Special interactive panel event will bring the untold human stories of the Great Fire of 1871 to light

By Scott Cason | For On Mission

Brussels, WI — On Saturday, November 7, 2026, the Belgian Heritage Center (BHC) will host “Beyond Survival: The True Cost of the Fires of 1871,” a new event offering a profound, human-centered examination of the disaster that reshaped northeastern Wisconsin more than 150 years ago.

The event begins at 1 p.m. and includes a moderated panel discussion that will explore the history of the Great Fire of October 8, 1871, which devastated communities across northern Brown, southern Door, northern Manitowoc and Kewaunee counties. Panelists will share the experiences of those who lived through the fire, lost loved ones, or had to rebuild from the ashes.

Expert perspectives on history, trauma, and heritage

The moderated discussion brings together three distinguished voices, experts in history, trauma, and Belgian heritage, including:

• Captain David Siegel (Ret.), Green Bay Metro Fire Department, who will address the physical realities of fire behavior, what victims endured during the blaze, and the profound community-wide trauma that follows catastrophic disasters.
• Susan D. Levitte, historian and author of the recent Amazon bestseller “Secrets in the Woods,” who will share stories uncovered during her book research and discuss her efforts to identify victims.
• Barb Englebert Chisholm, a lifelong Belgian history researcher, who will share personal reflections on how the Great Fire altered the trajectory of the region’s Belgian settlement.

An interactive, personalized experience

To move beyond cold statistics and humanize the tragedy’s scale, every attendee will receive a biographical card upon arrival detailing the life of a real person who faced the fires of 1871. 

Schedule and details

• 1 p.m.: Doors open; cash bar and refreshments available until 4 p.m.
• 1:30 p.m.: Moderated panel discussion begins.
• At the conclusion of the panel discussion, guests will be invited to open their cards to discover the ultimate fate of their historical counterparts, including whether they survived and what hardships and losses they endured.

Location

Belgian Heritage Center, 1255 County Road DK, Brussels, WI 54204

Phone: (920) 825-7319 | Email: contact@belgianheritagecenter.org

For more information, please visit belgianheritagecenter.org.

By Lyn Zahorik | For On Mission

“Thank you for being a friend … ” If you’re now humming the theme song from “The Golden Girls,” you’re welcome.

One of life’s greatest blessings is genuine friendship. All those wonderful people who seem to arrive in our lives at exactly the moment we need them. Some stay for a season, others for a lifetime, but each leaves a mark on our hearts.

As we approach the Solemnity of All Saints, we are reminded that we belong to an even larger circle of friends. In fact, the largest friend group imaginable. The Communion of Saints. These saints were real people. They laughed, struggled, worried, doubted, failed, got back up, and kept following Jesus. They are not spiritual celebrities molded in plaster. They are family. Friends. Fellow travelers who have completed the journey and now cheer us on. They are “set apart” not because they were perfect, but because they allowed God to shape their hearts.

That’s where the Beatitudes, mentioned in this Sunday’s Gospel, come in. When Jesus described holiness, he didn’t talk about popularity, success, wealth, or influence. He didn’t say, “Blessed are those who have the most followers.” Thank goodness for that, or some of us would try to get into heaven by posting online pictures of people we saw at a concert.

Instead, Jesus blessed the poor in spirit, the merciful, the peacemakers, the pure of heart, and those who hunger for righteousness. The Beatitudes are less a list of spiritual accomplishments and more a portrait of what holiness looks like in everyday life. Every saint found a way to live them. Some did so dramatically, giving their lives for the faith. Others lived them quietly through forgiveness, compassion, patience, generosity, and love. In other words, they became the kind of friends the world desperately needs.

The older I get, the more I realize the Communion of Saints is God’s way of reminding us that no friendship rooted in love is ever truly lost. The address may change, but the relationship doesn’t.

