On Sunday morning, March 31, 2019, four young people from St. Michael's parish, LaCrosse, received their First Holy Communion.

Five seniors and five 8^th grade students were recognized during the Sunday Mass on May 6 at St. Michael’s Church. The five seniors all received the St. Michael’s Religious Education Scholarship Award.  Qualifications for this award are that they must have attended religious education classes all twelve years of their schooling upon graduation from high school and must show positive Christian values in their schools, parishes and communities.  The scholarship award consists of $50 and a beautiful crucifix.  Scholarship monies are donated by persons who wish to remember a loved one who has passed on.  Congratulations to all ten of these students.

First Holy Communion was held at St. Michael’s on Sunday, April 15^th.  Pictured here are            Fr. Charles Mazouch, who filled in for Fr. Eric, Janice Showalter, Jack’s catechist, and Jack.  Congratulations Jack! 

Wednesday evening, April 4, Judy Hoffman, St. Joseph-Liebenthal, gave a presentation to St. Michael’s PSR students in grades 3-12 and other Tri-parish members on the history of the Divine Mercy picture and the “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy” prayer.  They all prayed the Chaplet together to end the evening.  Cookies were provided by St. Michael’s Social Commission afterward.  The students will lead the Chaplet before the 10:00 am mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 8, which is also the PSR Youth Mass for April.                       

Nine young people in St. Michael’s Parish PSR Program received the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, March 11, 2018 in LaCrosse.  The Most Reverend Bishop John Brungardt, Bishop of the Dodge City Diocese, conferred the sacrament on the students with Fr. Eric Gyamfi concelebrating the Mass with him.

To follow a directive from the Diocesan Office, Fr. Eric and Ruth Baalmann gave a presentation on vocations to St. Michael’s PSR students on Wednesday evening, Nov. 15^th, at 7:30 in the parish center.  Shown here is Fr. Eric speaking to everyone about his personal story of becoming a priest.  He was ordained at a young age and thought that priests would automatically go to Heaven.  He explained further that all priests have to work hard to do the work of God and earn a spot in Heaven, just as we all need to do.  Ruth made 4 posters about Single Life, Married Life, Religious Sisters and the Priesthood and displayed them on the wall, along with a poster of the current Seminarians for the Dodge City Diocese.  She talked about the other 3 vocations prior to Fr. speaking.  The evening was closed with a prayer for vocations.

Chase Kear, far left, is shown here leading St. Michael’s PSR students, catechists and others who attended, in a closing prayer after he shared the story of his pole vaulting accident and amazing recovery.  Chase is one of the proposed miracles being attributed to thousands of people praying to Fr. Emil Kapaun for his recovery.  Currently, Fr. Kapaun’s Cause for Canonization documents are in Rome and are under investigation to maybe one day be enough information to bring Fr. Kapaun to sainthood.  Cookies and tea were donated and served by the Social Commission afterwards.