The appointment comes during a remarkable season of growth and grace at the Shrine, marked by the opening of the cause for sainthood of Servant of God Adele Brice, record participation in the Walk to Mary, and the Shrine preparations to welcome thousands of pilgrims for the Solemnity Mass of Our Lady of Champion on October 9.

“‘Fr. Rocky,’ as he is more commonly known, has deep roots throughout our diocese and across the nation and has long been a devoted champion of the Shrine. We are blessed that he joins us at a time when his more than 16 years of executive experience and gifts as a faith leader will draw many more people to Jesus Christ through his Blessed Mother,” Bishop Ricken said.

Click here to read the full press release from The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion.

GREEN BAY, WI — People of faith are called to bring the principles of the Gospel and a respect for the dignity of every human person into their communities, conversations, and public lives. Those responsibilities are part of what it means to live out the role of a faithful citizen in public life, which will be the focus of an upcoming live forum, “I’m Catholic and I Vote!” hosted by the Diocese of Green Bay on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m.

Fr. John Girotti, vicar general and moderator of the curia, will lead the forum, along with special guests. Both a live studio audience and online participants will have opportunities to ask questions. The forum will be live on diocesan social media and at dioc.io/vote.

In the words of Pope Francis, “An authentic faith … always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 183).

Questions? Please contact Scott Cason, communications and marketing director for the Diocese of Green Bay, at (920) 272-8213 or scason@gbdioc.org.

For the Diocese of Green Bay, Bishop Dewane was one of its native sons. He was born in Green Bay, raised in Denmark, and ordained for the diocese in July 1988. He served as Bishop of Venice from January 19, 2007, until May 13, 2026, and then as Bishop Emeritus until his death.

Official funeral arrangements had not yet been announced.

Click here to read the press release on Bishop Dewane’s passing from the Diocese of Venice.

SINSINAWA, WI — Join the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa for “Hearts on Fire,” a weekend of prayer, reflection, and community Nov. 6-8 at Sinsinawa Mound as women gather to explore the yearnings of their hearts and discern God’s loving invitation in life. This discernment retreat is open to single women ages 18 to 45. It begins Friday evening and concludes at noon on Sunday. 

The weekend will include talks and reflections from Catholic sisters, along with time for private reflection, communal prayer, and Mass. There will be ample opportunity to explore the beautiful grounds, buildings, and historical exhibits at the Sinsinawa Dominican Motherhouse. Participants are responsible for their own travel. Lodging and food will be provided. Questions may be directed to the vocations team at vocations@sinsinawa.org. To learn more and register, visit forms.cloud.microsoft/r/MaBzPKbTGA.

The Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa invite you to learn more about their work at sinsinawa.org. Sinsinawa Dominicans are part of a worldwide Dominican family, the Order of Preachers. For over 800 years, Dominicans have continued to preach the Gospel in word and deed. Today, thousands of sisters, nuns, priests, brothers, associates, and laity minister in more than 100 countries around the world.

By Lyn Zahorik | For On Mission

Every time I hear this Gospel, it strikes me as if Jesus is telling a parable that does not support “What would Jesus do?”

The story begins with a royal wedding invitation and a complete RSVP disaster. The invited guests simply cannot be bothered. Some ignore the invitation; others reject it outright. So the king throws open the doors and invites in anyone he can find. It is one of the most beautiful images of God’s generosity. No one is excluded. The people from the highways and side streets all receive a place at the banquet.

So far, so good. Then comes the uncomfortable part. One of these last-minute guests arrives without a wedding garment and suddenly finds himself being forcibly thrown out the door. Hold on a minute. The man is dragged in off the street! What exactly was he supposed to do, stop at Mordecai’s Mercantile, Camels & Last-Minute Formal Wear?

At first, it feels terribly unfair. The original guests invited probably had plenty of fine clothes. They certainly had status and respectability. Yet they rejected the king’s invitation. The man from the street seems like the obvious outsider. Surely Jesus cannot be condemning the man simply for what he is wearing.

Maybe he isn’t. What catches my attention is that the king addresses the man as “friend.” That word carries a surprising warmth. It sounds less like an accusation and more like an invitation to speak. It is almost as if the king is giving him an opportunity to explain himself.

