Upload
others
View
1
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Re�ections by Parishioners, Je� & Maria Kucharski
Continued on page 2
Family Experiences
Maria Kucharski: I have come to know Christ
through my family experiences. Our family
always participated in weekly Mass, prayed the
family rosary in the car and a decade after our
nightly meal, attended Schoenstatt and
St. Joseph Parish events, and volunteered often.
In re!ection, two events occurred in my family
that really showed the impact of knowing Christ
in my life. My brother Brian had kidney failure.
Growing up, he needed a special diet and
dialysis on a regular basis to live. He was often
crabby and was not fun to be around. He had his
own room, and I often felt that our house ran
around his needs. After years of living with
kidney disease, my mother donated a kidney to
my brother. In the 1980s, this was not an easy
surgery for the donor. My mother had several
ribs removed and a long recuperation. With
medication, the kidney transplant was very
successful. My brother was able to attend college
and became a nurse. A few short years later, my
brother was killed in a motorcycle accident. A
college student did not see him and hit him
coming out of a UWM parking lot. At the time, I
recall the police asking my parents if they would
like to press criminal charges. They said, “No, we
would not,” because that college student will live
with killing someone for the rest of their life and
that was quite enough. In a letter, they forgave
her. As a mother myself, I honestly don’t know if I
would be able to give that same forgiveness, if
something happened to our daughter, Olivia or
son, Zachary.
The second event was my father becoming a
deacon. Being the youngest, I was the only child
living at home when in his retirement, my father
discerned and studied for the diaconate. I saw
such a conversion in my father. He was a great
man already, but was becoming exceptional. I
was very close to my father. I wish my siblings
could have known the man of Christ that he
became. Unfortunately for us, my father died just
2 years after being ordained. My memories of our
father are so much richer and deeper for
witnessing his transformation.
SAINT DOMINIC CATHOLIC PARISH
An Inspiring View of Parish Life May 2018 Volume 11
stdo
min
ic.ne
t
Kucharski Family: Je:, Maria, Olivia and Zak
2
Miracles in My Life
While my father
was in the
diaconate
formation program,
several men in his
class and their
family members
visited Israel. I was
blessed to go along.
During the trip, one
of my father’s
classmates, John
Hochaus,
unexpectedly
passed away in
Bethlehem from a
heart attack. We were close to John’s
family as they were also members of
St. Joseph Parish. It was not an easy time,
because the Palestinians that controlled
Bethlehem and the Israel government
did not (and still do not) get along. Out
of nowhere, a man named Roger
appeared at the hospital. He helped with
translations between languages. He
stayed until things were settled as best
as they could. At the police station the
next day, they were also having trouble
communicating. Again, Roger showed
up to help. Since then, we have called
Roger, an angel.
Later in the tour, a group of my father’s
classmates decided to visit the tomb of
Lazarus . Since the tomb was oAcially
“closed” and did not have any electricity,
they brought vigil lights. At this point,
they were a bit upset with the Lord for
John’s death, and for the death of
another classmate, Jim. As they were
praying, they heard…”John come out,
Jim come out, Lazarus come out.” They
immediately came up and were
surprised to Cnd that an hour had
passed, but their candles appeared to be
just lit. They all had heard the same
voice and message.
In December 2015, St. Nick brought Je:
and me a “Happy and Faithful Marriage”
novena, by St. Josemaria Escriva. Je: and
I began the novena in order to have the
last day land on the feast of the
Epiphany. That year, our family was
celebrating New Year’s Eve at my
brother-in-law’s house. The children
enjoyed snow sledding for several hours.
When they came in, they went to take
o: their wet clothes in the basement
where a wood stove was located. The
stove was used to heat the home.
Zachary slipped while taking o: his
snow pants and caught himself on the
cooktop of the stove as we watched
helpless to stop him. He screamed in
pain. We immediately ran it under cold
water, put it in an ice bath, and called
the pediatrician. Big blisters formed, and
he was in complete agony. The
pediatrician said there was really not
much to do for burns, but control the
pain, stay with burn cream and an ice
pack, and call back in the morning. I was
just sick!
We planted Zachary between us that
evening to stop his tossing and turning.
Anytime he touched his Cngers, he
would cry out. We did not sleep much,
changing the ice packs in socks over his
hands all evening, as well as giving him
the pain medicine. During that night,
Je: and I continued our novena, with
Zachary in bed with us. When morning
came and Zachary woke up, his burns
and blisters were gone. He spent New
Year’s Day playing football outside.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit brings us seven gifts:
wisdom,
understanding,
counsel, fortitude,
knowledge, piety
and the fear of the
Lord. The work of
the Holy Spirit in
my life has often
guided my decision
making.
