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Father Dan Felton
Pastor, St. Edward Parish (Mackville), St. Mary Parish (Greenville) and St. Nicholas Parish (Freedom) As the only vicar general in the Green Bay Diocese, Fr. Felton is responsible for assisting Bishop Ricken in the governance of the diocese, with a special emphasis on diocesan outreach to parishes. He is the co-coordinator for the implementation of Bishop Ricken’s pastoral letter, “Called to be Holy, Fully Engaged, Fully Alive.” Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Fr. Felton holds a bachelor's degree in religious studies and psychology from St. Norbert College, a master's degree in theology from St. John University, a master's degree in social communications, and a STL in dogmatic theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. Ordained a priest in 1981 by Bishop Aloysius Wycislo, Fr. Felton's parish assignments have included Holy Innocents in Manitowoc, St. Raphael the Archangel in Oshkosh and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Manitowoc. Fr. Felton was also the director of affiliate affairs for the Catholic Telecommunications Network of America. Fr. Felton is a member of the Diocesan College of Consultors, Presbyteral Council, Bishop’s Advisory Council, Personnel Board, Diocesan Finance Council, St. Norbert Board of Trustees and Silver Lake College Board of Directors. He is also a member of the National Advisory Council of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. |
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Deacon Dennis Bennin
Deacon, Holy Spirit Parish, Kimberly and Darboy Pastoral Minister, Saints Peter & Paul, Holy Rosary, and St. Ann Parishes National Speaker, Food For The Poor Deacon Dennis grew up the youngest of eight children in Chilton where he resides with his wife Hilde. Together they have two children and three grandchildren. He was ordained for the Diocese of Green Bay in 2002. "When considering the joy I receive in sharing our faith I’m reminded of Pope Francis, especially after he said, 'The faith is not a gift just for me. Faith is given to be joyfully shared.' This is our opportunity as Catholic Christians, to share our faith and be recipients of the joy Pope Francis spoke of, along with advancing the Kingdom of God. The challenge is to put ourselves out into deep." |
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Father Chris Crotty
Holy Resurrection Monastery St. Nazianz, Wisconsin Fr. Chris Crotty is a San Francisco native who served in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman during the Persian Gulf War. He joined the Fathers of Mercy in 1995, completed his seminary studies at Holy Apostles Seminary in Connecticut, and was ordained to the priesthood in 2001. He has given hundreds of parish missions and retreats over more than 15 years, with a focus on spiritual healing. Fr. Crotty is currently transitioning to a new ministry at Holy Resurrection Monastery in Wisconsin. |
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Father John Girotti
Holy Rosary Parish New Holstein, Wisconsin Fr. John Girotti was born and raised in Milwaukee and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Green Bay in 2002. He is currently the Priest Celebrant for Holy Rosary Parish in New Holstein. Previously he was the Pastor and Rector of the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral and Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Green Bay. Fr. Girotti authored “A Shepherd Tends His Flock” and is the presenter of the DVD series “Know Your Faith.” He regularly teaches and speaks about the Catholic faith. |
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Sister Celine Goessel
Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross, Merrill, Wisconsin Follow the Wisconsin Catholic Sisters Facebook Page Click here for an Anti-Human Trafficking Parish Toolkit Sister Celine Goessl is a member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross, an international community based in Switzerland with a provincial house in Merrill, Wisconsin. She has served as a teacher, community leader, pastoral administrator, spiritual director, retreat leader and lecturer. Sister Celine earned her bachelor's degree from Alverno Collge, master's degree in Theology from St. John University in Collegeville, and doctorate of ministry from St. Mary Seminary and University in Baltimore. She has been researching human trafficking since 2008, and has given more than 50 lectures on the topic, primarily in Wisconsin. She is most concerned with human trafficking in Wisconsin, particularly involving children. Her DVD entitled “A Light Piercing the Darkness” recorded a human trafficking awareness event presented at St. John the Baptist Church in Howard. |
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Dr. Robin Goldsmith
Anesthesiologist and Board President, St. Gianna Molla Guild Dr. Goldsmith is the founder and current board president of the St. Gianna Molla Guild, a chartered guild of the national Catholic Medical Association in the Diocese of Green Bay formed in 2012 at the request of Bishop David Ricken. Its members are Catholics serving in health care ministry. The guild exists to help members maintain ethical integrity, provide excellent health care in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church, and grow in their faith. |
