FORT ATKINSON/DARLINGTON — The month of July saw two pastors installed at two newly merged parishes in the Diocese of Madison.

Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison entrusted the care of the newly formed St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish to Msgr. Donn Heiar on Sunday, July 19, installing him as pastor over seven churches spanning the lower half of Jefferson County and portions of Dane and Rock counties. 

St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish is comprised of St. Pius X Church in Cambridge, St. Joseph Church in Fort Atkinson, St. John the Baptist Church and St. Lawrence Church in Jefferson, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Milton, St. Mary Church in Palmyra, and St. Mary, Help of Christians Church in Sullivan. 

“As your pastor, I certainly do not come with all the answers, but I do come with confidence in the One who does,” Monsignor Heiar said.

 “So together, let us proclaim the Gospel with joy, celebrate the sacraments with reverence, serve those most in need with generous hearts, and make disciples for Jesus Christ. 

“And let’s not simply talk about Jesus,” he added. 

“Let us invite Him into our homes, enthroned and adored, so that every family becomes a domestic church where faith is lived, love is shared, and mercy overflows.” 

The formal installation of a new pastor marks an important milestone as the seven churches canonically merge into one parish as part of the Diocese of Madison’s Into the Deep strategic planning initiative. 

The civil and financial mergers are expected to be completed in the coming months. 

Assisting Monsignor Heiar in serving the needs of the parish are parochial vicars Fr. Jayaraj Kalivela, Fr. Barry Meinholz, Fr. David Timmerman, and Fr. José Luis Vazquez, as well as Fr. John Hedrick, who continues to serve the parish in retirement. 

Members of the new parish’s combined pastoral and finance councils were also presented during the Installation Mass. 

They include Lynn Gardinier of Milton as trustee treasurer, Paul “Andy” Didion of Jefferson as trustee secretary, David Keleher of Cambridge, Jim Nelson of Fort Atkinson, Catherine Arndt of Jefferson, Vicki Wickland and Mike Morateck of Palmyra, and Sarah Stern of Sullivan. 

Reflecting on Mother Teresa 

Recalling the life of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Bishop Hying said the new parish has a “beautiful patron saint.” 

Before setting off on her life of radical charity, Mother Teresa taught geography in an upper-class grade school in Calcutta for many years. 

She would look out the windows of her convent and see the slums that were on the other side of the walls of her school. 

Bishop Hying said Mother Teresa eventually felt called to leave her Religious Order and the safety of her school, choosing to live in the slums and be a witness to Christ. 

When permission finally came to leave her Order, the other Sisters in her convent were convinced she would be back by the end of the week. 

“They somehow thought she was delicate,” Bishop Hying said. 

“Mother Teresa was many things; delicate was not one of them. She never came back because in the slums of Calcutta, she found Christ in the poorest of the poor.” 

When Mother Teresa was asked by a dying woman why she was caring for her, Bishop Hying said Mother Teresa replied, “Because I love you. Because I see Jesus in you.” 

“St. Teresa of Calcutta urges us to look for Jesus in His distressing disguise; to offer the poverty and the suffering and the difficulties of our lives in union with the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross, and there, to realize that power of the Gospel,” Bishop Hying said. “When we give our lives and hearts to Christ in a radical way, He will use us to unleash upon the world the very mercy and power of God.”

Installation in Darlington

Fr. William Vernon was installed as pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish on July 26. 

Bishop Hying celebrated the Installation Mass, which was held at Holy Rosary Church in Darlington.

St. Isidore the Farmer Parish consists of Holy Rosary Church in Darlington, Immaculate Conception Church in Truman, Our Lady of Hope Church in Seymour, St. John the Apostle Church in South Wayne, St. Joseph Church in Gratiot, St. Matthew Church in Shullsburg, St. Michael Church in Calamine, St. Peter Church in Elk Grove, and St. Philomena Church in Belmont.

Fr. Michael Chika is the parochial vicar at St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, and Fr. Milot Frederique, SMM, assists with Hispanic ministry. 

At the Mass, Bishop Hying officially presented Father Vernon as the new pastor and gave the homily. 

He discussed the Gospel, which was about the pearl of great price. 

“If Jesus is the pearl of great price, the Church is the shell which we must open in order to find that pearl,” said Bishop Hying. 

“I commend all of you for your fidelity, your perseverance, to continue to be servants and leaders here in your parish . . . I’m very grateful to Father William, to Father Michael, to Father Milot, to our staff, to our leadership, and to all of you.” 

Father Vernon renewed his ordination promises, and the parochial vicars, parish staff, and trustees were presented to Father Vernon. 

The parish and finance councils are in the process of forming.

Father Vernon also led the congregation in the Profession of Faith. 

He then took the oath of fidelity to the magisterium, promising to teach and lead in accord with the Church.

At the end of the Mass, Father Vernon addressed the congregation with gratitude, thanking the many involved in the event, and asking for prayers. 

“It’s not about me; it’s about Jesus Christ. When I hand out the Divine Mercy cards, ‘that’s my calling card,’ I tell people. It doesn’t have my name on it.” 

Reflecting on the installation, Father Vernon said, “[I] just wanted to thank God, first and foremost . . . for the privilege to serve the people here.” 

“It’s a privilege to serve here,” he repeated. “To bring the sacraments, to teach the teachings of Jesus.”

Parishioners and staff also reflected on the event.

“For those present . . . this was a wonderful event, bringing our new nine-church parish together in the highest form of prayer. The reception afterward was well attended and provided an opportunity for our large parish to build some community . . . Our new parish now has that opportunity to get to know each other and pray together at Mass at one of our churches, daily when possible, but also to share our lives in mutually supportive ways outside of Mass,” said parishioner Mike Robiolio.

“While reflecting on our Mass of Installation at St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, the Lord placed on my heart this verse from Matthew 18:20: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.’  When we come together as a parish family, particularly when we pray for one another at the Mass and at other times . . . we can know that the Lord is with us and we are with Him,” said Jamie Dreger, business administrator at St. Isidore the Farmer Parish. 

“As I prayed the Mass on Sunday with Bishop Donald Hying, Father William, Father Michael, Father Milot, and my St. Isidore the Farmer Parish family, I was struck with such a love from the Father, especially when I saw so many of the Lord’s chosen shepherds come together in persona Christi.”

After the Installation Mass, there was a reception hosted by the various Councils of Catholic Women in the parish.