Vanden Branden elected as the youngest abbot in the history of St. Norbert Abbey
DE PERE, WI — The Norbertine Community of St. Norbert Abbey elected the Very Rev. Bradley R. Vanden Branden, O. Praem., as the eighth abbot in its 133-year history. Abbot Vanden Branden was elected on Thursday, January 15, 2026, for a term of nine years and began his term immediately.
A total of 34 priests, brothers and men in formation are attached to St. Norbert Abbey, whose members can be found in houses in De Pere, Wisconsin, and Chicago.
Abbot Vanden Branden succeeds Abbot Dane Radecki, O. Praem., who recently reached his retirement age after nearly eight years as abbot. Shortly after the election concluded, Abbot Vanden Branden received his mozzetta (abbatial cape) and pectoral cross, which has been worn by every abbot at St. Norbert Abbey since 1955. Abbot Vanden Branden also placed his hand on the Book of Gospels and read the Oath of Fidelity and the Profession of Faith.
Born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1987, Abbot Vanden Branden, 38, is the youngest abbot elected in the history of St. Norbert Abbey. His family includes his parents, Tom and Joan Vanden Branden, and a sister, Kally Verheyen, and her husband, Cody, and their daughters.
Abbot Vanden Branden is a graduate of West De Pere High School and pursued undergraduate studies in music education at St. Norbert College. His theological training took place at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he received a master of divinity degree and a master of arts in theology (liturgy).
Abbot Vanden Branden was ordained to the priesthood in 2016.
His assignments included:
• Chaplain at Notre Dame Academy (2016-2018)
• Prior at St. Norbert Abbey (2018-2026)
• Director of the Norbertine Center for Spirituality (2024-present)
In preparation for the abbatial blessing Mass in April at St. Norbert Abbey Church, a coat of arms will be developed by Abbot Vanden Branden. At the Mass, the bishop will confer on him his miter, crozier and ring, symbols of authority and service.
The Norbertine Community of St. Norbert Abbey is part of a worldwide Norbertine Order founded in 1121 by Norbert of Xanten. In addition to daily Mass, morning prayer (Lauds) and evening prayer (Vespers) at St. Norbert Abbey Church, the local Norbertines have a presence at eight apostolate schools and parishes, including: St. Norbert College (De Pere), Notre Dame Academy (Green Bay), Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (De Pere), Holy Cross Catholic School (Green Bay), St. Willebrord Catholic Church (Green Bay), St. Norbert College Parish (De Pere), Holy Cross Catholic Church (Green Bay), and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (De Pere).
The National Shrine of St. Joseph, on the St. Norbert College campus in De Pere, has been a ministry of the Norbertine Community since 1898. The Norbertine Center for Spirituality is located at St. Norbert Abbey.
In 1893, Fr. Bernard Pennings, O. Praem., and two fellow Norbertines left Berne Abbey in Holland for a cross-Atlantic journey to the Door Peninsula in northeastern Wisconsin. Led by Fr. Pennings, the Norbertine group took up pastoral work with immigrants from Belgium, Holland and France who had settled in Wisconsin’s peninsula.
Over time, the religious community and its impact grew, and on February 10, 1925, St. Norbert Priory in De Pere received approval from Pope Pius XI to become St. Norbert Abbey. The Norbertine Community is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary of abbey status.
The list of previous abbots at St. Norbert Abbey include, in chronological order, Abbot Bernard Pennings, O. Praem. (1925-1955), Abbot Sylvester Killeen, O. Praem. (1955-1970), Abbot Jerome Tremel (1970-1982), Abbot Benjamin Mackin, O. Praem. (1982-1994), Abbot Thomas De Wane, O. Praem. (1994-2003), Abbot Gary Neville, O. Praem. (2003-2018), and Abbot Dane Radecki, O. Praem. (2018-2026).
The mission of the Norbertine Community is: “We live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the traditions of Saints Norbert and Augustine. We live a common life ‘one in mind and heart on the way to God’ through celebration of the Eucharist, liturgical prayer and service to the People of God.”
To learn more about the Norbertine Community, please visit norbertines.org.
St. Ignatius Catholic School receives Bishop Ricken for new science lab blessing
KAUKAUNA, WI — St. Ignatius Catholic School in Kaukauna recently completed the full renovation of a new science laboratory, and Bishop David Ricken visited the school, celebrated Mass and blessed the new lab last Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
Families, parishioners, benefactors and school leaders gathered for the blessing and Mass, which was celebrated at 8:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Parish, Kaukauna.
“At a time when public education is facing all kinds of budget issues, it’s really wonderful to see this kind of growth happening,” Bishop Ricken said. “People have confidence in the Church again. And they’re willing to fund it. They’re generous. That says a lot.”
When violins speak of light: Faith, courage, and hope in the face of hatred
News brief and photography by Michael Cooney | For On Mission
OSHKOSH, WI — At a time of rising antisemitism and other forms of hate in Wisconsin, a collection of violins once played by Jewish musicians and others targeted by the Nazis is inviting people of faith to pause, listen, and rediscover where God’s presence is often found — in memory, compassion, and courageous love.
That invitation was at the heart of Violins of Hope–Wisconsin, hosted Wednesday, January 14, at the Jesuit Retreat House. The program, led by the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra in partnership with Violins of Hope–Wisconsin, brought together music, testimony, and prayerful reflection. The violins were also on display, allowing participants to encounter the instruments as quiet witnesses to history before hearing them played.
“This is not only about remembering the past,” said Fr. Mark Carr, S.J., director of the retreat house. “As people of faith, we believe God is especially close in times of suffering — accompanying those who endure it and calling others to act with courage and love.”
That belief was embodied in the story of Holocaust survivor Lisa Weiner. Born in Vienna, Austria, she fled Nazi persecution with her mother and grandmother. Her father was killed in a synagogue bombing, and other family members died in concentration camps. Captured by the Nazis, Weiner was separated from her family and placed in an orphanage while her mother was imprisoned.
Hope arrived through a chain of moral courage. A Catholic priest smuggled a letter out of Weiner’s mother’s prison, alerting rescuers to the family’s whereabouts. That message helped lead to their rescue through protective passports arranged by Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who risked his life to save tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary. Wallenberg’s actions — issuing protective documents, sheltering families, and confronting Nazi officials — remain a powerful example of conscience in action, where faith, ethics, and human dignity converged.
The violins, once surrounded by terror, now sing again. Their sound is not dark, but luminous — reminding us that faith calls us to remember, to stand with the suffering, and to trust that even in humanity’s deepest night, God’s light still breaks through.