Catholic Leaders Unite in Mission to Serve Fond du Lac Community
November 26, 2025
This article appears in the November Issue of Reflections and Connections
During the past year, the leaders of the Catholic organizations in Fond du Lac have come together to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing their organizations and communities.
The leaders include Saint Mary’s Springs Academy President Stacey Akey, SSM Regional Vice President of Mission Integration Rosie Perez, SSM Vice President of Patient Care Tami Schattschneider, Holy Family Catholic Community Pastor Father Ryan Pruess, Marian University President Aaron Sadoff, and CSA General Superior Sister Sharon Pollnow.
The group met for the first time on Monday, January 20, 2025, and has continued to gather for several hours each quarter at rotating locations to renew their commitment to collaborate and unify efforts to advance their aligned missions.
President Sadoff had only been in his role for a few months when the gatherings began but has been very appreciative of them. “It’s inspiring to see the leaders of our community Catholic institutions come together in faith, purpose, and partnership. When we unite to share our resources, ideas, and hope, we strengthen not only our organizations but the heart of our entire community. I look forward to these gatherings, reaffirming our collective purpose to strengthen our community through love, caring and hard work.”
These gatherings reflect a shared understanding that collaboration is not only strategic but sacred—an act of faith in action. Together, the leaders recognize that while each ministry and organization carries its own unique charism, they also share many of the same strengths, challenges, and opportunities. By coming together, they are better equipped to respond to the needs of the broader community with unity, clarity, and compassion.
“When we as Catholic leaders in Fond du Lac join hands and hearts, our individual missions become a united ministry,” said Stacey Akey, President of St. Mary’s Springs Academy. “Through faith, shared purpose, and mutual support, we are better positioned to face challenges, embrace opportunities, and serve the needs of our community in a way that is stronger, more impactful, and deeply rooted in our Catholic values.”
Engage in Conversations of the Heart
November 19, 2025
This article appears in the November Issue of Reflections and Connections
You are invited to participate in the Conversations of the Heart series. Participants meet once per week for six weeks and use the book Healing The Heart Of Democracy: The Courage To Create A Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit by Parker Palmer to learn more about what it means:
- to listen to each other openly and without fear, learning how much we have in common despite our differences
- to deepen our empathy for the alien “other” as we enter imaginatively into the experiences of people whose lives are radically unlike our own
- to hold what we believe and know with conviction and be willing to listen openly to other viewpoints, changing our minds if needed
- to seek out additional facts and explanations whenever we find reason to doubt our own truth claims or the claims made by others, thus becoming better informed
- and to probe, question, explore, and engage in dialogue, developing a fuller, more three-dimensional view of reality in the process.
If you are interested in participating, upcoming dates and the application are available at csasisters.org/unity
Inauguration of President Aaron Sadoff
November 12, 2025
This article appears in the November Issue of Reflections and Connections
On Thursday, September 25, 2025, President Aaron Sadoff was inaugurated as Marian University’s 18th President. The day began with a Mass that included Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob, Holy Family Catholic Community Priests Father Ryan Pruess and Father Matthew Kirk, and the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, Marian's founding order. The Inauguration Ceremony in the Sadoff Gymnasium included dignitaries from other universities, as well as Marian's Board of Trustees, faculty emeriti, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and was followed with a Reception on the Quad.
Archbishop Grob offered a blessing for the occasion, “May the God of all wisdom and grace bless you, President Aaron Sadoff, as you assume leadership of Marian University. … May you hunger for the truth and have a continual appetite for learning and always instill this open search for the truth into this community. …. May you reflect the love of God by advocating for social justice and dignity of all persons, … and through your servant leadership, may Marian University continue to shine as a beacon of God’s light to all.”
Sister Donna Innes, CSA Sponsorship Advisor, was moved deeply during the event, “The positive energy and spirit of hope for the future of Marian was palpable as President Sadoff received the Presidential Medallion. The joyful spirit—with Sisters and Associates singing; the faculty, students, and staff cheering; along with Aaron's humble and very positive speech—will remain with me.”
Sister Sharon Pollnow, CSA General Superior, summed up the congregation’s appreciation for President Sadoff, “We have great trust that the person you are—with your vision and commitment to be servant leader, and with the many gifts and skills you bring to your role as the 18th President of Marian University—will continue the long-standing tradition of graduating persons of faith, who believe in their worth, who value relationships, and who are committed to the service of making their communities and world a better place.”
