Transitions are a part of life – part of family life, part of parish life, and part of the ongoing evolution of the Adult and Family Ministry Office (AFM). AFM staff acknowledge the challenges presented by change and, in this newsletter, share brief comments about their programs and resources.

Bereavement Ministry
Widow and widower retreats, grief support groups, self-help and grief support materials, and special remembrance events, such as the day for parents who lost a child, are offered through the Bereavement Ministry. Polly Horky, associate director for Bereavement Ministry for 17 years says, “My role is to develop resources and provide programs for people who have lost a loved one. The Church needs to be there, especially in times of grief, and a great deal of what I do is networking, providing contacts and resources for both secular and Church related grief outreach.”

Marriage and Family, Adult Formation, Separated and Divorced, and Small Group Ministries
Couples Enrichment, the REFOCCUS compatibility inventory, and UMOJA for African-American couples are integral parts of Marriage Ministry. Family Ministry includes the Men’s, MOMS, AND Elizabeth (women helping women) ministries. New Horizons retreats and parish-run support group ministries are offered for the separated and divorced. RAINBOWS is a support group that helps children who have experienced loss. An Adult Formation family packet is also available to parishes. Randy Nohl, associate director of Marriage and Family Ministry for 14 years says, “I serve as a resource person and consultant in assisting parishes with developing and directing their own programs and in training parish leaders for ministry implementation in the areas of Family, Marriage, Separated and Divorced, Adult Formation and Small Groups.”

He added, “Change brings new opportunities. We have to look at different ways of serving, and AFM has been doing that creatively in efforts such as training the parish trainers.

Barb Krieser, senior secretary, Marriage and Family and Bereavement Ministry for nine years says, “We strive to keep communication open between the parishes and the archdiocese, and we have such valuable resources to share. We are here to serve.”

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry
The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry offers signed and interpreted liturgies, deaf awareness education, and training for lay ministers. It also sponsors special youth group activities as a part of its services to parishes and schools. Pam Sommers has been associate director of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry for five months. She states, “Advocacy is a major part of my role – assisting the deaf community with the necessary tools, resources and support to be self-sustaining to make their own decisions. I envision a deaf community that is empowered and run by deaf people. To really respect cultures is to accept differences.”

Engaged Enrichment Ministry
The Archdiocesan Engaged Enrichment day and weekend retreats, FOCCUS premarital inventory and natural family planning are examples of this ministry. Marie Grevsmuehl, coordinator for Engaged Enrichment for seven years says, “My role is best described in this quote from Archbishop Oscar Romero: ‘We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise . . . We may never see the end results.” She believes that greater awareness for engaged couples and more support for newly married couples will make stronger parishes. “Parishes that are supportive and involved with young engaged and newly married couples will find them to be a valuable resource. AFM wants to help you meet their needs.”

Julie Kurer, has been senior secretary for Engaged Enrichment/Director of AFM/Special Needs for six years. “Marriage preparation is an important part of the Church. We encourage the parishes to continue stressing the importance of these programs and getting information out to the couples as early in their marriage preparation as possible.

Catholic Campus Ministry
Campus ministry serves students, faculty and the campus community in four major areas; religious, social, educational and service. Confirmation programs, potlucks and suppers, intercollegiate retreats, Mass, speakers, ‘hanging out’ and outreach are some of the ways campus ministers strive to make the Catholic Church meaningful in the transitional world of campus life. The National Catholic Student Coalition (NCSC), a national Catholic college student-run organization, has its national office at Adult and Family Ministry.

Rev. Dr. Bob Lotz has been a campus minister at the Newman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for five years. “We are working to bring students closer to the Church by developing and enabling their leadership skills, which could expand into adult formation and continuing service after college life.”

For 11 years Connie Popp has been the Newman Center director at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “The campus is mission territory, and our focus is on how we can serve the students. We strive to let them know we are here for them with a place to relax and reflect, and we accompany the students on their faith journey,” she says.

Brian Zanin has been Catholic campus minister at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for two years. He is also campus ministry advisor for the National Catholic Student Coalition (NCSC), located at Cousins Center. “As a campus minister, I am the outreach for the Church and a conduit for student participation. One of my primary roles is empowering students – to assist them with their discernment of their faith and leadership in the Church,” Brian stated. NCSC is the evidence of campus ministry working well – a national organization that supports empowerment and leadership of Catholic college students. Adult and Family Ministry has provided significant support, which is reflective of the archdiocese.

Edith Padgett has been a Catholic campus minister at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and Carthage College for 10 years. “We help students discover their Catholic faith. Students come to college with their parents’ faith, and we walk with them through their own faith discovery,” Edith said.

Special Needs
Special Needs Ministry embraces all areas of disabilities, providing parish support in religious education classes, inclusive education, catechist training, family enrichment, retreats, days of reflection, resources, assessments, support groups, home-schooling, and consultative services to individual school communities to assist them in accepting and retaining children with special needs.

Evangelization
Your congregation can become a more hospitable community, reaching out to inactive Catholics and reconnecting with them. This is the welcoming and inviting ministry of evangelization. Services offered through the Adult and Family Ministry Office include workshops, retreats, and resources. The newly revised Evangelization Handbook offers committee leaders, parish staff and others a step-by-step approach in organizing an evangelization committee.

The contact person for Special Needs and Evangelization ministries is Theresa Johanek, director Adult and Family Ministry/Special Needs and Evangelization. “The programs and services of Adult and Family Ministry have changed greatly over my 20 years with the archdiocese. We are continually looking at ways to encourage parishes to reach out to those with special needs and to find needed resources and services. It is not just religious education, but support for the family, siblings and various institutions,” Theresa said.

She added, “We find more and more churches responding to the needs of evangelization within their parish communities. We continually want to make it clear that evangelization means something for us as Catholics. Every Catholic can be a minister of welcome, reconciliation and compassion.”

Janet Shea has been administrative assistant in Adult and Family Ministry for 22 years. “The Church is about people enriching one another’s faith and lives,” she says.” In AFM, we strive to help parishes enrich the faith life in their community.”

Change can often be difficult, but it is energizing and vital. The family is such an important part of who we are as Church. We constantly ask ourselves what some of the new dreams and challenges are for families, and we realize that the family focus will continue to evolve and change. AFM is enthused about the future of the Catholic family and is poised to provide support and resources in whatever form it needs to take.”