On this Solemnity of All Saints, I will think of the many friends who have shaped my life: those who made me laugh when I needed it most; those who carried me through difficult seasons; those who patiently prayed for me and loved me into becoming a better person. Some still walk beside me. Others already belong to that great Communion of Saints.

Perhaps that is one of the most comforting truths of our faith: we never walk alone. We are surrounded by friendships that stretch beyond time and space, beyond generations, beyond life itself. We are held in the prayers of countless saints who have discovered that God’s promises are true.

So, on this Solemnity of All Saints, let us give thanks for the saints we know by name and the countless others known only to God. Let us give thanks for those who showed us the face of Christ, taught us how to live the Beatitudes and, every now and then, gave us a spiritual nudge. After all, that is what good friends do.

The readings for Sunday, Nov. 1, can be found at Solemnity of All Saints | USCCB.

By Deacon Dan Wagnitz | For On Mission

A layer of misty frosting stretches across the pond as the night air temperature now regularly drops below the water temperature. Geese, hidden in the fog, call back and forth. For now, it is their calls that reveal their presence. 

Dawn quietly fills the sky as the edge of the sun burns along the eastern horizon. The slanting rays of the rising sun take only minutes to melt the mist, revealing the pond’s surface as still as if it were frozen. The geese materialize from the thinning mist. They are as scattered as they sounded before, though a large flock is bunched against the far shore.

The few wisps of scattered clouds lining the east vanish silently as the sun rises to reveal the day. The deepening blue of the sky is mirrored in the pond. Or has the blue of the sky reached down through the water? 

Now groups of geese, their casual calls suddenly growing urgent, splash their wings in the water until, like the sun, they lift skyward. Each little bunch of geese heads off in a different direction. This is just a flight in search of breakfast, not the big flight that will come in the weeks ahead. 

The movement of the geese seems to have taken the sandhill cranes by surprise as their raucous calls sweep across the marsh like wildfire. Their flight, like that of the geese, scatters them across the landscape. Three cranes, likely a pair and their offspring, pass directly overhead. The rush of air with each wingbeat reveals the power needed for these large birds to get airborne. 

As the view across the marsh and pond becomes motionless again, I turn my attention to the woods. Daylight has revealed that the transformation from green to yellows, reds and oranges is well underway. But it is apparent today that much more color, hidden by the deep green of summer, is yet to be revealed.

A half dozen red-winged blackbirds are perched on the power lines. I can hear the raspy trill of many more deeper in the woods. I don’t see or hear any in the marsh, which was their summer home. I surmise that this flock summered farther north and is migrating southward. Tomorrow, I expect the silence in this section of the woods to reveal that they have moved on like many of the songbirds that have been absent for weeks already.

A deer steps out on the road about 100 yards ahead. I freeze. It’s a large buck. As he turns to look in my direction, the sun glints off his antlers, revealing that they are hard and polished.  

A light-phase red-tailed hawk suddenly bursts from the top of an aspen tree just to my left. They don’t usually let people get that close. I probably prompted his takeoff when I stopped so suddenly because of the deer. He flies so differently from every other bird I have seen this morning. He launches himself straight up from the treetop with a few powerful wingbeats, then sets his wings and banks into the wind, quickly disappearing over the treetops.

The way that the hawk catches the wind and sails with it sparks a spontaneous prayer of praise. I hear the wind rushing through the leaves. I turn to the field; the tall grasses sway and bow, their rippling waves revealing the movement of the wind that goes where it wills. The whole scene reveals the nearness of the Spirit that hovered over the waters at creation, the strong driving wind that revealed a path through the Red Sea, and “the promise of the Father” in Acts 1:4. That “promise” is always closer to us than we are to ourselves. He is the gift of our Baptism. 

In the baptismal rite the priest or deacon prays: “Almighty and ever-living God, who sent your son into the world to drive out from us the power of Satan, the spirit of evil, and bring the human race, rescued from darkness, into the marvelous Kingdom of your light: we humbly beseech you to free this child from Original Sin, make him the temple of your glory, and grant that your Holy Spirit may dwell with him.”

