Church: Neillsville-St. Mary’s Catholic Church (Confirmation -1975)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Aden, Backaus, Bauer, Beaver, Becker, Bedell, Brekke, Brennan, Brey, Burr, Carl, Carney, Chadwick, Chaltry, Cina, Darling, Doud, Eron, Erpenbach, Fennessy, Friemoth, Galetka, Genteman, Johnson, Jordahl, Hassemer, Heiman, Henneman, Hoesly, Kercher, Kernz, Kessler, Kingsbury, Klieforth, Knutson, Kotcon, Krojcirik, Kronberger, Kuchenbecker, Lamovec, Langreck, Lezotte, Lyons, Mabie, Mazourek, Meier, Myers, Neville, Opelt, Payleitner, Pfeiffer, Ross, Rychnovsky, Schmidt, Schraufnagel, Schwartz, Sheffer, Sikora, Smagacz, Spiegel, Statz, Sydorowicz, Tibbett, Urlaub, Volland, Walter, Wegner, Wiater, Wilson, Wysocki, York, Zickert, Becker, Puerner, Mertens, Houston, Hiegelmeier, Osowski, Klauke, Marx, Freking, Schmitt, Kuehnel, Henseler, Short, Nichols

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 4/10/1975

Neillsville-St. Mary’s Catholic Church (Confirmation - 1975)

The Most Reverend Frederick Freking, Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, confirmed a total of 110 youth and adults during an elaborate ceremony Sunday evening, April 6, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Neillsville. Of the confirmands, 100 were youth and 10, adults.

The confirmands were as follows:

Kevin Aden, Laura Backaus, Susan Bauer, Annette Beaver, Scott Becker, Patricia Bedell, Jone Brekke, Ann Brennan, Lisa Brennan, Charles Brey, Steven Brey, Rosemary Burr, Timothy Burr, Randy Carl, Linda Carney, Barbara Chadwick, Beverly Chadwick, Cheryl Chaltry, Denise Chaltry, Lisa Chaltry, Robin Cina, Jacquelie Darling, Linda Doud, Barbara Eron, Virginia Eron, John Erpenbach,

James Fennessy III, Maureen Fennessy, Brian Friemoth, Jill Friemoth, Patricia Friemoth, Richard Galetka, Gary Genteman, Charles Johnson, Judy Jordahl, Mark Hassemer, Susan Hassemer, Eileen Heiman, Gregory Heiman, Doris Henneman, Dean Hoesly, Kelly Hoesly, Ronda Hoesly, Dianne Kercher, Kathrine Kercher, Richard Kernz, Randy Kessler, Karen Kingsbury, Ann Klieforth, Jeffery Klieforth, Ann Knutson, Dennis Kotcon, Donna Krojcirik, David Kronberger, Robert Kuchenbecker,

Germaine Lamovec, Becky Langreck, Caroline Langreck, Carolyn Langreck, Loretta Langreck, Patrick Langreck, Roger Langreck, Carol Lezotte, Kathleen Lezotte, Marcel Lyons, Steven Mabie, Tammy Mazourek, Sharon Meier, Steven Meier, Doreen Myers, Dallas Neville, Robert Neville, Carol Opelt, Larry Opelt, Claudia Payleitner, Gerald Pfeiffer, Connie Ross, Robert Ross, Lori Rychnovsky, Peggy Schmidt, Patricia Schraufnagel,

Lori Schwartz, Richard Sheffer, Joseph Sikora, Martha Sikora, Monica Sikora, James Smagacz, Diane Spiegel, James Spiegel, Joseph Spiegel, Agnes Statz, William Statz, Howard Sturtz, Mark Sydorowicz, Beverly Tibbett, Bruce Tibbett, Nancy Urlaub, Theresa Urlaub, Judith Volland, Judith Walter, Scott Wegner, Scott Wegner, Penny Wiater, Diane Wilson, Hildegard Wysocki, Charles York, Lisa Zickert.

All candidates together with parents and sponsors, were furnished a red carnation by the parish. The altar was graced by two large bouquets of carnations and the altar antependium was decorated with red carnations. Tables at the Bishop’s banquet were decorated in red carnations as well.

The following area priests attended the 8 p.m. solemn occasion: the Rev. George Becker, pastor of Holy Rosary Parish, Owen-Withee; the Rev. John Puerner, pastor of St. Hedwig’s, Thorp; the Very Rev. Michael Mertens, pastor of Holy Family, Willard, and Dean of the Clark-Jackson County Deanery; the Rev. Robert Houston, pastor of St. Mary’s Greenwood; the Rev. David Hiegelmeier, pastor of St. Joseph’s, Fairview and St. John’s, Fairchild; the Rev. Chester Osowski, pastor of St. Anthony’s, Loyal; the Rev. Donald Klauke, pastor of St. Stephen’s, Chili; and the Rev. Joseph Marx, pastor of Immaculate Conception, Alma Center.

The ceremony was preceded by a banquet for the Bishop to which the parish board and all members of the seven parish commissions were invited. Dinner at 6 p.m. for 50 people was served by the parish Council of Catholic Women under the direction of Mrs. LaVerne Schmitt and Mrs. Harold Kuehnel. After the banquet the Bishop met with members of the parish board.

Immediately after the ceremony, which lasted almost two hours, there was a reception in the church hall for all confirmands and their parents and sponsors. The Bishop also attended the reception and visited with the confirmands and their parents.

The church was filled to capacity for the 8 p.m. service. The Rev. Joseph Henseler was the commentator and master of ceremonies for the congregation. The Bishop preached the Homily, did the confirming and had the Mass of the Holy Spirit. Chaplains to the Bishop were the Rev. Chester Osowski and the Very Rev. Michael Mertens. Assisting in the confirmation ceremony were the Rev. Robert Houston and the Rev. George Becker.

Music was provided by the parish choir under the direction of Mrs. Glen Short. The parish guitar group sand appropriate hymns during the distribution of the Holy Communion. Holy Communion was given under both the species of Bread and Wine to all who attended the evening service.

For the occasion, the church was decorated with four four-feet by eight-feet banners made by the Richard Tibbett, Chuck Klieforth, Bernard Eron and Donald Nichols families. All had children in the confirmation class.

Two scripture readings were read by members of the class, with Steve Mabie representing the adults and Miss Kathleen Lezotte representing the young people.

The Offertory gifts (altar breads, wine, monetary gifts, etc.) were brought up by the following all members of the class: Cheryl Chaltry and Donna Krojcirik, representing the adults, and Patricia Friemoth, Katherine Kercher, Ann Klieforth, Eileen Heiman, Joe Sikora, Bruce Tibbett, Steven Meier, Roger Langreck.

Servers (all high school youth and brothers of the confirmands) were as follows: Bill Brekke, cross bearer; Mark Heiman and Patrick Eron, candle bearers; David Klieforth, Easter candle bearer; Kent Kuchenbecker, carrier of Bishop’s miter; Matthew Kingsbury, carrier of Bishop’s crozier; Mark Aden, carrier of ceremony book.