Our Values

The Solutions Center Domestic Violence Program is honored to invite you to our annual Light Up the Night event on Thursday, October 1st, at 6:30 p.m. This year's event will be held at Hamilton Park in Fond du Lac (2–98 S. Sophia St.).

This evening of remembrance and awareness will include:

• Displays honoring those impacted by domestic violence
• A powerful victim impact statement given by a family member survivor of teen dating violence.
• An update on the services and support our organization has provided over the past year

We encourage you to bring friends, family, and colleagues to stand with us in support of survivors and in memory of lives lost. Together, we can shine a light of hope and raise awareness in our community.
 

A Silent Saturday

Every first Saturday of the month Contemplative Outreach of Southeast Wisconsin (COSEW) hosts a half day of prayer. The events are free and do not require pre-registration.

Your group leader is Kathryn Ann Kobelinski.

This is a morning of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina from 9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Two 25-minute sits and Lectio Divina (monastic style) with sharing followed by a 20-minute sit. Come for part of the morning or the entire morning, as your schedule allows.

Zoom room opens at 9:00am Central Time.
Prayer starts at 9:15am

Zoom Link

Each time you participate in the Silent Saturday program through COSEW, please consider a monthly or an annual donation. Please select "Scholarship Fund" under the box "My donation is related to...". Thank you for practicing the methods of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina with the COSEW faith community! Donate here.

Sisters & Seekers is based on a national program called Nuns & Nones. Our purpose is to come together as women from diverse spiritual backgrounds and belief systems to reflect on the deeper meaning and spiritual questions of our lives in a world that is chaotic, polarized, and fear-driven.

Sisters & Seekers gatherings follow these guiding principles:

• Create safe places for relationship, dialogue, inquiry, and spiritual practice that can inform personal social action.
• Welcome mutual learning and pluralistic thought- not persuasion of belief
• Aim to root oneself in a personal spiritual foundation that can bring forth a more just and loving world, no longer dependent on systems of extraction and oppression.
• At best, grows into a supportive, welcoming and committed community
• Led by a Guiding Committee composed of two capable Sisters and two Seekers

Please use the RSVP button above to indicate your attendance or email csaedie@gmail.com.

Learn more about Sisters & Seekers

The group, Fox Valley for Palestine, is offering a Palestine Film Series this Fall 2026. All films will be screened at the Appleton Public Library on Saturdays at 1:00 pm. The public is welcome.

Series Schedule:

• September 19: “The Voice of Hind Rajab”
• October 10: “The Encampments”
• November 7: “American Doctor”
• December 5: ”Where Olive Trees Weep”

Click on any of the film titles above to view their official movie trailers. The above movies are also available for home viewing on multiple platforms.

Attendees of the Appleton screenings are asked to leave a cash donation after watching each film. Money raised in excess of $1200 (cost to show films) will be donated to organizations supporting Palestinians.

Donations for support can also be mailed to:
David Muelller
1805 Dublin Trail, Apt. 124
Neenah, WI 54956

Learn more at https://foxvalleyforpalestine.org/ 

SPECIAL NOTE: The film, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” is available on Hulu and Netflix. After watching the film, Madison native, LisaAnn Trembath, had this to share with me: “I watched this movie knowing it would be tough, knowing I would weep, knowing I would despair. I was moved by some true spiritual gems: for example, the Red Crescent worker who helped Hind recite prayers to God from the Koran. I was torn apart by the moment when Hind said her family was not sleeping anymore, they were all dead. (What had to happen in her forming brain for her to understand this over the period of an hour or two?)

Why would I suggest anyone watch this movie? Several reasons. One - it really happened, and we can’t turn away from the evil that is being enacted by the Israeli military on innocent people in Gaza. Several forensic reports have been released since the incident went public, and there is no doubt of the accuracy of the story. Two - we see the power of faith and prayer and goodness in the rescue workers, and in little Hind as she prays to God for rescue. Three - we can lament together the loss of the tens of thousands of children’s lives by examining one story of one little girl. Four - there is a painful beauty in true art, and this film is artfully made and should be widely seen.”
 

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. Silence is 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. 

