Meet Bob: one of the people impacted by your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal.
Bob Lewinski has been a parishioner at St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Waupaca for more than fifty years.
As he transitioned from his career as a police officer, he worked in some of the local schools to try and give back to the community. However, when an opening for the Pastoral Ministry position came up at St. Mary’s, he felt called to apply.
Bob got the job, and shortly after starting, he attended a diocesan Entrust Retreat. This life-changing experience showed him how he could share Jesus with more people in his parish, bringing hope to one soul at a time. Your gifts to the Bishop’s Appeal make these diocesan Entrust Retreats possible.
“When I first got hired at the parish, one of the first things that I attended was Entrust, and it was a great experience. I went all by myself, but everybody at the Green Bay Diocese rallied around me and assisted me, and I got to know them on a personal basis,” shared Bob.
Thanks to your generosity toward the Bishop’s Appeal, more than 1,400 missionary disciples have been formed in the Diocese of Green Bay. Through these retreats, attendees learn how to take their love for Jesus and share it with everyone they encounter. Each person has a goal to disciple and journey with two people in their parish.
Caring staff from the Diocese of Green Bay lead groups through sessions to learn to more deeply connect with the Holy Spirit and one another. Your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal gave Bob and more than 1,400 people the chance to encounter Jesus more deeply.
At Bob’s first Entrust Retreat, he got to dig deeper into his faith and learn how he could share hope with others. He commented on the Diocese of Green Bay staff, mentioning how helpful they were in supporting and guiding him during his training. Jamie Whalen, the Lay Leader Formation Director for the Diocese of Green Bay, also has noted how people like Bob are Bringing Hope to the World.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to work with and accompany people like Bob. He’s served well and served faithfully in his parish for many years. And to be able to provide him the formation opportunities that he needs with assistance has really been a blessing,” shared Jamie.
Jamie and other Entrust staff continued to connect with Bob during the three-day retreat. This gave him hope to see how much Jesus is working through the Diocese. And, it transformed his day-to-day work at St. Mary Magdalene Parish.
Thanks to what he learned on the retreat, Bob was better equipped to serve the parishioners at St. Mary Magdalene. Bob oversees coordination of events and helps couples prepare for marriage. He visits with parishioners after Sunday Mass. At nursing homes, Bob supports those who are homebound by bringing the hope of Jesus through the Eucharist to them.
After reflecting on all his experiences in his role, Bob saw how Entrust empowered him to share Jesus with everyone he encountered.
“So, my faith has really grown in the time that I’ve been involved with the ministry here at the parish from spending time with experienced people that are on our staff,” explained Bob. “Just getting to know the parishioners and the joy I have in greeting them and being around them and helping our parish grow in a place where we want to be, and Jesus has been a big part of that because of the prayer life. I’ve also sought out spiritual direction to help me with my ministry, and it’s just been an amazing experience.”
Entrust was such a pivotal part of Bob’s faith Journey. So, when the opportunity arose for him to attend Entrust a second time with the rest of the parish staff at St. Mary Magdalene, Bob was thrilled.
“I had an opportunity to go back to a second Entrust with members from my parish, and that was even more fulfilling because I had their company with me that day. Entrust really helped our team grow and all of this is possible because of the Bishop’s Appeal,” said Bob.
This training helped even more parish staff discover how they, too, can share Jesus with more people at St. Mary Magdalene. This is how Bob and his team are Bringing Hope to the World.
To help more people like Bob share Jesus in parishes like yours, make your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal today.