We never have to look for the Spirit “out there” because he dwells “in here.” He has made his home in our hearts. In the midst of all that has been revealed on this October morning, I am most grateful for the reminder, the revelation, from within.

Election season can be particularly stressful and create tense interactions. The Catholic Church offers a couple of unique ways to approach this election season (or any subject matter) that can help us find more peace and conviction that even our vote is helping enhance society.

First, why should we participate in the election? As Catholics, we are called to be faithful citizens. Notice that faithful comes first. Faithful to Our Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings is our top priority. This is even true when it comes time to vote. Unfortunately, we often allow a political party alone to determine our vote. Our vote matters, and we should cast it for candidates who most align with the teachings of Jesus. When we have moral and virtuous leaders who espouse policies and laws that uphold the common good of society, we can have better confidence that the rights and dignity of all people will be respected. But before we cast our ballot on Tuesday, November 3, we must do the work of forming our conscience.  

We are so blessed in the Catholic Church to have the Bible and our Church’s teachings (concisely found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church) to help form our conscience. Forming our conscience is a lifelong journey and takes place every time we read the Bible, study the Catechism or read a spiritual classic. Along with studying our faith, our vote is informed by our conscience as we study the candidates for election to see how their policies align with the teachings of Christ.

Knowledge and study are an important step. But as faithful followers of Christ, we need to take all our knowledge and study to prayer. Prayer is our constant communication with God. It is our lifeline to God. Even as we prepare for an election, let us pray for our leaders and for God to raise up sound and moral leaders. As we pray, let us listen to the voice of God, the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts, guiding us in the direction we should go. Yes, listen! As we pray, let us pause and ask the Holy Spirit what he wants to speak to our hearts. This is true for any important decision in our lives; it is also vitally important for voting.

Rather than get caught up in the angst and vitriol of election season, let us turn our hearts and minds to listening to the Holy Spirit. This helps fulfill our Church’s desire to become more synodal. Synodality, simply stated, is learning to listen to the Holy Spirit and to one another. This sounds like a perfect recipe for forming our conscience when preparing to vote. Through listening, we go to the ballot box with knowledge of our Catholic beliefs and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, helping ensure our values align with Jesus Christ. To become more like Jesus, we need to listen to the Holy Spirit. Our advocate and counselor, sent by the Father after Jesus’ Ascension, will guide us in all our ways. Imagine walking through life with a personal guide to help us along the way, even at the ballot box.

Synodality is particularly aware of seeking out the voice of those without one. Those who may not feel they have a voice in matters of their community. As we listen and form our conscience, we will hear, loud and clear, the Lord calling us to support and uphold the dignity of every human person, especially the marginalized. So many of us and our brothers and sisters suffer from and desire an end to war, famine, and racism throughout the world. A well-formed conscience knows that our vote impacts others, especially the most vulnerable among us: the unborn, the elderly, migrants, widows, orphans and all of God’s children in need of our help. 

Every piece of legislation and every political action ought to respect and value the dignity of every human person. Let your vote this November come from a well-formed conscience, and you will contribute to the betterment of our region and nation. As we form our conscience and listen to the Holy Spirit (both lifelong processes), we will become more sensitive to the needs of others. Just as Christ cared for the least among us, so too can our votes help contribute to a society that respects the rights and dignity of every person.

For more information on forming your conscience to be a faithful citizen, see: wisconsincatholic.org/parish-resources/faithful-citizenship

“We are a pilgrim people, we are the Church of God. A family of believers, disciples of the Lord.” — “One Spirit, One Church,” song by Kevin Keil and Sr. Maryanne Quinlivan, OSU

By Deacon Dan Wagnitz | For On Mission

Our own personal pilgrimage begins at baptism. In that sacrament, we are claimed as children of God, and our journey toward God’s eternal, loving embrace begins. Although each journey is unique, we do not travel alone. As the hymn reminds us, we are a family of believers. When we recognize the support of the saints who came before us, whether canonized or known only to God, and the other pilgrims God brings into our lives, our pilgrimage becomes more fruitful.

