Note from the Pastor · 2019-09-19 · titled, “Dating and Discernment”. It was an engaging discussion with people participating in person and in the chat of our livestreamed

Newsletter Issue 10

“The true Christian can nurture a trustful optimism because he is certain of not walking alone. In sending us Jesus, the eternal Son made man, God has drawn near to each of us. In Christ He has become our traveling companion.”

-St. Pope John Paul II

Oct - December 2018

Parish Staff Rev. Kyle Walterscheid Pastor [email protected] Julie Garrison Business Manager [email protected] Diane Schwind Faith Formation Director [email protected] Trey Alley Development Director [email protected] Jenny Lynn Pelzel UNT Campus Director [email protected] Gloria Saldivar TWU Campus Director [email protected] Parish Main Line (940) 566-0004

Fr. Kyle

Note from the Pastor

thank God for helping us persevere through so many trials, and for everyone’s support. Check out some of our first pictures.

Last fall brought many highlights for the parish and students! We decided to expand our annual Polish Dinner to an all day Polish Festival. It took a lot of coordination and many meetings to organize the expansion. A special thanks to Diane Schwind, head of Faith Formation for the parish, for bringing everybody and everything together for a very successful and enjoyable day.

We celebrated the 8th annual Fall Awakening retreat for students the weekend before Thanksgiving. The students who have helped staff the retreat for several years all thought it was one of the best overall retreats with lots of moments of conversion, healing, and faith experiences. You can read two of our students’ testimonies inside.

Lastly, I wanted to highlight a great gathering we had of university professors and staff after the fall semester ended. We celebrated with an evening Mass and meal. We had such a great time and our bonds, enriched by our common faith, have reached new heights!

Enjoy our newsletter and please continue to introduce people to our great parish that is bringing Christ and our Catholic faith onto our campuses one soul at a time.

We delayed our quarterly newsletter by a week to be able to announce enthusiastically THANKS BE TO GOD! Why? Yes, it’s actually happening! The construction of our new Church and Pastoral Center has finally begun. We have had a carrot dangled in front of us a half a dozen times over the past five years just to have the carrot blown away by another six months or year delay. I wasn’t going to announce anything until I actually saw a bulldozer on our site moving dirt. All I can say is, I thank God for helping us persevere through so many

Articles not otherwise attributed were written by Trey Alley.

In This Issue

Homecoming JPII Festival Awakening Retreat Our Lady of Guadalupe Party … and more!

www.facebook.com/groups/jp2universitycatholics @jp2denton https://app.flocknote.com/stjohnpaul2

St. John Paul II University Parish • 1303 Eagle Drive Denton, TX 76201 • (940) 566-0004 • www.jp2denton.org

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On October 20th several campus ministry alumni took the opportunity to come together and celebrate their school pride at the UNT Homecoming events. We had a fun afternoon with lawn games and a picnic set up on a hill near the stadium. A big thank you to Matt Savage who did a great job grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for anyone that stopped by. Among the alumni spotted was the Reed family with little ones running around excitedly, and Tony and Tiffany Gutierrez who returned to Denton to have their youngest baptized and decided to catch the game while they were in town. We also met several new families and students. It is always exciting to be out on campus and let people know about our campus center and ministry. Oh, and UNT won the game 29 to 21 against UAB. Then in December the alumni association met at the Catholic Campus Center as usual with the addition of our first guest speakers. Robert and Diane Schwind from Balanced Families Ministries gave a talk titled, “Dating and Discernment”. It was an engaging discussion with people participating in person and in the chat of our livestreamed video. Just this past week, on January 19th Kathy Bauer from Edward Jones gave a talk on budgeting and finances. It was an engaging presentation for all present. If you are a parish alumni, be sure to check out our upcoming alumni association meetings. Do you have a topic you could speak on that you think our alumni might be interested in? Any topics ranging from relationships, career advice, financial planning, discernment and more would be welcome. Feel free to contact Trey Alley at [email protected] to sign up to be a speaker.

We had another great year at the Wurst Haus booth at Oktoberfest on October 5th & 6th in Muenster, TX.

After the event, the Muenster CDA court gifted our parish with $2,357.00. Thank you!

Aria Boneta Kersten October 07, 2018

Maria Elizabeth Gutierrez October 28, 2018



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This fall we kicked off what we hope will be the first of many JPII Polish Festivals! After a week of rain, the clouds parted and the sun shined brightly making for a muddy but beautiful day for our festival!

We endeavored to accomplish three goals with this festival; to bring our parishioners who attend any one of five different Masses together to bond and grow as a parish family, to draw awareness to St. John Paul II University Parish, and to raise money for our parish programs. We can gladly and thankfully say that we accomplished all three goals! Many parishioners met new people while volunteering at the festival and we had many folks attend from areas all around the metroplex. Many attendees heard about the festival on Catholic radio. We even had a group of Polish visitors attend who stayed until the last song of the day, dancing, clapping, and thoroughly enjoying themselves. We raised over $4,000 that will help fund the campus ministry, faith formation department and the altar servers.

