Administrative Help
From time to time the parish staff needs an extra pair of hands or two to complete organizational tasks. These may include bulletin stuffing, making Xerox copies, collating materials etc. If you are willing to help with these types of projects please notify the Rectory receptionist at 694.6018 ext 0. Please include your contact number.
Adult Scripture Study
The Thursday Night Bible Study Group invites you to join us to discover what insights we can glean concerning our understanding of scripture. Larry Coe, the theology chairperson and a teacher at
Athletic Association
The Athletic Association is part of the local CYO athletic program, which is run entirely by volunteers. The purpose of the program is to provide an outlet for the competitive nature of our children, with supervision by adults who value the need for physical release in a controlled, Christian atmosphere. Children who are in the 5th grade or older, are welcome to participate. Please see the parish web page for more information on individual sports and schedules. Committee meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the gym’s Team Room. Contact Tom Corradini 694-6018 x184
Bereavement Support
This ministry is offered in collaboration with Piasecki-Althaus Funeral Home. For further information contact
Boy Scouts
Boys of all ages are invited to participate in Scouting through St. Mary’s. The various groups meet regularly in the Scout Room at our parish school. Please contact the school office for specific contact information by grade level
Cub Scouts (1st-5th graders)
Boy Scouts (5th grade to age 18)
Venture Crew (boys and girls age 14-20)
Building and Grounds Committee
The Building and Grounds Committee regularly inspects the physical needs of the parish complex, seeks bids for scheduled maintenance and works in collaboration with the Finance Committee and Council to determine funding for each. This committee, along with the Pastor and Council, plans for long-range improvements. Contact Don Kueny 945-1733.
CAFÉ - Catholic Adult Faith Enrichment
Ongoing adult education programs. Details of each is publicized in the parish bulletin.
Catechist, Coordinators, classroom assistant or Co-teacher
Our Child/Early Adolescent Christian Formation Ministry is largely supported by the help of volunteer Catechists, assistants and co-teachers. These individuals assist in the classroom with materials that are provided by the director and Coordinators. To volunteer or to learn more about this opportunity to instruct our young parishioners in the ways of our faith, contact Sandy Slivon at 694.6018 ext 135.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a program for 3-6 yr old children. It is a hands-on Montessori approach to catechism. In the prepared room, the children learn about the most essential and profound teachings of the church. The children learn to move slowly and quietly, but are free to move about and work with the wooden materials. This helps them to meditate on the truths of the parables, the liturgy, the prophecies, and the infancy narratives. This program feeds the child’s thirst to know God and to ponder the deep love the Good Shepherd has for His sheep.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is also taught to all children attending our Preschool/Childcare program.
Contact Kate Lynch 942-6069
Centering Prayer
To learn more about this prayer opportunity, please contact
Christian Family Movement (CFM)
This group provides an opportunity to improve the quality of family life by providing a framework within which families can support and affirm one another promoting Christian attitudes, values, and actions in individuals as they interact within their families. New groups are formed each year. Adult groups meet monthly and family social activities are planned throughout the year. Contact Amy and Tom Nordloh at 654-2698
Communion for the Homebound/Nursing Homes
Each week about 20 lay ministers of Eucharist from the parish take Eucharist to those who are homebound. The Pastoral Minister also brings Eucharist weekly or biweekly to those who request it. Please call if you or someone you know is homebound and would like a pastoral visit. Contact Judy Francois 694-6018 x108
Divorced and Separated
This group meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month in the
Elizabeth’s Closet is a group of volunteers dedicated to helping families in need of obtaining items for their babies and toddlers. Items provided include diapers, wipes, baby wash, clothing, blankets and baby furniture when available. Donations for the Closet are accepted year round and are tax deductible.
Emergency Outreach for the Poor "Door Ministry" St. Mary Parish is committed to administer to those in our community that are less fortunate. If you or someone you know is in need of emergency financial help, please contact the Rectory at 694-6018 ext. 175 & 176. Leave a message and either Deacon Wilson or Deacon Jim will return your call.
Eucharist Adoration
Eucharist Adoration takes place in the Church every Thursday. It consists of private prayer and reflection to our Lord Jesus Christ, who is recognized as being truly present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Parishioners are scheduled in one hour increments to allow continual prayer, beginning at the close of morning Mass through 5:00 pm. We would like to expand our hours of adoration and are looking for additional volunteers. If this is something that interests you or if you have any other questions, please contact Judy Meyer at 857-3008 or Carol Brooks at 697-0968.
