St. Patrick Parish Staff
Pastor
Rev. Msgr. Raymond N. Kertz
raymond.kertz@st-patrick-parish.com
Msgr. Ray was born on March 22, 1941
in Sheboygan, WI, the son of Arthur and Hilda Kertz. His native area included
the small villages of Belgium and Lake Church. He has three siblings – a sister
Betty and two brothers, Bob and Jim. His Mom died in 1995, his Dad in 2000.
His sister and brothers now live in the state of Illinois. When he was a small
boy, his parents moved to the Janesville area where the family farmed until his
Dad retired.
Msgr. Ray graduated from Milton Grade School in 1955 and St. Francis Minor Seminary in Milwaukee in 1959. He did his undergraduate work at Loras College in Dubuque, IA and graduated from there in 1963 with a degree in classical languages and minor in philosophy and art. His major seminary formation and his post-graduate work in theology and educational administration were done at Theological College and the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
Msgr. Ray was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 1967 at St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison by Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell. He celebrated his First Mass the following day at his home parish of St. Mary in Milton, WI.
His first assignment was as associate pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Beloit, WI and a teacher at Beloit Catholic High School. He taught sophomore religious studies. In June of 1969 he was appointed the first full-time Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Madison and resided at Holy Name Seminary. He also taught a class in Church history. In May of 1973 he was appointed to be the second Rector of Holy Name Seminary. During those years he also served on a number of state and national committees concerning seminaries and vocations, including the executive committee of the National Catholic Education Association. After his ten-year term as rector, he did a six month sabbatical at the Jesuit School of Theology at the University of California-Berkeley studying medieval history and the history of Eastern art and the icon.
Following the sabbatical, in June of 1983, he became the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Portage and, for a few years, served the linked parish of St. Mary in Briggsville. At that time he also was part-time chaplain at Columbia Correctional Institution. In June of 1990 he was transferred to St. Mary Parish in Janesville. In March of 2000 he was named a Monsignor. He served at St. Mary until June of 2002 when he was assigned as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Cottage Grove.
Over the years he has served on a variety of diocesan committees – the Diocesan Building Committee, the Committee for Conciliation and Arbitration, the Presbyteral Council, the Priest Personnel Board, the Committee for the Continuing Education of Priests, and is currently the chairperson for the Priest Personnel Board.
Interests and avocations include art and art history, visiting museums and galleries, reading both professional journals and novels, especially the works of Ludlum, Clancy, and Grisham, going to the theatre, the symphony, the ballet, the movies, landscaping and design, and traveling to big cities
Director of Religious Education
Sandra A. Dunn, DRE
sandy.dunn@st-patrick-parish.com
Sandy Dunn
grew up in a small town in central Illinois, received a BS in Ed from Illinois
State University with a major in Instrumental Music. Her teaching career began
in Wheaton, Il, a suburb of Chicago, where she taught General Music in the
Junior Highs and string instruments in all of the Elementary Schools. After
getting married to her husband, Jerry, and beginning their family, she retired
and then began substitute teaching in the Elgin, Il district and, eventually,
with the move to Wisconsin, continued substituting in the Jefferson, WI district
and at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Jefferson.
When the 4th Grade teacher at St. John’s retired, they needed a teacher. It was a good move since she taught 4th Grade for the next 12 years. Then the DRE retired and Sandy took over the task of directing all of the Religious Education programs for the parish. When it seemed as if a change would benefit the family in 1985, she came to St. Patrick Parish. The family, including her two sons, Patrick and Michael were very happy to become part of the St. Patrick Parish Family.
Mrs. Dunn’s role in the parish is to direct all Religious Formation programs and activities. She is assisted by Len Komorowski who serves as the parish Youth Minister and many dedicated volunteers. Beginning with her years as a volunteer Master Catechist and Co-ordinator of Religious Education in the Chicago Archdiocese, Mrs. Dunn has attended Diocesan workshops and conferences throughout the years and has been a presenter at various Diocesan and State gatherings. She has been elected President of the Madison Diocesan Religious Education Organization two different times and has been active with this professional group for over 20 years. She has also been elected twice as Representative for our Diocese to the Wisconsin Directors of Religious Education Federation and has helped plan the State Conventions.
Mrs. Dunn has served on the Diocesan Board of Education and on the Perspective on the Family Diocesan Committee, formed by Bishop O’Donnell. For about ten years, she has been active with programs at Camp Gray and has served on their Advisory Committee.
Each summer Mrs. Dunn attends the Conference on Pastoral Liturgy at the University of Notre Dame and has attended Summer Conferences at St. Norbert’s College in the Green Bay Diocese and Sacred Heart Monastery in the Milwaukee Diocese. Much of the content and style of the programs here at St. Pat’s have come from her experiences at these conferences.
Mrs. Dunn is frequently asked to speak to groups in other parishes around the Diocese and throughout the state, sharing her over forty years of experiences. She is known to love her work in the church, attending musical programs, traveling and spending time with her family – especially her three grandchildren, Gregory, Laura Ann and Thomas.
Youth Minister
Len Komorowski
komorows@terracom.net
Lenny Komorowski has been youth director
since June of 2001. Lenny and his wife, Terri , members of St Patrick since
1987, originally came from Milwaukee where Lenny taught religious education for
many years. Lenny has taught religious education here at St Patrick’s for the
past 8 years, focusing on 5th grade on Tuesdays and middle and high
school on Wednesdays.
Lenny and Terri spend most of their free time centered about their children’s activities. Very involved in scouting, Lenny helps out as assistant scoutmaster with his sons troop, sits on the committee for the cub scouts, and assistant leader for his daughter’s troop. Recently he counseled 6 middle school boy scouts while they earned their Ad Alteri Dei medals.
Lenny is also involved within the community running the K-1 soccer program on Saturday mornings.
Through creative programs, Lenny brings Christ’s message to the youth of the parish in a light in which they can see. Whether he has the 5th graders making spaghetti for Luke house, organizing a Halloween Trick-or-Treat night for the food pantry with the middle school youth, or having the high school youth run a service night at the church, he always tries to weave Jesus’ teachings into a fabric enriching the tapestry of their lives. Lenny encourages youth to youth evangelization by encouraging older youth to minister to younger children, especially in the area religious education, by offering his experiences to them.
A lover of the outdoors, Lenny enjoys cross-country skiing, skating and basketball in the winter, and bicycling, swimming, bicycling, hiking, and (did I mention) bicycling during the rest of the year.
Secretary
Tracy Kurt
tracy.kurt@st-patrick-parish.com
Tracy was born March 4, 1971 in Edgerton, where she grew up
and graduated from in 1989. She is the fourth daughter to Ron and Sonja Uglum
of Edgerton.
Tracy has been a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church since 1994. She is married to Doug Kurt and together they have four children, Tyler, Megan, Hannah and Caleb.
Since graduating high school Tracy went to travel school in Fl., and then continued her college degree at Cardinal Stritch College for a business administration degree. She worked at Avis Rent-A-Car then went to work at American Family Insurance which is when she met her husband through his sister. After having her last child she decided to stay home and work on the farm. After two years she decided she might like to join St. Patrick Catholic Church staff. She has been apart of our staff since January 3, 2005.
Tracy likes the outdoors, swimming, playing with the kids, good movies, great books, and spending time with her husband.
Parish Nurse
Peggy Weber
peggy.weber@st-patrick-parish.com
