Every year during Lent, the St. Boniface Council of Catholic Women in Chetek hosts a series of freewill-donation soup luncheons to raise money for community needs.

Graduates of Medford High School who attended Holy Rosary Catholic School or participated in the parish’s faith formation program gather with Fr. Patrick McConnell and Fr. Julian Druffner to celebrate the milestone.

In honor of our Blessed Mother Mary and mothers everywhere, the congregation of St. Ann Catholic Church in Cornucopia collected supplies to support new area mothers through the Chequamegon Pregnancy Center in Ashland.

A married couple of lifelong St. Patrick, Hudson, parishioners who operate a local nursery continue to offer signup for providing commemoratory plant pots and watering services at three large Catholic cemeteries, with the proceeds going to the local Councils of Catholic Women.

In 2016, Mary Freitag approached her then-pastor Fr. Tom Thompson at St. Anthony the Abbot in Cumberland about starting a health ministry. Eight years later, and following a pandemic hiatus, the ministry team is going strong and continues offering programs to the clustered parishes in Cumberland, Almena and Turtle Lake.

Following the diocesan-wide all-deanery meeting on planning and evangelization on March 10, led by Bishop James P. Powers and the Diocesan Planning Team, parishes are being called upon to reevaluate their current operations and make a concerted effort to transition from maintenance mode to active mission engagement.

The third annual Bishop’s Legacy Circle Mass and Dinner took place Wednesday, May 29, at St. Joseph Parish in Rice Lake and Turtleback Conference Center.

Fr. Ron Serrao, pastor of the Northern Lakes Catholic Communities, led a crowning of Mary ceremony with faith formation youths on May 1.

Asked what she will miss most about teaching, award-winning Catholic school teacher and Ashland resident Deb Cline answered, “Every day is different. I enjoy the conversations and being around a group of kids that are eager to learn and happy to share their faith.”

Mary and Tom Gelhaus, founders of the nonprofit Muchas Sonrisas (Many Smiles) Inc., led a group of eight to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, the last week-and-a-half of April. The mission church was built in 1584 and has been supported by the New Ulm Diocese in Minnesota for more than 70 years.