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Pamella Hooyman
Pamella Hooyman grew up in Colorado and married at 17. After 10 years she broke free from the prison of an extremely abusive marriage and enrolled in college. In 1990, Pamella and her young daughter moved to Wisconsin with the assistance of Family Tree Inc. Domestic Services in Denver. She is now married with four adult children and six grandchildren. Pamella has served as a Board Member for two Domestic Abuse shelters, and as a mentor for women in domestic abuse relationships for more than 30 years. She has volunteered as a Sunday school teacher, in hospital and music ministries, as a wedding coordinator, and on various church committees. For 50 years she has shared her gift of song for hundreds of weddings, baptisms, funerals, other special events, and as a member of local Christian bands. She served on 14 mission trips, leading 5 of them, with the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. She is a baptized member of Brillion Community Church. |
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Deacon Bernard "Pat" Knier
Pastoral Associate (retired) Saints Peter & Paul Parish, Kiel St. Ann Parish, St. Anna Holy Rosary Parish, New Holstein Deacon Pat grew up on a farm in the rural Kiel area on which he still resides with wife Cheryl. Together they have six adult children and ten grandchildren. He was ordained for the Diocese of Green Bay in 2003. |
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Tina Poppe, RN MSN
Parish Nurse St. Therese Parish, Appleton Tina has been a registered nurse for the past 40 years. Her vocation has blessed her with the joy of caring for patients across the lifespan. She has assisted families in bringing new babies into the world as well as hospice patients who are preparing to pass on to eternal life, and everything in between. She received her Masters of Science in Nursing, with an emphasis in education, in 2005 from Marian College. Tina and her husband Fred have two children and two delightful grandchildren. |
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Pastor Thomas Schmitt
St. Martin's Lutheran Church, Chilton Thomas K. Schmitt was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, where his family were members of Calvary Lutheran Church. While in college at Valparaiso University, he felt the call to serve, and switched majors from engineering to music, taking pre-seminary coursework along with organ performance. Thomas studied at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, served his vicarage in Red Bluff, California, and graduated in 1991. He was then called to serve churches in Rugby and Willow City, North Dakota. While there he also served the LWML, LLL, Bottineau Circuit and North Dakota District in various positions. He met his wife Mary while attending the 1995 LLL Convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They were married in Merrill, Wisconsin, then moved to Omaha, Nebraska where Thomas served Zion Lutheran Church. In 2013 Thomas was called back to Wisconsin, where he served St. John in Glendale. He was installed as pastor of St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Chilton in November 2018. |
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Joe Tremblay
Adult Faith Formation Coordinator Department of New Evangelization Diocese of Green Bay Joe is married with five children. His wife Elisa is the youth minister at their Parish, St. Pius X in Appleton. The family enjoys being involved in their Parish and hosting a foreign exchange student from Burundi, Africa. “The Catholic Church is where I experience the fullness of Christ. The Catholic Faith is the same faith as that of the Apostles, Martyrs and Saints. It is what made them who they are and it is what animates me. My favorite way to talk with God is by meditating on Scripture and on the writings of the Saints.” |
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Deacon Jim Trzinski
Faith Formation Director St. John's Parish, Summit Ridge Deacon Jim and wife Leigh Ann are both avid outdoor enthusiasts, enjoying competitive 3D archery, deer hunting, fishing, golf, biking and hiking. They have been married 19 years and have two children. Jim was ordained to the Diaconate for the Diocese of LaCrosse in 2010, and serves as a parish faith formation director in southwest Wisconsin, in addition to leading faith-filled men’s bow hunting retreats in central Wisconsin each Fall. |
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Joe Zenk
Parish Director, Saints Peter and Paul, Kiel Parish Director, Holy Rosary and St. Anna Parishes, New Holstein Joe was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and raised in River Falls in western Wisconsin. He holds master’s degrees in both theology and counseling. He has been in full-time ministry for more than 20 years, and lives in Sheboygan with his wife, Renee, and their five children. As a Parish Director, Joe can perform all duties except celebration of the sacraments, which are handled by two retired priests. “The only thing that is typical about a regular day for me is that it’s atypical,” Joe said. “I like being so involved and helping people.” |
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