Hello! My name is Joan Weiss, and I’m honored to serve our parish family here at Saint Gabriel’s as the pastoral secretary. I believe we are all called to serve in different ways, and this role has become a meaningful expression of mine. I grew up in West Bend, attended Holy Angels School, married my husband Tom at Saint Mary’s Immaculate Conception Parish in Barton, and later raised our family in Fond du Lac. Tom and I eventually made our way to Madison, where I worked in administrative roles in the biotech industry and higher education at UW-Madison’s Biomedical Engineering and Botany Departments. Tom and I were led back to Washington County to care for my father, which in turn opened the door to an opportunity at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where I rounded out my professional career. We have called Richfield our home since 2017.

Tom and I have been greatly blessed with three children: our daughter Stacey, her husband Matt, and our granddaughters Cecelia (CeCe), Amalia (Mali), and Louisa (Lulu) who live in Tosa; our son Jacob (Jake), his wife Michelle, and our grandsons Greyson and Myles who live in Appleton, and our daughter Ginny, who lived just a short life, but is ever present in our hearts. Beyond our shared faith and devotion to family, Tom and I share a love for art, nature, and travel. These gifts continue to nourish our spirits and deepen our gratitude for God’s presence in the world around us.

Upon our return to the area, we visited several parishes in search of a faith community that truly felt like home. We found that sense of belonging here at Saint Gabriel’s. It has been said that relationships shape us in ways we could never anticipate, and I have found this to be profoundly true here. I find great joy in working alongside Fr. Tim and our leadership team, working together in support of our vibrant and growing parish and school community. I am grateful for this community, for the trust placed in me, and for the good that continues to take root here. If we haven’t already met, I look forward to meeting you and am always happy to help in any way I can.

~ The World Needs More Kindness ~

Love is always patient and kind… 1 Cor. 13:4