“We do not want to be a maintenance parish, we want to be a parish of growth,” said Fr. Jim Jugenheimer as he spoke to St. Pius X Parish, Appleton parishioners attending a one by One campaign reception.  “We want to ensure our parish is thriving for many, many years to come.”

When Bishop Stanislaus Bona, Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, announced the establishment of St. Pius X Parish on September 4, 1957, the parish consisted of 12 classrooms, offices, a cafeteria and a temporary church designed for six future classrooms with support from 400 families.  Today St. Pius X Parish has grown to a community of more than 2,100 families supporting many parish ministries and programs and the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System by hosting an elementary school on its campus.

As St. Pius X Parish continues to promote the healing, teaching and loving presence of Jesus Christ, Fr. Jim along with Terry Kuehl, Business Manager at St. Pius X Parish, developed a parish case for the one by One campaign.  This case will help ensure continued growth for the parish.

“One of our goals is to hire a Director of Evangelization to help us foster programs in our parish related to growing missionary disciples,” said Fr. Jim.  “This position will help us to better embrace all aspects of parish life and reach out to the community.  There are many people in need of hope and healing.  We want them to know we will welcome them with open arms.”

A few of the other ways the parish will welcome parishioners and visitors is through updating its community spaces by adding a welcome center that will be open on the weekends, coffee shop, and improved signage both in the parish and outside.  The worship space will also be updated to possibly include a ramp into the sanctuary to make it accessible to all people, additional private confessionals, audio/visual technology improvements and liturgical artwork.

“It’s our hope that by adding a coffee shop it will become a gathering place for groups like new moms to support one another, teens to gather for study time or service projects or adults to catch up with friends,” said Fr. Jim.  “All will be welcome to use this space.  It’s one easy way to meet people where they are, doing something they enjoy and introduce them to Jesus.”

This is what the one by One campaign is all about.  Helping more people discover, follow, worship and share Jesus in the places we live, work and pray.  As the one by One campaign continues to roll out throughout our 16 county Diocese, all parishes will be working on their parish cases.

These parish cases will be supported by the Diocesan case.  The Diocesan case will help ensure the future of our parishes, enhance Catholic education, broaden social services and living justice ministries, care for our seminarians and help parishes address critical needs.

“St. Pius X Parish has benefited greatly from having newly ordained priests working with us,” said Fr. Jim.  “With Bishop Ricken’s goal of calling forth 30 seminarians by 2025, the one by One campaign not only helps our parish but helps even more men say “Yes!” to our Lord.”

“Our faith community is a gift from previous generations of Catholics.  Our parishes, Catholic schools and faith formation activities would not exist if it were not for the vision and sacrifice of those who came before us,” said Bishop Ricken.  “Today, we are called to renew our mission and vision as the Diocese of Green Bay.”

Jesus calls us one by one to follow Him.  This ongoing call invites us to consider how we can better build the Kingdom of God in our families, Church and the world.  A successful campaign will help us to continue to build our parishes and our Church for the next 150 years and beyond!  To learn more about the one by One campaign and how you can help, please visit the campaign website at one.catholicfoundationgb.org today!