Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities
Televised Mass:
• It now airs at 6 a.m. on Channel 3 (3.1, or Charter 9), as well as at 7 a.m. on TVW (3.2, Charter 14).
To donate or volunteer:
• Visit the website at www.apdmadisondiocese.com and click on Donate or Volunteer
A History:
On Oct. 31, 1967, Father Thomas Campion was assigned a new undertaking by Madison Bishop Cletus O'Donnell to lead the Apostolate to the Handicapped, an outreach to citizens with disabilities. Four years later, Campion, who had been headquartered at St. James in Madison, was reassigned to be the Chaplain at St. Clare Hospital, now known as Monroe Clinic. In 2010, Campion, then promoted to a Monsignor within the Catholic ranks, died after 43 years at the helm.
A Giving Spirit
Throughout the holiday season, the Monroe Times will feature several nonprofit and charitable organizations in a series called "A Giving Spirit." The stories will highlight the organization's accomplishments from the year, their needs, how to help and goals for 2018.
MONROE - For more than half a century, the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities, formerly known as the Apostolate to the Handicapped, has flourished in Green County and has been a staple in Monroe's philanthropical circle.
Monsignor Larry Bakke has been at the helm since the death of Father Thomas Campion, who started the program that's still helping to assist the disabled. When Bakke took over the program in 2011, he also took on the role of pastor at St. Clare of Assisi Parish, St. Victor Church, knowing he had big shoes to fill.
"I was taking on two jobs," Bakke said. "For me (the transition) has been good. There's been a learning edge to start. But the support of longtime people connected with the Apostolate and with Monsignor Campion were huge for me to learn."
The volunteers still show up in droves, many of whom have returned for decades. Not only has Bakke taken the reigns, but he's also growing the program thanks to so many helping hands. In 2016, he hired two full-time staffers.
"There were just so many things I wanted to do to expand this ministry to parishes - we've got 130-some parishes - and other diocese agencies," Bakke said. "I just couldn't do it (alone), as I was also the pastor of a big parish."
In 2013, Bakke started a program that gives financial grants to parishes, agencies and schools within the Diocese of Madison to help make buildings and programs more accessible and useful for those with disabilities.
"We've given out almost a million dollars in grants to help parishes make their facilities more accessible, as well as different programs for the deaf and for different people of need," Bakke said. "It's primarily focused on how to help parishes."
Deacon Jim Hoegemeier, one of the full-time hires, came on board as the Apostolate's associate director. He said Monroe's connection to Campion has made it the home for the Apostolate, providing a solid foundation.
"(There are) all of these wonderful people - kids and adults - who have been doing this for years," Hoegemeier said.
The Apostolate provides several services to all types of people through fundraising. The organization works to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of the church.
"We help a lot of different types of people - from the deaf community, to the people who are blind and need braille for Mass, learning disabilities, people with dyslexia, our Spanish speakers who have kids with disabilities," said Kellie O'Brien, project manager for the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities. "It's really cool for me to see all of the outreach points and not just the two events."
After Monroe resident Steve Mayer lost his brother in 1981, he started volunteering in honor of him, since he worked with the group in its early days.
"I started as a driver and drove for about 10 years, and the last 10 years I've just been doing (normal setup and tear down)," Mayer said.
The program's annual events also flourish because of the help that comes. It holds an Advent/Christmas party at Monroe High School in the winter and a Day at the Dells in the summertime. Those two events alone bring in about 300 volunteers, Hoegemeier said.
The Christmas party features a full dinner, Mass and music for many people with disabilities from towns up to two hours away, many of whom are bussed to Monroe. The Day at the Dells is spent with a picnic lunch and a viewing of the Tommy Bartlett Ski, Sky and Stage Show. The Apostolate pays for bus rental and transportation for all riders.
To continue tradition and provide services at home, Bakke records a weekly Catholic Mass ceremony for viewers throughout the television market after Madison's WISC TV-3 gifted Campion a time slot in 1967. Televising Campion's Mass was the first work of the organization.
The Apostolate outreach runs on a budget between $400-$500,000, according to Hoegemeier, who said the majority of that money goes toward grants for parishes and other Catholic organizations.
Its goals for 2018 are to build outreach parish liaisons, to help their parishes and communities when outsourcing for ideas. Hoegemeier hopes to have a go-to person at every parish to help those who have or are encountering someone with a disability, to be proactive and help serve people throughout their lives.
