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Dear Columbus System Parents, Grandparent, Students, and Alumni:
I wanted to give you some news regarding Campus Ministry and various events that will be happening this year.
I am excited to announce that we have hired a part-time Campus Minister for the Middle and High Schools to help strengthen our Catholic Identity here at Columbus. Nicole (Nicki) Kitchner, who was a past theology teacher (2012-2016) here at Columbus until she had her five kids and has volunteered ever since, has accepted the role as our new part-time Campus Minister. With her background in teaching theology here at Columbus, thus knowing the kids quite well, and being educated at Steubenville University receiving her degree in Theology, I think Nicki will make a great Campus Minister.
Another new thing taking place this year is an elective Theology Course called Discipleship. This is a course that I, Father Jared Clements, with Mr. Michael Iwanski and Mrs. Nicole Kitchner, will be teaching. This course takes all of the theology that our high school students have received during their time at Columbus and helps them to put it into practice. This is a course that was created by Father Levi Schmitt when he was the Chaplain at Assumption, developed by Father Steven Weller who is currently the Chaplain at Assumption, and has now been brought to Columbus. Assumption has had great success with the class. So now we are hoping for the same here at Columbus. This class is offered for Juniors and Seniors only.
Besides these new events, we have a number of usual events that would be good to mark your calendars for. **Dates and times subject to change**:
Retreats for 2024-2025
OLP: Feb 21th, 2025: 9am (OLP Church, 1.5 hours long)
6th: Feb 28th, 2025: all day (OLP or SHJ)
7th: Oct 16, 2024: Christ the King, Spencer
8th: Oct 30, 2024: Christ the King, Spencer
9th: Nov 13, 2024: Saint John’s School and Church
10th: Oct 9, 2024: 7am – 4:30pm Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, La Crosse
11th: Nov 6, 2024: Christ the King, Spencer
12th: Sept 25-26, 2024: Menasha, Wisconsin
Adoration: 7:30am - 2:30pm EVERY Friday: If you would like to take an hour, please sign up here.
Chapel Mass: 7am, Tue, Wed, Fri (Priority to Students and Staff)
School Mass: 8am EVERY Thursday (except when big feast days land on a different day)
Baccalaureate Mass: Wednesday, May 21st, 5:30pm, OLP Church
All School Stations of the Cross: Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
Penance Services (OLP + Middle + High School) at OLP Church:
- Advent: Dec 12th, 2024: 9:30am – Noon
- Lent: April 10th, 2025: 9:30am – Noon
Chrism Mass Trip: 10am, Tue, April 15th, 2025
Catholic Schools Weeks: 27-31 January, 2025
- Mass with Bishop, Thursday, Jan 30, 10am, OLP Church
- Catholic Speaker, Thursday, Jan 30, 1pm, Columbus Gym
High School Boys Vocation Day: Sat, April 5, 2025
High School Girls Vocation Day: Sat, May 10, 2025
March for Life: January 22-26, 2025
Steubenville Conference (St. Paul): July 2025 (last weekend)
Mission America: Last week in July 2025
Adventure Camp: July 6-11, 2025
One last item I want to speak about is our upcoming Chaplain’s Fund Travel Raffle. Thanks to the Marshfield Knights of Columbus Council #1799, in 2023, we established a fund to help the Chaplain of Columbus and the Chaplain of Faith Formation to help bring in Catholic Speakers and to send our youth in the Marshfield area and from Columbus Schools to various events like the March for Life, Steubenville Conferences, Mission Trips, and Adventure Camp. Without this fund, we would not be able to do all of these amazing things as easily as we do them. This year, we will be raffling off two tickets to go on a France Pilgrimage (Paris, Lisieux, Bordeaux, Lourdes, and Toulouse) with Frs. Robertson and Clements from March 14 – 21, 2025. This year, we will be selling 500 tickets at $50 a ticket. All proceeds go to the Chaplain’s Fund. Last year we raised $11,500 after all expenses were paid and we are hoping to do better this year. Every dollar more that we have gives us the possibility to make it cheaper to go to these events. If you or your children were helped by this fund last year, please help sell these tickets by contacting me or by buying some tickets. Tickets will go on sale Oct 7th, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and go through Dec 9th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (which is transferred to a Monday (Dec 9th) this year since it falls on a Sunday (Dec 8th), but is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation this year). If you are able to help, please do so.
As you can see, there is a lot going on and a lot to be excited about for this upcoming school year in the realm of Campus Ministry. Please keep all of us in your prayers as we begin this school year.
May God Bless You!
Father Jared Clements
Chaplain of Columbus Middle and High School
father.clements@columbusdons.org
(715) 387 – 1177 ext. 3316