Case Study Our Lady of the Assumption

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Case Study- Our Lady of the Assumption

• Clare Phillips, Yuko Ogawa, Amy Doherty
• April 26, 2005

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(No Transcript)
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Beliefs of Roman Catholics

• Holy Trinity- Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit
• One and only true church of Jesus Christ on Earth
• Distinguished from other Catholic denominations-
  closest Church to the Pope
• A usefulness of prayer, especially on behalf of
  the dead
• Making the sign of the Cross on various occasions
• Salvation through faith lived out through good
  works, rather than by faith alone
• Importance of the Virgin Mary
• Value in the sacraments (not always necessarily
  the seven)
• Bread and wine of the eucharist really are the
  body and blood of Jesus Christ, and not just
  symbols

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Background- OLA Parish

• Founded in 1953 through Bishop OConnor and
  Father OHara
• School completed in 1955
• One room initially served as the church,
  gymnasium, classroom for grades 6-8, and meeting
  room. Presently serves as kitchen
• Sisters of Mercy initially lived in present
  classrooms, until the school was expanded to
  teach grades 1-8
• Sisters of Mercy in charge of teaching and
  administration until 1974
• 1974- Brigidine Sisters began a ten-year ministry
• Lay Prinicipal hired in 1984
• 1975-1979 Rev. John Urban, a second pastor, lead
  the drive to convert the old church and schools
  multi-purpose room into a permanent new church
• 1980- third pastor, Rev. Donald Murray, hired
• 1984- fourth pastor, Rev. Daniel Finnane, hired
• June 1988- fifth pastor, Rev. Thomas Monaghan,
  hired
• June 1996- sixth and current pastor, Rev. Gary
  Krahenbuhl, hired

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Father Garyfacts from http//www.olaparish.com/pa
stor

• Gary Krahenbuhl- pastor at OLA since 1996
• Ordained in 1984- Priest of Madison Diocese
• Graduated from Monroe High School, received AA in
  Police Science from Blackhawk Technical College
• Attended St. Ambrose College- B.A. in Criminal
  Justice
• Attended seminary at St. Johns University in
  Collegeville, Minnesota
• Served as Associate Pastor in Platteville, Sauk
  City, and Madison
• Served as Vocation Director for the Diocese of
  Madison

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and the survey says
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and the survey says
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Interview Results- Father Gary

• Question Do you believe that Pope Benedict XVI
  will have an effect on the Catholic Church? If
  so, what?
• Answer Yes, and I have no idea what effect
• In his position as a leader he cant help but
  have an effect.
• Changed theology over the years- do not know
  which direction his beliefs will take the
  Catholic Church
• Q Have you always identified yourself as
  Catholic?
• A Yes
• Q When did you begin to serve at this parish?
• A 1996
• Q Up to the 2004 election, were there any points
  in time in which ideological issues were brought
  up?
• A Yestwo things whenever were dealing with
  the politicsI dont ever mention the candidates,
  or the partyyoure always going to have some
  throwback from thatso people dont assume that I
  am favoring one particular candidate or party.
• Q Do you see America as a religious country in
  general?
• A No, I really dont. When you compare it to
  maybe some European countriesyou see that here
  there is a lot of freedom of religionI believe
  everyone has a spirituality, but whether they
  connect themselves with a particular way of
  expressing that spirituality One example was
  that two thirds of eligible Catholics who are
  getting married do so outside of the Catholic
  Church
• Q Do you believe that identification as a
  Catholic can or should influence a citizens
  decisions outside of their religious community?
• A Yes- to say youre a Catholic and believe in
  what its about means you have to live itit
  clearly has to influence our decisions in life,
  including our political decisionsThe Church has
  (had) no right to tell a person how to
  voteTheres very few candidates who would
  fulfill all of that the Catholic Church would ask
  them to fulfill.
• Its a complicated worldwhen it comes to
  bringing together faith and politics, and it gets
  distorted- on both accounts.
• Respect for life abortion v. death penalty v.
  bombing countries how you weigh it out and make
  an informed decision

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Interview Results

• Question Did you vote in the election of 2004?
• Rodney Kleitsch Yes
• Wilfred Kleitsch Yes
• Charles Imbert Yes
• Rosie Hughes Yes
• Drew Gracyalny Yes
• Beth Wolfe Yes
• Brian Duehr Yes
• Jim Duehr Yes
• Joan Stuessy Yes