When I began
teaching, I was
holding three jobs
to make ends meet:
teaching, working
at a dry cleaners,
and serving at Applebee’s. Due to my
busy schedule, I did not see my parents
often. One Saturday, my manager at the
drycleaners asked me how my parents
were doing. I told her I had not been
home for a while. She suggested that I
stop home after my shift, before work at
Applebee’s began. I thought I could
perhaps make a visit. Just my father was
home when I arrived. As usual, my
deacon dad wanted to discuss some of
my decisions that he was not in
agreement with; primarily my boyfriend
at the time. Within this discussion, he
asked me why I was not dating Je:. I
explained that we had been friends for
years and that “he does not like me that
way.” My dad assured me that I was
incorrect. The next day, my father
unexpectedly died from a brain
aneurysm during church. Je: appeared
at the funeral where our friendship
bloomed. The gifts from the Holy Spirit
of wisdom and counsel were more than
evident.
Je: and I are Dynamic Catholic
Ambassadors. We get several books
delivered to us at our home. Since I am a
Matthew Kelly nerd, I have read
everything he has written. I often Cnd
that these “deliveries” are guided by the
Holy Spirit. I had an awful experience at
work one week. One that required a
follow-up meeting. I spent time
gathering all the information needed to
“prove I was right” and the person at
stdo
min
ic.ne
t
3
work was “wrong.” I wrote notes,
printed emails, and reviewed previous
communications. I was preparing to
show righteousness and justiCcation.
The evening before the follow-up
meeting, a book arrived from Dynamic
Catholic, Everybody Needs to Forgive
Somebody. I sat there looking at the Crst
few pages. Wow! I needed the Holy
Spirit's gifts of fortitude and
understanding. Right then, I decided to
show forgiveness, assume positive
intention, and to be as matter of fact as
I could. The meeting went well, much
better than I could have ever
anticipated.
Being a Lifelong Learner
Before I read Matthew Kelly’s book,
Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic, I
thought I was a dynamic Catholic. I am
active in my parish, serving on the
Festival Committee and a member of
the church choir, and Je: and I are part
of the Marriage Preparation Program. I
attend Mass, give stewardship and
pray. What I realized was that I have not
actively studied my faith beyond the 12
years of Catholic school education I
received. Sure, I read the Dynamic
Catholic books sent, but I was
struggling with a few cultural issues
and the Catholic Church’s teachings on
these issues. Why? Because I didn’t
really know the teachings. I had to get
back to being a learner around the
genius of Catholicism. I purchased the
Catholic Catechism (that I most likely
gave away after conCrmation), a big
print bible (I am getting older), and
other Catholic books to help with some
of the counter-cultural issues. I am
understanding better, in hopes to also
better educate my children.
The Rich Young Man
Je!: Maria and I had our whole life
planned out exactly the way “we”
wanted it. One of the non-negotiables
for us was to have one of us always at
home with our children. She was a
teacher with summers o:. I had my
design build Crm, where I could do my
design work during the school year,
along with taking care of the kids, and
then use the summers to complete my
construction work. In a short time, the
Lord revealed His plans. Maria moved
into another role, which became a full-
time, year-round position. For a very
long time, the thought of closing my
company was very unsettling. I had
built my company up for over twenty
years. I always felt that I was using the
gifts and skills the Lord had given me;
the carpentry skills that had been
taught to me by my father since I was
young, and the years of education
working for my degrees in architecture.
Being a father full-time was not easy,
and I struggled. Why would the Lord
want this for me? It wasn’t until I read
Matthew’s gospel story of the rich
young man that I understood what the
Lord was asking of me. The message
was loud and clear. If I were to follow
Him, I would need to leave my worldly
desires behind, and become the father
He wanted me to be, not the one I
wanted to be. That one passage
changed my entire outlook on why the
Lord has me here on earth. I Cnally
knew with certainty that I am here to
get Maria, Olivia, Zachary, and myself to
heaven.
Family Prayer Life
Maria and I wanted to create a balance
for our family prayer life, which would
allow our children to develop a prayer
life of their own. From very little on, I
would take Olivia and Zak to pray at a
nursing home where Maria’s mom
would lead the rosary each week. I had
thought our visits were a great gift to
the residents, when in truth, I received
the greatest gift; growing to love Mary
and the rosary. As a family, we began to
pray the rosary on car trips, in the
Prayer Gardens, and of course, in our
home. Olivia has always loved the
rosary. A couple years ago, she told
Maria and me that Jesus had told her
that He would like her to pray the
rosary each day. She has not missed a
day since. As for Zachary, he prefers the
Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It is such a gift
to hear our children’s prayer intentions
and to see the growth in their personal
prayer life.
Another important part of our family
prayer life is frequenting the
sacraments. When Olivia began school
here, I started to go to the all school
Mass each Wednesday morning. Taking
the time to worship God was a real
game changer. Once both kids were in
school, I found myself wanting to go to
Mass on a daily basis, as my schedule
allowed. Our summer schedule now
includes going to Mass a couple of
times each week. I remember a priest
once saying that the surest way to
heaven is to receive Jesus in the
Eucharist each day. We also try to go to
confession once a month. And before
each of the kid’s Crst Communions, we
went to confession together as a family.
Seeing Jesus in the Poor
Serving the Lord through the poor has
also become a very important ministry
in our family. We started delivering and
working at St. Ben’s when Olivia and
Zachary were old enough to help. One
Friday, Olivia began to cry and said she
didn’t want to go. Before I lost my
patience with her, I thought to ask why.
