised more than $550 million. Donations have enabled NRRO to seed and stabilize retirement funds at religious institutes, leverage local fundraising, and assist capital campaigns. Grant awards have assisted investment and supported collaboration among religious institutes and helped ensure quality of life and adequate health care for thousands of women and men religious.

During the past two decades, however, the gap between assets available for retirement and the costs of living and health care for elderly women and men religious has widened from $2 billion to $9 billion and is expected to grow. In 2023, the combined Social Security benefits of all retired religious is projected to be $184 million a year, but cost of care will total more than $1.6 billion annually.

More than 37,000 Catholic religious are now past age 70. More than 4,900 women and men require skilled nursing care. While costs for care in a skilled nursing facility in the U.S. average more than $55,200 annually, religious institutes have kept their average cost of skilled nursing care to $51,361.

The average Social Security benefit for religious women and men is approximately one-third that paid to the average U.S. beneficiary.

"The statistics reflect very real human need," says NRRO Executive Director Janice Bader, a Sister of the Most Precious Blood of O'Fallon, Missouri. "NRRO is in the midst of intense planning for its next ten years of service. This planning will design expanded partnerships and initiatives with religious institutes for addressing the ongoing challenges of elder care, thus enabling religious institutes to remain viable in their ministries which are so important to the church."

Ninety-five percent of donations are awarded to religious institutes through basic grants.

View the NRRO Annual Report and download photos at http://www.retiredreligious.org/.

Receive the Holy Spirit!

Confirmation, the fullness of initiation into the Church was celebrated this past Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7:00 PM at Prince of Peace Parish. We celebrate with our confirmants, with their sponsors, families and friends, and with our entire parish family, their public manifestation of faith.

We promise again to be there for them in their time of joy and their time of need. We recommit ourselves to living out our commitment to Christ and His Church, and we gratefully acknowledge the gifts of the Spirit that are operative in the lives of each of us. We thank Bishop Morneau for presiding over this celebration, and we ask for your continued prayers as our young people live lives filled with the Spirit!

About Holy Cross Faith Formation
All children in the Holy Cross Parish Family have the right and opportunity to be educated in their faith. Children and young adults often have questions about God. The Holy Cross Parish Faith Formation program works with parents to answer these questions and to bring our young people into a closer relationship with God; a relationship which motivates them to make good moral decisions in order to live Christ-like lives.To see Faith Formation photos, click on the photo albums underneath Faith Formation Contact Information on the right hand side of the blog. To read all Faith Formation blog posts, click here.

Slide show from the Dedication of the Classroom Addition Project

The Dedication of the HCCS Classroom Addition Project took place on Sunday, September 28, 2008. Mass was celebrated by Bishop David Ricken and attended by leaders from the Diocese of Green Bay and the Norbertines of St. Norbert Abbey.

If you would like to copy the photos, please go to this link: Bishop Mass & Classroom Dedication. You will be able to right-click on each picture and save it to your computer. (Feedblitz readers will need to go directly to the blogspot to view the slideshow.)

Related links:
Principal Robin Jo Jensen's introduction speech from the Mass of Dedication
A message from Mrs. Malone & the HCCS fourth grade class to the parish community
Parents, staff set up completed classrooms at Holy Cross Catholic School
Bishop David Ricken to Dedicate & Bless Holy Cross Catholic School Addition
Slideshow from HCCS Groundbreaking
Holy Cross Catholic School Announces Groundbreaking for New Addition Construction Project
Town Board Approves the HCCS Classroom Addition Project

'Tis the season for miracles...

The New Community Shelter has kicked off both their Holiday Appeal & Project Christmas Present!

New Community Shelter Director, Terri Refsguard reports:
The Holiday Appeal is our year-end request for funding.

Project Christmas Present is a campaign we kick off each year to solicit presents for both residents of the shelter and those less fortunate who attend our Community Meal Program. We collect “simple/necessary items” such as socks, pajamas, winter wear, gift cards, alarm clocks, wallets, backpacks, etc., etc., etc. We match the gift with each individual’s personal needs or wants in mind. We try to keep this a surprise for our residents until Christmas Eve when we celebrate “The Shelter Christmas."

