Events

ANNIVERSARY BRUNCH

Every fall we recognize those who have reached milestones in their marriage commitments as couples married 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50+ years.  After celebrating Mass at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning where the couples renew their vows and receive a blessing from the presider, the couples are then escorted to a specially-prepared breakfast where they share stories and memories with those present. 

September 29, 2013

Invitations will be sent out to you - so watch your mailbox in late August or early September.

DESAYUNO DE ANIVERSARIO

Cada Otoño reconocemos a aquellos que han alcanzado años en sus promesas de matrimonio como parejas casadas 14, 30, 35, 40, 45, y 50 + años. Después de celebrar Misa a las 9:00 a.m. en Domingo en la mañana en donde las parejas renuevan sus votos y reciben bendiciones del que preside, las parejas son escoltadas hacia un desayuno especialmente preparado donde ellos comparten sus historias y memorias con aquellos presentes.

Each year, St Willebrord offers the opportunity for you to receive God’s healing blessing at Mass. We will be having our anointing at two of our English and one of our Spanish weekend liturgies.

Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 4:30 Mass

OR

Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 7:30 Mass

OR

Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 12:30pm Mass (Español)

If you are interested in receiving this very special blessing, mark your calendars now for that weekend. We would ask that you sit in one of the pews towards the front of church, in the middle sections. The ushers will show you where to sit. This is a prime opportunity for healing of the body, mind and spirit—please feel free to be a part of it.

Sunday, February 3 is the feast of St. Blasé. St. Blasé was a Bishop in Armenia. According to various stories written about him, due to persecution of Christianity in Armenia, Bishop Blasé was forced to flee to the back country, and lived as a hermit in solitude in prayer. Hunters found him and forced him to come with them to be imprisoned. As he was being brought into prison, a woman came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in this throat. At Blasé’s command, the child was able to cough up the bone. Bishop Blasé was eventually tortured, and beheaded in 316.

Traditionally, on his feast day that we come forward to have our throats blessed. So next weekend, we will be blessing throats at the end of all the Saturday evening and Sunday Masses. When you come forward, a set of two crossed candles will be set around your throat. The blessing you will be given is:

“Through the intercession of St. Blasé, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other illness. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

A Mexican tradition has been to celebrate our youth on the last weekend of April. Here at St Willebrord we do a special event with the children attending our Spanish faith formation classes. It is a reward to them for their attendance and participation in faith formation classes all year. They pay games, win small prizes, and have a pizza party at the end.

In 2013, our children’s day celebration will be on Saturday, April 27 for the children in our Friday and Saturday classes, and on Sunday, April 28 for our children in our Sunday classes.

The tradition of Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico has great importance to our Hispanic families. In Mexico, depending on the region, cultural background and financial ability, around All Souls Day (November 2), families will put together an Ofrenda (Offering) either at the grave site of loved ones or at their homes. An offering is a sort of altar where things like photos, the deceased’s favorite foods, fruits and sweets, and even personal belongings of the person being remembered, are placed there and the family spends some time in prayer for their loved ones.

We have adapted this tradition here at St. Willebrord. Each year, on the last weekend of October, our Spanish faith formation 5th graders decorate two special “grave sites” in our gathering space. One site is meant to remember everyone who has died in the past year. The other is to remember anyone who has died in the past.

At a special “Dia de Los Muertos” Mass on the weekend closest to November 2, the names of recently deceased family and friends close to our Hispanic families are read, and the Mass is dedicated to their memory.

On Good Friday, our Spanish speaking community has a Living Way of the Cross, rather than the traditional Good Friday service. It takes place at 6:00pm, beginning in our back parking lot.

The stations of the cross are posted around our entire city block. Dressed in period costumes, a group of our young adults recreates Jesus march to Calvary. At each station, the group acts out the scene, followed by music. The crowd works its way around the city block, ending with Jesus being hung on a cross in the sanctuary of the church.

Due to the very large crowds (up to 1000 people or more), we use a large speaker system and microphones so everyone can be a part of the entire re-enactment. When Jesus heads into church, the people follow, with overflow seating in our parish hall. Due to our camera system, we are able to project the scene into the hall so everyone can see.

ENGLISH SERVICE: is at 12:00 noon, and is a traditional Good Friday Service

On the third Saturday of November we serve delicious food items and drinks for the parade-goes of the Annual Green Bay Holiday Parade. Those who help belong to the Faith Formation program. All monies raised are used for activities and to purchase items for the Faith Formation program. Some past purchases included two new TVs and DVD players, and CD/radio players for each classroom. All are welcome to join us for a fun-filled morning. For more information contact Rita Bauldry, DRE.

Each year, approximately 150 older youth and young adults (ages 15-25) gather at St Willebrord for a 3 day retreat experience. They gather late Thursday afternoon, and leave Saturday noon.