2026
Prayer Dates

August 16
September 13
October 11
November 15
December 13

4-5 PM
320 County Rd K
Fond du Lac, WI 54937
 

The event begins in the church lounge where Rev. Jeff Wild will reflect on his involvement with the Guns to Garden program and what the Bible says about guns, violence, and loving enemies. 
Following his presentation, guests will move outdoors for a live demonstration of forging gun parts into garden tools.

Pilgrim United Church of Christ
535 Stow Street, Fond du Lac 54935

Email Mary Ann with questions: pilgrim.adulted@pilgrimuccfdl.org 

Milwaukee’s Forward Latino/80-percent Coalition invites you to join their 4th Annual Emergency Gun Violence Summit this fall. This is Wisconsin’s largest gun violence prevention event, which aims to bring communities together to address gun violence and advance meaningful solutions.

This year’s theme is “Uniting Voice, Advancing Solutions, Healing Community & Saving Lives.” Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 8 am - 4 pm. The summit will take place at the Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI.

Participants will hear from nationally recognized gun violence prevention experts, policymakers, advocates, and survivors as they share insights, experiences, and strategies for creating safer communities. General admission is free, but you can register for the luncheon.

CSA continues to be a co-sponsor of this event and currently has five tickets available for the luncheon. Please email Tracy at tabler@csasisters.org if you and/or a friend or colleague would like to attend the summit and enjoy this complimentary lunch.

For a list of session and workshops and list of speakers, regularly updated, visit: https://forwardlatino.org/80-percent-coalition 
 

CSA associates are committed to Care for Earth and would love your help protecting local wildlife and waterways. Join us on Oct 17!
 Lend a hand at our Adopt-A-Highway pick-up site!

Saturday, October 17 ~ 8:30 a.m.
We will gather at the Park and Ride lot on the corner of Winnebago Drive and Hwy 151 and work for 45-60 minutes.
Safety vests and bags are provided.
If you have a ‘reacher’ for picking up items, please bring it. There are a few extra for folks to use.

In the event of questionable weather use good judgment, and don’t hesitate to contact crew chief Joanna Schohl 920-517-1387 with any questions.

New volunteers

Please watch the WI DOT safety video: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/doing-bus/real-estate/roadsides/adopt-hwy/safety.aspx 

Sophia Walker, aka Lisle Lester, was a one-time resident of Fond du Lac and world-famous dramatist.  She created the first magazine in Wisconsin, The Badger State Monthly, and was acclaimed for her stage performances. She hired the first women typesetters in Wisconsin, when working at the Milwaukee Sentinel. Her life story was one of constant support of women’s issues. She died in New York City, and her life ended with the final indignity of having her cremains go unclaimed for 138 years.  

For 138 years, the cremains of Lisle Lester have been sitting on a shelf in a New York mortuary, unclaimed. When her life was featured by Soroptimist International of Fond du Lac, for their Women’s History Luncheon in 2024, the group decided to bring her home. Little did that organization know how much time and fees and red tape would be needed to bring back those cremains to Fond du Lac. 

After fundraising to acquire the legal means to do so, Soroptimist International of Fond du Lac petitioned a Queens, New York court for Ms. Lester's cremated remains to be moved to the custody of Calvary Cemetery. The petition was granted and Ms. Lester will be laid to rest in Fond du Lac on October 17, 2026, at 10 am at Calvary Cemetery. The public is invited to attend. 

Soroptimist's final goal is to gather funds for a monument stone to honor her life. Please consider donating at https://givebutter.com/lisle-lester-memorial-stone-fund-laikww 

This story was also featured on Green Bay local news: https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/lisle-lester-returns-fond-du-lac/ 

What should Catholics consider as they prepare to vote in the 2026 midterm elections? Join Karen E. Park, Ph.D., writer, professor, and historian of American Catholicism; Nichole M. Flores, Ph.D., associate professor of religious studies and director of the Catholic studies initiative at the University of Virginia; and moderator Michael O'Loughlin, CEO and executive editor of the National Catholic Reporter, as they explore key issues, candidates and the current political landscape, while offering a Catholic perspective on how faith, values and informed civic engagement can help shape voting decisions.