Festival Committee
The Festival Committee coordinates, supports, and brings to life the Parish Summer Family Festival. The Festival is a social and fundraising event, which takes place annually typically in July. The success of this event relies on the generous time of many parishioners. You can actively sell your raffle tickets, volunteer in a booth for an hour or two or serve on the committee, all which help make this event a success. Leave a message for the committee at 694.6018 ext 183.
Finance committee
The Finance committee members work in collaboration with the Pastor and Director of Administrative Services on all aspects of the financial strength of our parish community. They help develop and advise Parish Council and the Pastor on matters pertaining to the operating budget. The committee meets the third Monday of every month at 6:30 pm. To learn more about this committee contact Rose Ann Ambrowiak at 654-8280 .
Girl Scouts
Girls of all ages are invited to participate in Scouting at St. Mary’s. Each year, a new troop is formed for those students entering Kindergarten. Please contact the school 694-6018 x130 to find your troop’s leaders.
Health Ministry
St. Mary’s Health Ministry’s mission is to integrate the concept of healing into our faith life.
The scripture urges us to preach, to teach, and to heal. Healing of body-mind-spirit go hand in hand with the Gospel message. Health refers to the overall well-being of the whole person and the community in which the person lives. It is within that context that we work.
Some past projects have been programs on depression, healthy living, blood drive, health fairs, and ongoing monthly blood pressure screenings. Brochures are available in church on numerous health issues as well as monthly bulletin articles.
The Parish Nurse, Gail Lesjak, in conjunction with the Aurora Parish Nurse Program, is available for consultation during monthly blood pressure screenings, or she can be reached at 694-6018 x107 or by email at lesjakg@stmarycatholic.org. The role of the Parish Nurse is that of health councilor, referral source, faith and health integrator and program facilitator.
CPR/AED training is offered to any interested parishioner. St. Mary’s has AED units in both the church, gymnasium and school.
Ministry members do not need to be health professionals. Meetings are held on the third Monday of the month from 6:00-7:00 pm in the
Hospital and Nursing Home Visits
Hospital Visits: members of the pastoral staff visit all three hospitals in
Nursing Home visits: St. Mary Parish ministers to Hospitality Manor and
Human Concerns
Human Concerns coordinates much of the parish’s outreach to those of our community and parish family. We sponsor:
- A food collection for the needy every Sunday of the year
- A Thanksgiving and Christmas food and gift collection
- A Mother’s Day rose sale for the Wisconsin Right to Life Organization
- Participation in the Shalom Center Hunger Walk in May
- Health committee that works with the Parish Nurse
- St. Vincent DePaul Conference
- Ash Wednesday simple meal
- Lenten Matthew 25 collection
- Emergency outreach funds for the poor
- Assists with the Stewardship Outreach Committee
- Assists with the work of the
- Assists with the INNS Program
- Assists with the
We consider it our responsibility to make an effort to keep the parish informed concerning the needs of our parish as well as the greater Christian community in our state, by publishing informative articles in the parish bulletin and the sponsorship of adult speakers on various topics, and through the energetic input and interaction of the committee members.
We are always looking for interested members to join our committee. We meet the third Monday of each month, September through June in the
INNS Program: Interfaith Network of Nightly Shelter
St. Mary is one of five churches in
Jail Ministry
The Jail Ministry provides materials utilized by the libraries to both
La Sagrada Familia
St. Mary Parish has partnered with the La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) parish as our sister parish. La Sagrada Familia is located in Sabana Yegua in the Southwestern part of the
Landscape Committee
The Landscape Committee currently consists of 12 persons and families who assist in keeping the flowers, bushes and the grounds around the parish green and pretty. The volunteers assist in growing flowers, weeding beds, trimming bushes, and watering the flowers without a watering system. If you would be interested in lending a hand, please contact Deacon Ron Lesjak at rlesjak@tds.net or 694-9143.
Meals on Wheels
Nutritional, low cost meals are picked up and delivered from Hospitality Manor to seniors, those convalescing at home, or those with other mental or physical disabilities. This ministry has been operating at our parish for over 30 years! Volunteers are needed who can provide their own transportation and deliver meals on Wednesdays at 11:00 am for about an hour. Volunteers generally work twice each month every 3 months. Children are most welcome to join their parents in this ministry! To learn more about receiving meals, please contact your local aging center. If you are willing to volunteer your time and wish to be scheduled to deliver, please call the Rectory at 694.6018 ext. 0.