In their retreat:

Thursday:

They re-enact the Last Supper experience

They attend the Holy Thursday liturgy

They are part of the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Friday:

They have speakers on various topics

They are a part of the Living Way of the Cross service

Saturday:

They have speakers on various topics

The 2013 retreat will be held March 28-30. For additional details, please contact Deacon Luis Sanchez.

The Blessed Virgin under the title of Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of our country. However, she is also patroness of a few Spanish countries. Nicaragua proudly claims her in this regard. On the Sunday closest to the Immaculate Conception (which is December 8) we celebrate the Immaculate Conception in a special way hosted by the people from Nicaragua. Specialized decorations and a procession with her statue highlight this day.

In 2013, Immaculate Conception falls on a Sunday. Masses will be the same as our normal Sunday schedule:

7:30am, 9:00am, and 5:00pm in English

10:45am is a blended Mass of English and Spanish

12:30pm and 6:30pm in Spanish.

La Posada es una tradición religiosa muy mexicana. Se trata de una novena que nos prepara a la celebración de la Navidad. Durante estos nueve días se reúnen las personas siguiendo un itinerario de oración, rosario y reflexión sobre lo que José y María vivieron durante los últimos días de la espera gozosa de su Hijo. Comienzan el 16 de Diciembre hasta el 24 de Diciembre.

The Posada is a very Mexican religious tradition. It is a novena that prepares us to celebrate Christmas. During these nine days people get together daily to follow an itinerary of prayer, the rosary and reflection on what Joseph and Mary lived during the last days of the joyful time waiting for her son to be born. The Posadas begin on December 16 and end on December 24. Please consult our December bulletins for details on the times.

For more information call (920) 435-2016, extension 111 and ask for Sr Justina Ortiz.

Every fall the St Willebrord Touch Group has a special Mass to remember everyone from our parish who died in the past year. The Mass is normally done on the Saturday nearest to All Soul’s Day (November 2) at 8:30 in the morning. The next of kin for each of the deceased are contacted about one month before the Mass inviting them to attend.

At this Mass, the names of the deceased are read as part of the offertory petitions. As each name is read, the family of the deceased is invited to come forth to light a candle in memory of their loved one.

This Mass is both a beautiful tribute to the deceased, and also a chance for the parish to honor the family and the deceased in a special way.

The families in attendance are invited to a breakfast after the Mass is complete.

On occasion, St Willebrord will host a ministry fair. They have been held just before, or just after the Lenten season.

At our ministry fair, our more than 70 ministries put up displays of their work.

It is a chance for people to learn about various ministry opportunities.

It is a chance to showcase all the different ministries.

It is a chance for our community to mingle in a social atmosphere.

Next scheduled ministry fair: in 2014. Date to be determined.

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12.

Beginning 9 days before, a novena of prayer is offered to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Times vary - so check a bulletin that week for details.

On December 11 we offer a Vigil Mass (6:00pm in 2012). Following the Mass, a group of parishioners re-enacts the story of the Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St Juan Diego. We also have traditional dancers that perform after the play.

Beginning in 2012, we chose to keep the church open all night. People kept vigil in prayer throughout the night. This past year, we had a rosary at midnight, and musicians followed playing Spanish Marion hymns. The traditional Mañanitas began at 4:00am, concluding with a Mass at 6:00am. Then, there was a closing Mass at 6:00pm with the play and more dancers celebrating this joyous occasion.

Beginning after Mass on December 11, our parish center kitchen is kept very busy. We offer tamales, pozole, a variety of Mexican sweets, coffee and hot chocolate. Any proceeds from these sales are used to purchase any additional items needed for this and other traditional Mexican events.

The Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego

At dawn on December 9, 1531, as Indian convert Juan Diego was passing the foot of Tepeyac Hill, he saw a brilliant light and heard celestial music. Then he heard a feminine voice, and he saw the Blessed Virgin Mary standing in the midst of a glorious light. She spoke to him in his Indian language, telling him that she was the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of the True God. She told him of her desire that a shrine be built there where she could manifest her love, compassion and protection. She sent him to the Bishop in Mexico to tell him of her wish.