The entertainment was spektakularny! There was a wonderful presentation on iconography, a beautiful reading of a Polish story by our own Polish young lady, Miss Lydia Johnson, an informative presentation by Mr. Greg Paulus on the Divine Mercy, and the always exciting Polish dancers and accordion player!

The kitchen stayed hopping while serving authentic Polish food that received many compliments! Thank you, Gina Kemna, for running the kitchen so smoothly. We would not have had such success without you! Thank you to Mary Rak, along with her men, Henry, Micah, and Andrew, for serving up some of the best pirogues you can find this side of the big pond. What would a Polish festival be without pirogues? The CDA ladies offered great Polish desserts for everyone and our throats all would have all been a little dry without the drinks provided by the altar servers.

Over 40 students pitched in to help run the children’s game area. They brainstormed ideas, constructed the games, and recruited volunteers. The car racing game, basket toss, and face painting were among the favorite activities of the day!

The MC’s who directed the day with their announcements and introductions were Greg Paulus and Wayland Christenson. We are thankful for their guidance and comical announcements! Our vendors were also a great part of the festival. They brought beautiful, fun, and new items for our guests to shop.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without our sponsors, donors, and volunteers. A great big thank you to our main sponsor, Mr. Ike Stevens with Stevens Financial Services. We also want to thank Chuck and Mary Ann Coarsey, Suzanne Stevens, Paul and Cindy Groszkiewicz, and Ania Johnson’s aunt and uncle from Poland for their donations. And finally, a big thank you to all the volunteers. Your effort and time were greatly appreciated!

Keep an eye on the bulletin for an upcoming meeting of those who would like to be on the festival committee, we will begin planning for 2019 very soon.

A New Festival Celebrating Our Parish and Our Patron Saint

Written by Diane Schwind Photos by Robert Schwind and Gloria Saldivar



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The call to conversion of heart is not always well-received among college students or any person for that matter. The idea of having to turn away from something that is comfortable and gives us pleasure and instead do something that is unfamiliar and does not give immediate gratification is often resisted and hard to accept joyfully. We also justify our sinful habits as not being that bad or not as bad as another’s; thus, the need for one to change is not strong enough to inspire action. The work of conversion is never done this side of heaven- I can immediately think of several areas in my life that need greater conversion right now! This is why I loved the theme for this year’s Awakening retreat from Ezekiel 36:26: “I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” It calls one to conversion, but also recognizes that it is God’s grace and work within us that brings about a conversion of heart. While it does require our cooperation, God does not simply watch us struggle from afar but pours out the Holy Spirit upon us to sanctify us. Jesus gives His own Sacred Heart in the Eucharist to unite us with Him and make our hearts more like His. The Father never abandons His children, His chosen ones, but always calls us back to Himself when we have strayed from holiness. God gives us everything we need to become a saint if we are open to receiving what we need from Him. Often the desire for conversion is inspired when one sees the joy of the Gospel being lived in another, which is why Awakening as a student-led retreat has great potential to impact the hearts of those who may not have experienced this joy yet. Retreaters, whether they are already involved at St. John Paul II or not, are served and loved throughout the retreat by their peers and by the end have made new friendships and experience deeper unity with the JPII student community. During the testimonies at the conclusion of the retreat, many retreaters spoke of desiring to visit the Catholic Center more, to become more involved, and to make God more of a priority in their lives. Praise God for bringing to fruition all the sacrifices made by the Awakening staff to make Awakening possible and for the good work of the Lord in the hearts of the retreaters who have indeed received “a new heart and a new spirit”. May we all commit to seek the Lord daily and renew our desire for conversion so we can become the saints God has made us to be.

Written by Jenny Lynn Pelzel



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I pride myself on being an independent person. If I get a flat tire, I change it. If I want a certain food to eat, I teach myself to make it. I have always been good at figuring things out by myself and I thought that was a good thing and it is but only to an extent.

I recently came back to my Catholic faith in the past year after a considerable detour in my life. I was going to Mass and praying regularly and I was feeling good. I signed up for the Reflection retreat on a whim but I was not sure if I would enjoy it. I didn’t know many people going and I am not one to usually enjoy big group activities. The day of departure came so I said a little prayer and left for the weekend. I know this sounds corny and sappy but I returned a changed person!

The experience I had, and more importantly shared, struck me to my core. I thought I could build my relationship with the Lord on my own but the more I shared and the more I listened and the more I witnessed, I realized I had been starving for a spiritual connection with other people. I was surrounded by not only Godly people but people who actively shared their passion for God. It was such a contrast to the quiet, small, and reserved faith life I had cultivated. It struck me that this relationship with God resembled the relationships I had in my daily life too. Fear has made me keep my walls up with people and that fear was also keeping a wall between me and God. The more trust I put in others, the more trust I gave the Lord.

