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Pictured are the participants of the 2013 “Faith & Fun” summer religious education program at St. Philomena Parish in Belmont. In the back row, (far right) are Gary and Jane Wedige, donors of the T-shirts for the program. (Contributed photo) |
BELMONT — This year, the focus of the “Faith & Fun” summer program for children at St. Philomena Parish in Belmont was the Year of Faith as proclaimed by our former Pope, Benedict XVI.
Children participating in the program were given a mustard seed and focused on the biblical text: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could move a mountain.”
Gary and Jane Wedige generously provided the “Faith & Fun” program with T-shirts that featured the caption, “Planting the seeds of faith . . . Watch us grow!” The shirts were given in loving memory of their dear daughter, Ann, who recently died in Mexico. Ann was a religious education teacher in a very poor parish that only had a dirt floor in the church.
Fr. Monte Robinson, pastor of St. Philomena, gave three talks on “The Creed — the symbol of our faith” to the children in the program.
Lori VanBogaert planned activities for the children, which included decorating a cross that resemble the Mission Cross of World Youth Day that the children carried into Mass.
Janet Keyes provided music for the program. The Knights of Columbus provided a picnic lunch, and the ladies of the Altar Society provided daily treats.
Jack Runde provided the program with a bus and driver for the children’s excursion. CeeCee Fink did much of the behind- the-scenes work and there were several volunteers who helped with the activities. These volunteers included parents, adult parish members, and upcoming Confirmation candidates.
On the third day of the program, the students visited Benton, New Diggings, and the Sinsinawa Mound to learn about the beginnings of faith in the southwest corner of Wisconsin, and particularly about Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli. Father Mazzuchelli laid the foundation of the faith for practically the whole state of Wisconsin.
George Burns opened Saint Augustine Church in New Diggings, where Father Mazzuchelli celebrated Mass years ago in order that Father Robinson could celebrate Mass for the “Faith & Fun” participants.
During the program, the students learned about their faith, practiced their faith, and were challenged to live that faith more deeply.