Each year the gifts are accepted with great appreciation & most times with tears of happiness - thankful and certainly surprised that someone remembered them at Christmas.

To read about our Holiday Appeal & our Project Christmas Present Wish List, please click here and scroll down. As you are out gathering up Christmas gifts for family and friends, please consider picking up a simple item or maybe sponsoring the cost of a gift for someone who will spend the holiday alone without family.

Certainly feel free to give us a call or email me with any questions you may have. Donations can be dropped off at the front desk anytime – any day.

New Community Shelter, Inc.
301 Mather Street
Green Bay , WI 54303
Tele: (920) 437.3766 Extension 101
Fax: (920) 617.0036
Terrir@newcommunityshelter.org

Please help us spread the word.
Tis the season for miracles...

Holiday Appeal from the New Community Shelter

Holiday Season of 2008

Dear Friends of the New Community Shelter,

If you are as privileged as I, you are a bit distracted during this time of year. Distracted with preparing for your “traditional” Christmas and Holiday Season. You are excited but also challenged with coming up with the perfect gift ideas for your family & friends. You prepare & shop, you probably attend various holiday celebrations including parties with friends & coworkers, and finally the most important of all, you celebrate Christmas with your family.

During this season of giving & receiving, I ask that you please take a moment to remember those less fortunate than you. As Christmas draws near & you scramble to put all in place for your traditional Christmas, know that there are those who will not have the privilege of tradition… this Christmas.

The Christmas meal you prepare & share as a family, is for some a seat in the Schneider Hall Dinning room at the New Community Shelter with individuals who also have little to share, but a meal prepared by volunteers who care.

While you spend hours hustling and bustling through the shopping malls picking out that perfect gift – know that there are people right here in our community that will receive nothing. And even more disheartening, they will also not experience the excitement and warmth of giving. It is wonderful to have the means to give, there is a sense of dignity & of pride felt in giving.

We try our very best at the New Community Shelter to provide the “atmosphere” of the season with the help of many. Unfortunately atmosphere does not include sharing time with the ones you love & love you back. It does not include the excitement that occurs when gifts are exchanged; nor does it include the “spirit” we so often refer to as Christmas magic.

It is my hope that the ninety or so residents that today call the New Community Shelter Home, will not be here to spend another Christmas with us. My hope & wish for each of our residents is that we can throughout the coming months, give them the most valuable gift of all – the gift of self empowerment & self sufficiency. And we plan to do just that -- one person at a time, helping each of them to help themselves.

I ask you today to support that effort. Any support you are able or willing to share in assisting our efforts would be gratefully appreciated. We will use that support to obtain the necessary tools and resources needed to teach new skills, to build self confidence, and to promote self dignity.

With all of the success that has occurred this past year here at the New Community Shelter, we are thankful. I ask that you please during this Holiday Season, consider sharing the warmth of giving, the spirit of the season, and the gift of hope to help support those who dream & are currently working to become, self sufficient and productive members of our community.

Warm Regards from all of us at the New Community Shelter
and those who live here too..

Terri Refsguard
Executive Director

To make a donation to the New Shelter, please call or e-mail:
The New Community Shelter, Inc.
301 Mather St.
Green Bay, WI 54303
(920) 437-3766
Terrir@newcommunityshelter.org

Christmas Wish List for those at the New Community Shelter

Men
Gift Cards - (Wal-Mart or like stores. Gift cards are given to residents who with special clothing needs, i.e. coat, work boots, shoes)
Pajama Pants
Cologne
Watches
Dress Shirts
Slippers
Gas Cards
Sweat shirts & pants
Wallets
Backpacks
Socks
Alarm Clocks
Shower Flip Flops
Gloves - Scarves
Phone Cards
Shaving Kit
Resume Paper, envelopes & Stamps
Board Games
Crossword, Sudoku, puzzle books
Travel Bags