She began to tell us that it was too hard
for her to see people in need. It was a
great learning opportunity, teaching
her to see Jesus in everyone!
About four years ago, Maria asked me if
I ever thought about discerning for the
Diaconate. At the time, I came up with
every excuse to say no. As I took this
idea to the Lord in prayer, He shot
down all of my excuses, one after the
other. Then one night while I put Olivia
to bed, she told me that she prays for
me each night to become a deacon.
Boy, I could have just fallen over! Could
this be the Lord talking to me through
my family? I took this again to prayer
and asked the Lord to make His path
perfectly clear. Over the following
months, in many separate settings,
di:erent friends and parishioners
would ask me the same question. I am
still not 100% sure if Lord is calling me
to become a deacon or not, but if he
wants me, I will be available to Him.
4
By Parishioner, Katie Mleziva
The Amiot family joined St. Dominic
Catholic Parish in 2016. Erin and Rob
have three boys – Luca, age 9, in 3rd
grade at St. Dominic Catholic School,
Joseph, age 7, in 1st grade, and Alex, age
2. Their journey to our parish was a bit of
a winding road.
Erin and Rob were both raised in the
Catholic faith. Erin attended St. Catherine
School in Milwaukee, and Rob grew up in
Grafton, North Dakota. There was not a
Catholic school in Rob’s small town, but
his family belonged to St. John Catholic
Parish.
Erin and Rob met at St. Joseph
Outpatient Center when Rob was in his
last year of residency and Erin was
working there. They were married at
St. Hedwig Catholic Church on the east
side of Milwaukee. Rob shared that,
“Fr. Tim revitalized our faith and our
desire to regularly attend Mass. We left
Mass feeling better than when we
walked in the door, and left Mass
wanting to live out our faith on a daily
basis.” They were happy that Fr. Tim
baptized both Luca and Joseph, but it
became harder and harder to get to
St. Hedwig with two little ones after they
moved to BrookCeld, so they felt the
need to Cnd a new parish.
At Crst, they found it diAcult to Cnd a
connection to another Catholic parish.
Admittedly, there were big shoes to Cll,
but they needed to Cnd a place that felt
right for their growing family. While
Mass is not always easy for parents with
young kids in general, it represented
unique challenges for the Amiots. In
2012, Luca was diagnosed with autism at
the age of 3 ½. Although many people
brushed o: their concerns, calling them
“typical boy behaviors,” and reassuring
them that “he would talk when he was
ready,” as parents, they knew there was
something more.
While Luca looks like most
other kids, one of the most
challenging parts of utism is
that it is an invisible
disability. Among many other
challenges, Mass can be
especially diAcult to
navigate due to Luca’s sound
sensitivities, social delays,
and other sensory processing
diAculties. When Luca’s
behavior did not “match his
age,” people would stare. As
they searched for a parish,
there were diAcult
experiences that left them
wondering if the Catholic
Church was still the right
place for them.
At just the right time, God intervened.
One of Luca’s trusted therapists
suggested looking at St. Dominic
Catholic Parish. From the Crst
conversation with the school principal,
Jill Fischer, Erin and Rob’s faith was
renewed. There was a place for them,
not only in the parish, but also in the
school.
Now, after two years at St. Dominic, Erin
says, “Every day when I drop o: the kids
at school, I am so thankful that we have
found our place here. One of the
greatest joys is watching how other
children at our school have accepted
Luca for who he is, include him, and
watch over him.” When they started at
the school, they explained to the
students that there are some things Luca
is really good at - like reading,
remembering facts, and anything you
could want to know about trains. They
also shared that on the !ip side, there
are some things that can be a challenge
for Luca, including joining a group of
kids to play and eating or smelling
certain foods. Also, not allowing Luca to
move around is like not allowing
someone with vision impairment to wear
glasses. It was presented in a way that
the kids could relate to, along with the
message that God created everyone
unique and special. Erin says that she
could not be happier with the way the
kids in Luca’s class have embraced him.
She says “It is a real testament to the kids
and families at this school. He knows he
is di:erent, but he truly is more like the
other kids than unlike them, and they
understand that. ”
While Erin and Rob try to keep things as
“normal” as possible in their daily
routine, the fact is that autism has
a:ected their family in a major way, and
they are always working to help Luca
thrive. Raising a child with autism leads
to a fundamental shift in family
dynamics. “We arrange our family life
around Luca, providing therapies,
attending meetings, working on skills,
and working to educate others. This
often means less time with our other
children. The silver lining is that our
middle son, Joseph, has incredible
empathy and understanding when it
comes to Luca and others. We are able to
use our situation as a teaching tool, to
help remind him to be slow to judge.”
5
While a challenge, they are always
working to make sure Joseph and Alex
get the special attention they need, as
well.
“We are still learning how to balance all
the competing demands. We work extra
hard to keep our marriage strong and to
grow together, not apart, to use it to
anchor us to the Lord and to each other.