But there is no response. Now, if I had been dragged in from the street, I would have had plenty to say. “Your Majesty, I was minding my own business five minutes ago when your servants brought me here! These clothes are certainly not worthy of this banquet, but please let me stay. I am honored to be here.”

Yet the man says nothing. No explanation. No apology. No gratitude. No plea for mercy. Just silence. Perhaps the silence reveals the real problem. The man chooses not to enter into conversation with the King; he stands silent when given the opportunity to enter into a relationship with the King.

I wonder if that is where this Gospel meets us. Most of us are not rejecting God outright. We were baptized. We come to Mass. We pray. We try. Yet we also hear God’s call to forgive and remain silent. We hear his invitation to generosity, compassion, or justice and remain silent. We occupy a place at the banquet, yet our hearts are somewhere else.

The good news is that God provides both the invitation and the grace. Our task is simply to stop acting as though we wandered into the banquet by accident and start living like people who are genuinely glad to be there.

The readings for Sunday, Oct. 11, can be found at Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB.

By Scott Cason | On Mission

ROME, ITALY – On Oct. 1, in a celebration of the Eucharist at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter in the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, seminarian Nicholas Vande Hey and 17 fellow seminarians from the Pontifical North American College were ordained to the transitional diaconate. The Most Reverend Robert Barron, Bishop of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, served as the ordaining prelate at the Mass of Ordination.

Deacon Vande Hey grew up in Kaukauna, where he and his family attended Holy Cross Parish. He graduated from Xavier High School in Appleton in 2016 and St. Norbert College in 2019.

After graduation, Deacon Vande Hey began his professional career. “I had a dream job, bought a new car, [and] was in a relationship that was going well. Things were very, very good,” Deacon Vande Hey said. 

Then one day, while sitting in adoration, he had a powerful experience with the Lord that brought a flood of thoughts about becoming a priest to his mind and heart. Like many called to vocation, Deacon Vande Hey’s initial response was, “Why now, God?” Over time, the Lord gave him the grace to say “yes” to the invitation.

Deacon Vande Hey entered the Kairos Year for the Diocese of Green Bay in the fall of 2020, then enrolled at St. Francis de Sales Seminary near Milwaukee for two years before moving on to Pontifical North American College.

The next step for Deacon Vande Hey will be a return to service with the Diocese of Green Bay and, God willing, ordination to the priesthood in July 2027.

To see the video of the Mass of Ordination recorded last week in Rome, go to youtube.com/watch?v=orrTL-VbmNA.

Updated October 7, 2026 by On Mission Staff

We will carry your intention to Belgium

ALLOUEZ, WI — From October 10–20, pilgrims from the Diocese of Green Bay will walk the ground where Servant of God Adele Brice was born, confirmed, and sent. They will pray at Marian shrines, American cemeteries, and the churches that shaped a Belgian girl who later became central to the story of Our Lady of Champion.

They are inviting you to send a prayer with them.

Share a name, a need, or a thanksgiving below. Pilgrims will be encouraged to carry these requests personally as part of their spiritual journey — at Mass, before the Holy Blood in Bruges, at the shrine of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel, at Adele’s birthplace, and in the quiet of the American cemeteries in Belgium.

You do not need to be going on the trip. You only need an intention worth praying.

Prayer Request Submission Form

A short note is enough. You may include a first name, a relationship, or simply the need itself. These requests are offered in prayer; they are not published.

Who is carrying these prayers

Bishop David Ricken, the 12th bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, is spiritual director for this On Mission pilgrimage, offered in cooperation with Mater Dei Tours. Fr. Matt Simonar, pastor of Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Green Bay, and Fr. Alvan Amadi, pastor of SS. Peter and Paul, Holy Rosary, and St. Ann Parishes in New Holstein and Kiel, serve as co-chaplains. Juan Landa of Mater Dei Tours is pilgrimage director. Amy Kawula, marketing and operations manager for the Diocese of Green Bay, is the pilgrimage host.

This is the diocese’s first pilgrimage to Belgium, and it is built around a local cause for canonization. Adele Brice left Belgium as a young woman. The pilgrims are returning to the places that formed her, so that the Church of Green Bay can pray where her story began.

Where your intention will be carried

The group departs Chicago for Brussels on Saturday, October 10.

In Bruges, Sunday Mass is at the Basilica of the Holy Blood, followed by silent prayer before the Holy Blood of Jesus. The days there also include St. Saviour’s Cathedral, the Church of Our Lady — home to Michelangelo’s Mother and Child — Mass at St. Jacques Church, and a canal tour of the medieval city.

