“I get teary just thinking about it again,” she said. “He showed the photographer and me the crate in which the corpus was stored. His voice seemed a bit nervous, and he proceeded to tell me about the many dreams he had leading up to this day – ‘I haven’t dropped the crucifix in any of the dreams I’ve had – so let’s hope those dreams come true.’ I felt a real concern in his voice. He carried with him so much responsibility in getting this right; and he cared. That was most obvious.”
When the lift arrived, Jecevicus and parishioner Fred Currubba worked to put the corpus together and mount it on the cross. Looking on, Mandli said she witnessed much goodness and cheer in both gentlemen who made the work seem not only effortless, but also fun, and frequently joked with Fr. Weighner during the installation.
For Fr. Weighner, having Jecevicus at the heart of the project made all the difference.
If you would like to attend: St. Anne Catholic Church 9091 Prairie Ridge Blvd. Pleasant Prairie, Sunday, Oct. 23 Mass at 10:15 a.m. with Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki presiding |
“It was providential to have Bill on this project; he helped to make it happen,” he said. “He was so gracious. Anytime I tried to thank him for all of his work, Bill quickly shot back, ‘Thank you for the opportunity to work on this. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, a blessing.’”
Ironically, Jecevicus was the first parishioner Fr. Weighner met one Sunday morning at St. Charles Borromeo, his former parish in Genoa in the La Crosse Diocese. According to Mandli, Jecevicus was curious about the new the pastor because he knew that he was due to arrive at St. Anne soon.
“‘I wanted to check out this priest coming to St. Anne,’ Fr. Bob recalled Bill saying,” laughed Mandli. “Since then, the two of them have become close friends and Fr. Bob relies on his gifts and talents. Everyone has different gifts and Bill’s trade has been an unbelievable gift to our parish. His humility and servant approach is most endearing. He doesn’t look for recognition or want the limelight; instead he just works hard for the parish, behind the scenes. Many people probably don’t even realize all that he does for us. We are blessed.”
On Sunday, Oct. 23, during the 10:15 a.m. Mass, Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki will dedicate the new crucifix and officially install Fr. Weighner as the new pastor of St. Anne.
“The crucifix has immense significance in our Catholic tradition,” Fr. Weighner explained. “It represents the saving grace we received when Jesus died on the cross. Here at St. Anne, the crucifix provides opportunity for all of us to meditate on this mystery more fully and allow us to encounter Christ in a more profound way.”