Groups and Ministries

In our parish, Catholic Mindset Coaching provides opportunities for individual coaching, in person or via Zoom, as well as group human formation workshops throughout the year.A Catholic Mindset Coach is a valuable resource to help you become aware of your interior life and your thoughts. A coach has the skills to identify limiting beliefs, thought errors, identity lies, and to help you grow in integrity.

Coaching will also help you grow in problem solving and remove or bypass obstacles that keep you from choosing God’s plan for your life.As a Certified Catholic Coach, Teresa Whipple can assist you in understanding, discerning your thoughts, and using reason to help you maximize your God-given gifts and potential. Contact Teresa at teresa.whipple@divinemercymadison.org.

Location: St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church

Rangers Club is a Catholic based group for fathers and sons (grades K-5) which strives to develop moral virtues in young boys through simple talks and fun activities. Fathers will receive practical advice on developing character in their sons. Events include a virtue talk, competitive activity, snacks, and socializing. For more information and upcoming events, contact Brian at bjpreisler@gmail.com.

Location: St. Andrew Church

Small Groups make our large parish feel smaller and allow for real, Christ-centered relationships to develop. Small Groups meet in people’s homes or somewhere around town – because meeting Christ does not only happen at church. At each meeting, groups pray together, read and discuss God’s Word in the Bible, and encourage each other to follow Christ more deeply – all while surrounded by an atmosphere of trust and friendship. If you would like to join a Small Group, please contact the Parish Office or ask a group leader when their next meeting is and jump in.

Location: St. Andrew Catholic Church

No matter how recent or far in the past you have lost a loved one, please know that St. Christopher Parish continues to pray for you. Along with prayers, we occasionally offer a support series, typically during Lent, when individuals can gather to share their experiences, pray, and grieve together. Share your experience only as you feel comfortable. For more information, contact Audrey Janssen at 608-845-3003 or ajanssen@tds.net.

Location: St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church and St. Andrew Catholic Church

Serving in a liturgical ministry supports the priest’s role as presider and the prayer of the congregation as the Mystical Body of Christ. There are many opportunities to serve in a ministry either behind the scenes or during the Mass.

Location: All Church locations

As ministers of the word through music, the music ministry is dedicated to providing leadership in the worship of God through song. We encourage you to consider being a part of this rewarding ministry. To join this ministry, email Marco di Lenola at marco.dilenola@divinemercymadison.org.

Divine Mercy Cenacle @ St. Maria Goretti

Location: St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church

“Cenacle” is a word for the upper room where Jesus’ apostles gathered together in prayer with His Mother Mary, and the Holy Spirit powerfully descended upon them. We gather together to read St. Faustina’s Diary and to learn more about her work informing people of Christ’s Mercy, to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and to say the rosary and prayers of the Marian Movement of Priests Prayer Cenacle. We meet on Wednesday mornings after the 8 a.m. Mass from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. in the Church Conference Room. For more information, please contact Ela Murzynski at ela.murzynski@gmail.com or Mary Graper at mgraper@charter.net.

 

Divine Mercy Cenacle @ St. Andrew

Location: St. Andrew Church

Divine Mercy Cenacle members learn more about Jesus through St. Faustina’s visions and work to become more holy. Members follow a chapter in The Divine Mercy Cenacle Formation Manual, which involves reading passages from St. Faustina’s Diary, Scripture, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy together at the end of each session, raising our petitions to God. We meet usually twice per month, on a rotating basis at one another’s homes. For more information, contact Lisa Keen at lkeen1962@gmail.com.

Eucharistic Adoration @ St. Maria Goretti

Location: St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church

We are blessed at SMG to have Eucharistic Adoration offered every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the church. This is a beautiful ministry of adoration and prayer before the Real Presence of Christ, which forms a continuous devotion on behalf of the whole parish.

24-hour Adoration Vigil @ St. Andrew

Location: St. Andrew Church

We will hold 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration vigils at St. Andrew Church on the first Friday of every month from 9 a.m. on Friday to 8 a.m. on Saturday. It’s a time to offer Him our petitions, concerns, troubles, joys, gratitude, disappointments, needs, and aspirations.

Location: St. Andrew Church

As part of the parish’s 24-hour Adoration Vigil, held on the first Friday of the month, there is a Family Adoration Hour from 5 to 6 p.m. This is a holy hour set aside for families, particularly with young children, where more noise and movement is expected. There is a 30 minute program consisting of a rosary, reading of the upcoming Sunday Gospel, Divine Praises, and Tantum Ergo (prayers and song traditionally used during Benediction). Family Adoration is sometimes followed by a family meal sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. For more information, please contact Joy & Jonathan Valladares-Courmie at peloteros.jv@gmail.com.