Women
Gift Cards – - (Wal-Mart or like stores. Gift cards are given to residents who with special clothing needs, i.e. coat, work boots, shoes)
Pajamas/Robes
Perfume
Watches
Make-Up
Slippers
Gas Cards
Sweat shirts & pants
Purses & Wallets
Back Packs
Socks
Alarm clocks
Shower Flip Flops
Gloves – Scarves
Phone Cards
Ethnic Hair Care Products
Resume Paper, envelopes & Stamps
Board Games
Crossword, Sudoku, puzzle books
Cosmetic/Travel Bag

New Community Shelter Wish List
New Bicycle Racks
Portable Sound & PA System for Indoor & Outdoor Use (meetings & events)
Picnic Tables
High Resolution Camera
Flashlights – (to give residents working 2nd & 3rd shift who are sharing a room w/ 7 other people when lights are out for the night)
Free Use of an OFF-SITE Storage Unit to store out of season equipment
Gift Cards – (Festival Foods, Wal-Mart, Office Depot to purchase clothing or food items needed for residents)
Heavy-Duty Kitchen Cart with wheels 2-3 shelves
Dust Busters – small hand vacuum

Donations can be dropped off at the front desk anytime – any day.

New Community Shelter, Inc.
301 Mather Street
Green Bay , WI 54303
Tele: (920) 437.3766 Extension 101
Fax: (920) 617.0036
Terrir@newcommunityshelter.org

This week at Holy Cross Parish, Dec. 8-14

Monday, December 8
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
8:00 AM Mass for the Holy Cross Parish Family
7:00 PM Mass for Libbie & John Collin

Tuesday, December 9
6:45 PM Mass for Bernice Ullmer
6:00 PM Strategic Planning Committee Meeting, Rectory
7:30 PM Pastoral Council Meeting, Rectory

Wednesday, December 10
8:00 AM Mass for Ed & Mayme Schauer
1:00 PM Advent Reconciliation Service
7:00 PM Advent Reconciliation Service

Thursday, December 11
8:00 AM Mass for Julie Nooyen

Friday, December 12
8:00 AM Mass for Shirley Corsten

Saturday, December 13
4:00 PM Mass for Donald Craanen

Sunday, December 14
8:00 AM Mass for the Holy Cross Parish Family
10:00 AM Mass for Orville & Bernadette VanLieshout
3:00 - 7:00 PM Christmas Open House, Rectory

What's happening in Faith Formation?

Wednesday, December 10
Grades 1 - 6: 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Grades 7 - 10: 6:45 - 8:00 PM

Sunday, December 14
"I Am Special" Sunday School: 10:00 - 11:00 AM

NEED A THOUGHTFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA??
Our brand new Holy Cross Parish Family Cookbook "Serving Body & Soul…since 1852" is available now! Our cookbooks are also conveniently prewrapped in "All Occasion, Birthday, and Christmas paper!

Our cookbooks are available for purchase:
- after all the Masses on the weekends
- in the rectory, school, and Faith Formation offices.

Prices for our cookbooks are as follows:
- $15.00 for one
- $14.00 each for 2
- $13.00 each for 3 or more

Our cookbooks boast a 3-ring binder for ease in removing and adding your favorite recipes over the years. They are perfect for gift giving for any occasion, and will most definitely become a cherished keepsake on your kitchen shelf! 355 recipes from the best cooks around, OUR PARISH FAMILY! GET EM' WHILE THEY LAST!

About Holy Cross Faith Formation
All children in the Holy Cross Parish Family have the right and opportunity to be educated in their faith. Children and young adults often have questions about God. The Holy Cross Parish Faith Formation program works with parents to answer these questions and to bring our young people into a closer relationship with God; a relationship which motivates them to make good moral decisions in order to live Christ-like lives.To see Faith Formation photos, click on the photo albums underneath Faith Formation Contact Information on the right hand side of the blog. To read all Faith Formation blog posts, click here.

