www.chnonline.orgF June 10, 2010

As we close the Year for Priests, we express our sincere gratitude to the Conventual Franciscan Friars who have ministered to us over the past 100 years. May God bless you and continue to inspire you in your Ministries.

From the Parishioners & Staff at the Basilica, the Faculty, Staff & Students of St. Josaphat Parish School, the Customers & Staff of the Li’l Friar Basilica Gift Shop.

Fr. Richard J. Stoffel

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Year for Priests

Tracy RuschCatholic Herald Staff

An occasional bag of Peanut M&M’s deliv-ered to Fr. Pat Heppe’s mailbox lets thevicar for clergy of the Archdiocese of Mil-

waukee know that his former parishioners at HolyFamily Parish in Fond du Lac haven’t forgottenhim. Chocolate covered peanuts, cards for his birth-day, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas and Easter, e-mailsand even a care package let him know that he’s“still part of the family” with whom he was con-nected for 20 years.

“Well, after 20 years in Fond du Lac, it’s kind oflike it’s your family – you can’t just turn, pull outthe key and close the door,” Fr. Heppe said in aninterview with your Catholic Herald, explaining thathe “prayerfully” rereads the cards he keeps in a boxat home.

Although Fr. Heppe had many sweet, melt-in-his-mouth moments at Holy Family, and no plans toleave before his term expired in 2012, when formerMilwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan calledhim and asked if he was willing to be vicar for cler-gy, he accepted.

“I probably needed a change in ministry like this.I never would have opted for this,” Fr. Heppe said ofhis position as the sixth vicar for clergy for the arch-diocese, “but it has been just a terrific experience.I’d say I’ve learned a lot in different ways.”

‘Pastor of the pastors’As vicar, Fr. Heppe’s role changed from parish

priest ministering directly to the people in the pewsto what he described as “pastor of the pastors.” He’senjoyed learning how the archdiocese operates,working with the bishops, getting to know the staffand meeting three of the four vicars from the other

Wisconsin dioceses. While he keeps busy with priest placement

issues – talking to the priests who will be moving,giving them insight into what they have to expectand look forward to, helping transition internationalpriests – Fr. Heppe has enjoyed concelebrating atMasses throughout the diocese when his schedule isopen, and he’s especially enjoyed “plugging into theseminary’s prayer life.”

“I’ve gotten to know the seminarians and that hasgiven me a lot of hope for the priesthood,” he saidof the men with whom he lives at Saint FrancisSeminary. “These young guys are, despite all thatthey hear and see, they want to devote themselves toworking for Christ and the church – that has beenlife-giving for me.”

While Fr. Heppe has found some balance in hislife by keeping in touch with parish ministry as aregular weekend help-out at St. Mary Parish,Menomonee Falls, the seminary has provided a bal-ance, too.

“When you don’t have a regular parish to pluginto every day, you’ve got the seminary community,and that’s been good for my spiritual life and spiri-tual development,” he said. “Just listening to otherpriests talk about their ministry and their faith andtheir gifts and their shortcomings has been inspira-tional to me, and affirming priests in their ministryhas been affirming to me.”

Bench press ministryFr. Matthew Widder, 27, newly ordained and

associate pastor of St. Mary Parish, Hales Corners,said he remembers how he easily “clicked” with Fr.Heppe during his year-long pastoral internship atHoly Family.

‘Pastor of the pastors’ still part of the Fond du Lac family

Fr. Pat Heppe,vicar for clergyfor theArchdiocese ofMilwaukeesince 2009,poses with chil-dren present forthe Sept. 14,2008, newplaygroundblessing at HolyFamily Parish,Fond du Lac,where heserved 20 yearsfirst as pastorof St. JosephParish and thenas moderator ofthe priest teamwhen the sixparishesmerged to formHoly Family in2000. (Submittedphoto courtesy HolyFamily Parish, Fonddu Lac)

See FR. PAT, Page G