St. Philip Parish celebrates 75th anniversary Sept. 24

GREEN BAY — St. Philip the Apostle Parish, formed in 1938, continues to change with the times, reaching out to its faithful parishioners as it completes the year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary this month. A Mass will be celebrated by Bishop David Ricken on Sept. 24, 6 p.m., with several former pastors in attendance. A new time capsule will be buried just before the anniversary Mass.

St. Philip the Apostle parishioners gather for a photo Sept. 15. Pictured from left are Bill Noel, Roger and Nancy Vanden Langenberg, Mary and James Prosser, Jill Verheyen, Mariano Navarro and Joy Peterson. The parish will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a Mass on Sept. 24. (Sam Lucero | The Compass)

St. Philip Parish, with its founding pastor, Fr. Theodore H. Verbeten, was incorporated in 1938 with 268 families. Two years later, the church, an eight-classroom school, hall, convent and rectory were completed for a cost of $163,500.

St. Philip School was staffed by the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity from Manitowoc. As enrollment grew, eight more classrooms, a library, lounge, hall and elevator were added in 1959 and 1960. The convent also underwent expansion to accommodate the 26 sisters who resided there. At one time, school population hit 800 to 900 children and 24 teachers.

As the decades rolled past, however, school enrollment began to diminish. In the spring of 2006, Fr. Larry Canavera, pastor, and the parish pastoral council had to make a difficult decision. Citing insufficient enrollment, the financial drain on the parish and changing demographics, St. Philip School closed.

The parish today enjoys renewed life, with 1,202 registered families. Forty percent, or 495 families, are Hispanic.

Since July 2007, the school building is once again a viable property, enjoying a new purpose since it was leased by the Green Bay Area Public School District to become an Early Learning Center (ELC) for 4 and 5-year-old children. Most of them are English as Second Language (ESL) students, according to Sr. Pat Vanden Bergh, the parish’s Hispanic minister. By 2010, more classrooms were leased for a total of 16, plus Verbeten Hall and the kitchen. As of 2014, ELC has grown to almost 500 students. The need for more space meant construction of four classrooms in Sacred Heart Hall.

Parish business manager Bill Noel, six years in his post and 20 years a parishioner at St. Philip, has seen the emergence of more Hispanic parishioners. He’s also seen the financial benefits that partnering with the Green Bay Area Public School District for use of its school have brought.

“We’re happy both to see the school used in a good way and the income it provides,” he said.

Noel said the parish was linked with nearby St. Bernard Parish eight years ago, in 2006. A pastor and an associate pastor presided at the Masses at both parishes. Fr. Jose Casteñada was named parochial vicar and administrator of St. Philip Parish and the two parishes were “unlinked,” Noel said. However, Fr. Casteñada left the parish earlier this year on a year-long leave of absence.

Since July 2014, Franciscan Sr. Jane Riha has served as pastoral leader while different priests celebrate Masses and the parish awaits the naming of a priest celebrant. Noel said he was concerned parishioners would leave St. Philip without an assigned priest celebrant, “but while people would certainly like a priest to see with regularity, nobody left for that reason.”

Nancy Vanden Langenberg of Bellevue and her husband, Roger, remain devoted to St. Philip Parish despite their move to Bellevue. “It’s the only parish I’ve ever belonged to,” Nancy said. “My parents were married there in 1939, I was baptized there, went there for grade school, was married there and I’m still there.”

The couple sent their three daughters to school there, too, and was sad to see the school close when they had grandchildren enrolled there. “My daughter took it very hard and I could appreciate her feelings,” she said.

She is also optimistic that a new pastor will be assigned to the parish.

St. Philip has embraced its Hispanic families by offering a Spanish Mass each Sunday at noon and naming Sr. Pat, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, as Hispanic minister.

Today, religious education is offered in Spanish to students who number 85 and Hispanic parishioners are taking on leadership roles in the Hispanic Leadership Group.

In 2009, a church interior redecorating project was completed in just a few months — parishioners pitched in to help when new carpeting was installed, pews were refinished and walls were repainted. The refreshed church was ready for an official unveiling on the weekend of Aug. 9, 2009.

In 2011, several Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross (Bay Settlement Sisters) moved into the parish rectory, which meant not just new tenants but more renovation — new floors, kitchen appliances and painting.

“We rejoice in our 75 years as a vibrant faith community,” said Sr. Jane. “Our bilingual anniversary Mass with Bishop David Ricken will be celebrated on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. All are welcome.”

Related Posts:

• St. John the Baptist Parish concludes 125th anniversary with Aug. 17 Mass
• Clergy appointments announced
• Norbertine Fr. Kempen dies; served as pastor and educator
• St. Joseph Parish celebrates centennial April 5
• Green Bay parish marks 3 years of Hispanic ministry

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