December 6/7 From the Pastor's Desk...

My Dear Parishioners,

The Seven Sacraments are central to who we are as members of the Roman Catholic Church. At the heart of these Sacraments is the Holy Eucharist without which we could not and would not be a church. The special presence of Our Lord to us in each of the other Sacraments are unique and special to us as we live out our Catholic Faith. Weekly we gather in our Church to celebrate the Eucharist and to bring Christ out into the world, into our homes and work places, and into our lives. When we are sick or burdened Christ comes to us through the Sacrament of Anointing to comfort and heal us. This Wednesday afternoon and evening we will celebrate in our church the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). We meet Christ as the forgiver of our sins and He who brings comfort and the knowledge that the God in whom we believe is a God always waiting patiently to welcome us back after we have made bad choices. This Wednesday is a Golden Opportunity for each of us to prepare for Christmas by receiving this wonderful Sacrament. Perhaps it has been many, many years since you experienced this Sacrament – take advantage of this moment and come. Know that no priest will chide you, no confessor will embarrass you, instead you will experience the wonderful presence of Our Lord as the forgiver of our sins and failings. Our Bulletin insert this week is a special sheet (which you may bring to your confession and use it as a script) which gives you the form and way of making a confession. Our Reconciliation Services are this Wednesday, December 10th at 1 pm and at 7 pm. Please consider coming, it will be a special Christmas gift from you to you. Click here for a copy of the confession guide sheet.

Please remember that our Holy Cross Parish Family Christmas Open House is Sunday, December 14th (this coming Sunday) from 3 to 7 pm in the rectory. Come and enjoy some food, cheer and get into the Christmas Spirit with your fellow parishioners.

Confirmation, the fullness of initiation into the Church is celebrated this Saturday, December 6 at 7 pm at Prince of Peace Parish. We celebrate with our confirmants, with their sponsors, families and friends, and with our entire parish family their public manifestation of faith. We promise again to be there for them in their time of joy and their time of need. We recommit ourselves to living out our commitment to Christ and his Church, and we gratefully acknowledge the gifts of the Spirit that are operative in the lives of each of us. We thank Bishop Morneau for presiding over this celebration, and we ask for your continued prayers as our young people live lives filled with the Spirit! Congratulations from the Holy Cross Parish Family.

Oremus pro invicem

Fr. Tom H.

Green Bay's Catholic book, gift shop to close Jan. 15

Failing economy, online competition among reasons for closure

Reprinted from the November 28, 2008 edition of The Compass.
Written by Compass Editor Sam Lucero

GREEN BAY -- St. Catherine's Book and Gift Shop, a mainstay in the community for more than 60 years, is closing its doors Jan. 15. The decision to close St. Catherine's came during a board of directors meeting Nov. 3.

The closure leaves four employees - one full-time and three part-time - without jobs and hundreds of loyal customers disappointed. Rosemary Reedy, St. Catherine's manager, said the board's decision was based on the declining economy and a drop in book and gift sales.

"The economy is not good and (the board) doesn't see it financially able to continue," she said. "I think it's a loss to the community."

Book sales have been slumping since Sept. 11, 2001, said Reedy. "Moving to the cathedral grounds helped and increased store traffic. But the economy in general is tough. Individual and parish pocketbooks are rather tight."

She explained that as parishes merge or consolidate, there are fewer orders for parish ministry products. "If the number of retreatants is down at Holy Name Retreat House, we feel it in sales." In addition, the cost of health insurance and retirement benefits for former employees added to the expenses, she said.

St. Catherine's opened as a Catholic lending library in 1946 at 110 South Monroe in honor of Catherine Stenger. Following her death, books that had been given to Stenger were organized by her sister and turned into St. Catherine Library and Book Shop, located inside the Stenger home.

The store's patron saint is St. Catherine of Alexandria, the patron of young women and philosophers, said Reedy.

Mary Lou Ziga managed the store from 1950 to 2002. She was a fixture at St. Catherine's and helped turn the store into a popular hangout for avid book readers. Ziga told The Compass that she was devastated to hear about the store's closing.

