You Matter
Inside the Chaplaincy Ministry to Retired Clergy and Spouses
DID YOU KNOW?
We have more than 90 retired clergy across our state!
Behind the steady presence of retired clergy across the Diocese of Wisconsin is a ministry many people never see—but many quietly rely on. The Chaplaincy Ministry to Retired Clergy and Spouses exists for one central reason: support, offered with care, prayer, and deep respect for lives shaped by long faithfulness.
This ministry recognizes a simple truth: retirement changes how ministry is lived, but it does not remove the need for connection, advocacy, or pastoral care. There are about 90 retired clergy in the Diocese, spread across five regions, each supported by a chaplain appointed by Bishop Matt Gunter. Together, these chaplains serve as a relational bridge between retired clergy and spouses, the diocesan office, the local parish, and the wider Church.
At its heart, the chaplaincy is about accompaniment.
At its heart, the chaplaincy is about accompaniment. Chaplains offer prayer and presence, check in regularly, send letters and cards, and make phone calls that say, you are not forgotten. They serve as sounding boards when questions or concerns arise, and they help retired clergy and spouses navigate systems that can feel overwhelming—especially when health, benefits, or life transitions come suddenly into focus.
A key part of this work includes serving as a liaison with the Church Pension Group (CPG), helping people understand benefits, connect to resources, and advocate when clarity is needed. For widowed spouses or those new to retirement, that guidance can be essential—and deeply relieving.
The ministry also creates space for community. Through in-person gatherings and Zoom meetings, retired clergy and spouses are invited into collegial relationships where stories are shared, ideas exchanged, and laughter welcomed. These gatherings matter more than we often admit. Loneliness can quietly take hold during retirement, especially after years of highly relational ministry. The chaplaincy names that reality and responds with intention.
Small moments often reveal the depth of this ministry’s impact: a homebound spouse reconnected with communion visits from a local parish; a newly widowed spouse learning about benefits she didn’t know were available; a retired priest finding help navigating the healthcare system; a supply priest new to Wisconsin discovering community for the first time; a phone call sparked by a simple letter that eased isolation. None of these moments make headlines—but each one reflects the Church at its most pastoral.
Some retired clergy hesitate to engage, wary of the word retired and the stereotypes that can accompany it. This ministry gently pushes back on those assumptions. The retired clergy and spouses connected through the chaplaincy are active, thoughtful, faithful people—still serving, still discerning, still committed to living out their baptismal and ordination vows. Participation is flexible and accessible, whether through gatherings, Zoom, phone calls, or correspondence from home.
The Chaplaincy Ministry to Retired Clergy and Spouses is not a program to join or a label to carry. It is a relationship—one that says, clearly and consistently: you matter, your ministry matters, and you belong.
As the Diocese continues to navigate change, this ministry stands as a quiet but powerful expression of who we are called to be together—caring not only for the work of the Church, but for the people who have spent their lives building it.
What is the Ministry for Retired Clergy and Spouses?
The Ministry for Retired Clergy and Spouses exists to support this continuing vocation—offering fellowship, shared prayer, practical guidance around Church Pension Group (CPG) benefits, and deep appreciation for the many ways retired clergy and spouses remain engaged in ministry. Across the diocese, approximately 90 retired clergy are supported through a regional chaplaincy system that reflects both pastoral care and collegial connection.
Each of the five regions of the Diocese has a chaplain responsible for the care and connection of retired clergy in that area. The seven chaplains (including two couples) are appointed by Bishop Matt Gunter and also serve as liaisons with the Church Pension Group, ensuring both pastoral support and practical advocacy. Together, they help weave retired clergy fully into the ongoing life and mission of the diocese.
By region, the retired clergy chaplains are:
Eastern Ridges: Fr. John and Kathy Peterson, johnpeterson2@earthlink.net & kapeters3@earthlink.net
Kettle Moraine: Fr. Pete Irvine, peterbirvine@gmail.com
Northwoods: Dcn. Steve Russell, steve@art-of-oomph.com
Driftless: Mthr. Kathleen Charles, revkjc49@gmail.com
Lakeshore: Fr. Jim and Rev. Mary Trainor (Lead), trainors3@gmail.com & pastormaryt@gmail.com
Their ministry is a reminder that vocation does not retire—it deepens, adapts, and continues to bless the Church in ways both seen and unseen.
