Man and Women of the Year 2023

At a dinner on our Patronal Feast (May 29), Kerry & Sue Groetsch were named Man and Woman of the Year.

This year’s honorees are seen helping with Fish Frys, Chicken-Ques, Men’s Club Breakfasts, Scrip sales, Rummage Sales, Cookie Walks, Catholic Charities Warming Center, and church cleanings and decorating.

Our honorees pay attention to their own Faith Formation by actively participating in many offerings, including CCO small faith-sharing groups, workshops, bible studies, and Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration prayer partners program.

Sue has been the President of the PCCW and Kerry has been President of the Men’s Club.

They are sacristans and Greeters for 8 AM Sunday Mass and funerals. Sue is sacristan on Thursdays –
arriving at 6:20 AM – and takes great notes for the team with her wonderful organizational skills. She waters flowers during the Christmas Season and Easter Season. For many years, Sue kept track of supplies for Sunday food hospitality and even found a volunteer before she handed it over.

In the last 12 months, their daughter Sara married Jason Edman on Friday, September 9 – a day after the Fall Chicken-Que – and they actively took part in the preparations on Wednesday! AND they were scheduled as sacristans at the 8 AM Sunday Mass.

Sue is an advertising guru. She anticipates deadlines to advertise parish events on local radio, Catholic Life magazine, and other media outlets. Before we got our new church sign a few years ago, Sue and Kerry managed the mobile message board for us. They also designed and made our green sandwich boards to set on boulevards for advertising our events.

Sue is a co-leader for church cleaning efforts twice a year, a co-leader of Divine Mercy for the La Crosse Deanery, and coordinates Life Chain and the Baby Bottle Fundraiser for our parish. As always, whatever Sue is involved in, Kerry is there to support the effort.

Kerry serves on our Pastoral Council. He is a Mr. Fix-It for our church. For example, he reconfigured the automatic coffee maker settings so it no longer overflows and recently reorganized a church basement storage area, including new shelving.

A few years ago, Kerry and Sue began helping Verda Grabinski who lives near church: 3 doors down the road. She attends the 4 PM Mass on Saturday and the 8 AM Mass on Sunday. They began assisting her to return home via a transport chair – a wheelchair – with her service dog Khloe. Then they began going to her home and taking her TO church, as well, and soon Fridays became another day to attend Mass. Kerry and Sue helped her with house and yard projects. When Verda’s dog died recently, they found a dog for her – in Webster, WI…3½ hours north – and communicated with a dog trainer to learn about the transitions needed. So Verda wouldn’t need to wait long, they made the trip on Mother’s Day – a couple weeks ago. They picked up “Tansy,” and with the help of Verda’s village of friends, they helped acclimate the new pet.

One nomination included this: “It seems they are always helping someone in need. They are a humble team, who really do stand by the merits of what Jesus has instructed us to do. They seem to exemplify
the greatest law of the Church: ‘love thy neighbor.’”

Thank you – and congratulations – to our 2023 Man and Woman of the Year: Kerry and Sue Groetsch.

First Communion 2023

We congratulate 13 families whose son or daughter today received Holy Communion for the first time at the 10:00 Mass this morning. We also congratulate the teachers who prepared them, particularly our own Christine Kainz. Christine has really stepped in to provide continuity and energy after the retirement of Therese van Oss.

The Mass was grand and lovely, our Sunday Choir sounding brilliant from the loft. Though the day outside was chill and rain, inside there was the warmth of extended families gathering around their 2nd grader.

At Baptism, the parish family promises to support parents raising their children in our faith. Today, cheering on these children was a moment of that support. Let’s keep it going by checking in and appreciating the milestones in each other’s lives.

Confirmation Class of 2023

Congratulations to 23 young women and men of our parish who were Confirmed at the Cathedral last evening! Congratulations as well to their parents and sponsors, and to Kellie Schmitz for walking this journey with them.

Lily Ackerman (St. Gianna)
Emily Allen (St. Joan of Arc)
Jude Alvarado (St. Sebastian)
Felicity Bell (St. Joan of Arc)
Charlotte Berendes (St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton)
Jack Branson (St. Michael)
Bradley Check (St. Barnabus)
Nora Dickinson (St. Faustina)
Andrew Egan (St. Patrick of Lore)
Benjamin Gerling (St. Francis)
Alyssa Gray (St. Gianna Beretta)
Alexander Grob (St. Christopher)
Isabel Harden (St. Matthew)
Jackson Harpenau (St. Christopher)
Maddox Herlitzke (St. Pier Giorgio Frassati)
Maria Kainz (St. Felicity)
Kylie Ortmeier (St. Elizabeth of Hungary)
Cullen Pittman (St. Michael, the Archangel)
Olivia Rudie (St. Theresa of Avila)
Cullen Sackman (St. Hubert)
Olivia Sake (St. Patricia of Naples)
Isaac Schelfhout (St. Sebastian)
Evelyn Smith (St. Alice of Schaerbeek)
Kyle White (St. Patrick)

First

A warm welcome and congratulations to Julia Harrison and Carter Harrison, who joined our Catholic faith and received Holy Communion for the first time tonight at the Easter Vigil Mass.

