The Rev. Luke Ferris has infused Sacred Heart Catholic Church and School in Shawano with his energy and talents since arriving here July 1.
“People here are very welcoming,” Ferris said. “There’s a lot of good will in this town.”
Ferris’ duties include serving as administrator of Sacred Heart and priest celebrant and moderator at St. Martin Parish in Cecil.
“Deacon Grzeca is in charge of the Cecil parish and he’s doing a great job,” Ferris said. “As a priest I come to say Mass and help with the other sacraments.”
The weekend Mass schedules for the two parishes have changed to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Sunday at Sacred Heart, and 9 a.m. Sunday at St. Martin. The 7 p.m. Saturday Mass in Cecil has been eliminated except for the summer months and the Hunter’s Mass in the fall.
Ferris, 49, takes over from the Rev. Len Evers, who had been in Shawano 24 years.
Ferris has been impressed with the beauty of the church in Shawano but hopes to do make artistic changes to the gathering space.
“I’d like to see something of the Sacred Heart,” he said. “I’d like to see that theme.”
Ferris has also talked to the pastoral council about developing a more welcoming environment and updating the flooring in the church. He has asked for feedback from parishioners and will implement their suggestions if possible.
He will also be focusing on Sacred Heart School.
“I really want to grow the school,” Ferris said. “There’s a need for the above average student to be challenged more. As a smaller school we can help individuals grow.”
Ferris said, from a moral and spiritual standpoint, young people are undernourished.
“We can help people on a human level and with God’s grace he brings them to another level,” he said.
Ferris has experience in education. After graduating from Coleman High School, he attended Marquette University and then the University of Notre Dame. After he earned a master’s degree in government, he was a teacher and administrator at Northridge Preparatory School, a Catholic boys high school in the Chicago area, for 19 years, seven of them as principal.
“It helped prepare me for the administrative side, the commitment side, the collegial side,” Ferris said.
In August 2008 he entered St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana and was ordained a deacon on May 22, 2010.
He served as deacon at St. Joseph Parish in Wautoma and then was ordained a priest on June 25, 2011.
Before coming to Shawano he was parochial vicar at St. Raphael the Archangel in Oshkosh and minister of the sacraments at St. Mary Parish in Winneconne and St. Mary Parish in Omro.
Ferris said he has learned from his past experiences.
“I was a jerk my first two years as a principal. I thought I had to fix everything,” he said. “But I learned that I don’t have to worry so much about all things. If I can provide some goals and direction, then we can get to that place where we work with joy and peace.”
Ferris meets once a week with parishioners to find out what they thought of his sermons.
“I need feedback to know how they are looking at the weekly scriptures,” he said. “It keeps a priest grounded. To me it’s like a family who isn’t afraid to tell you defects, and that’s how you grow. Growing closer to God isn’t about being perfect. A good person strives to be better each day.”
Ferris was born in Yangon, Myanmar, the son of U.S. Foreign Service workers. The family moved back to Wisconsin when he was 6 years old. His father is deceased and his mother lives in Appleton. Ferris has five siblings and 10 nieces and nephews.
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