In Antwerp, Mass is at the Cathedral of Our Lady, which holds four Rubens masterpieces, and later at the Church of St. Charles Borromeo. Pilgrims will also visit the Red Star Line Museum, the port where Adele Brice and her family embarked for New York on the SS Schmidt on June 9, 1855.

From Leuven, the days open onto places made for intercession. At the Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel — Belgium’s most visited Marian shrine, consecrated in 1627 — the group will pray the rosary. St. Damien of Molokai came here with his mother in 1863, just before leaving for Hawaii. Pilgrims will also visit his childhood home in Tremelo and his tomb at St. Anthony of Padua Chapel.

In Brussels, Mass is at St. James on Coudenberg, followed by a walk through the historic center, from the cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula to the Grand-Place. In Leuven, Bishop Ricken is scheduled to concelebrate Mass at St. Peter’s Church with Bishop Koen Vanhoutte, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, pending the bishop’s final schedule. The group will also pause for prayer at the American College and the seminary chapel of KU Leuven, the oldest Catholic university in the world, and walk the Grand Beguinage, where consecrated women have lived in community since the 13th century.

On Sunday, October 18, the pilgrimage reaches Dion-le-Val, where Adele was born on January 30, 1831, to Lambert and Catherine Brise. Mass is at the Church of St. Martin. Afterward the group goes to Wavre, the place of her Confirmation, to pray at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Basse-Wavre.

The final full day is set aside for the dead and for those who serve. At Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, pilgrims will pray the rosary for the soldiers buried there and for men and women in the Armed Forces. At Ardennes American Cemetery, they will pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. If time allows, they will also visit Our Lady of Beauraing, an approved Marian shrine, before a farewell Mass and dinner.

All Masses are pending approval from local ecclesiastical authorities.

Why this is an On Mission pilgrimage

An On Mission pilgrimage is not mainly a travel tour with a faith component added on. The places are chosen because they belong to a story of faith — here, the story of a Belgian immigrant whose apparitions of Our Lady are now part of the life of the Diocese of Green Bay, and of a Belgian saint who left home to serve in a distant land.

The rhythm is the same on every On Mission journey: daily Mass, intentional prayer, time in silence, and a group that travels as a small church. Chaplains walk with the pilgrims. Intentions entrusted to the group are not an afterthought. They are part of the reason the group goes.

Sharing your prayer request is a way of going with them.

On Mission pilgrimages are built so that a diocese can pray in the places that formed its saints, its shrines, and its people — and so that those who stay home can still place a name in the hands of someone who is going.

Thank you for sharing your intention above. The pilgrims depart October 10.

Our Lady of Champion and Servant of God Adele Brice, pray for us.

For more information, download the informational PDF flyer via Belgium2026.pdf.

CHAMPION, WI — It was a powerful morning at The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, where hundreds of students filled Mother of Mercy Hall, providing a hopeful sign of Catholic education’s future.

Over 700 students, representing the diocese’s 51 schools, attended the All Schools Mass on October 1. Each school was recognized during Mass, and students had the opportunity to present spiritual prayer bouquets to Bishop David Ricken on behalf of their schools. Many other students participated in various parts of the Mass, including lectoring, ushering, and singing in the choir. After Mass, the students prayed the rosary to ask for Our Lady of Champion’s intercession. 

Bishop Ricken, who concelebrated the Mass with 10 other priests, reflected on the Gospel reading for the day during his homily: “He (Jesus) called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, ‘Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven’” (Mt 18:2-3). 

“We need to become childlike — not childish,” Bishop Ricken said. “And what does ‘childlike’ mean? It means to be obedient, humble, to your parents, to your teachers, and also especially to the Lord.”

It is no coincidence that October 1 is also the Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who is one of our diocesan patron saints during the “Share Jesus” years. 

St. Thérèse is a beautiful example of spiritual childhood and humility. Known for her “Little Way,” St. Thérèse carried out life’s ordinary duties with great love for God. Her childlike reliance on God and her recognition of her “littleness” opened her heart to receiving God’s grace.

Bishop Ricken encouraged the students at the All Schools Mass to find ways in their own lives to have a humble and missionary heart like St. Thérèse. 

