Body of Christ

Caroline Smyczek lives in Brookfield with her husband, Alec, and two children.

  • Her favorite Kopp’s custard flavor is cookie dough.
  • She plays on an adult soccer team that includes several priests and enjoys the on-field evangelizing of yelling, “Padre!” during the game.
  • She finds joy watching her two young children giggle and play together.

Tell me about your family.

My husband, Alec, and I married in 2022 at St. Robert in Shorewood. We welcomed our daughter, Siena, the following year, and our son, Peter, the year after that. It’s been a whirlwind. We still feel like newlyweds! Maybe it will sink in by year five that we are married.

Tell me about your doctorate.

I received a doctorate of ministry from the Catholic University of America in liturgical catechesis. Liturgical catechesis is the act of forming people to live their faith through an encounter with Christ in the Sacraments, prayer and life of the Church. My focus was on the role of the laity in the Mass, specifically, the Eucharistic Prayer. I began my studies in 2018 and was knee deep into the pandemic when it was time for my project in ministry (the doctoral thesis) to begin. My project was literally about the laity’s necessary and essential participation in the Eucharistic Prayer, and no one was allowed to go to Mass. After the restrictions, it was a crucial time for the Church to invite people back to Mass, and I do believe I contributed to that effort.

Tell us about your jobs in the Catholic Church.

After college, I taught theology at St. Anthony High School, Milwaukee, while I obtained my master’s degree in biblical theology. It was a busy time in my life! I transitioned to parish ministry, working at St. Mary in Menomonee Falls as the director of evangelization and discipleship. While pursuing my doctoral studies, I worked at the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in the Communication Office and then in the Vocation Office, before landing my dream job as a stay-at-home mom. I am a freelance writer and graphic designer as time provides.

As a young adult, you’ve been on the front lines of the growth of young adult Catholics in Milwaukee. What did you witness?

I volunteered in various capacities for Brew City Catholic, Arise, Steubenville Youth Conferences and Cor Jesu. My time as sacristan at Cor Jesu gave me the opportunity to witness what the Lord was doing — and still is — in the hearts of young people. I watched him capture the hearts of hundreds at Cor Jesu and produce in them a fervor that we are only just beginning to see the fruits of.

Why is it important for the Catholic Church in Milwaukee to continue to invest in young people?

What the Church plants now will be harvested in decades to come, and we should all be working for a plentiful harvest. Young people, especially those college-aged and recently graduated, need faithful families and communities to witness a well-lived faith to them. Our faith communities need to be real, living, welcoming and supportive — where young people can find a place. We can all work on meeting new people at the parish, investing in relationships with those we meet at Mass and volunteering our time at the parish. I struggle with all of those! But having received so much from thriving communities myself, I am motivated to continue reaching out as much as possible.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished “Choosing to Run,” a memoir by marathoner and Olympian Des Linden. If you ever need motivation to run, that’s a good one. When I can sneak time for a hardcover, I’m rereading “Faith Comes from What Is Heard” by Lawrence Feingold and thoroughly enjoying “Thy Will Be Done,” a collection of homilies from St. Francis de Sales. And since hearing the homily on Sunday can be difficult with two little ones squirming, I like to prepare for Mass with “The Word of the Lord,” a collection of commentaries on the Sunday readings by Dr. John Bergsma. It’s a fantastic series and I highly recommend it.

How has your Catholic faith informed how you live your life?

I love when you meet someone for the first time and the accent or mannerisms give away where they are from. I was told I had a “midwestern” accent when I was in college in California and I could not be more delighted. I felt a part of something, like I truly belonged somewhere enough for someone else to recognize it. I have found I cherish my faith similarly — I couldn’t be more delighted when someone points out that my Catholic is showing. I have experienced a lot of loss, change and hardship in my life, and the faith has been the one constant, redeeming and life-giving aspect of it. Unabashedly, I see life through Catholic-colored glasses, and I would not have it any other way.