"I just feel that we need a book shop like that in this city, that has good Catholic material," she said. "St. Catherine's handles books that nobody else usually handles. I think it's going to be kind of tough. I don't think you can find all of those things on the Internet. Catholic publishers are small and they have specialized stuff. Barnes and Noble doesn't even want to handle" specialized Catholic books.

Longtime customers of St. Catherine's fondly remember enjoying afternoon tea at the shop, the smell of baking bread and the conversations that went on for hours.

The afternoon tea sessions were instituted by Ziga in about 1959. "We had afternoon tea every day and we would invite anybody into the shop to come and have tea with us," she said. "It was a wonderful time. I tried to sit down with everybody who came in."

It was customary for bookstore regulars like Norbertine Fr. Ferdinand DuPont and Bishop Robert Morneau to visit. "Fr. DuPont came every Tuesday to check the books we had and have a cup of tea with us," she said. During Advent the shop would invite families in to create Advent wreaths and Bishop Morneau would stop in to bless the wreaths.

Ziga enjoyed traveling to exotic places around the world and while abroad she would purchase gifts to sell at St. Catherine's.

Over time, the lending library gave way to a book store and in 1959 it moved to 342 South Jefferson. It was incorporated as a nonprofit business in 1983. Reedy said that during the 1990s, St. Catherine's took on a larger role in serving the Green Bay diocesan community.

"St. Catherine's has provided book service for the diocesan Commissioned Ministries Program, parish book fairs, Holy Name Retreat House, and many diocesan workshops for religious educators and parish leadership," she said.

The store's relocation in 2006, next to St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, symbolized its important role in the diocesan community. "We have a very warm relationship with parishes in terms of providing them with materials," said Reedy.

St. Catherine's carries more than 12,000 book titles, making it one of the largest religious book stores north of Milwaukee. "We sell new and used books, icons, rosaries, statuary and religious gifts," she said.

Books and gifts are displayed in rooms divided into subjects such as music and teens; spirituality; prayer and grief; and Bible and ministry. One of the newer displays, found near the store's entrance, offers materials on St. Paul in observance of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul.

The most popular local author, whose books have their own display shelf, is Bishop Morneau. The bishop, who is pastor of Resurrection Parish in Allouez, has made several book-signing appearances at the store and is a member of the bookstore's board of directors.

"St. Catherine Bookstore has been one of the hidden treasures in the Green Bay community," he said. "The store has offered a variety of books and religious articles that have helped people of all ages to grow in their faith. The bookstore also has been noted for the gracious hospitality that the customers received."

Bishop Morneau called the closing of St. Catherine's "a loss to the community."

Reedy said the void left by St. Catherine's will have to be filled by other religious goods stores, including F. Kaster Company and Jandrain Religious Supply in Green Bay and St. Patrick Book Store in Appleton.

James Sickel, president of St. Catherine's board of directors since 1984, has been associated with the store since he began mowing the property's lawn 52 years ago. "I learned a lot, met a lot of people and had a wonderful experience working there," he said. "It has provided a great environment for the community, particularly the Catholic community, with regard to religious reading."

Sickel said book and gift sales declined about 30 percent in the last year. The move to online shopping sites such as Amazon.com, took its toll on St. Catherine's, he added.

"It's sad to see it close, but the way we now get the information we want is so much oriented toward purchasing off the computer," he explained. "It's hard to compete in an environment like that today, when it's easier for someone to access that material right from their home."

One experience that St. Catherine's offered for five decades was an opportunity for customers to sit down and page through books before buying them. Now places like Barnes and Noble are filling this niche, he added. The ability of national retail chains, like Barnes and Noble, to order large volumes of books at discounted prices also put St. Catherine's in an unviable position, added Sickel. "We don't get the discounts that you do when you order large volume," he said.

A sale will begin soon to clear the store of its inventory, said Reedy. She urged customers with gift certificates to stop in and use them.