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Continued

• Question How long have you identified yourself
  as Catholic?
• R. Kleitsch Always
• W. Kleitsch My whole life
• C. Imbert Always Catholic
• R. Hughes I was raised Catholic and have
  identified myself as such since then
• D. Gracyalny My whole life- 45 years
• B. Wolfe Always
• B. Duehr Im Catholic- born and raised
• J. Duehr My whole life
• J. Stuessy I was baptized Catholic and have
  considered myself Catholic my entire life

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Continued

• Question Was there any issue in particular
  that swayed your vote toward one of the
  candidates?
• R. Kleitsch The War in Iraq
• W. Kleitsch Gay marriage and abortion
• C. Imbert No, I listened to both sides pretty
  evenly
• R. Hughes Democraticdont believe in
  Bushswhatever he sayshe doesnt tell the truth
• D. Gracyalny I dont think so
• B. Wolfe Religious issues- abortion
• B. Duehr pro-life v. pro-choice- that was the
  major one
• J. Duehr more for Republicans, or rather against
  Democrats- not necessarily one moral issue
• J. Stuessy Abortion was one

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Continued

• Question Do you see OLA as leaning in any
  direction ideologically, as a parish?
• R. Kleitsch I havent really picked up on it-
  not favoring either party
• W. Kleitsch No
• C. Imbert Something of a conservative parish
• R. Hughes Not really
• D. Gracyalny Not that Ive noticed
• B. Wolfe No
• B. Duehr No, theres Pam Charles and my family,
  who are quite conservative, but theres quite a
  few liberals as well
• J. Duehr No- its pretty even on both sides.
  There are those that are against war, the
  pro-lifers, but as a parish they are pretty split
• J. Stuessy Not really. There is a concern with
  the dignity of human life, and that concerns
  euthanasia, protecting the unborn, etc but in
  general there is no particular direction

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Continued

• Question Do you participate in any activities
  through your parish outside of attending Mass?
• R. Kleitsch Hands of Faith
• W. Kleitsch Very little
• C. Imbert Choir, teach religious education to
  high school freshmen and Confirmation students
• R. Hughes Campaign Committee, volunteer once a
  week as a tutor, occasionally substitute teach
• D. Gracyalny Choir, organize youth group
  activities
• B. Wolfe Hands of Faith, do whatever they ask me
  to do, Campaign Committee
• B. Duehr Last year I participated in all of my
  Confirmation activities
• J. Duehr No. I was on the school board years
  ago
• J. Stuessy Distributing Communion, drive people
  to Mass, reading, Fish Fry during Lent and on the
  first Friday of each month

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Continued

• Question How long have you been a member of
  this parish?
• R. Kleitsch September of 2003
• W. Kleitsch I am not a member
• C. Imbert Seven years
• R. Hughes Since we moved here- 1979
• D. Gracyalny 35 years
• B. Wolfe 25 years
• B. Duehr 11 ½ years
• J. Duehr As long as weve lived in Beloit- about
  11 years
• J. Stuessy 17, maybe 18 years

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Continued

• Question Do you attend Mass on a regular
  basis?
• R. Kleitsch Yes
• W. Kleitsch Yes
• C. Imbert Yes
• R. Hughes As regularly as we can- were not
  always in town, but when were here we do
• D. Gracyalny Yes
• B. Wolfe Yes
• B. Duehr Every Sunday
• J. Duehr Yes
• J. Stuessy Yes

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Quotes from Father Gary from Homolies
http//www.olaparish.com/homilies

• few of us will be able to do so without some
  changes in our lives without some readjustment
  of priorities without a renewal of our
  commitments of love without a mending of the
  damage we have done to our world without
  refocusing what we are about and where we are
  going.
• Its about staying awake so that you dont miss
  the moments the Lord comes knocking. Its about
  making sure the mountain you choose to climb is
  one the Lord places before you.
• Its about living rightly and justly. Its about
  putting on the armor of light instead of the
  armor of weapons. Its about taking our attitudes
  that become weapons of hatred and turning them
  into attitudes that will plow fields of justice
  and peace.
• Its about loving a little bit deeper and living
  a little bit more generously, and praying a
  little bit more sincerely, and making your
  personal decisions as if your life truly depended
  upon it, because it does.
• Whether its four weeks...or four hours...or
  forty years...the message is the same Stay
  awake! Be prepared! The time is coming! Because
  Christ has come and Christ will come again. What
  goes around comes around.