Xavier Knoll - College and Pre-Novitiate Community in Franklin, WI

the Community at Xavier Knoll - Franklin, WI

Xaverian Mission Office and Pre-Novitiate Community
4500 Xavier Dr.
Franklin, WI 53132
(414) 421-0831

Thanks for your Support and Love at the Mission Festival

Having fun at the Mission Festival

The Xaverian Mission Festival was held on June 27-28 at Xavier Knoll in Franklin, with great participation of friends. Its purpose is to sustain the various needs of our overseas missionaries, by raising funds for various projects in developing parts of the world, where over 800 missionaries serve. The homily of Fr. Dominic during the outdoors Eucharist at St. Francis Xavier Shrine helped us focus on our availability in doing the work and deeds of Jesus in our lives, and this was indeed mirrored by the witness of so many volunteers who helped us run a successful Mission Festival… some 300 of you, who, in many ways, show your concern and love for the mission of the Church.

Soon you’ll see the photos of this event, which has become a tradition in this webpage… and on our part we express our deepest gratitude for your support, and a continued remembrance in our prayers for all your needs. THANKS.

See 70 photos of last year’s Festival

Thanks for a successful Mission Banquet

Fr. Art Heinze receives the 2008 Mission Banquet Award, with Fr. Dominic at his side e are grateful to friends and benefactors for their participation and love for the missions in the Mission Banquet held in solidarity with the missions of the Church.
The 45th Mission Banquet at the ICC in Milwaukee, with participation of over 330 friends and benefactors, was organized by the Franklin community and its Advisory Board. Fr. Carl Chudy, our Provincial Superior, was introduced to the friends of the community, and shared a few thoughts on his missionary experience in the Philippines, connected to the new understanding of Mission in the world. Auction, raffles, dinners, slide showy, and games kept everyone entertained. The annual Mission Award was given to Fr. Art Heinze. a good friend in ministry!

See 40 photos of this year's Mission Banquet

Fr. Victor, Regional Chaplain of FOCUS

ollowing his association with this group of young people for over 3 years, Fr. Victor Mosele was asked by the leadership of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) to function as part-time chaplain in the Midwest campuses (about 10 of them), while residing at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Newman Center, Illinois State University in Normal, IL.
Fr. Victor writes: “I am pleased and honored to accept this assignment because it fits in well with the purpose of my work in campus ministry, since I returned from my own missionary work in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The purpose of my work is to promote the essentially missionary nature of the Church among young people. And what better way is there to fulfill this purpose than to spiritually assist young men and women themselves engaged in missionary work in college/university campuses?” We wish Fr. Victor well in this new adventure!

Photo of St. Francis Xavier at Xavier Knoll, Franklin Celebrating the Novena of Grace of St. Francis Xavier: March 4-12

n Dec. 27th 2007, God called home to Himself a very good friend of ours. She was a very ordinary, simple person, but with a faith strong enough “to move mountains.”

She and her husband came in contact with us in the early sixties. What led them to us was their devotion to St. Francis Xavier. Actually, they were looking for a place where the Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier was prayed. Someone said to them, “a new group of missionary priests came to Milwaukee a few years ago. They call themselves ‘the Xaverian Missionary Fathers.’ Go and see them, they may be able to help you.” They did come looking for us – and the rest is history. They became our friends and gave us the best they had: their heart, because they had found what they were looking for.

Throughout their lives, they remained faithful in praying the Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier with us. What an inspiration they have been to all of us over the years. They came to mind as I am preparing the letter inviting you to pray with us the Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier.

St. Francis Xavier’s life was driven by the passion of bringing all people to Christ. He proclaimed His Gospel to thousands and thousands of people in India, Malaysia and Japan. He personally experienced how true were Jesus’ words, “The harvest is plentiful, but laborers are few.” While in India, St. Francis wrote to St. Ignatius of Loyola: “Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of going around the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman, riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity. What a tragedy! How many souls are being shut out of heaven! I wish they would work as hard at this, as they do at their books, for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.”

Two priests from our community here at Xavier Knoll are doing exactly what St. Francis Xavier wanted to do in 1544, to create a deeper awareness in young people of the need for “apostles” in today’s world. Fr. Victor is bringing this message to the young people at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and Fr. Adolph to those at the University of Illinois in Champaign. St. Francis was hoping and praying that more young people would cry out with all their hearts: “Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do? Send me anywhere you like – even to India!”

This year, we invite you once again to join us with your prayers for the Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier from March 4th through the 12th. Together we beg the Lord of the harvest, through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier, that more young people may heed God’s calling to become Christ’s apostles in the world.