Luca has taught us patience and
!exibility, that prior to our parenting
journey with Luca, we never thought we
had inside us. He is an extraordinary
child. The way he loves reminds me of
the way God loves us; unconditionally,
fully, and deeply.”
One of their proudest moments was
watching Luca receive his First Eucharist
last year. They were especially grateful to
his second grade teacher, Mrs. Herzog
and Stacey Irvine, director of children’s
ministry, for helping to prepare him. “As
parents, we experience a special joy
when we see Luca at Mass participating,
folding his hands in prayer, reaching out
during the sign of peace, as we know
how diAcult these small things can be
for him,” said Erin.
Recently, at Easter Mass, a parishioner
extended a kindness that was more
impactful than she may have
known. Erin recalled “It was
very crowded, so it was more
diAcult than usual for Luca to
sit still and he was Cdgeting
quite a bit, moving around and
making some noises. These
situations can be very stressful
for our family. The woman in
front of us had never met us, or
Luca. At the end of Mass, she
turned around. I was afraid of
what she would say. She
leaned over to Luca, gave him
a Cst bump and said “You did a
great job!” This kind woman
took a weight o: our shoulders
and literally made our day.
Erin shares that “having a child
with special needs can be
extremely isolating. We have
met people in the St. Dominic
community whose children don’t have
autism, but are struggling in some way.
We can compare notes and ideas. We
have also had countless people reach
out to us and welcome us. These simple
connections make a world of di:erence.”
“Everyone deals with a diagnosis
di:erently. In our experience, we have
found that being upfront and open has
led to understanding and acceptance.
We are an open book. While other
families may be more private about it,
we are motivated to help people
understand autism and sensory
processing. April was Autism Awareness
month. During this month, I always pray
for continued strength to be the mom
that Luca needs, and for acceptance of
all children with invisible disabilities.”
In terms of how autism has impacted
their faith, Rob said, “I remember wise
words a chaplain at the hospital once
shared, “God didn’t give this to you, but
God will help you through this.” I truly
believe this, and I repeat this to myself
during times of doubt. I would not say
that having a child with autism is an easy
road, but it is deCnitely an adventure,
and how blessed we are to have been
chosen to be his parents!”
In terms of how it has shaped her faith,
Erin said, “ I have learned that the life I
imagined was not exactly the life God
had in store for me. As time goes on, I
have begun to trust that this is exactly
what God intended. I have become more
humble and grateful for God’s gifts, to
trust Him completely, and to not be
afraid. I think of the scripture: For I know
the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
Plans for good and not for evil, to give
you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11.
A favorite Psalm of Erin’s over the past 9
years has been: As for me, I will always
have hope. Psalm 71:14. She says it
reminds her that even during our most
challenging times, God is by our side. It
was Ctting when Joseph brought home a
piece of artwork he had done in school
with this Psalm on it recently, yet
another reminder of why St. Dominic
makes them feel right at home. This
piece of Joseph’s art hangs in a
prominent place in their home.
The Amiot’s story is a good reminder to
share a smile, or Cst bump, with the
person or family next to you at Mass. You
may never know how much it means to
them.
stdo
min
ic.ne
t
The Amiot Family: Rob, Erin, Luca, Joseph and Alex
6
Led by A Re�ection by Parishioner, Scherrie Moris
Example I recently re!ected on the people who
have shaped my life and realized that so
many things in my life are the result of
the examples of others. The Crst person
that came to mind was my mother. My
mom was a very religious person. I
“grew up” in parochial school. I think
daily Mass was mandatory at that time,
so I didn’t appreciate it much back then!
When they asked me to speak at my
mom’s funeral, I looked out at all of her
friends and thought to myself, “In all the
years I knew my mother, I never heard
her say a bad thing about anyone.” If my
mom did not have something good to
say, she said nothing at all. She never
gossiped. It is something that I have
tried so hard to do in my own life,
wanting to be led by her example.
The second person who came to mind,
is my son. As I mentioned, I took my
religion for granted. When I got married,
and started having children, I worked
every other weekend. On work
weekends, I would go to chapel at the
hospital, but on o: weekends, I
wouldn’t attend Mass. It was my son
who said, “Mom, come to church with
me.” That simple invitation brought me
back to church, and ever since, it has
become a very important part of my life.
The third person was my brother. It
wasn’t until my brother Jack passed
away at the age of 57 that we learned
from all the townspeople how much he
had done for everyone. He was there for
them Cnancially or just to listen. He died
about two years after I retired. I hadn’t
been doing anything with the talents
God had given me, but my brother’s
death would set me on a new path.
The Filipino doctors where I used to
work would go on surgical mission trips
every two years. I never gave it much
thought until some of our nurses went
along. Then one day, one of the nurses I
used to work with got in touch with me
and asked, “Scherrie, would you
consider going, now that you are
retired?” I asked, “Boy, how much does
it cost?” because you pay your own way,
and that year, extra expenses had come
up for me. Miraculously, the week
before she asked me, my brother’s
estate was settled. I found out that
there would be money for me to go. In
my heart, I knew that this is what my
brother would want me to do. He ended
up not only paying for my Crst surgical
mission, but for my Crst two trips.
