Posted: April 29, 2009

Parish priests expect to move every 12 years, so when the call to the Rev. John Hemsing came, it was not a surprise.

Hemsing, then the pastor of St. Clare of Assisi in Wind Lake, became pastor of Lumen Christi Parish in Mequon and Thiensville last June.

Wind Lake is a growing area and during Hemsing's tenure at St. Clare, the parish doubled from 400 to 800 families.

"I built a new church," Hemsing, 47, said. "That was quite an experience for me. It was hard to leave but that is the life of a priest."

More than triple the size

He has spent his first year at Lumen Christi becoming accustomed to programs and how things are run in the parish. The parish has 2,700 families, nearly 8,000 members. There are 500 children enrolled in the parish school.

At St. Clare, he had a full-time staff of three, but at Lumen Christi there are 16 people on the pastoral staff, in addition to the teachers and staff at the school.

"We have a lot of people here who are trained for those jobs, so you have to be able to let go and let them do their jobs," Hemsing said.

Lumen Christi offers adult and youth programs to partnerships with Working Boys' Center in Quito, Ecuador, Missionary Fraternity of Mary in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and St. Hyacinth Parish in Milwaukee.

Lumen Christi, organized in 2005 from the former St. James parish in Mequon and St. Cecilia parish in Thiensville, has two sites, two churches and two schools.

Mike Quinlevan, chairman of the Parish Council at Lumen Christi, said Hemsing has brought considerable organizational skills to help run the parish.

"He is also a great preacher," Quinlevan said. "He has interesting sermons and he enjoys what he is doing."

Hemsing said the future at Lumen Christ will involve building needs.

"This is an active parish and there are not enough large spaces for activities to take place," Hemsing said. "There is always a push and pull here for space."

Archbishop adviser

In addition to his work at the parish, Hemsing is a member of the College of Consultors, a group of priests and auxiliary bishops who advise the archbishop on all major issues.

"When there is no archbishop, as is the case now, we name the administrator of the archdiocese," Hemsing said.

The college recently named Bishop William Callahan the administrator.

Hemsing was one of 23 priests who attended Archbishop Timothy Dolan's installation as the archbishop of New York.

"It was great to be at the Installation Mass with all the cardinals, bishops and deacons," Hemsing said. "It helped me understand the meaning of the universal church."

Challenging, but a blessing

Hemsing likes to ride a mountain bike on trails around the state on his days off. Priests have one day off a week. He also likes to camp, something he did with his family in Sheboygan where he grew up, the youngest of four children. He also likes to visit his family as well as some friends in the clergy when time permits.

He went into the seminary at age 14, to DeSales High School and then to St. Francis Seminary College. From there he was sent to Marquette University and then returned to St. Francis where he earned his master's degree in divinity and was ordained in 1988. After he was ordained, he earned a doctorate in ministry, which, he says, is a degree in the practical application of theology.

Although the life of a priest might seem challenging and difficult, Hemsing said being a priest is a blessing.

"As a priest you are there at all the significant events in a person's life, from baptism to the last rites," he said. "I have had good days and bad days - days when I didn't want to get up and go to work - but in 21 years of the priesthood, I have never regretted being ordained."

 

Mary Buckley can be reached at (262) 446-6615.