Exploring Catholic Intellectual Tradition
November 10, 2025
This article appears in the November Issue of Reflections and Connections
The Mission Integration Committee of Marian University is offering a nine-part series focused on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. The series features Sister Dianne Bergant, CSA, Ph.D. in Stayer Auditorium, Marian University, 45 S. National Ave., from 3:00-4:00 p.m., on Tuesday afternoons throughout the academic year. The public is invited to attend. For those who cannot attend in person, each session is available live and recorded on the CSA YouTube channel.
The first three sessions of the series were titled “Dignity of the Human Person: Image of God”, “Appreciation of Creation: Interconnectedness”, and “Commitment to Universal Truth: Anthropocentric to Cosmocentric”.
Sister Dianne Bergant was recently widely interviewed after one of her students became Pope. Additionally, she has served as President of the Catholic Biblical Association of America (2000-2001) and as the Rev. Robert J. Randall Distinguished Professor of Christian Culture, Providence College, Providence, RI (2009-2010). She was awarded honorary doctorates from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, CA (2013), Marian University, Fond du Lac, WI (2014), and the Catholic University of Australia, Melbourne, Victoria (2015). She was an active member of the Chicago Catholic/Jewish Scholars Dialogue (1988-2017), a member of the Board of Trustees, Sacred Heart School of Theology (1983-1989), and of St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, WI (1996-2005). She sat on the editorial boards of The Bible Today (1979-2005), Biblical Theology Bulletin (1990-2014), Catholic Biblical Quarterly (1992-2001), New Theology Review (1997-2003), Teaching Theology and Religion (2003-2005), and Chicago Studies (2003-2009). She has taught and lectured in various places in the United States, as well as in South Africa and Namibia, Trinidad, England and Ireland, Kiribati, Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, Nicaragua, Rome, Australia and New Zealand.
Save the dates:
- November 18 - Faith & Reason: What is Theology?
- January 27 - Integral Relationship with the Catholic Church: Missionary Disciple
- February 24 - Hospitality & Tradition: Dialogue
- March 31 - Sacramental Vision: Mystery
- April 21 - Power of Beauty: Vision or Reality
- May 5 - Innovation for the Common Good: Interdependence
November 2025 Issue of Reflections & Connections
November 05, 2025
The November 2025 issue of Reflections & Connections is now available online for your viewing.
This letter appears in the November Issue of Reflections and Connections
Dear Friends,
The author Albert Camus observed, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Every leaf, turning toward its moment of release, becomes a radiant testament to life’s continual transformation.
We are part of this same sacred rhythm — called to notice, to give thanks, and to care tenderly for the earth that sustains us. The turning of the seasons mirrors our own spiritual journey: a rhythm of growth, harvest, letting go, and trust in what is to come. In this rhythm, we remember the children, whose laughter keeps hope alive, and the elders, whose wisdom steadies our path. We remember the fragile Earth, our common home, bruised by neglect yet resilient with grace — still offering beauty, breath, and abundance to all who dwell upon it.
Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote, “The leaves are falling, falling as if from far up… and in the nights the heavy earth is falling toward all the stars in solitude.” His words remind us that creation’s movements — even its letting go — are filled with grace and mystery.
Let this autumn awaken gratitude in us.
May we, like creation itself, be willing to change and be changed.
May every falling leaf, every breath of wind, every laugh of a child, every word of an elder,
and every sigh of the earth draw us deeper into the beauty of God who renews all things.
With grateful hearts,
Sisters Sharon Pollnow, Peg Spindler, Madeline Gianforte, and Lael Niblick
CSA’s General Council, 2022-2026
Caring for Honeybees Is Caring for Earth
October 27, 2025
Kari Jones, the Memory Care Specialist for Sisters at St. Francis Home and Nazareth Court and Center, and her husband, Michael, practice care of Earth by caring for honeybees. Michael is an apiarist, a beekeeper, who manages honeybee colonies and maintains the beehives on their property. Kari collects and processes the natural honey.
Their yard is a garden of flowers attracting pollinators: honeybees, other flying insects, and hummingbirds. Together Kari and Michael practice eco-spirituality, which connects the natural world to the sacredness of Earth.
There are four processes for pollinator-bee conservation: growing pollinator-friendly flowers and habitat, providing nest sites (like Michael’s hives), avoiding pesticides, and spreading the word that pollinator conservation is a critical component of caring for Earth. Pollinator conservation has broad benefits from increasing biodiversity to combating climate change. (https://xerces.org/bring-back-the-pollinators) Ask Kari about the benefits of local honey!
