Neenah & Menasha Church Scavenger Hunt
Adapted from St. Gabriel Parish CFC, Neenah

The True Church can never fail. For it is based upon a rock.
T.S. Eliot

Opening Prayer:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.   Amen!

O Lord our God, whose might upholds all creation: establish the work of our helpless hands; and make our lowly church a place for the showing of your glory; and for all peoples a house of prayer pleasing in your sight. We ask you to hear our prayer through your Son, Jesus.  Amen!

Catechesis:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states this about the Church: The word "Church" means "convocation." It designates the assembly of those whom God's Word "convokes," i.e., gathers together to form the People of God, and who themselves, nourished with the Body of Christ, become the Body of Christ.

778 The Church is both the means and the goal of God's plan: prefigured in creation, prepared for in the Old Covenant, founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his redeeming cross and his Resurrection, the Church has been manifested as the mystery of salvation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. She will be perfected in the glory of heaven as the assembly of all the redeemed of the earth (cf. Rev 14:4).

779 The Church is both visible and spiritual, a hierarchical society and the Mystical Body of Christ. She is one, yet formed of two components, human and divine. That is her mystery, which only faith can accept.

780 The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and men.

The Church is both the people of God as well as the building we gather in to worship God as a community of believers.  The Church, the community of believers, has its beginning in the Acts of the Apostles.  Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the church went from a small group of disicples who gathered in home churches to a Roman Catholic Church with 1.2 billion disciples world wide who gather in church buildings as varied as her members. 

Fortunately, when church buildings are constructed, they not only provide a safe haven for believers, they also become the central hub of activities where believers can serve and worship the Lord with joy. The people, as a commuity of believers, is the Church. However, the church is also the building where we gather as a community of faith. There are many beautiful Churches in the Neenah and Menasha communities.

Activity:

Activity: Did you know there are FIVE Catholic Churches in the Neenah/Menasha Area? At each location, see if you can find the images shown below. Click here for a Printable activty sheet.

Church Addresses:

• • St. Margaret Mary Parish: 620 Divison Street, Neenah
  • St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church:900 Geiger Street, Neenah
  • St. Patrick Catholic Community:324 Nicolet Blvd, Menasha
  • St. John Parish: 516 De Pere Street, Menasha
  • St. Mary Parish: 528 Second Street, Menasha

Cornerstones
The cornerstone of the building is a commemorative brick that indicates the year the building was constructed.  Some churches have more than one cornerstone – the original year it was built, and the year it went through renovation.  Which Neenah/Menasha Parish are each of these cornerstones?

Church Entrances
Which church entrances are shown in the photos below?

Church art 
Check out the beautiful statues, architecture, and prayer spaces of our local parishes! Come Holy Spirit, there are lots of places to pray!

Mass Times
Jesus Wants to Hang out with YOU!!  What time are you available? List the mass times for each of the five Neenah – Menasha Parishes.          

 Church pictures taken by Meredith Lauer                        

Challenge:

Submit a picture or two of your family during the scavender hunt. You can email the picture to Amy Bolle at [email protected].                                                                                      

Closing Prayer:  

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

Loving God, we pray you will fill our worship places with your presence so that your saving work can begin in the communities they are located. We ask this in through your Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen!

Complete questionnaire below: