Shroud of Turin expert to speak April 14 and 15
APPLETON — “Shroud Encounter,”, an acclaimed CSI crime scene-style investigation that explores the relic known as the Shroud of Turin, will be presented Monday, April 14, and Tuesday, April 15, at 7 p.m. at Xavier’s Fine Arts Theatre, 1600 W. Prospect Ave.
The free presentation, led by internationally-recognized Shroud expert Russ Breault, is a big-screen experience that uses over 200 images to reveal secrets hidden in the over 2,000-year-old bloodied burial cloth.
The 14-foot-long linen cloth, housed at a church in Turin, Italy, for more than 400 years, bears the faint front and back image of a 5’10” bearded man. Wounds and bloodstains on the cloth match the crucifixion accounts recorded in the Bible.
Breault served as an expert for the History Channel’s “The Real Face of Jesus.” He was also a consultant for the development of a high-tech interactive Shroud of Turin exhibit that opened at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., in 2022.
The April 14 and 15 programs are sponsored by CIA-Faith Mission Operatives. No tickets or reservations are required. More info is available by contacting event organizers at ciafmo@gmail.com or (920) 450-3025.
See shroudencounter.com for more information on Russ Breault and his presentation.
St. John Nepomucene School receives Simplify Writing Champion Award
LITTLE CHUTE — April Smith, CEO of Simplify Writing, has awarded St. John Nepomucene Catholic School with the Simplify Writing Champion Award.
Simplify Writing has contracted with John Hopkins University to evaluate the program at St. John School and to gather research about the program.
Simplify Writing is a comprehensive writing curriculum for grades K-8 and, according to information provided by St. John School, provides a structured, explicit approach to writing instruction that helps fill in learning gaps and empower students to share their opinions and ideas.
St. John School implemented the Simplify Writing Program to improve students’ writing skills in the 2024–2025 school year. John Hopkins University will be there to evaluate the program April 9-10.
St. John School has an enrollment of 267 students preschool through 8th grade.
“I have seen a huge improvement in the foundational skills of the kindergarten students since the implementation of Simplify Writing,” said Nicole Geurts, kindergarten teacher. “Grammar and sentence structure have grown. Overall knowledge is amazing to see and hear.”
“Their ability to analyze, understand and construct different forms of writing has been incredible,” said Skylar Vollendorf, fourth grade teacher. “I was amazed at their ability to construct these papers using higher level thinking and most of all they are excited about it!”
Smelt tradition still sizzling after 60 years at St. Mary Parish
By Michael Cooney | For On Mission
WINNECONNE — The scent of frying fish and the steady clatter of trays mark a longstanding Lenten tradition at St. Mary Parish where volunteers continue to serve hundreds of meals over three Fridays during the season.
At the center of the operation is Andy (Andrea) Krueger, faith formation coordinator and lead organizer of the parish’s fish fry.
“This goes way back — I mean, how old do you think I am?” Krueger said. “It started more than 60 years ago, way before my time.”
That timeline could make St. Mary Parish home to the oldest continuous Lenten fish fry in the Diocese of Green Bay, beginning in the early 1960s with parishioners who traveled to Lake Superior to net smelt.
Bonnie Plummer, a longtime member of the parish, recalls how the tradition took shape.
“The St. Mary smelt fry started in the early 1960s,” she said. “At that time, we’d get a call from up north saying the smelt are in. My husband and people from his company, Courtney-Plummer in Neenah, would get in a motorhome and drive all the way up to Lake Superior.”
Once the fish were collected, the group would call ahead to the parish.
“Quickly, we would get a group together to meet the motorhome and start cleaning smelt well into the early morning hours,” she said. “People would come with scissors and toothbrushes. We would slit them up the bellies, force everything out with a thumb, and scrub them with toothbrushes.”
Plummer said the effort became a community-building experience.
“Everybody brought their kids. We were just a close parish group of friends doing this wonderful thing,” she said. “You didn’t know everyone at the beginning, but you sure got to.”
Today, St. Mary Parish still serves about 300 meals each Friday during Lent — approximately 100 pounds of smelt weekly, plus haddock and shrimp. This year, Krueger added a personal menu item: “Andy’s Mac and Cheese.”
“I can’t give away the recipe, but the kids love it. It’s a hit,” she said.
Fish sourcing remains a logistical challenge.
“This year I was sweating it a little,” Krueger said. “My usual distributor was out, so I had to drive up to Green Bay to Badger Wholesale. They saved the day.”
The fish fries draw people from across the region, including many who are not members of the parish.
“It’s amazing how far folks will come,” Krueger said. “They just love the tradition.”
Proceeds support general parish operations. St. Mary Parish serves just under 600 families.
“We’re just trying to keep things running — and bring people together,” she said.
The three fish fries require about 60 volunteers each week. “It’s a lot of hands in the kitchen and out in the hall to make it happen,” Krueger said.
While the menu and facilities have evolved, the core of the fish fries — and the communal effort behind it — remains unchanged.
“This is one of my favorite times of the year,” Krueger said.