Register

Sisters In Motion with Land Justice

An event from Land Justice Futures

We often say “land justice can look like many things” and that “land justice isn’t only about land transitions”... so what are some of the stories that show what we mean? Five years after the start of Land Justice Futures, how is the pursuit of repair & right relationship blooming in this movement, and even bearing fruit?

Come join us this harvest season as we highlight some of the exciting things happening—a show-and-tell from across the spectrum of land justice journeys in our network of sisters and movement partners. We’ll be in conversation with our Land Justice Futures coaches and special guest speakers as they share what’s possible, and what’s in motion in this work—and the surprising stories of relationship and repair that have not yet been told.

Register

Interested in learning more about artificial intelligence and its impact on our communities and our common home? As AI continues to shape our world, important questions are emerging about its social, ethical, environmental, and spiritual implications. Pope Leo’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, invites us to consider these questions through a Christian lens.

Register to receive the link and the recording link afterwards

Join the CSSJ Community October 20, 2026 at 6:00 pm CT for an event co-sponsored by the U.S. Federation and the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia featuring Nicholas Collura, DMin who serves as the program director of Radius and as a chaplain in the Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He co-founded and co-facilitated a community-based climate organizing initiative in the Philadelphia area.

Dr. Collura will provide a basic framework for how artificial intelligence data centers operate and an ethical and spiritual lens for considering the impacts of these operations on our communities and the Earth. His talk will be followed by a Q&A during this 60 minute session.

Those who register for the recording will receive a link to a recording of the presentation. Questions? Email Bwelch@cssjfed.org 
 

The Congregation of Sisters of Saint Agnes is pleased to present a series on the theme “To Form A More Perfect Union:  Division and Unity in the US at 250”. This three-part series will take place at the Prairie Theater and Event Center (400 University Drive, Fond du Lac, WI 54935).

The first session took place on Tuesday, April 23. Janine Geske, former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court will speak about the constitutional history of unity in this country.

During the second session on September 17 (Constitution Day), Sister Dianne Bergant, CSA, talked about unity and diversity from a theological perspective. 

This third and final session will feature Alexa Merrill, Program Assistant at The Dignity Index, who will help you learn more about how to revive a culture of free expression and respect for viewpoint diversity.

Get Details and Register to Attend

The Mission Integration Committee of Marian University is pleased to present a speakers series focusing on Catholic Social Teaching. Each session will focus on a single theme of Catholic Social Teaching and explore it through the lens of a CSA Corporate Stance and a Marian major. The series will take place from 3-4 p.m. in Marian University's Stayer Auditorium. 

Each session is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed to the CSA Channel on YouTube.

September 29 Theme: Call to Family, Community, and Participation
CSA Corporate Statements: Human Trafficking
CSA Speakers: Sr. Rhea Emmer
Division/Major: Social Work

October 27 Theme: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
CSA Corporate Statements: Women and Church in Society
CSA Speakers: Sr. Julie Ann Krahl
Division/Major: Taylor Bufton – Counselor

November 17 Theme: Rights and Responsibilities
CSA Corporate Statements: Peace and nonviolence
CSA Speakers: Sr. Peg Spindler
Division/Major: Cheryl Seelig – Nursing

January 26 Theme: We are One Human Family
CSA Corporate Statements: Nuclear-Free Zone
CSA Speakers: Sr. Christi Ann Laudolff
Division/Major: Sarah Kieper- Nuclear Science

February 23 Theme: The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
CSA Corporate Statements: Anti-Racism
CSA Speakers: Sr. Madeline Gianforte
Division/Major: Jessica Little – Business/Marketing & Josh Clary – VP of Student Life and Diversity

March 23 Theme: Care for God’s Creation
CSA Corporate Statements: Earth
CSA Speakers: Sr. Sue Seeby
Division/Major: John Hammond – Science

April 13 Theme: Life and Dignity of the Human Person
CSA Corporate Statements: Death Penalty
CSA Speakers: Sr. Ruth Battaglia
Division/Major: Lindsey Kraig- Criminal Justice