Location: St. Andrew Church

As you may know, Our Blessed Mother asks us to pray a Rosary for the salvation of our country. We make that commitment by saying a public Rosary every 2nd Saturday of each month. We pray the Rosary in front of St. Andrew Church, on Main Street, at 12 noon. No matter the weather we pray outside. All are welcome.

Location: St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church

Rosary Roses, also called Roses of The Living Rosary, is the community of people who support the life of the whole Church through their daily prayers of the Rosary. Each Rose has 20 people, each of whom recites one specific decade of a rosary daily. In this way the whole Rosary is recited every day.

At SMG, we currently have six Rosary Rose groups:

• Our Lady of Fatima Rose (Women’s Group)
• St. Joseph Rose (Father’s Group)
• Our Lady of Cana Rose (Mother’s Group)
• Our Lady of Good Help (Mixed Group)
• St. Maximilian Kolbe Rose (Mixed Group)
• St. Maria Goretti Rose (Young Adult’s Group)

If you are interested in joining a Rosary Rose group, please contact Ela Murzynski at ela.murzynski@gmail.com.

Location: St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church and St. Andrew Church

The Seven Sisters Apostolate is a call to strengthen the Church by ensuring that a Holy Hour is prayed each day of the week for the sole intention of our priests. Each woman commits praying a Holy Hour on a specific day of the week, thus covering a complete week. At our pastorate, two woman can also divide the Holy Hour. New members are always welcomed. If you are interested in praying for our priests through this Apostolate, contact Marla Thole at parish@divinemercymadison.org.

Location: St. Andrew Church

The Widows of Prayer is a religious apostolate of the Catholic Church, meeting, praying and working together for mutual support and common prayer for the Catholic Church and its leaders. Our Charism is to serve Christ through His Church by praying for priests and others in Church leadership, to be devoted to the Blessed Sacrament and to promote the adoration of Christ in the Eucharist. Devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Monica (Mother of St. Augustine), and St. Elizabeth of Hungry. Anyone is invited to join us following the Thursday morning Mass (about 9 a.m.) for the rosary. For more information, contact Sue Barker at 608-845-8086 or suehurleysue@tds.net.

Location: St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church and St. Andrew Church

The Parish Finance Council assists the pastor in the administration of the parish’s financial resources and assets, so as to ensure the ability to provide for the pastoral needs and priorities of the parish. Members are appointed by the pastor, often for their expertise and integrity in the areas of finance, law, human resources, insurance, building construction, or maintenance. For more information, contact the Parish Office.

At St. Christopher, meetings are typically held every other month. Council members include: Steve McKeon (Secretary), Jim Vesely, and Jim Delaney (Trustee).

Location: St. Andrew Church

The purpose of the Parish Life Commission is to help foster fellowship, provide hospitality, and build strong community throughout the parish. Much of this work is done through parish events and gatherings. As a group we share the responsibilities when it comes to organizing, promoting, and staffing events. We are always looking for new members and typically have one planning meeting a month.

Our Events:

• Donut Sundays
• Encounter Night Hospitality
• Couples Night Out
• Lenten Soup Suppers
• Euchre Tournament
• Packer/Chili Potluck Party
• Family Potlucks
• Game Night

For more information or to join our group, contact Matt Krippner at krippner@uwalumni.com.

Location: Divine Mercy Parish

The Pastoral Council is an elected group of nine active members of Divine Mercy Pastorate that serves as an advisory board to the Pastor and acts as an intermediary with various groups and committees within the parish.

The main purpose is to help the Pastor align the mission of the parish with diocesan norms and to carry the church forward through changes in the community. The function of a Pastoral Council is to advise, assist and support the Pastor, and through him the members of his Parish Staff, in the accomplishment of agreed-upon pastoral objectives.

All parishioners are welcome to observe Pastoral Council meetings. For more information or to be added to a future meeting agenda, contact the Parish Office.

Council Members:

• Danielle Chodorowski – St. Andrew, 3yr term, ends 2027
• Patricia Frazak – St. Maria Goretti, 3yr term, ends 2027
• Jo Ellen Kilkenny – St. Andrew, 2yr term, end 2026
• Cody LeClaire – St. Maria Goretti, appointed until 2028
• Ben Rouleau – St. Maria Goretti, 3yr term, ends 2027
• Jim Schroeder – St. William, 2yr term, ends 2026
• Nate Simmons – St. Andrew, appointed until 2028
• Ben Sirianni- St. Maria Goretti, appointed until 2028
• Vacant