The Compass is the award-winning official newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Check out excerpts from the current issue at: www.thecompassnews.org/compass/current/cnindex.shtml.

Book review: Wiederkehr suggests pausing for God

By Sister Jean Peerenboom, OSF

Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day by Macrina Wiederkehr (Sorin Books, $18.95).

If you think your life is too busy for prayer, think again. Macrina Wiederkehr can help you find the time and the words to make prayer a regular part of your life.

Seven Sacred Pauses helps readers bring balance and God into their busy lives. It is based on the Divine Office prayed by many religious orders and Wiederkehr’s own monastic tradition in a Benedictine Order.

She divides the day into seven pauses:
• The Night Watch
• The Awakening Hour
• The Blessing Hour
• The Hour of Illumination
• The Wisdom Hour
• The Twilight Hour
• The Great Silence

Reading the Gospels, we know Jesus took time for solitude at critical times in his life. As Wiederkehr says, “He had a rhythm of prayer in his life. He lived mindfully.” After his death, “we see his disciples attempting to honor the same inborn need to pause in prayerful remembrance at specific hours of the day.”

Eventually the Catholic tradition developed the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours that is used today. It is a “universal way of honoring the earth’s turning as well as the sacred mysteries that flow out of our Christian heritage,” she writes.

The seven times for prayer begin with Matins or Vigils, traditionally prayed “in the heart of the night” but, for practical reasons, are usually prayed in the early hours before dawn. She calls this the Night Watch.

Next are Morning Prayer, followed by Terce or Third Hour of the Day, Sext or Sixth Hour, None or Ninth Hour, Vespers or Evensong and Compline or Night Prayer.

Why pause for prayer?

Wiederkehr says it helps us remember who we are and what we plan to do with our lives – “how we can learn to ‘be’ in the midst of so much ‘doing.’ We have to practice loving and forgiving. We practice breathing and being careful with one another’s life. We practice nonviolence. We practice what we have rather than storing up possessions. We practice silence.”

The book is set up to be meditative as well as informative. She succeeds beautifully.

There are prayers as well as recommended Bible passages to aid your meditation. It is worth a good look.

Next: Make Room for God: Cleaning Out the Clutter by Susan K. Rowland.

Sister Jean Peerenboom is the former religion/books editor from the Green Bay Press Gazette. Sister Jean is a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross. She writes a monthly book review for the Holy Cross Family Blogspot.

To read all of Sister Jean Peerenboom's book reviews, click here.

Catholic Virtue Reflection: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice

Submitted by Mrs. Robin Jo Jensen

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
To help us understand this beatitude, we first have to ask ourselves, what is meant by justice? Justice means being in complete accordance with what is righteous, honorable and Godly. Justice is doing those things that are upright, virtuous, noble, morally right and ethical. Being just is living a lifestyle that is in complete conformity to the will of God. It is a lifestyle that Jesus not only finds pleasing, but one that he approves. We must make ourselves aware of the way we are living our lives; are we living a life of justice and righteousness?

May God bless you during Advent, and always.


What is Catholic Virtue Education?
Catholic Virtue Education focuses on teaching students and their families about Catholic virtue as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. While all of the virtues, works, gifts and fruits are intricately intertwined into our Catholic Faith, Catholic Virtue Education at Holy Cross Catholic School focuses on certain aspects each month in order to enhance learning for all students, of all abilities, in all grades.

Each month a new virtue is developed, and the students are involved in defining, discussing and exhibiting that trait in their daily lives. Principal Robin Jo Jensen includes reflections on the month's virtue in her weekly parent letter to spur discussions at home. At the end of the month parents are encouraged to attend a student-directed, all-school assembly focusing on the lessons taught throughout the month.

About Holy Cross Catholic School
Located on the growing northeast side of Green Bay at the historic crossroads of Church and Bay Settlement Road, Holy Cross Catholic 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 Catholic School has been in existence for 140 years and has an enrollment of 189 students in grades EC3 to 8th grade. For more information, please visit the school's website: www.holycrossfamily.org/.