So, I went on my Crst surgical mission.
Oh my goodness! I had seen poverty in
Mexico, but leaving the airport after
landing in Manila, the traAc and the
mass of humanity was overwhelming. It
was nighttime, and there were people
laying out towels or a piece of a
cardboard box on the streets to lie on;
whole families sleeping on the streets. I
thought, this is terrible! I couldn’t
believe how these people lived; under
the highway overpasses were rows of
cardboard boxes and no electricity or
clean water. How did they survive?
Then, we headed to our mission site in
Taclobin. As bad as Manila was, Tacoblin
was even worse. Again, a lot of people
did not have electricity or water. In the
evening, on the main streets they would
set up their little kiosks and trade. That
is how they ate; by bartering with one
another for food and other needs. Some
would go down to the river to wash
clothes. It was almost like a self-
suAcient society. What was more
astonishing is that these people were all
basically happy. They were so pleasant
at their little kiosks on the street. These
people were really very hard working. It
made me think about how poverty in
the United States is more like their
middle class.
On Sunday, I went to attend Mass. There
were so many people there that I
wondered if the Pope was coming! One
of the doctors on our team had grown
up in the Philippines, so I asked her,
“Who is coming to the Mass?” She said,
“Oh, this is just the people from around
here, and it’s just one of Cve Masses that
will be held. Again, the mass of
humanity was astonishing.
Our mission was for people without
insurance. The only way to have major
surgeries was through the mission
unless you were dying. The wonderful
people who plan these missions put an
amazing amount of work into it. Many
doctors and nurses gather up and save
supplies that are outdated, or supplies
that they don’t use during a surgery
here that would be thrown away. These
are the supplies we bring with us,
because they are still perfectly good.
They have a storehouse in Milwaukee
where they keep all of these supplies.
We box up and Cll one of our two
allowed suitcases with the supplies.
Lots of our patients come from the
mountains. I saw illnesses and
conditions that we treated I had never
seen before. Walking into the recovery
room where I was assigned to work the
Crst thing I found out was that we didn’t
have running water. I wondered how I
was going to take care of a patient
without washing my hands in between.
Thank God, we had alcohol sponges. It
7
was the only thing we had, so when
you changed gloves, you rubbed your
hands with the alcohol and re-gloved
again.
Believe it or not, it was the most
wonderful experience of my entire life.
These people were so appreciative.
They never complained about
anything. We were doing major
surgeries and we had limited pain
medication; the hospital only provided
a medication equal to Ibuprofen.
Thank God for spinal anesthesia, which
many of the patients received, so at
least there was a pain-free period even
after they came back from surgery.
That Crst year, we had collected left-
over pain medication for post-
operative pain, and some of the other
anesthesiologist brought some
Toradol with them, but there was
never that much to give them.
Consequently, these people were in
pain. Did they complain? No. When
you said, “I’m sorry, the only thing we
have is what we’ve given you,” you
never heard anything else from them.
When I came back for my post-op
rounds the next day, I felt like Mother
Teresa, saintly, or Godly, because they
could not thank you enough. They
would hug you. They made you feel
like you had really done something
that mattered.
It was seeing and experiencing what
these wonderful doctors and nurses
had done that led me to decide to
continue to do missions until the time
came that I felt I needed to stop. That
time came this year. I decided that this
year was going to be my last mission
trip. God had given me a beautiful
talent, but if you don’t use your gifts
for a long period of time (2 years
between mission trips), you lose a lot.
Though, I was surprised that I did not
lose as much as I had thought! The
little town we went back to this year
was the same town as my Crst mission,
Taclobin. We landed in Manila on
February 1, 2018, but our mission work
did not begin until February 5. We
Cnished the surgeries scheduled for us
in just 4 days. The last day we handled
local cases. The total number of cases
was less than 75. On my earlier mission
to Taclobin, we did around 50 major
surgeries alone in a 5 day period and
75 locals. They really wanted to open a
surgery in the hospital and they didn’t
have trained recovery room nurses.
They asked if we would teach and let
their nurses do the work.
The change was in part the result of a
horrible disaster. The year after my Crst
mission, the typhoon Yolanda hit
Taclobin. Almost the whole city was
wiped out. The water came up and
dragged people away. OAcially,
10,000 people were lost, but the locals
knew it was more. There were big
freighters up on land. The little area of
Taclobin was where General
MacArthur came and asked the
Filipino people to help stave o: the
Japanese during WWII. There was a
marvelous statue of General
MacArthur coming up the beach. The
whole area where I had sat and looked
at that statue was gone. Out of
tragedy, God looks out for his people.
He works in strange ways. The hospital
we worked in the Crst time was very
primitive. They didn't’ even do
surgeries there. The owners of a mall
there, rebuilt the hospital in Taclobin
after the typhoon. It was much
improved. There was running water in
the recovery room, though we were
still doing 2-3 surgeries at a time in
one room. What made me smile was
that the Philippines are very Catholic
and in this new hospital, there was a
separate recovery room for men and
women. Thank goodness we had a
nurse for each room. On the Crst
mission trip, all patients were in one
recovery room, because that was all
we had!