All of Michael and Kari’s bees died this past winter, as was also reported by neighboring beekeepers. Beekeepers have been dealing with Colony Collapse Disorder. Researchers identify causes such as pesticides, mites, disease, and parasites. Kari and Michael recommend the judicious use of pesticides. Organic or natural pesticides are recommended to deter pests and not kill bees. https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/subject/colony-collapse-disorder.
There are more species of bees than honeybees and more pollinators than bees. Not all are as safe and desirable as the honeybee which pollinates flowers and produces honey. Beware of the newest bee invader, the Africanized honeybee, a dangerous and aggressive bee. For even more information on such bees, check this: 17 Types Of Bees, Ranked By Danger Level https://www.outdoorguide.com/1542537/bee-types-ranked-danger-level/. Some conservationists are committed to differentiating between honeybees and our native North American bees: https://www.xerces.org/blog/want-to-save-bees-focus-on-habitat-not-honey-bees.
Learn more about honeybees and their impacts by clicking on www.xercees.org.
- Read the fact sheet about honey bees in North America, which is free to download, print, and share.
- Should your property or community have honeybee hives? Read the detailed recommendations for land managers on how to make decisions about honeybees.
- Discover four easy steps to bring back the pollinators, along with resources to get you started!
- Sign the Pollinator Protection Pledge and add your name to an international movement!
- This hobby fulfills a need to improve personal and environmental care for Earth. (https://xerces.org/bring-back-the-pollinators)
St. Agnes Convent campus contains flowers for bee pollination.
S. Patricia Weidman, CSA, Laudato Si’ Animator, writer
Special thank you to: Chelsea Koenigs, Laudato Si’ Animator, formatter
S. Julie Ann Krahl, CSA, editor; S. Patricia Bogenschuetz, CSA, editor
Photos of bees’ curiosity of CSA Archives
Watch Party: Robin Wall Kimmerer Keynote
September 08, 2025
The Sisters of St. Agnes are excited to partner with Faith in Place for their upcoming Annual Environment & Spirituality Summit, happening September 29–30, 2025, and featuring keynote speaker Robin Wall Kimmerer. Join an in-person watch party of the keynote, from 6-8 p.m. on September 30 in Founders Hall at the CSA motherhouse (320 County Rd K).
RSVP for the Watch Party by registering for the Summit and selecting our location from the Watch Party list: https://aes-summit.org/
What to Expect at the Watch Party
(All times are in the Central Time Zone)
5:45–6:15 PM
Meet other Watch Party guests, select your seat, and explore the three informational/vendor tables from CSA, Lunar & Lake Book Store, and Fox Valley Area Wild Ones.
Please plan to be seated by 6:15 for the keynote.
6:15–6:30 PM
Welcome Remarks
6:30–7:30 PM
Watch the keynote address from Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Participate in the live Q&A—scan the on-screen QR code to submit your questions.
7:30–8:00 PM CT
Reflect on the keynote with your fellow Watch Party guests.
Conversation prompts will be provided to guide your discussion.
8:00 PM CT
Watch Party concludes. Info and Vendor tables will remain in place until approximately 8:15, or later, as needed
About Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a renowned author, scientist, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Through her internationally acclaimed book Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin has transformed countless relationships to nature by weaving Indigenous wisdom and scientific understanding into a tapestry of ecological reciprocity and gratitude. In her latest work, The Serviceberry, she continues to offer profound insights on abundance, community, and our shared responsibility to care for the Earth.
In line with the summit's 2025 theme, “Strong and Supported,” Robin will invite us into a deeper contemplation of the reciprocal support and strength shared between humans and the natural world. Drawing from her rich experience as a mother, educator, scientist, and storyteller, Robin will illuminate how healing our relationship with the Earth can empower us to foster resilient, thriving communities rooted in generosity and mutual care.
Join us for this inspiring keynote, as Robin Wall Kimmerer guides us toward a future where gratitude shapes our relationship with each other and the living world.
Date: September 30, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location:
Founders Hall
320 County Rd K
Fond Du Lac, WI 54937, US
Contemplative Prayer Resumes at the Motherhouse
September 05, 2025
Join the Sisters of St. Agnes for contemplative prayer on one Sunday each month from 4-5 p.m in the CSA Chapel (320 County Rd K, Fond du Lac, WI 54937).
The prayer time begins and ends with a prayer with silence maintained in the interim to allow for personal prayers. This prayer is for our country, for peace in the world, and for family and friends.
