It took Ackley time to find her path, but “God’s with you along the way”
By Jeff Kurowski | For On Mission
Photography By Scott Eastman
KIMBERLY — When you bring a large stuffed Jesus doll to a public setting, curious looks are to be expected.
But Leah Ackley doesn’t mind the attention from onlookers. In her ministry, she said it’s another way to make faith fun.
Ackley, director of child and family ministry (grades 4K-5) and director of pastoral care at Holy Spirit Parish, Kimberly/Darboy, will be accompanied by her stuffed Jesus doll again this summer for “Jesus on the Journey” during which she posts photos of herself with the doll on social media. Young people try to recognize her location. Those who find her receive a coupon for free ice cream.
“She is always looking for a theme or fun way to share God’s love with children and engage with families and the homebound,” wrote Valerie DeCoster of Holy Spirit Parish in nominating Ackley for the Faith That Works Award.
“I can never imagine myself leaving,” said Ackley about her ministry work. “It doesn’t feel like a job to me. I really enjoy what I do.”
Ackley found her way to Holy Spirit Parish after traveling a winding road that included a couple career changes.
Originally from Green Lake, Wis., Ackley attended St. Norbert College in De Pere, where she earned a degree in psychology.
“It kind of took me a couple years to find my path,” she said. “I knew there was something out there for me, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I grew up in the church. It was always a foundation for me, but I was a little bit separated (from the church) in my early 20s.”
While working for a staffing agency in Milwaukee, Ackley met a woman who worked as a hospital chaplain.
“It piqued my interest. I started exploring it,” she said. “It really felt like this is where I need to be going.”
Ackley earned a master’s degree in religious studies from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.
Her first position as a hospital chaplain was at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan.
She married her husband, Joe, and relocated to Fond du Lac where she was a chaplain at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital.
“We moved up here (to Kimberly) in 2012,” she said. “By then, we had three kids. I was pretty maxed trying to care for the kids with a full-time job. I worked on call. The hours are crazy. I was beginning to feel that burnout.
I needed a reprieve.”
Ackley had her fourth child and was a stay-at-home mom for a while before going back to work part-time as a 4K teacher’s assistant in Brillion. She also considered going back to school to study education.
In 2018, an opportunity opened up for her at Holy Spirit Parish. Based on her background, the late Franciscan Sr. Annette Koss recommended Ackley to work in pastoral care.
“How we interact with the homebound is one of the biggest parts of that ministry,” said Ackley. “Just letting them know that you matter, we care and we are going to do what we can to meet you where you’re at.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ackley coordinated the placement of yard signs outside of senior living facilities in the community to let residents know that Holy Spirit Parish cared about them.
Four years ago, she added child and family ministry to her parish role. Ackley coordinates faith formation for grades 4K-5. Sarah Elmer, director of youth and young adult ministry, facilitates grades 6-12.
“I really love chaplaincy and pastoral care, but I also really love teaching, and here I get to do both,” she said.
Ackley added that she enjoys exploring her creativity in her faith formation ministry, including developing the annual theme for the program. “Mission Faith,” a space theme, was implemented this year.
“It’s really fun. I didn’t realize how much I liked puns,” she said with a laugh.
The catechist lounge at Holy Spirit, designed by Ackley, provides a space for religious education teachers to gather materials, relax and grab a snack or beverage. She remodeled the classrooms, including removing all the desks, to make them more kid friendly.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she created “spirit bags” filled with fun faith items for families to continue their spiritual growth at home.
Her husband, Joe, is a fifth-grade catechist, and their eldest child, Ava, is a first-grade catechist.
“They may argue that they were ‘volun-told’,”
said Ackley with a laugh. “They seem to enjoy it.”
So do the faith formation students, she said.
“The kids are excited to be here on Wednesdays,” said Ackley. “Learning about faith is fun. I imagine that’s how Jesus would want to be seen by the kids.”
Ackley said she’s grateful for her personal faith growth through her ministry.
“It really brought me to an awareness of Jesus as a real person, someone who walks with me and is much more relatable,” she said. “It all clicks here. God’s with you along the way. He makes all things good.”