Even in the city, things were much
improved. I didn’t see people living in
cardboard boxes or on the street. The
economy was picking up and there
was a sense of hope. Often, when
something really bad happens,
something good comes out of it. I am
so glad that after returning home this
time, I had a sense of peace in
knowing it would be my last surgical
mission trip. Some of the local doctors
are doing surgeries pro-bono. The
local nurses basically volunteer their
time and skills, except for meals during
these missions. When you see the
people of a country do so much for
each other, it makes it worthwhile to
help them.
What I also loved about going on
these missions was seeing the doctors
bringing their children with them.
These doctors were giving their
children an example to follow—serve
others and “Love without Limits”.
I was very blessed. God led me into a
vocation in which I hardly remember a
day that I didn’t look forward to going
to work. I loved what I was doing!
When I retired, I had thought, “Now I
am putting aside all these years of
education and acquired knowledge.”
God had other plans for me still. He
gave me an opportunity to continue to
use my gifts for others. I just realized
recently, that to me, this was how I
became Christ for others. And in doing
so, I got so much more out of the
experience than I gave. That is why, I
am glad St. Dominic helps our youth
to go on mission trips, because they
too will remember their experience
and will carry it with them throughout
their life.
stdo
min
ic.ne
t
8
At the same time my marriage began
thirty-three years ago, newly ordained
Timothy Dolan wanted to be the best
priest he could possibly be. He turned to
his priestly mentor, who told him,
“Timothy, it is okay if your head is in the
clouds, as long as your feet are Crmly on
the ground, and your heart is on the cross
with Christ.” I thought that these were
wise words, but lacked the daily “meat”
to serve earthly needs. How wrong I was.
My story begins long ago. Following the
priestly line of Aaron, my last name,
Zinda, is Yiddish, which translates to
“sinner.” My great grandfather embarked
with his Catholic wife and Cve children
from Poland to the land of “milk and
honey.” In New York, they disembarked
with only three children, and moved to
Little Rock, Arkansas, then to Oklahoma,
and Cnally to Wisconsin, taking
advantage of various land grants,
generally following the Jewish populace.
Their grandson became a product of a
smorgasbord Christian community
(whoever showed up - preached) and
uncomfortably converted to Catholicism.
In those days, some Catholics were told
by others that they were not educated
and lacked scriptural preparation for a
Catholic marriage.
A young woman left her parent’s farm
outside Mauston, WI and, prior to
completing high school, entered a
Milwaukee convent. She eventually takes
Cnal vows, taking the name of Sister Mary
Roberts and began to teach local Catholic
children.
How do these stories connect? The
grandson in the Crst story is my father,
and the nun, my wife Mary’s mother. Very
disparate journeys, but at the end of the
day, are they that di:erent? Those who
took us to the altar of God as children and
welcomed us as the newest members of
the Catholic faith were our parents and
our godparents. Since Christ walked the
earth, they followed billions of others,
who have come from di:erent heritages
and life experiences, to embrace this
common belief in search for the truth
found in Jesus – to be alive in Him.
Like my very Crst babysitter. A young
woman who later become Sister
Margaret Mary (after our home parish)
who was one of two nuns who were
martyred in El Salvador. They died for the
faith and have been declared Blessed by
the Church.
Another example is Mary’s godfather,
who was a trustee at St. Margaret Mary
Parish in Milwaukee for thirty-seven
years, and celebrated the marriage of
every one of his daughters, along with
Mary and me, in that church. His example
spoke strongly of the truth in Christ he
had found.
Mary and I were not blessed with children
of our own, but we have been truly
blessed in other ways, e.g. with two
nieces, four nephews, one grandnephew,
and one grandniece. Although we are
both cradle Catholics, our own faith
development was not a straight line for
either of us.
Mary’s faith journey really began through
the eyes of children, when she worked as
an aide to teacher, Danita Stich. One day,
Mrs. Stich was reading to the children.
Mary witnessed their young minds
striving to grasp who Jesus was and is to
them; searching for truth.
At Mary’s insistence, the two of us
became involved as a sponsor couple in
the St. Dominic Marriage Preparation
Program for couples planning to be
married in the Catholic Church. We have
assisted numerous couples in our home
over the past Cfteen years to help them
better understand the sacrament; and to
gain insights into themselves as
individuals and as a couple. This ministry
has been a true blessing for both the
couples and us. One of the key questions
we always ask is why they love the other.
While intently listening to their
responses, we have heard some of the
greatest vows of marriage right in our
home, even before the eventual formal
exchange of vows at the altar. Hearing
those stories speaks volumes about how
God calls each of us to live His love
through the grace of our baptism.
Years ago, my Sunday mornings were
spent playing basketball or football
(dependent on the season) close to
St. John Vianney Parish (SJV). One of the
men asked me to attend an early
Saturday morning informal men’s faith
sharing group at St. Dominic, and I
accepted. Around 7:15 am every Saturday
in the Marcy Center, we open the
Scripture readings for the next day and
discuss questions raised in a Catholic
study bible. This group has helped me go
deeper into the truth in Scripture.
