Body of Christ

“Holy listening” — that’s how Mary Wisniewski sees her role as a volunteer spiritual director for middle school boys at Notre Dame School, Milwaukee. “I’m not a counselor. But I can listen … with faith and love.”

  • Wisniewski grew up in Wauwatosa attending St. Mary’s Visitation in Elm Grove.
  • She is a graduate of Divine Savior Holy Angels High School and Marquette University, with a degree in elementary education.
  • After working for a time in the Milwaukee Public School system, she joined her husband in working in their family business for over 20 years.
  • In 2022 she completed the training program for spiritual guidance at the Siena Center for Spiritual Guidance in Racine.
  • She and her husband of 31 years, Tom, have five children.
  • The couple attends Holy Apostles when they live in New Berlin and All Saints when they live in Green Lake.

In what ways was your early life shaped by your Catholic upbringing?

I guess I’ve always been blessed with a deep faith and wanting to share that faith with others, so I think that’s truly my calling. That was really fostered at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, and my parents were excellent examples. We weren’t ones to ever miss a Sunday, and it wasn’t just on the Sunday, it was an integral part of our lives.

You’re a spiritual director for middle school boys. What do these kids need from you at this point in life?

When I think of my spiritual guidance and what I can offer people, I like to call it holy listening. I’m not a counselor, but I can listen, and I can gently guide through our faith. Everybody likes to be listened to, but especially in today’s world — who gets a chance to really sit down and do one-on-one? One of the teachers said to me, “You are so lucky. This is what I want to do, but I can’t because I’m busy teaching!” I support what the students learn in religious class and the religious experiences they receive from the Notre Dame community. So, when they learn about the Our Father, I ask them things like: “Are you saying the Our Father? What do you think about that? What does that mean to you? What’s your image of God?” But more importantly, I’m listening to them and I’m helping them with the struggles that arise in their lives.

What’s the message you really want to convey to your students at this stage in their life?

I’m just trying to give them reassurance that Jesus is there walking with them no matter what — just reach out and hold his hand and then use your other hand to grab hold of Mother Mary. When they leave their time with me, that’s what I want them to know. No matter what your ups and downs, you have two people walking with you everywhere you go.

Aside from this volunteer work, what is something else you do that fulfills you spiritually?

Ten years ago, I cofounded a Women of Faith group at our parish, and that’s a huge part of my life. It started out of a Bible study, and every Thursday throughout the school year, we gather. It’s young moms, moms of kids in school, grandmas — a variety of different women. We gather for about an hour and a half and we pray, we read books, we watch videos. It has really had a huge impact on my life. Women sharing their faith together is such a beautiful thing.

You have a profound Marian devotion — where does that come from?

Being named after Mother Mary, that has been a more significant part of my faith, but even more so in the last 10 or 20 years. I love “The Chosen,” and I love the lady that plays Mary — I am a very visual person, and I love that resource. Mary is just the best example of discipleship. She’s the best example of faith. How strong she was to sit at the bottom of the cross.

What do you do in your free time?

I love to watch “The Chosen,” but the other show my husband and I watch a lot — it’s kind of embarrassing — is “The Great British Baking Show.” It’s so funny, we love to turn that on. We have two dogs that need to be walked every day, so that’s usually when I’ll say my Rosary or listen to Audible books. I like historical fiction — Kate Quinn is probably my favorite author.

What are you envisioning during your daily Rosary time?

When I say the Rosary, I feel like I’m walking with Mary every day. During that time, I’m telling her what I’m struggling with. I’m telling her what I need help with. I’m telling her the joys in my life. You go through the mysteries — the joyful, the sorrowful, the glorious, the luminous — and that was her life, but that’s our life, too.