MEN’S Group
The Men’s Group meets every Wednesday morning for conversation, prayer and study. The group has been in existence for about 3 years and has anywhere from 12-15 men who attend. Each meeting starts off with coffee and conversation. The group comes together in brief prayer prior to discussing the day’s topic. The discussion topics vary. At times, the discussion can involve men’s spirituality. At other times the Sacraments, the Bible or current issues within the church. The discussions often are based upon a book or an article being read by the group. The members of the group vary in age, profession and education.
New members are always welcome. The group meets at 6:30 am each Wednesday morning in the first floor dining room of the
Fr Mike Newman 262-694-6018 x106
John Higgins 262-697-3623
Ministry of Hope: Helping Others Providing Encouragement
The Ministry of Hope provides support and comfort to individuals and families in our parish who are experiencing an illness, difficult times, or grieving a loss.
Funeral Luncheons- The Ministry of Hope volunteers offer their time and talent in preparing and serving funeral luncheons. Desserts, salads, drinks and a welcoming atmosphere are provided for the family. The only cost is minimal for the main dish of your choice. To use this ministry please contact Alyce Ausse at 694-6018 ext. 180.
Sunshine Group-These Ministry of Hope volunteers meet on the first Monday of each month in the Rectory at 1:00pm. The group sends get well and sympathy cards to parish members. Donations of cards and stamps are always appreciated and can be dropped off in the Rectory or Church. Please mark all donations for the Ministry of Hope.
Meals at home - Meals after return home from the hospital-Ministry of Hope volunteers offer a meal or two following a person's return home from the hospital or recuperation at a nursing facility. Often a person is just not up to cooking for themselves right away and this service would offer a little help during that time. To use this ministry or if you know someone who is in need, please contact
New members are always needed to help in any of the above areas. Please offer your time and talent to one or all of these important areas of St. Mary's Ministry of Hope by calling 694-6018, ext 180. Leave a short message and a member of the ministry will contact you.
Mother’s Prayer & Study Group
Small faith-sharing groups made up of moms and other interested adults. They meet on Thursday mornings. Childcare is offered for the morning sessions. Contact the Christian Formation Office at 694-6018 x136 for more information.
Parish Council
Parish Council advises the Pastor in planning and determining policies for the fulfillment of the goals outlined in the Parish Mission Statement. The Council deals with current matters such as the operating budget and future plans, and renovation of our campus. Its sixteen members consist of the Parish priests, two trustees and twelve parishioners who reflect both the unity and diversity of the parish. Each member brings to the table their own individual wisdom and experience representing the entire parish. They are to provide leadership and vision; to do what is best for the parish as a whole.
Members serve a three-year term. The Council meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 pm in the
Parish Life and Hospitality Committee
The mission of the Parish Life and Hospitality Committee is to create a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere to all new and established parishioners of St. Mary. This committee plans, promotes and coordinates activities that bring parish members together for mutual support and for the celebration of special parish and life events, as well as encouraging parishioners to recognize their gifts and discern how to share their talents with the greater parish community. Contact
Personnel Committee
The Personnel Committee makes recommendations to the Parish Council concerning the adoption of parish personnel policies. The basic functions of this committee are to develop a comprehensive personnel system, including personnel planning on the local level and to monitor its implementation and administration. Actual hiring, supervising, evaluating or terminating of employees is the proper role of the Pastor or persons(s) delegated by him. Contact Brian Donegan 654-8795
Prayer and Worship
The Prayer and Worship Committee is made up of parishioner volunteers and Parish Staff members whose main focus is the Liturgy at St. Mary. Liturgy might be best described as our Christ centered, Catholic community coming together, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to be closer to God through prayerful worship.
St. Mary has identified seven ministries of Liturgy. These include; Altar Servers, Art and Environment, Eucharistic Ministry, Greeter Ministry, Lectors, Music Ministry and Usher Ministry.
Each ministry has a coordinator who attends Prayer and Worship meetings once each month. The Prayer and Worship Committee is not only responsible for making the Liturgies at St. Mary the most beautiful and prayerful possible, but is also responsible for developing the ministries by identifying and nurturing those parishioners who are called to stewardship in these roles. Contact Steve Hejnal at 942-9242 or shejnal@hotmail.com for futher details.
Prayer Line
Respect Life
Our Mission Statement:With the support and encouragement of our parish priests, we will work to promote Respect Life activities within our parish that are consistent with the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
We will strive to educate our parishioners about how:Children are the Supreme Gift of marriage and are blessings from God, Contraception and sterilization are a detriment to a strong family life,Natural family planning strengthens families,Chastity is a virtue that will strengthen society and End of Life issues need to be in accord with the teachings of the Catholic church
We will work to provide support to women/families who are suffering from miscarriage, infertility, post-sterilization, and post-abortion grief.