I was overwhelmed with the depth of love that flowed from both the fellow students and God. I thought my independence had been my strength but I know now it had been my crutch. Through my surrendering to the retreat, I grew in many ways of forgiveness, trust, and faith. Most of all, the retreat’s thematic passage rings true in my mind. “I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” -Ezekiel 36:26

We are all blessed with different personalities and gifts granted to us by the grace of God. Gifts that allow us to carry the torch of faith within us every day we are blessed with. The transition into college can be rough for many. Prior to Awakening, I had the drive for faith but no community to share my gifts or desire for God with. The Awakening retreat was an experience that allowed me to build relationships with people who want to see me grow closer to Christ and who wish to propel me in faith. Most of all, it created a sense of comfort that there are others who I can rely on in times of trial or feeling of defeat. As written in Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” I’m grateful for the brotherhood of people in faith that I was able to gain from my time at Awakening and I’m excited to see what God has in store for me here at UNT.

By Mary Brokenbush

By Raul Garcia

October 07, 2018

Jacob Sayegh & Maranda Carr UNT alumnus UNT alumna

October 27, 2018

Matthew Zellmer & Amber Hudgens

November 08, 2018

Tyler Scott & Gina Griffin UNT alumna

November 24, 2018

Cody Anderle & Kayln Danglemayr TWU and UNT alumna

December 27, 2018

Benjamin Yosten & Elizabeth Fetherman UNT alumnus UNT alumna



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Craft Fair

On Sunday, December 9th, our plans to use the new patio deck and tents outside for a craft fair were washed away with a cold, wet, and windy day. With some great last minute communication, everyone agreed on moving the event indoors. We had several students and locals attend the craft fair where vendors happily showcased their art. There were original paintings in several styles, many crochet items, totes, and handmade jewelry for sale and even one student on hand drawing caricatures. Thank you to everyone who took the time to come over after Mass for a bit of Christmas shopping. The vendors enjoyed a relaxing day chatting with each other over cocoa and sharing their talents with everyone who stopped by.

This year on the Feast of Christ the King, November 25, 2018, St. John Paul II University Parish welcomed five members into full communion with the Church. Three of our new Catholics came to us from other denominations; Mr. Sean Davidson, Mr. Evan Groom, and Mr. Alexander McNally and two completed their Sacraments of Initiation by receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, Miss Ozioma Ozigbo and Mr. Evan Chavez. On December 22, 2018, Mrs. Paula Monroe also came into full communion when she received First Communion and Confirmation. We are honored to have these faithful people as members of our parish. If you see them at Mass, please introduce yourself as you welcome them home.

Welcome Home

From left to right: Mr. Alexander McNally, Mr. Evan Groom, Fr. Kyle Walterscheid, Mr. Evan Groom, Miss Ozioma Ozigbo, Mr. Sean Davidson

Not pictured: Mrs. Paula Monroe

By Diane Schwind



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On Wednesday, December 5th, over 40 students from TWU attended Mass at the Little Chapel in the Woods to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Fr. Manuel Holguin celebrated Mass by reflecting on how our Blessed Mother continues to evangelize through her ubiquitous image. Afterwards, the students enjoyed a delicious meal to continue to celebrate this beautiful feast day.

Faculty & Staff Mass & Meal

Throughout the academic year, the parish offers a weekly Mass and meal on the TWU and UNT campuses to help students grow in community and fellowship. An often overlooked yet vital component of student life is the university employee’s student’s encounter and interact with on a daily basis, so this year we decided the faculty and staff could benefit from a Mass and meal event of their own. So after finals were graded and all the students hurried home, several current and retired professors, University staff members, and their spouses gathered to celebrate another year completed and to look forward to the Christmas break. We began the evening with a Mass and a blessing to bolster them spiritually so they can continue to be a guiding light for the college students. We then enjoyed a nice dinner which several people pitched in to prepare and provide. There was lively discussion as people got to know one another. The group may not have found a solution for the problem of declining attention spans in the classroom, but they did find new friends and colleagues who can support them as people of faith in a very secularly minded workplace.

Our Lady of Guadalupe By Gloria Saldivar



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Bulldozers Are Here!

Ready to get started! The construction crew is as eager to work as we are to have our new pastoral center!

On day one, a crew brought a mini excavator and began clearing the brush and small trees from around the perimeter of the build site.

A silt fence lines the perimeter of the build site and a rock bed is in place to accommodate the heavy machinery that will be driving on and off the lot.

Thanks be to God! We are so excited to have construction equipment on our build site! We pushed our newsletter back a week so that we could share this happy news with you.

On January 15th, a crew arrived and began clearing out vegetation and smaller trees from the lot where our new pastoral center will be. Then over the holiday weekend they were back at it, putting up a silt fence, parking signs, and laying down a rock driveway for the heavy equipment that would arrive soon.

And arrive they did! A bulldozer arrived first and the crew earnestly awaited permission to proceed.

That permission was granted once the city tree inspector finished his work and the contractor received a grading permit from the City of Denton. Since then the site has been rapidly changing as large trees are taken down one by one.

So much excitement and more to come! Keep an eye out in late March for information on our Next Big Reveal where the contractor will let us do a walkthrough. We will also share mini updates and photos on our social media (sites listed below).

Trees are being cleared and removed from the site. A big thank you to our editor for making this

last minute update possible!

Documents

Note from the Pastor · 2019-09-19 · titled, “Dating and Discernment”. It was an engaging discussion with people participating in person and in the chat of our livestreamed