The congregation of
St. John's United Church of Christ, assisted by
the Monroe Swiss Singers, annually offers this beautiful Christmas
Communion service conducted entirely in German.
Featured in 1997 in the Wisconsin State Journal, and believed to be one of the few of its kind in the state, the service is rooted in the early traditions and heritage of St. John's Church, which was founded in 1862 by Swiss and German immigrants. Services were conducted in German until the 1920's, with the Christmas Day communion service continuing until 1955. The current German service was reinstated in 1972 by the Rev. Wolfgang Koehler, a German native who served the church from 1969-1981. Around 250 people attend yearly, with attendees from as far away as Chicago.
The Rev. Dr. William T. "Mike" Heath, senior pastor at St. John's, welcomes all to the service. Karen Luond Fowdy, teacher of German at Monroe High School, will lead the service, assisted by Ann Rieder Prophett. Musical leadership for the service is provided by organist/director Deborah Krauss Smith and the members of the Monroe Swiss Singers.
Karen Luond Fowdy (left) was born in Denver, Colorado, and grew up in Wyoming.
She spent her junior year in college in Vienna, Austria, and upon graduation,
received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Berlin, Germany. After three years of
study and work in Berlin, Karen returned to the U.S. to earn a Master of Arts
Degree in German Literature from the University of Colorado, and secondary teacher
certification from the University of Northern Colorado. She has taught German at
Monroe High School and Monroe Middle School since 1987. As founder and advisor
for the Monroe High School German Exchange, Karen has hosted German school groups
and traveled with Monroe students since 1989. She is one of the authors of
Planning Curriculum for Learning World Languages, published by the Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction in 2002.
Karen spent her early years in the Denver home of her Swiss grandfather, Albert Lόφnd, originally from Rothenthurm in Canton Schwyz, and grandmother, Rose Schmidt, the daughter of Bavarian and Swiss immigrants. Her early memories are of people singing and playing Swiss and German music. Her grandparents were active in Swiss singing and dancing groups and her grandmother and great aunts played the zither. Karen joined the Monroe Swiss Singers immediately after moving to Monroe, where she feels extremely fortunate to be able to carry on the Swiss traditions from her childhood and share them with her family and students.
Karen lives in rural Green County with her husband, Mike. Their son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Kate, live in Madison. Their daughter Lara, and younger son, Daniel, live in Portland, Oregon.
An English translation of the service, including the sermon, is provided. Following the service is a time of fellowship and refreshments. For those with mobility concerns, the sanctuary is accessible by elevator with an entrance on the east side of the building.
The ambiance of the beautiful sanctuary, the music, the sound of the language as Luke's version of the Christmas story is read, and the inspiring message all add up to a one-of-a-kind experience for the soul, something that often gets lost in our modern day observance of Christmas.
More information is available by contacting the church office at 608-325-2165.
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