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Meet our Staff:
Marie Ruffner ~ Liturgy Coordinator
Marie was born and raised in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. As a young student at Holy Redeemer Catholic School, Marie took piano lessons beginning in the second grade. By the time Marie was in 6th grade, the good nuns soon had her hopping on the organ bench and playing for masses. A graduate of Washington High School, Marie continued her education at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, earning a Bachelor of Music Education degree. She was also the first graduate of the college’s Kodaly Certification program in 1974 .
Throughout these years, Marie continued to play the organ and accompany choirs at Holy Redeemer. For the next 25 years, Marie taught vocal music in the Sheboygan Area School District, teaching students in grades K through 8, while also earning a Masters Degree in Environmental Arts and Sciences. She is Co-founder and director of the Sheboygan Area School District Honors Chorus, a performing chorus made up of 4th and 5th graders from the district’s 11 elementary schools. While in Sheboygan, Marie played for liturgies and accompanied choirs at St Dominic Catholic Parish, and St Peter Claver parish. She also sang for 11 years with the Lakeshore Chorale, an auditioned community chorus. In 1998, Marie and her husband, Earl, moved to Nixa, Missouri, where she played for liturgies at Immaculate Conception Parish and sang with The Springfield America Singers of Springfield, Missouri. Upon moving to Appleton in 1999, Marie worked with TelMark Sales before being hired as the liturgist here at St Pius Parish.
As the liturgist, Marie is responsible for the scheduling of all musicians, the planning of all liturgies for the parish, chairperson of the Liturgy committee, chairperson of the Environment committee, oversees all choirs, and is the director of Kenaniah Choir, the Resurrection Choir, and Singing Angels Children’s Choir, playing and planning weddings and funerals in the parish, ordering church and music supplies, and serving as the trainer for lectors and musicians. She currently sings with the White Heron Chorale, and is a member of the National Pastoral Musicians Association and the American Choral Directors Association.
She is actively involved with the North East Wisconsin Pastoral Musicians organization, and is pursuing a Director of Music and Liturgy Certification through Silver Lake College.
Marie has a twin sister, Marcie, and one other sister, Marge who are both music teachers as well. Marcie also plays organ in her home parish of St Mark in Wausau, while sister Marge is a liturgist at St Lawrence Parish in Wisconsin Rapids. I guess it runs in the family! Marie is married to Earl Ruffner, who is a member of the Kenaniah Choir here at St Pius. Marie has one daughter, Heidi, 26, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, who is a full-time staff member at Camp Anokijig in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Earl has two children, Jeffrey and Beth Ann, who live with their families in Alabama. In her spare time, Marie loves to watch the Packers, work in her garden, shop and go out to lunch, and riding with her husband on his Harley.
Marie truly enjoys the music ministry here at St Pius and feels blessed to be a part of a parish community where she can share her music.
Debbie Thorson ~ Parish Secretary
My name is Debbie Thorson. I am currently the St. Pius X Office Parish Secretary. I started working for St. Pius on August 1, 1997 in the Faith Formation Department. I worked in Faith Formation for three years. I transferred over to the parish office in August of 2000.
I have been married to my husband Russ for almost 32 years. He has been with Kimberly Clark for 30+ years as an engineer. I have two children, Beth and Tim. Beth is a teacher in Germantown, Wisconsin and graduating with her masters in April. Tim is a computer engineer with Seagate in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has been married for almost two years to his wife Kelly. My husband and I have been members of St. Pius X since 1993.
Sr. Mary Shawn Fagan, ANG ~ Volunteer Coordinator
As Volunteer Coordinator she provides leadership and support to parish efforts in order to optimize the involvement of volunteers among the many ministries and activities of the parish. She coordinates the matching of volunteers in parish ministries, committees and activities. She interacts with parishioners in general, people in parish ministries and activities, the parish Stewardship Council, the parish staff and selected other people outside the parish. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she attended grade school at Nativity of Our Lord Parish and attended high school at Holy Family Academy in Manitowoc. She has a bachelor's degree in education from Silver Lake College, Manitowoc, WI and a masters degree in Administration from Marygrove College in Detroit, MI.
Sr. Shawn taught primary and middle school for 13 years and served as a principal for 29 years. Twenty years as an administrator were at St. Pius X, Appleton. She has been a religious sister since 1957, first as a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Manitowoc and now as a member of A New Genesis.
Bill Platt ~ Lead Custodian
My name is Bill Platt and I have been employed by the parish since July 14, 2003. There is plenty to do here with a building this size and I love the variety of projects that come my way. Each day offers a little something different than the day before and I truly feel blessed to have two of the finest custodial employees in Soua Thao and Tong Thor.
As a former student of St. Pius (Class of '68) this building and both the parish and teaching staffs have gone through many changes over the years but the quality of the people involved in the day to day operation are first rate and a pleasure to work with. Some parishioners I have known for many years, some for a short time but if you see me in the hallways and I haven't greeted you by name, stop and say, "Hello"
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