Parish Leaders/Advisors

Pastoral Staff
    Pastor: Fr. Tom Eichenberger
    Associate Pastor: Fr. Mike Lightner
    Weekend Associate: Fr. Al Veik, Capuchin
Trustees
Parish Council
School Committee

Pastor: Fr. Thomas Eichenberger
Phone: 262-377-1070, ext. 223

Fr. Tom Eichenberger, a Milwaukee native, grew up in Brookfield with his parents, two brothers, and two sisters. His parents were charter members of St. Luke parish in Brookfield, and he attended grade school there.

Fr. Tom later studied at De Sales Preparatory High School and St. Francis Seminary, where he received his B.A. cum laude and M.Div. degrees, with a concentration in New Testament Scriptures. Before his ordination, he served for three years at St. Matthew's parish in Oak Creek. Archbishop William E. Cousins ordained Fr. Tom in 1976.

After his ordination, Fr. Tom was assigned as an associate pastor at Holy Assumption parish in West Allis, where he remained for six years. He spent his next seven years at St. John Vianney in Brookfield. Fr. Tom was later named pastor at Holy Family in Cudahy and remained at that parish for 11 years. In 1999, he was appointed pastor of St. Veronica Parish on Milwaukee’s South Side, a post he held for four years before his appointment to St. Francis Borgia. His pastoral interests, in addition to preaching and presiding at Mass, include teaching youth, leading Bible study, and working with the parish staff.

Fr. Tom served Archbishop Rembert Weakland as Dean of District 15 Parishes, which included the southeastern section of Milwaukee County. As dean, he was also a member of the Archdiocesan Council of Priests, a group that assists in the governance of the archdiocese. He held that position until being named pastor of St. Francis Borgia in 2003, one year after the completed merger of the St. Francis Borgia and Divine Word parishes of Cedarburg.

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Associate Pastor: Fr. Michael Lightner
Phone: 262-377-1070, ext. 224

The son of Corliss and Joyce Lightner, Michael Lightner grew up a member of Holy Trinity parish and attended Oconto public schools during elementary and high school. Fr. Mike earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Eastern Michigan University, where he played football. In college, he was invited by scouts from the Cleveland Browns and other teams to come to their pre-season camps. He turned down the invitations and committed his life to preparation for the priesthood.

He backpacked in Europe for several weeks, worked in youth ministry, did substitute teaching, which was accompanied by football and wrestling coaching, and looked into diocesan and religious order ministry. Fr. Mike earned a B.A. in philosophy from North Dakota State University and Fargo’s Cardinal Muench Seminary. He attended Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Md., for four years of theological studies where he earned a master of divinity degree. Fr. Mike then lived for a year at Saint Francis Seminary, doing street ministry with the Franciscan Peacemakers and apostolic work in parishes such as Brookfield’s St. Dominic. He went to St. Gregory parish after his ordination as a deacon in September 2004 and has been involved in the southwest side parish’s “Lifeteen” and young adult programs.

Fr. Mike was ordained a priest in May 2005, and began his first assignment of ordained parish ministry as associate pastor at St. Francis Borgia parish in Cedarburg in June 2005.

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Weekend Associate: Fr. Al Veik, Capuchin

After Fr. Al Veik was ordained to the priesthood in 1967, he completed a degree in counseling psychology. His first assignment was as a seminary teacher and director of formation for the Capuchins, his religious community.

In 1975, Fr. Al began ministry at the Milwaukee County Jail, providing ministry to the street poor while developing the jail chaplaincy program. During this period he ministered to the inmates individually and through religious services. Fr. Al also provided human relations training to southeastern Wisconsin deputies and officers, and participated in community education and religious services in the Archdiocese to educate on issues of criminal justice.

As a direct result of his experiences ministering among the poor alongside hundreds of volunteers, he helped found the Benedict Institute for Urban Ministry in 1985. The Institute has assisted the theology schools in the Milwaukee area – Sacred Heart School of Theology, St. Francis, and Neshota House Episcopal – by interning students in the jail for the field education departments.

In 1991, Fr. Al completed a Doctor of Ministry degree in theological reflection at St. Mary of the Lake University, Mundelein, IL. He has developed methods for bringing the poor together with others to share spiritualities, and has developed skills for social analysis, theological reflection and pastoral action.

While still volunteering at the jail, Fr. Al lives at the House of Peace in Milwaukee and assists in its administration. He works with a team to run programs for the Benedict Institute for Urban Ministry. He serves as the Vicar for Religious and the Director of Chaplain Services for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and serves as a weekend associate here at St. Francis Borgia Parish.

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