St. Joseph, Waukesha

  • Mia grew up in the East Valley of Arizona. 
  • She lives in Waukesha with her husband, Ben, and their son. They will be joined by a baby girl in November. 
  • Mia served as a Brew City Catholic missionary for a year and a half at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

 

Tell us about your family. I have been married to Benjamin for two years and we have three babies — one in heaven named Francis Bonaventure; our son, Clement Elijah; and soon-to-be a baby girl in November. My family of origin consists of a small Catholic family. My parents raised my younger sister and me in Arizona. 

What brings you joy? Waking up to my son hitting our bed and summoning me with a half-eaten banana in one hand. His bright eyes and enthusiasm for the morning is the perfect alarm clock (even after a long night of playing musical beds). 

Tell us why you love being Catholic. There is order and ecclesiastical hierarchy. I love that I am able to look at our Church’s teachings whenever controversial topics arise in conversations and give a solid answer that’s based in truth — not just my own interpretations. I also love that the Church allows and encourages each person to prayerfully discern certain things in life that may not have a black and white answer.   

How does your Catholic faith inform how you live? It gives even greater meaning to the Ten Commandments and how to live a holy and sanctifying life. This informs my very being — how I talk to strangers or my husband, how I show up to prayer, and how I undergo certain sufferings throughout my day. It gives me a reason to want to be holy and ultimately, a saint. 

What faith practice is meaningful to you? Reading my Magnificat every day and following the seasons of the Church. Even if I have limited time, I try to read the readings of the day and the reflection the Magnificat offers.  

What advice do you have for people who want to grow closer to our Lord? Let him surprise you. When I was in college, I began praying a little at home in the mornings, and then slowly started visiting our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Before I knew it, I actually wanted to do it every day! He kept bringing me closer to him. 

Ben and Mia Pfundstein with their son, Clement. The couple, both former Brew City Catholic missionaries, are expecting a daughter in November. (Submitted Photo)

Your faith took off in college. What happened? In my junior and senior years, I started taking my faith life seriously. I didn’t have a lot of good, close friends, and I was beginning to shed old friendships that weren’t healthy for me. This left me feeling very alone and begging God for Catholic friends that shared similar morals and lifestyles. This is when I started getting more involved at the ASU Catholic Newman Center and really diving deep into community, prayer and mission. I went on a couple of mission trips with people that were inspiring. The Saint Paul’s Outreach missionaries showed me what it means to live a life with Christ in college and beyond. I was placed in the perfect women’s small group where I met one of my closest friends to this day. God truly answered my prayers, and I feel so grateful to have had this experience in college. 

 

Do you have a devotion to any particular saint? I currently have a devotion to St. Gianna Molla and St. Gerard Mijella due to the fact that they are a few of my birth intercessors for this pregnancy. They are both the patron saints of childbirth, mothers and unborn children. This brings me great peace knowing that these saintly people are interceding for me and my baby. They give me less of a reason to worry or become anxious about how my birth will transpire. 

You served as a Brew City Catholic missionary. What made you pursue that path? When I graduated from ASU, I knew I wanted to help people in some capacity (boots on the ground type of help). Unbeknownst to me at the time, I stumbled upon my husband’s older brother, who volunteered at the ASU Newman Center. He told me about Catholic missionary work on college campuses and how he had worked for Focus. He mentioned Brew City Catholic, so I flew out to Milwaukee to see for myself. Sure enough, I fell in love, applied and got accepted. (Note: Mia’s husband also served as a Brew City Catholic missionary.) 

How did it affect your life? It deeply transformed my spiritual life and zeal for evangelization. It helped my personal relationship with God through daily holy hours and better informed my knowledge of Catholic teaching, as well as the need to make disciples. It still has a lasting impact in my day-to-day life, specifically in how we want to raise our family.  

How can we evangelize others, in particular young people? Sometimes all someone may need is an invite. I remember this becoming so clear to me while working on campus — the students yearning for community and belonging. A simple invite goes a long way and can build lasting friendships centered on Christ. 

What do you do in your free time? I love to spend quality family time with my husband and son. This is my husband’s busy season for his business, so he works late evenings and long days. I look forward to the weekends where we can all be together and rest well. We like to plan small outings like visiting the beach, thrifting, or grabbing a bite to eat around town.    

Mia and her son Clement (Submitted Photo)