To grow in our relationship with someone, we need to know their story. The pilgrimage experience becomes even richer when we can, in some way, enter into that person’s story. Nearly 50 people recently journeyed to Belgium with that intention: to enter more deeply into the story of Adele Brice, recently named a Servant of God, whose cause for canonization is open and active.

Led by Bishop David Ricken, the pilgrimage focused on deepening pilgrims’ appreciation of how the history, culture, and faith of Brice’s native country shaped her early years.

In several places, we walked in her footsteps, visiting sites connected to the years she spent there before immigrating with her family to northeast Wisconsin in 1855. Four years later, in 1859, she would encounter the Blessed Mother in Champion. That Church-approved Marian apparition is the seed from which this particular pilgrimage blossomed. Through this experience, Brice’s story became part of ours, and we became part of hers.

Every Marian pilgrimage leads to an encounter with Jesus, for Mary’s singular role, beginning with the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel, is to give her Son to the world. That vocation continues today. Wherever Mary is honored and wherever she has appeared, she invites us to love Jesus.

It was fitting, then, that our first Mass was celebrated at the Basilica of the Holy Blood in Bruges. We venerated the relic, as Pope Clement V urged the faithful to do in 1310. The relic of the Holy Blood reminds us that Jesus’ love for us is limitless. He loves us so much that, as St. Paul tells us, “He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). 

While the Holy Blood was fully a gift from Jesus to us, we were also reminded many times that when people cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and use their God-given talents, beauty results. We saw this in the many works of art housed in churches, especially Michelangelo’s “Madonna Mother and Child,” displayed at the  Church of Our Lady in Bruges. 

For many in the group, a visit to the Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp brought Brice’s story into sharper focus. Although Brice and her family emigrated before the Red Star Line began carrying millions of people to America in search of freedom and a better future, the museum does a tremendous job of showing what those people experienced. Visitors can look into the faces of those who packed their entire worlds into wooden trunks and left behind family members, many never to be seen again.  

Several pilgrims with Belgian heritage found relatives listed as passengers to the New World in the museum’s archives. Looking into the eyes of those pictured in the many photographs on display, we were reminded that “those people” are “our people.”

A visit to Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel expanded our awareness of Mary’s influence. Although the Blessed Mother did not appear at this site, whose name translates as “sharp hill,” people have venerated her there for centuries. Healings have been documented at the shrine. Jesus performed healings to reveal God’s love and mercy, and it is fitting that miraculous healings would take place where Mary turns us to her Son.  

As the rector of the Shrine shared with us, “Mary is always here. She welcomes those of deep faith. But she also uses such places to embrace those with little faith, even no faith. Come to Mary, and she will bring you to Jesus because she loves everyone.”

Even saints stand on the shoulders of other saints. The man the world now knows as St. Damien of Molokai made a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel with his mother and aunt before leaving for the seminary and his life as a missionary. In fact, he began his new life directly from the shrine rather than returning home. He told his mother, “I will see you in heaven.”

We also met and were embraced by Our Lady of Beauraing. In the final two months of 1932 and early January 1933, Mary appeared 33 times to a group of five children. At first, only the children were present, but the crowds quickly grew as news spread. By the final apparition, 30,000 people had gathered.  

Mary instructed the children to pray. Near the end of the Dec. 29 appearance, Mary opened her arms in a usual farewell gesture and revealed a “Heart of Gold,” surrounded by glittering rays on her chest. This vision gave her the name Virgin of the Golden Heart, which is how she is usually depicted.  

At the final apparition, Mary asked, “Do you love my Son? Do you love me? Then sacrifice yourself … for me.” Those questions echo Jesus’s question to his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15). We, in turn, answer them through the way we love and live our everyday lives. 

