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Meet our Newest Affiliates - Fall 2025

 

Affiliate Amy Jo Van Arsdall

Amy Jo Van Arsdall, a resident of La Crosse, works in campus ministry, participates in the Franciscan Spirituality Center’s Spiritual Direction Preparedness Program and is entering an ELCA seminary. Her companion in the affiliation program is Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Sarah Hennessey.

Prayer: Amy Jo is a seeker who "lives a life of intentional generosity." Prayer is at the root of her desire to uncover the compassionate presence of God in all whom she encounters. It is a practice of prayer that is sometimes quiet and hidden, calling forth a gentle response. In other capacities, though, it can be chaotic and complicated; constantly in motion. As one of her SDPP classmates shared, "Amy Jo is a deep listener — an anchor of stillness and attentiveness in a noisy world." Her desire, through prayer, is for "the world to experience and know the loving presence of God."

Ministry: For the majority of her adult life, Amy Jo has worked with college students — often those who have felt unconnected to other forms of community. She has ministered, in some sense or another, as an itinerant "preacher" — much like St. Francis of Assisi — traveling and meeting wherever the spirit has called her to be. Amy Jo is known to have "an exceptional ability to meet others exactly where they are, honoring their stories with empathy and a listening heart." It is her ability to listen and connect with others, particularly with students, that has guided her in life — first as a campus minister, then through the SDPP, and now as a student in seminary.

Community: Amy Jo seeks to "serve, work, pray and grow alongside the FSPA towards creating a more just, gracious, sustainable, equitable and compassionate world." Through SDPP, Amy Jo has come to realize that working with students at Viterbo University, participating in spiritual direction at FSC and serving with the La Crosse County Jail Program exemplify just how close she has been to the FSPA community. Amy Jo hopes to bring the presence of the FSPA into her future church ministry and community through a shared understanding of Franciscan values. 

Amy Jo’s inquisitive nature, deep sense of humor and desire to provide invitation and welcome to all those she meets are some of the many reasons that her presence and spirit are gifts to the FSPA affiliation program. May she continue to nourish her own spirit and that of her community as she moves into this next stage of her journey.

 

Affiliate Sue Amble

Sue Amble, from La Crescent, Minnesota, is a retired school principal and FSPA partner in mission working in the FSPA Discernment Office. She is companioned in affiliation by Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Sarah Hennessey.

Prayer: Sue is someone of deep reflection and quiet discernment. Prayer has been central to her journey toward affiliation as well as in her current ministry as a member of FSPA’s discernment team. She is known to express "an eagerness to integrate Franciscan values in her life." From her time of study, prayer and reflection, Sue brings to affiliation the desire to "share herself" with a "curiosity to learn" and "an openness to growth." 

Ministry: In her role as a partner in mission, Sue has collaborated with members of the FSPA Affiliation Office, imbuing a wonderful presence when walking with different groups of discerners. To find common meaning, Sue exhibits a deep hospitality, striving to make shared time with others full of respect in the midst of differences. She has taken an integral role in creating meaningful experiences for FSPA discerners and everyone who has invested their time and gifts in sharing our Franciscan charism in the community.

Community: Through her involvement in different faith communities that include FSPA and St. Patrick’s Church in Onalaska, Wisconsin, Sue’s participation in community life has led to enriched relationships among those who know her. What began as a ministry of taking weekly communion to the home of an FSPA affiliate evolved into a friendship spanning more than three years. In her own discernment of FSPA affiliation, she has come full circle as a woman of deep integrity and joy.

"Sue will be an active, thoughtful and talented part of the FSPA family as an affiliate," shares one who has journeyed with her. "I am grateful she has chosen this path."

 

Affiliate Katherine Krage

Katherine Krage, a resident of La Crosse, Wisconsin, is a retired medical social worker and ongoing spiritual director companioned in affiliation by Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Linda Mershon.

Prayer: Katherine has connected with FSPA down many different avenues over the years. Through prayer, she has discovered and fostered a deepening sense of that relationship. As a prayer partner, Katherine has carried the FSPA charism into her daily life, offering words of wisdom, calmness and appreciation to those she meets with as a spiritual director. Prayer and meditation have been integral parts of Katherine’s life.

Ministry: Her career as a social worker "has given her the eyes to see injustice and truth about suffering in this world that God loves so much." As a spiritual director, Katherine uses her gifts of compassion and listening to mend and tend to the lives of those who seek out her wisdom and presence.

Community: Katherine’s sense of community is truly shaped by her relationship with FSPA. Those around her know that there’s no doubt Katherine will continue to grow into her life with enthusiasm as an affiliate, bringing wonder, joy and deep appreciation for the community.

 

Affiliate David Novak

David Novak, a resident of La Crosse, is a security officer at Viterbo University, student in the institution's Servant Leadership Program and previous intern in FSPA’s Integral Ecology Team, poised to begin study in a Clinical Pastoral Education program. His companion in affiliation is Pat Kerrigan, FSPA affiliate.

Prayer: Ever since becoming an FSPA prayer partner and Secular Franciscan, David has contemplated affiliation. He is deeply connected to a life of prayer that informs his understanding, relationship with creation and curiosity, which leads him to a dedicated ministry and sense of community. David shares that "This way of life calls us to live simply, recognizing ourselves as stewards of Earth." Over the years, as his prayer life deepened, David participated in pilgrimages to Rome and Assisi in Italy, where he also spent time volunteering at the Vatican during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. 

Ministry: David is known for his "commitment to a Franciscan way of life … evident in all he does." Volunteering at the La Crosse Warming Center, providing meals at Place of Grace and participating in many of Viterbo’s Season of Creation campus activities demonstrate his understanding that Franciscan living is "centered in prayer and service." He participates in avenues of ministry that reflect the Gospel and a Franciscan charism of service. "When it comes to discovering new ways to live a Franciscan life, David has a boundless supply of energy."

Community: David’s participation in community extends to his faith community, including members of Viterbo’s San Damiano Chapel, Cathedral Parish and the Tau Shalom Secular Franciscan Fraternity. David shares that his involvement in multiple communities, "holding multiple Franciscan perspectives," has "enriched both [his] personal growth and ministry work, bringing insight and depth to the ways we serve others."

David's ability to cross over between multiple communities, while holding deeply to a Franciscan identity that shapes and deepens his own faith life, is greatly valued.