Body of Christ
Can you tell us about your faith journey?
I have always considered myself to be blessed to have grown up as a cradle Catholic. I wanted to go to the convent when I was in high school, but they refused me and told me to go to college first. I still credit my grandmother’s prayers for keeping me out of serious trouble during that time of my life because I really couldn’t understand what was so terrible about me that even the convent wouldn’t take me. Ultimately, the answer is you can’t be the mother of a priest if you are a nun.
How did you meet your husband?
I have always tried to help at whatever parish I was living in. When I moved to teach in Lake Geneva, I asked Fr. Braun what he needed and his response was that the contemporary choir needed members. I tried to talk my way out of that since I hadn’t sung in a choir since eighth grade, but he insisted that they were nice people. Long story short, I married the handsome, single tenor with a little help from the director of the choir.
What is one of your favorite ways to practice your faith and why?
I really enjoy visiting other parishes when we go on vacation. I have wonderful memories of the experiences with my family and the questions that have been discussed due to the diversity of our journeys. From the small chapels in the north woods to the cathedrals in Europe, it is wonderful to celebrate Mass in the Universal Church.
Your son, Dcn. Dominic Lazzaroni, is one of nine men to be ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee this month. Is this something you would have predicted?
We didn’t see it coming, but he was always involved in some way with the Church, so it wasn’t a complete shock.
Has being the mother of a seminarian impacted your faith journey?
Since Dominic entered the college seminary as a freshman, people speak to me as if I am knowledgeable about religion and theology, but I am not the one who is taking all the classes. I have tried to up my game by doing book studies with the other mothers of seminarians, learning about the lives of the saints and attending retreats to learn more about our beautiful faith. I have a closer bond with our Mother, Mary, as I pray a lot more for many more reasons than I did previously.
Do you have any advice for raising children in the Catholic faith?
Each family is very different, so I don’t feel qualified to give advice. Our family always attended church because that was a priority. We tried to follow the teachings of the Catholic faith, which includes the Sacrament of Reconciliation when we didn’t make that goal. My husband’s aunt and uncle sat with our children during Mass since we were singing in the choir, so that gave our children a weekly example of service and the sense of church family.
After retiring from teaching math at your local public high school, what do you especially like about teaching at St. Francis de Sales School in Lake Geneva?
Our parish school is 3K-eighth grade, and we have buddy classes. The middle school students take seriously their position of being role models to the younger students. The older students guide the younger students at school Mass, help them with projects and lead them in games during recess. I also like starting my math class with a quote of the day from a saint and praying for specific seminarians.
What are your plans for Mother’s Day?
I may be at my parish school attending the musical “Frozen Jr.” or I may be meeting my first grandchild — time will tell.