Past Activities include the Spiritual Adoption Program where parishioners "spiritually adopt" an unborn baby, name it, and pray for the baby and his/her mother, the Rosebud Program, which is an on-going program of prayer for families in need of prayers to conceive, adopt, are pregnant, or have experienced the loss of a child, suffer from infertility, etc, Prayer Vigils that are held on-location at Planned Parenthood to encourage the choice of life on Saturdays at 11;00 am.,Bulletin articles on Respect Life issues and Continuously providing educational materials on respect life issues.
Contact Kris Bartz at 657-4639 or Karie Kinzler at 656-0301 for further details.
St. Vincent de Paul Society
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is a Catholic lay organization which consists of volunteer members who help in situations with those who are in need. SVDP help with person-to-person assistance promoting human dignity and integrity. In addition to assistance with the material necessities of life, members visit and offer companionship to those who are homebound, hospitalized, or confined to institutions.
As a reflection of the family of God, SVDP members are drawn from every ethnic and cultural background, age group, and economic level. They form small groups called “conferences” that meet regularly, pray together, and carry out their selected charitable works. They are united in the worldwide movement of the St. Vincent de Paul Society by a common philosophy and mutual sharing.
For information about St. Mary’s affiliation with St. Vincent de Paul Society, contact Deacon
Safe Environment Education (S.E.E.) - formerly Virtus
This is a three part process for every volunteer and every parish employee who work with children. The first requirement is to attend an awareness session concerning child sexual abuse entitled: “Protecting God’s Children.” This typically runs 2-3 hours in length and is held in the evening and daytime at our parish and at multiple locations throughout the diocese. Educational sessions are listed online at www.virtusonline.org.
Each participant is also required to acknowledge receipt and sign the “Code of Ethical Standards for Church Leaders.”
Additionally, every participant must authorize the parish to complete both a national and statewide criminal background check. Background checks will be repeated as needed or every five years which ever comes first.
Continued employment and volunteerism is contingent on the compliance with each of these requirements.
Senior Citizens Group
St. Mary Parish senior citizens group meets on the second Tuesday of the following months (September, October, November, December, February, March, April, and May) at 12 noon in Bell Hall. They join in prayer, share a meal together, enjoy a program, and socialize. Lunch costs $3.00, followed by a program. Membership is required and open to all seniors of
SHARE Food program
What Is SHARE?
SHARE is a nonprofit food buying club that offers good, nutritious products at a reduced cost through a volunteer-run, community-based distribution system. SHARE’s mission is to build and strengthen community through volunteer service.
How Can I Save Money?
As a member of SHARE, you can save up to 30-50% on many of the same products you would find in a supermarket. SHARE can offer amazing savings because SHARE volunteers help sort, package and distribute the food that SHARE buys in bulk for over 20,000 people.
SHARE Is For Everyone
Anyone who wants to save money on food and help their community can be a member of SHARE. There are no membership fees or eligibility requirements.
Coordinator/Treasurer: Deacon Ron Lesjak 694-9143 or rlesjak@tds.net.
Small Faith Sharing Groups
These faith sharing groups gather throughout the various liturgical seasons. Watch the bulletin for ongoing announcements and specific dates and times.
Spiritual Book Club
Spiritual Book Club meets on Tuesdays once a month from 7:00-8:30 pm. New participants are welcome! For further details, please call Jane Delfield at 262-694-6018 x136.
Stewardship Committee
We are all called through our Baptism to become a follower of Christ and to identify, develop and use our God-given gifts of time, talent and financial resources to build the Church. The expression of our commitment to this calling is known by Catholic Christians as the
The Stewardship Committee strives to cultivate this
TGIF “To Gather In Faith” Whole Community Catechesis
People from all households ages 0 to 103 come together to share fellowship, fun, and learn about our faith. Committee members are needed for hospitality, decorating, set up and clean up for each event. Watch the bulletin for future events. For more information call Jane Delfield, 694-6018, x136.
Widowed Spouses Support Group
This is a bereavement group for men and women of any age who have lost a spouse. Share you experiences with others who walk the same path of loneliness, uncertainty, faith and hope. Our spouses have died, life goes on - but the memories don’t fade. Meetings are offered through St. Mark parish. Contact Karen Metallo at 656-7373. For other bereavement needs contact Pastoral Minister