AHS Robotics Team headed to “Worlds”

The Aquinas High School robotics team has advanced to an international gathering at the top level of their avocation. The team includes our MMOC parish family, the Gerling family, including team member BJ Gerling. His dad Ben Gerling is the team’s head coach. Friends may recall mom Holly Gerling managing our business office. Congratulations to BJ and Ben and best wishes for a success and a memorable experience!

Coverage below is by WXOW News 19.
© Copyright 2023 Allen Media Broadcasting, 3705 CTH 25 La Crescent, MN

Crochet phenom Jonah Larson receives international Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award

Story by Emily Pyrek, photos by Peter Thomson, copyright 2023 by River Valley Media Group

Crochet wonder Jonah Larson has been awarded the 2023 William R. Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, a prestigious international recognition.

The La Crosse teen, who garnered worldwide fame four years ago after a profile in the La Crosse Tribune, is renowned for his skill with hook and yarn, as well as his generous nature and tenacity. As a child, Jonah was already using his artistic gift to bring attention to and support the needs of youth in his home country of Ethiopia, and in the years since he has raised tens of thousands to benefit the students of Teza Gerba School in Durame.

The William R. Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, granted to one individual and one group, is presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and sponsored by Carter, a group comprised of nonprofit professionals around the world. Jonah was selected for the individual award for his demonstration of “exceptional generosity” and civic responsibility, as well as his encouragement of others to volunteer or contribute to charitable causes. Jonah was nominated by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Upper Mississippi Valley Chapter. On a global level, the group has over 27,000 members and 240 chapters that raise over $100 billion each year for charities. Jonah will receive the award at the AFP ICON 2023 event in on April 18 in New Orleans.

“I was blessed with a talent that brought me notoriety and the ability to help kids in my birthplace receive a better education and quality of life,” Jonah said. “I discovered early on that giving back was equally important and more rewarding than receiving. Philanthropy doesn’t require a talent or platform, but rather an understanding that each of us can contribute with a giving heart. You can even start with something as simple as a ball of yarn and a hook, as in my case.”

Jonah’s philanthropic efforts started relatively small, with donations to auctions and fundraisers supporting Roots Ethiopia. As his crochet sales grew — and his popularity soared from book deals, TV appearances, crafting partnerships and more — Jonah set his charitable goals higher, starting GoFundMe campaigns to raise enough capital to build the Jonah’s Hands Library and Jonah’s Hands on Science Lab at Teza Gerba School, as well as a new latrine facility for female students. In total, Jonah brought in $52,500 for the projects, drawing in contributions with his engaging, passionate calls to action.

“Jonah’s story is a clear example of how fundraising unites our communities to create a huge impact, said Association of Fundraising Professionals president and CEO Mike Geiger. “All of us are in awe of his work so far, and we’re excited to be able to honor him.”

Beyond Teza Gerba School, Jonah has brought attention to causes including Help Heal Veterans, Soap SACKS (Supporting A Community with Kindness), the Hats and Mittens Organization and Black Lives Matter. Jonah’s work has also inspired creativity in others, increasing popularity of the yarn arts among boys and girls, and he shares advice with other young entrepreneurs.

“Jonah’s impressive work shows us all the power of mixing creativity, passion and determination with a good and gracious heart,” Carter’s co-founder and chairman Bob Carter said. “It is our honor to help recognize Jonah’s extraordinary achievements, and we wish him continued success for his communities and beyond.”

Jonah was also recently honored with the 2023 “Do Good Wisconsin” Youth Philanthropy Award. His next project with Teza Gerba School will be funding a soccer program.

MMOC note: Jonah and his family are members of our parish family. Congratulations!

BOFT Story

Thanks to Linda Schwartz, we now have the story of our parish family’s journey through Building Our Future Together. A project in two parts, there is a printed booklet and also an appendix. Thank you, Linda!

Men’s Club

Thanks to Andy Foley for this photo of the Men’s Club, taken at a social on 11 January 2023.

Cookie Walk 2022

Thanks to Julie Marthaler for these photos, and thanks to everyone who baked and crafted to make this year’s PCCW Cookie Walk a big success!

Life Chain 2022

We thank our corner captains Sue and Kerry Groetsch for leading MMOC’s participation in the Life Chain today. Thanks also to everyone who turned out in prayerful witness.