When O'Brien left the hustle and bustle of the corporate world to give back to the church, she hadn't heard of Monroe or fried cheese curds, but she's thrilled with the community and its efforts.
"It's been beautiful to see how the people of Monroe come together to put on an event like this for the diocese," she said of the Advent party. "I was really impressed with how they transformed the gym to make it from a basketball court to this beautiful place to have Mass. And just how well the volunteers knew their roles and how smoothly everything went. I was a product manager and I'm used to having to help make that happen, and here they've just already got this. They all know their parts."
Monsignor Larry Bakke has been at the helm since the death of Father Thomas Campion, who started the program that's still helping to assist the disabled. When Bakke took over the program in 2011, he also took on the role of pastor at St. Clare of Assisi Parish, St. Victor Church, knowing he had big shoes to fill.
"I was taking on two jobs," Bakke said. "For me (the transition) has been good. There's been a learning edge to start. But the support of longtime people connected with the Apostolate and with Monsignor Campion were huge for me to learn."
The volunteers still show up in droves, many of whom have returned for decades. Not only has Bakke taken the reigns, but he's also growing the program thanks to so many helping hands. In 2016, he hired two full-time staffers.
"There were just so many things I wanted to do to expand this ministry to parishes - we've got 130-some parishes - and other diocese agencies," Bakke said. "I just couldn't do it (alone), as I was also the pastor of a big parish."
In 2013, Bakke started a program that gives financial grants to parishes, agencies and schools within the Diocese of Madison to help make buildings and programs more accessible and useful for those with disabilities.
"We've given out almost a million dollars in grants to help parishes make their facilities more accessible, as well as different programs for the deaf and for different people of need," Bakke said. "It's primarily focused on how to help parishes."
Deacon Jim Hoegemeier, one of the full-time hires, came on board as the Apostolate's associate director. He said Monroe's connection to Campion has made it the home for the Apostolate, providing a solid foundation.
"(There are) all of these wonderful people - kids and adults - who have been doing this for years," Hoegemeier said.
The Apostolate provides several services to all types of people through fundraising. The organization works to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of the church.
"We help a lot of different types of people - from the deaf community, to the people who are blind and need braille for Mass, learning disabilities, people with dyslexia, our Spanish speakers who have kids with disabilities," said Kellie O'Brien, project manager for the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities. "It's really cool for me to see all of the outreach points and not just the two events."
After Monroe resident Steve Mayer lost his brother in 1981, he started volunteering in honor of him, since he worked with the group in its early days.
"I started as a driver and drove for about 10 years, and the last 10 years I've just been doing (normal setup and tear down)," Mayer said.
The program's annual events also flourish because of the help that comes. It holds an Advent/Christmas party at Monroe High School in the winter and a Day at the Dells in the summertime. Those two events alone bring in about 300 volunteers, Hoegemeier said.
The Christmas party features a full dinner, Mass and music for many people with disabilities from towns up to two hours away, many of whom are bussed to Monroe. The Day at the Dells is spent with a picnic lunch and a viewing of the Tommy Bartlett Ski, Sky and Stage Show. The Apostolate pays for bus rental and transportation for all riders.
To continue tradition and provide services at home, Bakke records a weekly Catholic Mass ceremony for viewers throughout the television market after Madison's WISC TV-3 gifted Campion a time slot in 1967. Televising Campion's Mass was the first work of the organization.
The Apostolate outreach runs on a budget between $400-$500,000, according to Hoegemeier, who said the majority of that money goes toward grants for parishes and other Catholic organizations.
Its goals for 2018 are to build outreach parish liaisons, to help their parishes and communities when outsourcing for ideas. Hoegemeier hopes to have a go-to person at every parish to help those who have or are encountering someone with a disability, to be proactive and help serve people throughout their lives.
When O'Brien left the hustle and bustle of the corporate world to give back to the church, she hadn't heard of Monroe or fried cheese curds, but she's thrilled with the community and its efforts.
"It's been beautiful to see how the people of Monroe come together to put on an event like this for the diocese," she said of the Advent party. "I was really impressed with how they transformed the gym to make it from a basketball court to this beautiful place to have Mass. And just how well the volunteers knew their roles and how smoothly everything went. I was a product manager and I'm used to having to help make that happen, and here they've just already got this. They all know their parts."