Mary and I began to attend St. Dominic
Catholic Parish on a regular basis after I
experienced a heart attack at SJV. Two
stents later, I had returned to SJV, but we
then joined St. Dominic. I was soon
involved in the Adult Ministry Team,
Parish Council, Finance Committee, and
Budget Committee and later served as
President of the Archdiocesan Pastoral
Council. Volunteer responsibilities also
included being the lead usher for the Crst
Cve years of the Men of Christ
Conferences and the Crst two Women of
Christ movements.
Early in 2006, our pastor at the time, Fr.
Curt Frederick, asked me to accept key
responsibilities for the arrangements to
celebrate a Golden Jubilee marking the
50th Anniversary of our parish. In
preparation for my commemoration
remarks, I sat in front of the open
Searching for By Parishioner, John Zinda
9
stdo
min
ic.ne
t
tabernacle on Holy Saturday. During my
meditation, I came to fully realize and
comprehend what that priestly mentor’s
advice to newly ordained Timothy Dolan
meant in reality. Looking at the cross, I
began to understand what rejection (and
eventually His triumph) truly meant to
and for all of us. How to die to yourself
and be alive in Christ.
As I prepared my Jubilee re!ection, one
theme became loud and clear – “Why
would you honor me? All I ever did
was…” Hand-in-hand, members
sacriCcially built our church because they
shared a common
goal: to build a
parish, a school,
and related
ministries to serve
the spiritual needs
of this growing
community. In
simpler terms, our
church was built on
the dreams and
backs of our past
parishioners, who
wanted to seek
Christ, know Christ
and become Christ,
each one for the
sake of all. I wonder
what they would
say about our faith
community today.
I learned another
truth from Deacon
Larry LaFond
regarding our
Catholic faith.
During the Cnal
four and a half years
of my father’s life,
he could not
consume food and
was tube fed. One
Sunday morning,
my father and
mother attended
Mass at the
Franciscans Woods
nursing facility and
my mother, out of deep respect and love
for my father, declined to receive
Communion. Confronted with this and
other “end of life” decisions, I tried to
contact our priests, but unfortunately,
they were unavailable. Therefore, I
approached Deacon Larry LaFond, a
trusted friend whose father was a co-
usher with my father. He looked at me
and wisely said, “Give it up to God.” All
my fears, expectations, and tribulations
were wiped away in that moment.
That experience motivated me to
become an Extraordinary Minister of Holy
Communion, to serve the needs of the
parish. It is an on-going reminder of
magniCcent gift of the Eucharist and to
keep in prayer all those who no longer
can safely receive the consecrated bread
and wine, which is the source and
summit of our faith.
Our past and our personal experiences all
make our stories unique, but each one of
us is on a journey searching for truth.
Keep your eyes on Christ.
When faced with rejection or challenges,
or when situations seem insurmountable,
take Deacon Larry’s
sage advice and let
God guide your life
and your decisions.
Lastly, keep in mind
the wisdom
imparted to the
young Father
Timothy Dolan 33
years ago: So, I ask
you this, where is
your heart?
“When you look
for me, you will
)nd me. Yes,
when you seek me
with all your
heart.” Jeremiah
29:13
In the box are: Bull rushes where Moses was rescued, a coin minted from the Maine (my great
grandfather fought with Teddy Roosevelt during the Spanish American war), a hand carved
rosary purchased in Jerusalem during a merchant trip by my grandfather, a package of seeds
from the middle east bearing a Jewish name, a miniature new Testament Bible.
All are at least 150 years old.
10
Defining
My grandpa Joe passed away on
November 5, 2016, and as I look back on
both my life and his, I realize that his
leadership and character had a
tremendous in!uence on mine. My
grandpa Joe was a pretty incredible
human being. He was a skier, a mechanic,
a war veteran, a husband, a father, and
even a grandfather, but most
importantly, he was blind. Now,
most people would view being
blind as a tremendous disability,
and it was, but it was how he
handled it that made the
di:erence. The love that this guy
had for his family, and for anyone
he met, was indescribable. He
went blind at the age of 32,
which meant that he was blind
for most of my father’s life and all
of mine. But this did not stop him
from charging on and taking life
by the horns, so to speak.
My grandfather was a mechanic
for Frontier airlines before he
went into the military. He worked
on commercial airplane engines;
Cxing them, repairing them,
buildings brand new ones,
whatever had to be done, he did
it. He was then drafted into the
Korean war against his will and
sent overseas to defend our
country. He had to leave his job,
all his possessions, and most
importantly, his family behind. It
took a lot of courage to go on
this journey, and he knew that he
was going to be in great danger where he
was headed, but he also knew that it was
important that he go and do what
needed to be done.
After he returned from the war, he began
to contract a disease, which he had
picked up from being bitten by a bug
overseas. At that time, they did not have
a cure for the disease. It ended up
infecting his retinas and this is when he
began to lose his sight. At this point, he
found himself with no source of income
and disabled. Now most people would
have thrown their hands up at the sky,
curse God, and give up, but that wasn’t
my grandpa. That just wasn’t how he did
business. Instead, he went right back to
Frontier airlines and begged for his job
back. He knew that there were huge risks
in doing this, and he could very well fail
miserably, but he was determined to give
it a shot either way.
