A Weekly Photo Journey
Across DioWis
February 19 2026
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📍 St. Peter’s, West Allis
Canon Scott Leannah spent the weekend of February 14–15 with the community of St. Peter’s, West Allis, witnessing firsthand the steady, faithful ministry that unfolds there week after week. On Saturday, he visited during the parish’s Free Lunch program, where about 75 meals are served to neighbors who come to the door. And they do this every Saturday. That’s just under 4,000 meals a year! Alongside the meal, food from the parish pantry was shared — quiet, practical care offered with dignity and welcome. On Sunday, Canon Scott preached and joined the congregation for worship before being welcomed downstairs for a festive pre-Shrove Tuesday lunch. Between bites and conversation, stories were shared, and connections deepened. The weekend was a celebration of what St. Peter’s lives so well: hospitality that feeds both body and spirit, and a parish that continues to show up for its neighbors and one another.
📸 Submitted by Dcn. Karen Buker
🍲 Full Hearts and Full Plates in West Allis
🌄Chasing Sunrise to St. Mary’s
📍 St. Mary’s, Dousman
This last Sunday morning, Archdeacon Bill Dunlop traveled to St. Mary’s, Dousman, beginning the day accompanied by a brilliant Wisconsin sunrise stretching across the fields and sky. The early light gave way to the gathered community, where prayer, song, and shared presence carried the morning forward. Visits like these are part of the quiet, faithful work of connection across the Diocese of Wisconsin — moments of listening, encouragement, and showing up alongside one another. From first light on the road to the final blessing, the day was marked by the steady grace found in shared ministry and the communities that continue to live it out together.
📸 Submitted by Archdeacon Bill
🕯️ An Evening Set Apart for Prayer
📍 St. John in the Wilderness, Elkhorn
On a quiet February evening, St. John in the Wilderness, Elkhorn opened its doors and invited the community into a different kind of time. The sanctuary glowed with candlelight as people came and went, pausing for reflection, gentle music, and prayer. Some sat in stillness. Others lit candles, naming hopes, griefs, and gratitude in silence. On the half hour, voices gathered to offer the Prayers of the People, joining individual prayers into one shared rhythm. In a world that often moves too quickly past what is heavy or holy, this Evening of Prayer made space to linger — to hold before God the needs of the community and the wider world. It was a simple offering, and a powerful one: a reminder that prayer remains one of the ways we carry one another.
📸 Submitted by Elizabeth Klinzing
✨ Burying the Alleluias in Bay View
📍 St. Luke’s, Bay View
On a February Sunday, the children of St. Luke’s, Bay View gathered to explore one of the quieter mysteries of the church year: why we set aside the word “Alleluia” during Lent. With markers, color, and plenty of glitter, each child created their own Alleluia, full of brightness and joy. When they were finished, the group placed their creations together in a canvas bag and carried them to the chapel, where they were gently “buried” for the season. This tradition, which dates back as far as the 5th century, helps mark Lent as a time of waiting and reflection. But even in the burying, there was anticipation. On Easter morning, these same Alleluias will be brought out again, shining all the more after their time of rest — and the children who made them will be there to help lead the church back into joy.
📸 Submitted by Susan Kainz
✝️ One Generation to Another
📍St. John’s, Burlington
On Ash Wednesday at St. John’s, Burlington, eight-year-old Emma stepped forward to help mark the beginning of Lent in a way she won’t soon forget. Carefully holding the Prayer Book so she could say every word, she traced the sign of the cross in ashes on Canon Scott Leannah’s forehead, reminding him — and everyone watching — of the ancient words: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
It was a quiet, holy moment that held both tenderness and weight. Emma’s small hand carried forward a tradition Christians have shared for generations, one that speaks honestly about our mortality while also pointing toward grace. In that exchange — child and priest, ashes and prayer — the church’s story continued, passed hand to hand. Even in ashes, hope was being marked.
📸 Submitted by Canon Scott and St. John’s, Burlington
👑 Let Them Eat King Cake
📍 St. Luke’s, Bay View
Coffee hour at St. Luke’s, Bay View took on a festive spirit this February as the parish marked the last Sunday before Lent with a joyful Mardi Gras celebration. The fellowship hall was alive with color, decorated for the occasion and filled with the warmth of shared laughter and conversation. At the center of it all were traditional King cakes, each hiding a small plastic baby inside — a symbol of the infant Jesus and the story of his hidden safety from King Herod. As slices were served, a few surprises emerged. Michael, Emerson, and Jim each discovered a baby in their cake and were crowned King for the Day, while Hayden eagerly joined in the festivities. In these moments of play and tradition, the parish celebrated not only a story from long ago, but the joy of being a community together — holding onto Alleluias even as Lent drew near.
📸 Submitted by Susan Kainz
