The Family of Five Parishes is host to a program called SPRED.

SPRED is a small faith community which includes children or adults with special needs. SPRED integrates people with developmental disabilities more fully into the mainstream of parish life: it offers faith formation, gives parishioners an inviting place and opportunity to connect with persons with disabilities, and offers ways to more fully include persons with disabilities into the liturgy.

For more information on this inclusive small faith community contact Helen Bolgrien, SPRED Parish Chair, at 414-322-3412 or hbolgrien@gmail.com.

More Information:

SPRED stands for Special Religious Development and is a small faith community in our parish that welcomes adults with developmental or learning problems to form friendships with volunteers from the Cathedral who journey with them in faith.

Our  SPRED group offers an opportunity to participate in this special faith community. No prior experience with persons with disabilities is required. SPRED training is provided before volunteers serve.

What we do in SPRED: The goal of SPRED is to help our Friends develop an awareness of God in their lives. This includes an awareness of themselves as persons of dignity – who are loved by God - and as an integral part of the parish community and the entire Church.

Each SPRED session begins with quiet “work” time on an activity selected by the Friend and modeled by their volunteer catechist. The quiet work is a means of getting focused and ready to hear the Word of God which is then shared in a devotional time led by our group’s Leader catechist. We conclude our session with the sharing of a light meal and socializing.