The theme for our Stewardship campaign this year is “We treasure our people, we
treasure our facilities, and we treasure our ability to reach out to our community”.
Hi! Last week Rita McCarthy did a great job talking about our history and the people that
worked and prayed here. What a great gift Rita is. This week it is Buildings and Grounds.
My name is Dick Miller. Except for a few years, early in our marriage as parishioners of St
Gall’s in Milwaukee, we have been happy parishioners here for my entire lifetime. If you
look at our campus from the air, it is huge. Nearly 10 acres with buildings, buildings,
buildings. Like our own homes, all of them need constant attention – new roofs, paint,
tuckpointing, cement repair, heating, cleaning. For 175 years, our pastors, maintenance
people, and a huge corps of volunteers have all been good stewards.
Sunday Masses began here in private homes in the 1830’s, sometimes a local saloon, then
St Sebastian’s ( his statue is right behind me to the left, full of arrows). The church was
built across the street where our State St parking lot is now. While our stone church was
being built, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was declared in 1854, and our faith
community chose to name the church in Our Blessed Mother’s honor. Before the 20th
century began, the church we are in now was built, and somewhere in between there,
Catholic education began with the arrival of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The stone
church then became a school, and by 1922 our present high school was in operation. In
the 1950’s our grade school replaced the Sister’s garden and orchard, and Fink’s pasture
became our football field. A new gym was built in the 70’s, followed by the Marian Center
in the 90’s, and our current gym greeted the new millennium.
In each age, our ancestors acted in Faith, and forged ahead when action was needed and
got the job done. Now, we have the responsibility to maintain what was built. The
church fire in the mid 70’s gave us what we have now, a gorgeous church that takes away
your breath at times. Added then was the Good Shepherd Chapel used at first for
morning Mass and some funerals. Now we have Eucharistic Adoration five days a week,
as many as 12 hours a day. Stop in any time, and have a nice quiet visit with Our Lord.
Since the late 80’s I have been on Buildings and Grounds, became it’s leader. In the mid
90’s my son Daniel and I motored to Honduras to build a Catholic school, church, clinic
and an orphanage called Finca del Nino. During this time Tim McCourt assumed the
chairmanship, immersing himself totally in this important work. He, and our many
volunteer tradesmen, spend countless hours keeping our church and schools in top
condition.
Our projected budget for Buildings and Grounds is $175,000 this fiscal year. Your
generous support makes it all happen. A wish list is on the parish web site for special
contributions.
Our parish is one of three in the Archdiocese to be around this long. Thanks to a legion of
generous parishioners who give time, talent, and treasure, we are here now, today, to
preserve and protect what we have, all for the greater honor and glory of our Triune God.
Now, let us begin our Mass, and experience the Mystery of the Real Presence with a
rousing song to our God!