I take a bit of poetic license by placing this final entry slightly out of order. It is hard to overstate how embraced we pilgrims felt as we traveled to Dion-le-Val, where Brice lived as a child. Even for those not involved in the pre-planning, it was clear our visit would be joyous.  

Every seat was taken as people spilled out onto the front steps of the little village Church of St. Martin. The sanctuary was filled as clergy came from surrounding villages to concelebrate with Bishop Ricken and the three priests that traveled with us. The locals had organized a choir that did a beautiful job. In return, our group sang several verses of the recently completed “Champion Hymn.” The joy and pride on the locals’ faces were evident as they reflected on Brice’s significance, perhaps once thought of simply as a little child from their village, and on the part she plays in a story that reaches far beyond their community. 

A reception followed, where hospitality shone brightly, and conversations flowed freely. Several people spoke of relatives who had emigrated and of their descendants who still live in northeast Wisconsin. One could not help but feel that lasting bonds had been forged.  

As the people of Dion-le-Val embrace their role in the story of Our Lady of Champion, and we continue to share Brice’s story and that of Our Lady of Champion here in northeast Wisconsin, one wonders what countless blessings will be showered down from heaven.

May we, then, be quick to respond to the questions of Our Lady of Beauraing: “Do you love my Son? Do you love me? Then sacrifice yourself … for me.”   

To see photos from the Belgium pilgrimage, visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/onmissionmedia/albums/72177720336295636

By Lyn Zahorik | For On Mission

In today’s Gospel, the lawyer approaches Jesus with what seems like a straightforward question: “Which commandment in the law is the greatest?” (Mt 22:36). It sounds simple enough. He’s looking for one answer.

But Jesus does what Jesus often does. He answers the question that was asked, and then the one that wasn’t. The lawyer asks for a single commandment. Jesus gives him two. First, he quotes the great daily prayer of Israel: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (cf. Dt 6:5). No surprise there. Everyone listening would have agreed. Loving God is surely at the heart of spiritual life.

But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He adds, “The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And that further added little phrase — “the second is like it” — may be the most surprising line in the whole passage.

How can loving God and loving neighbor be alike? God is infinite, holy and unseen. My neighbor is ordinary, imperfect and sometimes rather difficult. Loving God can feel uplifting and inspiring. Loving the person who annoys me at work, interrupts my plans, or disagrees with me on everything can be a much greater challenge.

Yet Jesus binds the two commandments so tightly that they cannot be separated, even though we often try to do so. We can devote lots of time to prayer, while being impatient with the people around us. We can speak eloquently about God and yet show little kindness to those we meet. We can be faithful in religious practice, but neglect the ordinary opportunities to be generous, forgiving, and compassionate.

Jesus will have none of it. For him, love is one reality expressed in two directions. Love rises toward God and reaches out toward our neighbor. The one feeds the other. Our love for God deepens our capacity to love others. Our love for others reveals whether our love for God is genuine. That is why Jesus says that all the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments. Everything else depends on them. Not success. Not reputation. Not even religious observance by itself. Love.

Perhaps the challenge of this Gospel is not to ask whether we love God. Most of us would quickly answer yes. The more searching question is what evidence would a neighbor offer about our love? Would they speak of our patience? Our generosity? Our willingness to listen? Our readiness to forgive? Or of the opposite?

The greatest commandment is not simply something to obey; it is an invitation to love God in a way that deepens and widens our hearts, making us more compassionate and merciful. A love expressed in two directions, drawing us ever more deeply into the life of God and our neighbor, where our love for God is tested and made visible.

The readings for Sunday, Oct. 25, can be found at Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB.

This time of year can feel very heavy. As elections near, endless political ads inundate our television screen, rhetoric seems to get more divisive, and it is portrayed to us that only one side has all the answers, and the other is patently evil. I don’t know about you, but I can feel my blood pressure rise.