HCCS first graders have parachute fun

The 1st grade students are having a blast using the parachute in Gym class.



They all hung onto the edge of the parachute, lifted it into the air, and ran inside their temporary parachute fort.

About Holy Cross Catholic School
Located on the growing northeast side of Green Bay at the historic crossroads of Church and Bay Settlement Road, Holy Cross Catholic 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 Catholic School has been in existence for 140 years and has an enrollment of 189 students in grades EC3 to 8th grade. For more information, please visit the school's website: www.holycrossfamily.org/.

With Sympathy on Behalf of the Holy Cross Parish Family

Stanley Stanislowski is the father of Holy Cross parishioner Marcianne Hansen.

Stanley R. Stanislowski, 85, passed away early Sunday morning, November 30, 2008 at his home in Minto, ND where he and his wife Lois have resided for the past 12 years.

Stanley Richard Stanislowski was born on June 2, 1923 at the family farm the son of Joseph and Mary (Majkowsk) Stanislawski. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Stanislaus Church of Warsaw, ND were he was a life long member. He farmed with his father until he enlisted in the US Army and was assigned as a Military Policeman and served in occupied Japan at the end of WW II. He was honorably discharged in 1947 and returned to Warsaw to resume farming. He farmed until his retirement in 1996.

Stanley was a trustee of Saint Stanislaus Parish for twenty years. He was a past member of the board of Farmers Union Coop of Minto. He was a member of the American Legion and the VFW and played amateur baseball for the Warsaw team.

On June 28, l952, he married Lois Metcalf , daughter of Clarence and Tracy Metcalf, at St. Catherine Church, Valley City. ND Together they raised 8 children on the family farm near Warsaw, North Dakota.

He is survived by his wife, Lois; their children, a daughter, Mary Ann (David) Brandt, Richfield, MN and their children, Denise (Shane) Nerby, Taylor and Lindsay; a son, Jared (Rebecca) Brandt, Huntington, IN and their children, Lynnea and Darrion; a daughter-in-law, Diane (Mrs. Thomas) Stanislowski, Grand Forks, ND and boys, James and Daniel; a daughter, Marcianne (Jae) Hansen, Green Bay, WI and their daughter, Bailey; a son, James of Austin, TX; a son, Stan Jr. and his son, Jake (Samantha), Elk River, MN and their children, Sophia and Kennedy; a daughter, Katie (Jeff) Peavy and their daughter, Heather, Grand Forks AFB; a son, Eric (Mary), Warsaw, ND and their children, Nicholas and John; a daughter, Leah, Park River, ND and Leah’s children, Maddison and Ian; a son, Jerry (Carolyn), Grand Forks, ND and their children, Jade, Josh (Teresa) Grand Forks, ND and their daughter, Alyson. Stanley is survived by a sister, Florence (Wally) Welstead, Grand Forks, ND.

He is preceded in death his son, Thomas.

Interactive Advent web site offers prayer, reflection, activity suggestions

A press release from the Green Bay Diocese website:

An interactive Web site of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) provides resources for prayer, reflection and action throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons (www.usccb.org/advent).

The focal points of the site are the interactive calendars for the Advent season, which began with the first Sunday of Advent, November 30, and the Christmas season, which ends on January 12, with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. Clicking on each date on the calendar brings up a menu of resources for reading, prayer, reflection and action. Another highlight of the site is the Festival of Lesson and Carols, which can be heard live online or downloaded for later listening.

The Web site includes biographies from Catholic News Service on many of the saints whose feasts are celebrated during the Advent and Christmas seasons along with audio “Saint of the Day” podcasts from Franciscan Radio.

Other resources on the Web site include a list of recommend holiday-themed movies from the USCCB’s Film and Broadcasting office, prayers and blessings from the USCCB publication Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers, and suggestions for remembering the needs of immigrants and the poor throughout the season.

Link of Interest: http://www.usccb.org/advent