Interview with Fr. Joe Krupp, pastor of St. Mary on the Lake parish in Manitou Beach

Why do you think the Witness to Hope campaign has been so successful in your parish?

Honestly? Because of the people of St. Mary on the Lake. Their prayerful spirits, generous hearts and “can do” attitude. We were able to put aside fears and push forward. Beyond that, the way the lay leadership in our parish rose up was astounding. Nancy Nichols led our campaign: organizing the information, offering wisdom, gathering bids for the work ... all sorts of things. I don’t know how many hours she put in, but it was unreal. She is one of many people who took up the campaign and put their whole heart and soul behind it. I’m a blessed priest to work with such amazing people.

What projects have you undertaken that would not otherwise have been possible?

It’d be easier to tell you what projects we didn’t undertake … the ridiculously generous response of God’s People in Manitou Beach gave us the ability to do things we wouldn’t have dreamed possible. We had a serious problem with our front entrance and windows … because of the campaign, we have a whole new entrance and beautiful windows that open our eyes to the radical beauty of God’s creation right outside our church. We added a generator and air conditioning, which is very helpful in the case of a fat pastor. We removed asbestos and put new flooring in the hallways and offices. I could go on and on, but it’s amazing how many problems we have solved and will solve because of this campaign. Did I mention the air conditioning?

What future projects will be made possible by the WTH campaign?

As of the writing of this article, we’re starting on our new parking lot and sidewalk around the church in a couple weeks. We are going to address our roof and the rain gutters to end the leaking into the building. We’re also going after our lights in the parking lot and loads of other things.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Our collections have gone up since we started the campaign: that’s how beautiful and selfless the people of St. Mary on the Lake are. That’s how concerned they are about supporting our diocese and our local parish. That’s how blessed I am to be their priest.