Yet when we pause, take a deep breath, and ask what matters most, we start to see the election cycle anew. It is vitally important that we participate in the electoral process. Our voices and votes do matter and contribute to the common good of society. Electing leaders of sound character and moral integrity who seek the good of all people is essential for our communities, our state, and our nation. But just as important as voting on Tuesday, November 3 is the work we must do to form our opinions about whom to vote for.

This is often called forming our conscience. Conscience is that little voice inside all of us that tells us what is right and what is wrong. It is a bit more complicated than just Jiminy Cricket or a good and bad angel on our shoulders, but you get the picture. We must form our consciences before casting our ballots.

As Christian voters, we have resources like the Bible and our Church’s teachings to help form our consciences. The Gospel is not just a pious book for Christians; it is God revealing himself to us in His Word and providing guidance for our lives. The principles, morals, and direction the Bible provides is meant to be applied to our daily lives, yes, even voting!

We go to the ballot box with knowledge of our beliefs and core values. As Christians, we are always working to ensure our values align with those of Jesus Christ. But even those who are not Christians should strive to form their consciences. Are you religious? What does your religion or spirituality teach you about living as a society? If you are not religious, what does your conscience tell you about how to live and vote?

I believe we can all agree that we want a state and nation that supports and upholds the dignity of every human person. We all have felt the pain of and want an end to war, famine, racism, and grief throughout the world. Let our votes work to eradicate these evils in society.

We are not meant to be mere spectators in our political process. Through our well-informed vote we participate in a process that changes our region and the world. It can be easy to feel as though we have no means to impact the world around us and what is taking place. But we are not powerless; we can effect change. I believe we can all make a difference and positively influence our politicians, political processes, and society at large.

If you believe in God, a first step would be to ask God to help you. Prayer is always a good first step. Let us pray for our country, our state, our elected officials and our world, that we might all learn to live in and foster a society that respects the dignity and worth of every person.

Prayer also helps form our consciences. For Christians, seeking guidance from the Bible and Church teaching ensures that our voices and votes are informed by our faith in Jesus Christ and his Church.

Prayer also reminds us that our votes impact many others besides ourselves. We often forget about the most vulnerable: the unborn, the elderly, the infirm, migrants, widows, orphans and all of God’s children in need of our help. These groups need us to speak for them and stand with them so the government does not forget its responsibility is to serve all of us.

The dignity of every human person ought to be respected and valued in every piece of legislation and political action. That is why the right to life stands as the most fundamental of all rights. Without the opportunity to be born, a person can never experience all the other rights they are due as a human person. Therefore, promoting and supporting life from conception until natural death, and everything in between, is essential to forming our consciences well.

Contact your elected officials and share your thoughts with them. Vote for leaders who share your voice and become a champion for those who often go unheard.

My prayer for all of us is that, through the careful formation of our consciences, we may grow closer to God, vote wisely, and live lives that more fully reflect the love of Christ.

The Wisconsin Catholic Conference offers guidance to help voters form their consciences. This resource is free and available to all: wisconsincatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FC26-Bishops-Letter-Color-English.pdf.

By Scott Cason | For On Mission

ANTIGO, WI — Karen and Brian Prunty were married for more than 45 years. They raised five children in Antigo and were blessed with 11 grandchildren. Karen passed away in February 2025 after a four-year battle with ALS, but she left to her family and the world a remarkable legacy of faith, compassion and spiritual and temporal service to some of the most vulnerable and neglected children on earth. 

For nearly 30 years, Karen and Brian served as missionaries with a nonprofit called Living Waters International with their good friends, Mary and Stephen Zimmerman. The two couples met through a mutual connection to missionary work in Africa that they both supported.

The Zimmermans developed a vision for what would become Living Waters International after meeting with the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales and the Holy Cross Sisters during a 1994 visit to Tanzania. While in East Africa and witnessing the life-changing work of the two orders, the Zimmermans decided the best way to advance the work of their missionary partners was to establish a nonprofit organization focused on fundraising.

