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National speaker coming to Merrill
Reboot, an evening with internationally acclaimed Catholic speaker Chris Stefanick, will be in Merrill on Nov. 12. The event will take place at Merrill High School auditorium from 7-9:30 p.m. Groups from schools and parishes in the region are encouraged to attend. Contact 715-536-2803 for more information on how to get involved.
Homeschool year kickoff at shrine
EWTN contributor Fr. Gerald Murray will headline this fifth annual Midwest Homeschool Family Kickoff Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Crosse. The Shrine opens at 9 a.m., and the event begins with a talk given by Fr. Murray at 10 a.m. Mass and a blessing for homeschool families will follow, and all are invited for a picnic lunch and outdoor games. The afternoon will include another talk by Fr. Murray and holy hour. For more information, visit www.guadalupeshrine.org/homeschool-pilgrimage or call 877-799-4059.
Pilgrimage to beatification
A pilgrimage is being offered in December to celebrate the beatification of a Wisconsin native martyred in Guatemala.
Br. James Miller, a native of Polonia, near Stevens Point, was on the faculty of a Christian Brothers school in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, when he was gunned down Feb. 13, 1982, probably by forces associated the Guatemalan military.
Pope Francis declared Br. James a martyr in 2018. The Beatification Mass will be Dec. 7 in Huehuetenango.
Registration is underway for a pilgrimage to the Mass. The pilgrimage will depart Wisconsin Dec. 4 and return Dec. 9. While the Beatification Mass will be the high point, the pilgrimage also will include a day in Santiago Atitlan, where Bl. Stanley Rother, of Oklahoma City, was martyred in 1981; a visit to the beautiful, ancient city of Antigua; and other sites of Catholic and Guatemalan significance. More information on the pilgrimage can be found on the Diocese of La Crosse’s website, wwwdiolc.org, or by contacting Fr. Tom Lindner at .
Centennial celebrates Polish heritage
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Radisson, is celebrating 100 years as a faith community Sunday, Aug. 11. The parish was formed in 1919 by Fr. Henry Tewissee and the Polish immigrant families who lived along Polish Road in Radisson. Fr. Tewissee purchased the George Washington School and turned it into a church; a new church was built in 1945. The centennial celebration will begin with a blessing of the church building, with Bishop James P. Powers, Fr. Sunil Kumar Thumma, Fr. Jerome D’Souza and Dcn. Jim Frederick leading the short service at 9:30 a.m. A polka Mass will then be held at the Radisson Recreation Park in Radisson. A catered Polish-themed meal will follow the Mass.
Priest to share faith journey
Our Lady of the Lakes Magnificat is hosting two events featuring Fr. Greg Paffel at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Walker, Minnesota, Aug. 16-17.
Friday night, Aug. 16, includes a dinner presentation and testimony about Fr. Paffel’s faith journey. Registration is at 5:30 p.m. and dinner is 6 p.m.
On Saturday morning, Aug. 17, Fr. Paffel will speak about Divine Mercy at a breakfast at St. Agnes with registration at 8:30 a.m. and breakfast at 9 a.m. The priest has written a consecration prayer to the Divine Mercy, which he will share.
Fr. Paffel was raised in a Catholic family but had little catechesis. When he was a junior in high school, a friend invited him to an Assembly of God youth group, and his faith grew through Christian witness.
In college, wanting to experience a fervent faith in God in the Catholic Church as he had in Protestant congregations, Fr. Paffel went to the Franciscan University of Steubenville. There, he discovered his vocation to the priesthood and was later ordained for the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota.
All are welcome to the events. Dinner is $20. Breakfast is $15. Reserve by Aug. 9 by calling Lorri Henning, 218-507-0953. Visit ololmagnificat.com for details.