At Crst they immediately turned him
away saying that there is no way that he
could possibly do the work that he used
to, but after several meetings, they Cnally
agreed to give him a test run against the
new candidates from college. If he could
do work as eAciently as them, they
would hire him back. Not only did my
grandfather guarantee them that he
would meet the task, he was even faster
and more eAcient than some of the new
rookies. If that isn’t a perfect example of
persistence and determination, I
don’t know what is.
Fast forward to my grandfather’s
next greatest venture: skiing. He
picked up skiing at the age of 40
and skied until the age of 82.
Now keep in mind that he had
gone blind 8 years before this, so
he learned the sport of skiing—
blind. This took a ton of patience
and persistence on his part to
stick with such a diAcult sport,
but I know that just the
experience of getting out there
and doing something where he
was totally in control, gave him a
sense of freedom he hadn’t
experienced in a long time.
Fast forward again to his late
seventies and early eighties. At
this point, his health was
seriously beginning to
deteriorate. He had signiCcant
hearing damage, which had
caught up with him from
working around airplane jet
engines for so long. I remember
one time, my dad and I were
driving back down to Denver with my
grandpa and grandma after a long
weekend of skiing up at Winter Park. I
was in the front passenger seat, my dad
was driving. My dad and I were discussing
the dividing lines between counties in
the area. I can’t remember the reason
why. My dad forgot where a particular
line was or something like that and he
stdo
min
ic.ne
t
A reflection by Parishioner, John Pasqua
Michael Pasqua
11
decided to ask my grandpa, who had
grown up in Colorado all his life, if he
knew where the line was. Now, my
grandpa was only sitting in the backseat
of a four door sedan, so he wasn’t that far
away, and my dad asks, “Hey dad, do you
remember where the dividing line is?” to
which my grandpa responded, “Huh,
what’s my favorite kind of wine?” You
might think this is a funny response, but
it was actually pretty scary for the other
three of us in the car, because he was
dead serious. This was a clear sign of an
issue that we had been fearing for some
time. He was already vision impaired, so
what would happen if he were to
become hearing impaired as well? How
were we supposed to communicate with
him? Thankfully, he never went fully deaf.
But from this point on, things just got
worse and worse.
Several years later, it was discovered that
!uid had been developing in his lungs
and upon x-ray they discovered that it he
had lung cancer. At this point, my
grandpa was already on dialysis because
he didn’t have fully functioning kidneys,
and they couldn’t treat the lung cancer
without taking him o: dialysis, so it
pretty much became a waiting game —
how long was it going to take the lung
cancer to do its thing, so to speak. This
was undoubtedly a very intense and
scary time for our whole family. My
grandpa essentially had only a few
months to live, and there was really
nothing we could do, but wait.
For my grandpa, this was a deCning
moment. It is one of those moments in
your life that pushes you so far that it
forces you to see your real character. He
was faced with a pretty big wall of a
challenge. He could have easily just
decided that all hope was lost, given up,
and just laid in bed all day. But that’s not
what he did, not by a long shot. He took
this challenge and pretty much said, “Ok,
if I only have about three months, let’s
make it the best damn three months that
I’ve ever had.” This sounds like a really
goofy response, but it was actually really
comforting. To see him attacking such an
intense situation with actions of such
strength really gave our family strength
and comfort.
My grandpa deCnitely did not know he
was having this e:ect on our family by
his actions. He was just acting this way
because that is how he genuinely was.
See, my grandpa was always a hard-
working, middle to lower class man his
whole life. He was raised from a very
humble, railroad working family. He was
taught right from wrong from the
beginning and that there is no such word
as “I can’t”. This was just my grandpa’s
natural attitude, whether he was aware of
it or not, and this attitude is what inspired
me to adopt a similar outlook in my own
life.
12
stdo
min
ic.ne
t
1. The annual #shorthairwecare assembly provided 1,174 inches of
hair for children su:ering with hair loss.
2. & 3. Children received their First Communion.
4. A pilgrimage was taken to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Green
Bay.
5. St. Dominic hosted a local Special Olympics team in the Parish
Athletic Facility for practice before their tournament.
6. Things got a little whacky as the students in grades K3-5
performed, “The Sometimes Wacky World of Music.”
7. The St. Dominic SMART team presented their project at the
Milwaukee School of Engineering. They had been studying
the peptide amyloid beta and its relation to Alzheimer’s
Disease and Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy.
2
3
4
5
7
Share your faith story in our next issue!
Contact Meg Picciolo at 262.781.3480 or
Newsletter Group: Julia Hansch, Peter
Murray, Meg Picciolo, , Claire Swinarski,
Angela Zuniga-Meyer
Seek Christ is published by
St. Dominic Catholic Parish
18255 W. Capitol Dr., BrookCeld WI 53045
Phone: 262.781.3480
1
6