Back home in Antigo around the same time, the Pruntys listened to Fr. Chacko Koodathinal, a missionary from India, speak to their parish on World Mission Sunday about his work in Tanzania. They were moved by what they heard, approached him after Mass, and offered to donate to his work. 

When the Zimmermans learned through their mission partners in Africa that another couple from Antigo was committed to supporting their work, they reached out, and what began as a simple missionary connection turned into a 30-year partnership.

It took two years to turn the Zimmermans’ vision into what would become Living Waters International. Sadly, Mary passed away within six months of the organization’s launch, but Stephen, Karen, and Brian remained committed to moving forward. Steve largely handled grant writing and Brian focused on accounting, filing regulatory reports, and managing the transfer of donated funds to finance overseas missionary endeavors.

In the early 2000s, as their children grew older, Karen began to focus more intently on serving children in Africa and expanding the reach of their sponsorship programs. By 2025, they raised nearly $2 million to fund this important work. 

Karen devoted nearly 30 years to serving the children and families the organization supports. The couple made five trips to Africa, visiting mission sites and children in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.  

“Karen and I were moved by the Holy Spirit to help the poor, and Living Waters was the ideal organization for us,” Brian said. “Karen was always dedicated to helping children. It didn’t matter if they were her kids or kids on the other side of the world, and the children we sponsored were the kind of children who would have fallen through the cracks.”

Karen and Brian’s work placed these vulnerable children in safe and supportive learning environments. Through the donations they collected and the work of their missionary partners in Africa, Living Waters International sponsors approximately 300 children a year.

Eileen Hartl got involved in Living Waters International’s missionary work through a connection she made with Stephen. Stephen served as a catechist, and during an in-service he led, Hartl learned that Karen and Brian, whom she already knew through their connection to their children’s school, were co-founders of Living Waters International. Hartl soon joined the organization as a volunteer and helped Karen manage communications, marketing, and outreach for Living Waters International. “I made videos, created brochures, and assisted Karen in making presentations at parishes in the Antigo area,” Hartl said.

Hartl’s work expanded as Karen’s struggle with ALS intensified. “It started with small things,” Hartl said. “Eventually, it took all her will and might to flip a light switch. But Karen was determined to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible.”

Thanks to the faith-inspired efforts of the Pruntys, the Zimmermans, and an incredible network of donors and volunteers, the missionary work of Living Waters International has delivered clean water, sustainable agriculture, and solar energy solutions, and built medical clinics, schools, and churches in 24 countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Living Waters International has raised close to $30 million to support sponsorships and special projects since they began operations thirty years ago. What began as a small nonprofit dedicated to fundraising for missionaries in East Africa became a multi-faceted service organization with a global reach.

Brian sees Karen’s influence in everything they do at Living Waters International. “She was such a loving person and a bright light,” he said. “She would always find the person in the room who most needed to feel welcomed and reassured.”

In February, Prunty, three of his children, and some close friends made a sixth trip to Tanzania, this time for the blessing of the Fransalian Mission School in Karen’s honor.

To learn more about the work of Living Waters International, go to livingwatersinternational.org.

This year marks a notable milestone for the Catholic Church: the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday. For a century, Catholics around the world have united in prayer, generosity, and solidarity to support the Church’s missionary work and share the hope of the Gospel with people everywhere.

Established by Pope Pius XI in 1926, World Mission Sunday was created to support the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies. Over the past 100 years, it has become a global expression of the Church’s missionary spirit, connecting Catholics across cultures and continents in a shared commitment to Christ’s mission.

In the Diocese of Green Bay, our observance of this missionary weekend extends even further. Along with the collection for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, we also participate in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ collections for the Church in Latin America and the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. Together, these collections allow Catholics to accompany communities in more than 1,130 mission dioceses by supporting pastoral care, faith formation, education, and other essential ministries. Through this generosity, the Gospel continues to take root and flourish in places where the Church is young, vibrant, and often facing significant challenges.