“There are so many souls out there who are lost,” Bishop Ricken said. “You know them. Some of them might even be in your family. Pray for those people. Reach out to those people. Invite them to come to church with you, or invite them to come to your school. That’s not something to be ashamed of.”

Bishop Ricken expressed his optimism for the generation of students attending the Mass. “I see you, and I have a lot of hope,” he said. “Make him No. 1, and let everything else follow from that, and everything else will work out just fine. Following the Lord is a hard task sometimes, but more times than not, it’s a life filled with joy and love. And why would you want it any other way?”

Bishop David L. Ricken Appoints Fr. Francis “Rocky” Hoffman as President & Rector of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion  

View letter from Bishop Ricken HERE.

NEENAH, WI — Joan Bartman grew up in the Catholic Church with an appreciation for beautiful stained-glass windows, but one window set at St. Margaret Mary Church in Neenah was different. This one featured none of the deep reds and shimmering golds she was used to seeing in church windows. Titled “The Seven Sorrows of Mary,” the glass featured a series of diamonds presented in muted grays, purples, and greens. 

It seemed to lack symmetry and balance. Some diamonds were larger than others and seemed to be placed randomly across the three segments of the window set. The sole vibrant color was one bit of deep red, used to represent the Sacred Heart in the large diamond dedicated to the crucifixion of Jesus.

The more she looked at the window set, the more she felt drawn to the story it was trying to tell her. She started to notice things that didn’t, at first, make sense: pyramids, bird cages, and swords. She noticed seven swords placed near each main image. Suddenly, she felt drawn to learning more about each element in the window set.

She began researching and discovered that each sword depicted one of Mary’s sorrows, and the nearby image pointed to a specific one. At the top of the first window, a sword hovered above a caged bird. This was Mary’s first sorrow: Simeon’s prophecy foretelling Jesus’ future transformational impact on the world, along with his inevitable doom.

This encounter with the Seven Sorrows of Mary window set fueled a passion in Bartman to explore other stained-glass windows in the Appleton-area parishes she knew well. “I just found joy in discovering the meanings behind the art in these windows,” Bartman said. “I enjoyed getting into the mind of the artist, and because I am a teacher at heart, I love sharing what I learned.”

Bartman decided to turn her personal interest into something more permanent, so she started photographing the windows. Photography had been one of Bartman’s favorite hobbies since fifth grade. Her family had just moved across town in Appleton, and she told her parents she wanted a camera to capture all the new things she was experiencing. “In those days, you bought the roll of 35-millimeter film, and you tried to be in a darker area to load it into the camera, because exposure to light could ruin the film. And you only had so many pictures on that roll of film, so you had to put a lot of thought and work into shooting good photos,” Bartman said.

Her passion for teaching and learning, along with her Catholic faith, drove her interest in discovering the stories behind the windows she had viewed for years. Her keen eye as a photographer also helped her envision how to capture the imagery depicted in the stained glass. So, Batman decided to turn the stories she learned and the imagery she captured into a series of books. “I thought of these books as gifts. They are not polished or professional-looking, but I think they are kind of like family photo books.”

Bartman would go on to produce four picture storybooks of the parishes she loved in the Appleton area, including St. Margaret Mary, St. Therese, St. Joseph, and St. Paul.

Click here to view a gallery of Bartman’s favorite photos from her series of books.

While a fascination with church windows has become her hobby and passion, Bartman’s faith has been at the forefront of her life for as long as she can remember. She is the second of six children, from a family where both of her grandparents were Catholic and members of St. Joseph Parish in Appleton. She attended St. Joseph Catholic School through fourth grade, and then Sacred Heart Catholic School after her family moved across town.

After college, Bartman began her professional career as an elementary school teacher. While attending her sister’s wedding at St. Bernard Parish in Appleton, she spoke with pastoral minister Sr. Jane Mary. She told Bartman that she had just received a flyer in the mail about a new program called “Commissioned Ministry,” and immediately thought of her. 

“I prayed about it and always felt it was the right decision for me to pursue this calling,” Bartman said.

Bartman was named the first commissioned minister at St. Boniface Parish in De Pere in 1989, served there for six years, and then served as a pastoral associate with St. Margaret Mary Parish in Neenah, St. Paul Parish in Wrightstown, and as a nursing home chaplain. Bartman retired in 2016.