The Bishop was reluctant to believe the Indian’s story. So, Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac where she was waiting and told her of his failure. She told him to go back again. The bishop asked for a sign. When Juan reported this to her she promised to grant his petition on the following morning. Juan’s uncle suddenly became ill, so Juan was prevented from returning the following morning. Two days later, on December 12, when he was going to the church to get a priest for his dying uncle, the Blessed Virgin came down the hill to meet him. When he explained why he could not return she said to him: “Do not be afraid of any illness, accident or pain. Your uncle will not die, be sure he is now well.” She then gave him the sign for the bishop. She told him to go to the top of the barren hill, where flowers never bloomed, and to cut the flowers he found and bring them to her. She arranged them in his mantle, telling him to take them to the bishop. When Juan stood before the bishop, he opened his mantle to show him the sign as the flowers cascaded to the floor. To everyone’s astonishment, there appeared the Virgin Mary’s portrait marvelously painted on the coarse fabric of the Indian’s mantle. Early on the same day of December 12 Mary also appeared to Juan’s uncle and restored him to health. As a result of the apparitions of the Virgin, eight million natives were converted to Christianity in the incredibly short span of seven years.

The Bishop did not know the Indians’ language and when he was told that the Virgin called herself Santa Maria Coatlaxopeuh, he thought it sounded like Guadalupe, which was the name of a famous shrine in Spain, and thought that she had chosen the same name for her Mexican shrine. Since, she has been venerated by this title for over four centuries.

We will celebrate our 32nd Annual Seder (Passover) Meal on Monday, March 25, 2013 at 6 p.m. in the Fr. Ken DeGroot Community Center. Experience the Jewish Passover Meal with a Christian reflection on the Last Supper. The cost is $10 per person. Reservations need to be made by Wednesday, March 20. Sign-up sheets are in the Gathering Space beginning about one month before this event, which is always the Monday of Holy Week.

Introduction: Passover is the great Jewish feast of redemption and liberation, the memorial of the Israelites' deliverance from their bondage in Egypt. The word Passover means "deliverance," since in the story of the Exodus Yahweh "passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt" (Ex. 12:27). Passover is also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, since in their haste to flee Egypt, "the people carried off their dough, still unleavened" (Ex. 12:34). The lamb offered at each paschal meal recalls the first Passover sacrifice, whose blood protected the Israelites from the avenging angel of Yahweh (cf. Ex. 12:21-33). Passover is a festival of great rejoicing, which reveals how God "led us from captivity to freedom, from sadness to joy, from mourning to feasting, from servitude to redemption, from darkness to brilliant light."

The Seder Meal: The ritual meal which commemorates the events of the Exodus is called the Seder.

The primary aim of the Seder is to transmit to future generations the story of the Exodus, the central event in Jewish history. Ideally, a family gathers around a table in its own home to celebrate the Seder, sharing in a meal which symbolizes their consciousness as a people and their faith in the future. The Exodus story pertains to all persons, since it tells of the right of all persons to be free.

Celebrating Our Heritage: In the Christian tradition the Passover Seder is also believed to be when Jesus instituted the Eucharist. Gathered around the supper table with his disciples, Jesus told them, "I have longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; because, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Then, taking a cup, he gave thanks and said, 'Take this and share it among you, because from now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the kingdom of God comes'.

Then he took some bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body which will be given for you; do this as a memorial of me'. He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you.'" (Luke 22:15-20)

This Christian observance of this ritual meal celebrates not only our tradition of Christ's last supper but our own Jewish heritage which provided the context for Jesus' institution at the last supper.

Elements of the Seder: The Seder meal is accompanied by commentary, prayers and, where possible, songs. Since the Seder is a commemoration of the Exodus story, it is strongly recommended that prior to the celebration all participants read and reflect on the scripture account of this event which is found in chapters seven through thirteen of the book of Exodus. This account serves as an excellent family Lenten reading program, and reflection on it will greatly enhance the celebration of the Seder.

The actual celebration of the Seder is a complete meal with supper during the ritual. In the service which follows, the meal is a ritual or symbolic one and supper follows the ritual. Like the Seder, it should be festive and joyous. If there are invited guests coming to the Seder, they could each be asked to bring something for the supper. This increases the feeling of harmony and community.

JUNE 9, 2013, beginning with an outdoor Mass at 11:00. Entertainment follows Mass until the raffle drawing at 4:45pm

The Jam is St Willebrord’s way to create a fund-raising event that reflects the culture and preferences of our parishioners.

St Willy Jam music is a combination of sounds and beats. 2013 Line-up:

12:00 Mariachi Estrella

12:30 Doonbali (drum group featuring fusion dancers)

1:00 Copperhearts (female country duet)

1:45 Mariachi Karaoke

2:00 Briana Novak (country)

2:30 Jeff Radtke (singer and song writer)

3:00 5/6/7/8 Dance performance

3:45 Furia Latina

St Willy Jam food is a combination of brats and burgers and tacos!

St Willy Jam beverages include water, soda, Horchata and Jamaica.

St Willy Jam snacks include popcorn, ice cream, and doritos (a salty Mexican rosette shaped snack)

We also have games for the children, a bounce house, and a woman who teaches the children how to beat rhymic drums.

All are welcome to partake in this festive event!