On Friday, Nov. 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, Fr. Tim Renz was installed as the pastor of the newly merged St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish.
The merger of the parish had been announced last month.
The Installation Mass was celebrated at St. Bernard Church in Watertown.
That church, along with St. Henry Parish in Watertown, and the churches of the former St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish — St. Mary Magdalene Church in Johnson Creek and St. Francis Xavier Church in Lake Mills — make up the parish.
Watertown Catholic School and its two campuses, at St. Bernard and St. Henry Schools in Watertown, are also in the parish.
At the Mass, Father Renz gave a profession of faith and oath of fidelity in front of the congregation.
Introductions of the new pastoral council, finance council, and trustees were made during the Mass.
Fr. David Drefcinski and Fr. Milot Frederique, SMM, will continue to serve the parish as parochial vicars.
“I am grateful to the many parishioners who came to my installation as the pastor of our new parish,” said Father Renz, following the Mass.
“It was great to see their support not only of me but of Bishop Hying and the parish itself.”
He went on to say that “The Installation Mass is a reminder that all that we are doing is for the greater glory of God and the building of His Kingdom.
“We profess the Creed together recognizing that all that a parish does must be for the mission of becoming better disciples of Jesus Christ and creating new disciples.”
He added that, “Although this is my fourth assignment as a pastor, it is the first time I have been installed at a Mass . . . What struck me was that the parishioners witnessed me in a very public fashion profess the Creed and take the Oath of Fidelity. In fact, we professed the Creed together.”
Jeanne Wolf, who is the parish director of operations and a member of the pastoral council said, “The warmth yet magnitude of the installation celebration filled me with excitement.
“It was a powerful reminder that we are called to continue growing, not just as a parish but as witnesses to the Catholic faith, and that we will do that by showing others what it means to love, serve, and live our faith.”
She added that “The memories and traditions we’ve created as individual parishes now link us together into one. While the future may seem uncertain, through the grace of God, we are entrusted with the gift of moving our new parish forward.”