The impact of this support reaches far beyond the collection basket. Every day, millions of people experience Christ’s love through ministries made possible by World Mission Sunday. Last year, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith helped educate approximately 26 million children, support more than 844,000 catechists, provide formation for over 80,000 seminarians, assist more than 258,000 religious sisters, and help sustain nearly 12,000 health clinics serving some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Behind these numbers are countless stories of hope: a child receiving an education, a family accessing healthcare, a village gathering for Mass in a new chapel, or a seminarian preparing to serve his people. Through World Mission Sunday, Catholics in our diocese become part of these stories, helping bring both spiritual and practical support to communities around the world.

World Mission Sunday is far more than an additional collection. It is the Church’s annual invitation to place mission and evangelization at the heart of our faith and parish life. It reminds us that through Baptism, each of us is called to be a missionary disciple, sharing Christ’s love with others. Our own nation was once mission territory, strengthened by the prayers and generosity of Catholics around the world through this same collection. Today, we have the privilege of extending that support to others.

For the 100th World Mission Sunday, Pope Leo XIV has chosen the theme, “One in Christ, United in Mission.” The theme reminds us that despite our different languages, cultures, and experiences, we are one family in Christ, called to share his love and hope with the world. Whether through prayer, financial support, service, or simply living our faith each day, we all have a role to play in Christ’s mission.

One hundred years after its founding, the message of World Mission Sunday remains as vital as ever. Together, as one Church united in Christ, we can help bring the Good News to the world.

CASCO, WI — On Friday, Oct. 9, and in celebration of the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, Casco’s Holy Trinity School dedicated the parish’s new Rosary Garden. Fr. Daniel Schuster led the ceremony, joined by Principal Curt Julian, staff and students, and nearly 50 parish and community members. 

The garden was conceived two years ago during preparations for Holy Trinity’s 125th anniversary celebration in 2025. Holy Trinity devotes every May and October to teaching students to pray the Rosary. The school used paper plates to represent Rosary beads during outdoor processions, but student suggestions inspired Julian to build a more permanent, weather-resistant path.

Julian secured cooperation from local contractors to design the garden, engrave bricks and secure benches. Greenleaf Landscaping & Gardens, Van Gemert Memorials, Outdoor View Furniture, Gagnon Clay Products, and Casco Sand & Gravel Co., LLC provided generous assistance. Patrons purchased memorial dedications on building materials.

The Rosary path stands before a statue of Mary and follows a heart-shaped design. Round, engraved decorative memorial blocks represent beads, with Our Father blocks distinctively dyed. A large oval etching of Mary stands upright at the centerpiece. Engraved blocks and benches at the heart’s corners mark each decade’s mysteries. Planned vegetation will create a grassy area, and donors can have additional bricks engraved at any time.

The garden supports Holy Trinity’s mission of placing God at the center of education in a prayer-filled culture that is “responsible, respectful and Christlike.” Students pray at the start and end of the school day, before and after meals, and throughout the day. Each week, students participate in adoration. During outdoor Rosary processions, older students with altar server experience carry a cross and lead the student body in prayers for each bead.

Fr. Schuster sees the Rosary Garden as an expression of Holy Trinity’s Marian devotion, referencing Mary’s message to Servant of God Adele Brice at the nearby National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion. “We know Our Lady’s message about gathering and teaching the children in this wild country,” he said. “Having children pray the Rosary teaches them their prayers and helps them understand the mysteries of Jesus.”

Holy Trinity keeps students engaged by praying while sitting and walking and by meditating on the mysteries, not just by saying the words. He also stressed the value of prayerful silence and a beautiful atmosphere, like the Rosary Garden, to elevate prayer by instilling “impressive impressions,” one of the school’s core values.

“Our kids know their prayers,” Julian said. “Our teachers really work with our students all the time, so they know their Our Fathers, their Hail Marys and their Glory Bes. By the end of the year, even our little third and fourth-graders know these as well.”

The Holy Trinity Rosary Garden is open to the public as well as students. The garden is located next to the church at 510 Church Ave. in Casco.