Rooted brings faith to life for young families in the Chippewa Valley
“I am the vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in me and I in them
bear much fruit, because apart from me
you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5)
It’s increasingly common for families today to live far from parents, siblings and extended relatives. The village that was once formed naturally now has to be built with intention. Many parents don’t meet others in the same phase of life until their children are in school. Most young families are simply trying to make it through an hour at Sunday Mass. Finding the bandwidth—and, frankly, the time—to juggle relationships, work, chores and the effort of forming strong bonds with your children already feels like more than enough, let alone investing in new friendships.
Walking Together
Enter “Rooted”: an apostolate for families with little ones, prayerfully discerned and developed by Jacqueline Van Hemert. It seeks to connect like-hearted families who want to raise their children in the Faith. Through communal events, participation in sacraments and practical catechesis, it seeks to evangelize children by integrating organic liturgical practices into the life of the Church. Rooted has also created a space for young Catholic families to cultivate holy friendships.
One family that has greatly benefited from the apostolate and had the honor of leading this initiative in the Chippewa Valley is the Englert family. Sam and her husband, Mike, who are parishioners at Holy Ghost Parish, had no idea what the Lord had in store for them when they first encountered the concept of Rooted.
“Last year, Mike and I participated in the Emmaus Discipleship program. At the end of our final class, we had a board displaying various areas of interest. Everyone was encouraged to write down suggestions for how Chippewa could improve its outreach,” she explained.
“I suggested special needs support, especially for the sacraments. I didn’t really have an interest in Rooted,” she laughs. “I actually wrote down ideas like working with the elderly or teenagers.”
For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, Sam also felt a strong passion for families with young children. The Holy Spirit took her up on this, and Emmaus’s leader, John Shakal, connected her with the apostolate’s founder, Jacqueline Van Hemert.
“It was nice to connect with someone who was a mom of three and going through the same challenges in life that we were. Then she asked me if I would join Rooted’s leadership team,” Sam explains.
Falling in Love with Rooted
Jacqueline pitched the role of activities coordinator and handed Sam a list of potential events to research for their first year. Initially, Sam felt that this position was not a good fit for her.
“I’m not particularly crafty,” she says, “but it was enjoyable to explore various ‘rabbit holes’ of Catholic events for kids and the reasoning behind them.”
As Sam explored the liturgical year and the various traditions associated with various feasts and liturgical events, she began to fall in love with Rooted’s mission. She saw the void it filled in the Catholic community and for young families like her own.
“As a parent of young children, I often feel unsure about the best way to teach my kids about the Faith. It can be challenging, especially during the time when they are infants until they start religious education. I sometimes feel like I’m doing it alone, just treading water and trying to teach them the right things. Teaching my family about our Catholic Faith is something I truly wanted.”
Impressed by the overall care and intentionality Jacqueline put into the apostolate’s mission statement and planning, Sam agreed to join the leadership team. A curve ball flew in when she was unexpectedly offered the opportunity to lead the apostolate herself. After some months of discernment, Van Hemert had felt she had to step back from the role.
“Jacqueline approached me and asked if I would be willing to take over, offering to guide me through the leadership process. I definitely needed that support, and it took me about two weeks to make my decision. I was pretty intimidated,” Englert admits, “but I kept returning to the initial proposal. It was such a valuable initiative for the Chippewa Valley, and I didn’t want it to disappear.”
After adjusting the schedule—Sam noting that “Wonder Woman” must have put together the original schedule—she became Rooted’s new leader.
Together with several other women on the team, they spearheaded events such as “A Littlest Saint’s Day Party,” a Mardi Gras potluck, parent confessions (an opportunity to go to reconciliation before Easter with childcare and eucharistic adoration) and a Mother’s Day celebration, complete with a May crowning of Mary.
Abide in Me
This apostolate has brought new perspective to the Englert family.
“We didn’t grow up with a strong Catholic community,” Sam shares. “Our parents were very intentional about taking us to Mass and being catechized. However, I didn’t really learn about the liturgical year until I was in my 30s. I want things to be different for our boys.”
There is often a temptation to “fake it until you make it,” to put on the mask of having the perfect Catholic family, even when in reality, you feel like a phony. Parents with young children who attend Mass are likely familiar with this feeling. It can be very isolating and at times, may lead to even questioning the point of struggling through yet another liturgy.
“It’s in my heart—I want families to know they are not alone in this journey. It’s okay. We will all learn from each other. We’ve had moments at Mass where we probably should have handled things differently.”
In the wake of one such experience, Sam and her husband had a painful encounter that led them to stop attending Mass for several months. The catalyst that brought them back was the birth of their third son and a desire to have him baptized. Their pastor was understanding but also firm in his guidance. The Englerts resumed regular Mass attendance, although with a renewed and more intentional approach.
“There are many families like ours. We want to ensure they don’t feel that they can’t bring their kids to church because they are embarrassed. We never want anyone to feel the way we did.”
This feeling, likewise extended, also shaped their journey with their oldest son, Owen, who was diagnosed with autism, a moment that brought them to their knees before the Lord.
“We went through deep and dark stuff, and God is the one that pulled us out of it all,” says Sam.
Instead of giving in to frustration, Sam and her husband sought to understand what the Church teaches about diagnoses like Owen’s—and what learning the Faith could look like for him.
“I think that’s where autism became our biggest blessing,” she says. “It taught us a valuable lesson: we need God to get through everything. I can’t fix an autism diagnosis, but God has guided us through it and shown us that both we and Owen can live with it. We’ve met so many wonderful people because of his diagnosis.”
The presence of an apostolate like Rooted has connected the Englerts with many families like theirs, forming new bonds among the city’s youngest parishioners. Looking ahead, Sam hopes for more catechetical opportunities tailored to the interests of families, as well as shared spaces where children can actively practice their faith together.
“I think it’s so important to give kids opportunities to look around and see other kids praying—to see other families praying together. This is community, and we’re in it together.”
“It’s in my heart—I want families to know they are not alone in this journey. It’s okay. We will all learn from each other.
Story By Alexis Wislinsky
Published in the Fall 2025 Edition of Catholic Life Magazine