The Rev. Ken De Groot, the co-founder of Casa ALBA Melanie and a former pastor at St. Willebrord Parish in Green Bay, died May 21 at the St. Norbert Abbey.
He died peacefully on the eve of his 91st birthday at the St. Norbert Abbey, according to his obituary. He served as pastor of St. Willebrord for 31 years until he retired in 2011. Following his retirement, he founded Casa ALBA Melanie with Sister Melanie Maczka until they both stepped down from their role in 2022.
De Groot joined the abbey in 1953 and graduated as valedictorian from St. Norbert College, and he went on to get master’s degrees from Western Michigan University and Fordham University.
He became pastor of St. Willebrord in 1980 and soon began the first parish ministry for Spanish-speaking Catholics in the Green Bay Diocese and started offering the first weekly Spanish Mass at the church.
After realizing the need for more community support beyond a spiritual haven for Hispanic families in the area, De Groot worked with Maczka to create Casa ALBA Melanie, the first community resource center of its kind, in 2012. De Groot served as chair of the development and finance committees. In the 10 years they led Casa ALBA, the center transformed life for Hispanic families in Green Bay and grew to provide a wide array of resources including legal assistance, Spanish GED lessons, health services, language acquisition and finance aid.
De Groot was awarded an honorary doctorate, again with Maczka, from St. Norbert College in 2024 for their service and ministry with Hispanic families.
A visitation for De Groot is at 3 p.m. May 28 at St. Willebrord Church, 209 S. Adams St. and the memorial Mass follows at 7 p.m. The “morning prayer for those who have died” is at 7:30 a.m. May 29 at St. Norbert Abbey and the funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. May 29 at the abbey.
Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Ken De Groot, Casa ALBA cofounder and St. Willebrord pastor, dies
Reporting by Benita Mathew, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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