Join us for your special needs and graces. All are welcome to participate for the hour or a portion of it.
Please arrive by 4pm.
2025-2026
Prayer Dates
Sept. 14
Oct. 12
Nov. 16
Dec. 14
Jan. 11
Feb. 15
Mar. 15
Apr. 19
May 17
4-5 PM
320 County Rd K
Fond du Lac, WI 54937
Marian University Offers Catholic Intellectual Tradition Educational Series
August 26, 2025
The Mission Integration Committee of Marian University is pleased to present a series on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. This 9-part series will be presented by Sister Dianne Bergant, CSA, Ph.D. in Stayer Auditorium, Marian University, 45 S. National Ave. from 3:00-4:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoons throughout the academic year. The public is invited to attend. Sister Dianne was widely interviewed recently after one of her students became Pope.
A livestream will also be available on the CSA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@csasisters
The first session will take place on Tuesday, August 26 and focus on the Dignity of the Human Person.
The full list of topics and dates are
- August 26 - Dignity of the Human Person: Image of God
- September 23 - Appreciation of Creation: Interconnected
- October 21 - Commitment to Universal Truth: Anthropocentric to Cosmocentric
- November 18 - Faith & Reason: What is Theology?
- January 27 - Integral Relationship with the Catholic Church: Missionary Disciple
- February 24 - Hospitality & Tradition: Dialogue
- March 31 - Sacramental Vision: Mystery
- April 21 - Power of Beauty: Vision or Reality
- May 5 - Innovation for the Common Good: Interdependence
Sister Dianne served as President of Catholic Biblical Association of America (2000-2001) and as the Rev. Robert J. Randall Distinguished Professor of Christian Culture, Providence College, Providence, RI (2009-2010). She was awarded honorary doctorates from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, CA (2013), Marian University, Fond du Lac, WI (2014), and the Catholic University of Australia, Melbourne, Victoria (2015). She was an active member of the Chicago Catholic/Jewish Scholars Dialogue (1988-2017), a member of the Board of Trustees, Sacred Heart School of Theology (1983-1989), and of St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, WI (1996-2005). She sat on the editorial boards of The Bible Today (1979-2005), Biblical Theology Bulletin (1990-2014), Catholic Biblical Quarterly (1992-2001), New Theology Review (1997-2003), Teaching Theology and Religion (2003-2005), and Chicago Studies (2003-2009). She has taught and lectured in various places in the United States, as well as in South Africa and Namibia, Trinidad, England and Ireland, Kiribati, Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, Nicaragua, Rome, Australia and New Zealand.
Associate Home Circle Charism Initiatives
August 21, 2025
A shorter version of this article appears in the August Issue of Reflections and Connections
In June of 2024, associates reflected on what they believed to be the greatest needs in our world, aware that charism happens when critical needs are met in the present. Three areas of need clearly emerged: inequality, economic justice for the poor, and respectful conversation. Since then, associate home circles have been working on an initiative related to one of these areas of need.
On behalf of the associate office, Associate Director Kelly Robe and Assistant Director Kathy Koepsell handed out Subway gift cards and an informational packet of local food resources to homeless people. Wealth inequality, low wages, rising rent and food costs, unaffordable housing, unemployment, physical or mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic violence can be contributing causes of homelessness.
Subway gift cards seemed like a good choice, as there are 7 Subways in Fond du Lac, compared with only 3 McDonald’s and 2 Taco Bells. One person declined the gift card stating they had no transportation to get to a Subway location, but most accepted these cards with diverse responses: saying ‘God bless you,’ staring at the gift card for what seemed like an eternity, nodding, or murmuring thank you.
It was difficult to witness homelessness as a real lifestyle for many in Fond du Lac. Some people carried their possessions with them in backpacks, bags, or foldable shopping carts. Some carried nothing with them and stayed at a shelter, tent, or their car in the evenings. “It creates a hole in my heart to see people in our community and country without a place to live or carrying signs asking for food. These are the faces I see at night when I have trouble sleeping,” said Kathy.
Kelly shared these interactions were humbling. “All frivolous things fall away in the presence of people lacking basic physical needs. Everything is grace and gift. Other countries like Finland have adopted a “Housing First” principal, stating people have a right to decent housing and to useful social services. It’s a radically inclusive policy compared to the United States, one of the wealthiest nations in the world.”
If your church, workplace, or other group organizes a drive for clothing, food, water, or hygiene supplies, please give what you can. When we all work together, more can be done. Share your love and gifts with those less fortunate and more vulnerable.