JANESVILLE — “Her whole life was rooted in the North Star, who is Jesus Christ. We pray that may be said of us as well.”
Those were the words Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison used to describe St. Jane Frances de Chantal, the patron of one of the new parishes in the Diocese of Madison.
On September 21, Fr. Chad Droessler was installed by Bishop Hying as pastor of St. Frances de Chantal Parish during a Mass at St. John Vianney Church in Janesville.
The parish merger, announced in mid-August, formally brought together the four faith communities in Janesville, which include Nativity of Mary Church, St. John Vianney Church, St. Patrick Church, and St. William Church.
At the Mass, Bishop Hying said he has “great confidence” in Father Droessler, that the new pastor “already [has] and will continue to do a beautiful job of leadership, of pastoring, and of serving here in Janesville.”
In addition to Father Droessler, Parochial Vicars Fr. Christopher Gernetzke and Fr. Vincent Racanelli serve the newly merged parish.
At the Mass, Bishop Hying expressed gratitude towards the other priests, staff, and congregation of the new parish for their flexibility and adaptation with Into the Deep’s parish reorganization, specifically noting that he believes St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish is “strategically positioned” to share the Gospel.
“You have four beautiful churches, you have flourishing schools, [and] you have a deep tradition of the Catholic faith well-lived,” the bishop said. “It’s here in this moment that God has called us to a renewal of mind and heart . . . I thank all of you for the many and beautiful ways that you live your missionary discipleship in the Lord,” Bishop Hying continued.
St. Mary School, St. John Vianney School, and St. William School, each in Janesville, are the three Catholic schools Bishop Hying spoke of, which are entrusted collectively to St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish and Father Droessler as pastor.
“It’s in this institution of Father Chad [as pastor] that we take confidence in God that the Lord will always raise up leaders for us and give us exactly what we need, when we need it,” Bishop Hying said at the conclusion of his homily.
‘God’s blessings’
After the Installation Mass, a reception was held in Father Droessler’s honor and for the new parish.
Volunteers from all four churches helped make the celebration memorable.
In an interview following the day’s events, Father Droessler mentioned the hundreds of tamales prepared by the parish’s Hispanic community as a particular highlight and added, “The people here have welcomed both Father Chris and me with such warmth.”
“These last couple of months have been filled with a lot of learning and clearly signs of God’s blessings,” Father Droessler said.
In July, Father Droessler and Father Gernetzke joined St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish after reassignment.
In the few months Father Droessler has been with the parish, “Our parish schools have also been a real highlight,” he said.
“The joy of the kids and the dedication of the teachers is inspiring,” he continued.
The schools are “a living sign of the Church passing on the faith to the next generation.”
About the parish community, Father Droessler said, “I’ve come to see the depth of their faith and their love for the parish, past and present,” adding that he was inspired by “people’s desire for oneness and unity in the city of Janesville,” at the reception.
Parishioner voices
For Angela Flynn, who generally attends St. William Church and serves St. William School as principal, Father Droessler has “fit right in.”
“I have been very impressed with Father Chad’s vision in these few short months knowing him,” she said, adding that “he is very friendly and thoughtful.”
What impressed Flynn about the Installation Mass was Bishop Hying’s “confidence in his choice to bring us Father Chad as our leader,” she said.
That confidence was echoed by Maegan Rozinsky, who said, “Janesville has been extremely blessed to have had such wonderfully devoted and holy priests assigned to our parish.”
Rozinsky added that, in the months since Father Droessler moved to Janesville, she has “enjoyed his very articulate and theological homilies.”
The Rozinsky family typically attends St. John Vianney Church for Sunday Mass, but “we’re blessed to have the opportunity to attend daily Masses at the other churches in our parish,” she said.
“It has been such a joy to meet and interact with new people.
“I feel that, especially in our small community, it’s very important that all of our churches work together in order to reach the lost and form bonds of fellowship,” Rozinsky shared.