International priest Fr. Karun Madanu and diocesan priest Fr. David Neuschwander enjoy the fireworks show that was part of the centennial celebration for St. Francis Solanus in Reserve in early June. Fr. Karun works with the local Native American population and came to Wisconsin after ministering to First Nations peoples in Canada. (Submitted photo)
Jenny Snarski
Catholic Herald Staff
There was a time and place, according to Fr. David Neuschwander, that intentionally being a public witness of faith wasn’t as necessary as it is today.
In recent decades, as the practice of religion has been relegated to the sphere of personal devotion, and as Catholicism’s public image has been marred by scandal and disunity, the Diocese of Superior priest believes that now, more than ever, the world needs that witness.
In Fr. Neuschwander’s experience, especially of recent weeks, what makes the deepest impact is more often not his theological knowledge, sacramental ministry or spiritual homilies. Those are certainly necessary and unique to his ordained priesthood, but they are like upper-level courses that many are not able to connect with until they’ve been given the foundational material.
That foundation is relationship, built by the basic ability to encounter, meet people where they are and build human connections.
“What I’ve seen from my 10 years as a priest,” he shared, “people, whether Catholic or not, have responded most strongly and in a positive way when I’m seen doing things human and relatable.”
While a good homily is important, he said the preaching best remembered is what’s relatable. He can tell them what they should do in church and why they should be there, but they’re more receptive to that message when they hear that his own family didn’t always make it to church every Sunday while he was growing up.
So, when a photo was shared on social media of Fr. Neuschwander log-rolling with popular comedian Charlie Berens, the priest wasn’t surprised at the buzz it created.
Berens had given Fr. David a public shout-out at his Good Old Fashioned Tour the night of July 31 at Hayward’s Lumberjack Bowl. He was introduced by name, asked to stand and received applause in recognition.
“Ya wore the collar,” Berens quipped. “That’s nice!” He then recounted how his dad had given him the option to get up for Sunday Mass because they were “on vacation,” and then, mere minutes later, proceeded to kick him out of bed to make sure they were on time for the 7 a.m. service.
It is precisely that collar, seen in the community, that has given Fr. Neuschwander fruitful encounters with strangers, opportunities for real evangelization he would not have if he, and Fr. Karun Madanu, his brother priest also serving the Hayward area, were waiting for people to seek them out within the walls of a church – connections that would not have been made if the priests had not gone to community celebrations and non-liturgical gatherings; in particular, if they had not been seen at local events wearing that visible sign of their priesthood.
He clarified that wearing his collar in public is not about bringing attention to himself, but embracing that public significance of faith intersecting with daily life. Yes, his appearance in priestly garb might be intimidating to some, he acknowledged, but more often it’s a source of encouragement for other Catholics and Christians to be open about their own faith, even when not lived perfectly.
“When the (log-rolling) photo was posted on The Northern Nerd,” Fr. Neuschwander said, “even just the number of people from church who were super encouraged and excited to see their priest and pastor having fun doing something human and being recognized for that” was tremendous. It allowed an opening for a different kind of interaction with parishioners and strangers alike.
“The biggest question has been,” the priest noted, “Who won? And this has been an icebreaker … an opportunity to open the door,” to encounter people and interact in ways that allow for introductions and relationship formation.
Starting with “positive, healthy human interactions about human, healthy positive things,” have not only made the priest relatable across all ages and faith experiences, but it has increased Fr. Neuschwander’s possibility of planting a seed, or fertilizing faith, with people he would never had encountered in church.
“It hasn’t even been a week,” he said, “and I’ve already had a number of people introduce themselves and start conversations that they wouldn’t have otherwise.”
He explained how very common it has been, immediately after a greeting, people bring up how they grew up Catholic, when to Catholic school, catechism classes or were altar servers and then feel the need to explain why they haven’t been to church in a while. These are all topics Berens uses himself as fodder for humor – once again relatable, as what constitutes something funny is when it is relatable.
Fr. Neuschwander shared that these interactions often lead to an invitation, an encouragement or a promise to try and make more time for God. While he said it’s often not going to lead to an immediate conversion and commitment, that person or family “just had a really positive interaction with the local priest that made them think of the faith again in a way that they probably hadn’t in a while.” The “Catholic guilt” is not intended – it is a natural consequence, and something God can use.
If Catholicism didn’t seem relatable to their life, “these people just had an encounter with me as a relatable person,” Fr. Neuschwander explained. The encounter might stir up a “cognitive dissonance. But seeing a priest in public log-rolling with a hilarious comedian just might be an opening to rewrite their expectations” of the church and religion.
He recognized how compartmentalized religion has become and the benefits of lines being blurred when the worlds of faith, fun and daily life intersect, opportunities that don’t only belong to him as a priest.
Families praying before a meal in a restaurant, someone seeing a rosary hanging from a rearview mirror in the parking lot, a nun in a habit walking through the airport or someone wearing a T-shirt with a religious image or Christian message. They can all “reawaken awareness of faith,” Fr. Neuschwander said, “and we often discount the importance of those everyday encounters.
“Some of the most fruitful encounters that I have with people are when I’m out in public just being me,” he added. “They might not seek out the priest at church, but if they see me at a local baseball game, lumberjack games or local parade … I’m seen on their turf doing something not strictly religious, and this has led to many of my most fruitful and engaging interactions.”
It’s a way to break down barriers, he confirmed. It also offers opportunities, like when someone shares difficult news to offer to pray with them right then or later. When good news is brought up, it’s something to celebrate with “Thanks be to God” over a simple congratulations.
Fr. Neuschwander has yet to meet someone who turned down an offer for prayers or walked away because he used God’s name in an honoring way.
He also affirmed the impact of stories and circumstances that balance humor, humanity and living the faith. Rather than holding up religion as something separate from daily life, its integration into every area of human interaction presents the faith as attractive and holiness as something attainable.
This was highlighted unknowingly by St. Joseph parishioner Carl Kozak, also during the Charlie Berens show. Kozak met Berens one Sunday morning after Mass in Hayward and, knowing the comedian usually auctions an item to benefit a local charity, mentioned he had a hand-carved canoe to donate.
On stage with Berens at the Wednesday night show, Kozak shared his own anecdote of Catholic humor, dressed in a red buffalo plaid shirt, hat and boots and standing next to his canoe, the “Geez Louise.” What started out as a 28-inch-diameter log weighing 1,200 lbs., after three months of work and a thousand pounds of shavings, ended up as a boat. Kozak wanted to carve the canoe just because it was a “bucket list” desire.
Before Berens started the bidding, he asked which local charities Kozak wanted the proceeds to go to – they were the Namekagon River Rollers and the St. Joseph’s Parish Youth Activity Fund. With Berens matching the funds raised and the canoe selling for $4,000, a total of $8,000 was raised for two organizations through the witness and human interest of this one Catholic man.
Fr. Neuschwander shared one particular story highlighting the potential fruits of these opportunities to be “publicly Catholic.” It was that of a DJ he met the night of Berens’ show when they went out afterwards to sing karaoke. After the priest sang with Berens’ recording-artist partner Adam Greuel, the DJ introduced himself and admitted he and his wife were fallen-away Catholics.
The two men happened to meet and greet each other multiple times throughout the lumberjack competitions and in town. By the fourth interaction, the man opened up to Fr. Neuschwander that the couple had been feeling the “need for a little more God” in their life and the chance to get to know the priest over those very human encounters just might have been the “push” they needed to take the next step.
“If that’s how God wants to use a night I enjoyed some karaoke,” Fr. Neuschwander laughed, “Praise be to him.”
