Greetings from Parish Seminarian Tim Sanchez
With the summer now quickly approaching, I’d like to give you all an update.
As some of you have heard by now, I will be taking a pastoral year starting at the end of May. A pastoral year is a year-long intensive parish internship, during which I will take a break from formal classes, live at the parish, immerse myself in parish life and apostolates, and in short, just try to get acclimated to the realities of parish ministry in a more intentional way.
A sad result of this decision is that I am being reassigned to a different parish starting at the very end of May, so I will no longer be assigned to St. John’s, at least for the next year. I will be sent to the Catholic Community of Waukesha parish cluster. My last full weekend in the parish will be May 13 & 14, and I’ll be at all three Masses.
This was a difficult decision to make, but it became clear after much prayer that it is something God very much wants me to do. You may recall that I was hoping to be ordained this spring, but as a result of my pastoral year, my ordination has been postponed, so now I am anticipating ordination to the transitional diaconate in April of 2024.
I love St. John’s, the parish, the school, and the people, and I will miss you a lot. Moving on is hard, even though I know it’s what God wants, and while I’m excited to start a new adventure, I know it won’t be easy. Thank you for your witness of faithfulness, especially for your obvious love for the Eucharist. I think being an EM for Holy Communion at St. John’s was the most powerful experience I’ve had during my seminary formation, and I really have you to thank for it. Thank you also for praying for me so much. I hope you keep doing so since I’m certain I’ll need it! I will pray for you all as well.
I hope after my ordination as a deacon, I will be able to come back and preach. I love you all dearly, and I’m so grateful to God for letting me be with you for these past three years. God Bless You!
Transitional Deacon Ordination
Please keep in your prayers the following men who were ordained Transitional Deacons on April 22. These men made promises of prayer, celibacy, and obedience and will be ordained priests in 2024:
Dennis Beltre, Nicholas Dhein, Kevin Durand, Denny Jacob, Dominic Lazzaroni, Charles Luke, Craig Richter, and David Sweeney.
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus identifies himself as the sheep gate and says, “Whoever enters through me will be saved.” Well, does this mean that only explicit Christians will be saved? Does it mean that unless you are baptized, you don’t receive the Holy Spirit?
There are two extremes to be avoided here. On the one hand, the exclusivist claim that only baptized Catholics can be saved. That is not the teaching of the Church. But the other extreme (I think more prevalent today) is that one’s religion is finally a matter of indifference as long as one finds himself on a spiritual path.
This second view doesn’t give nearly enough weight to the uniqueness of Christianity. With Jesus Christ, something altogether new has entered the world, something that is deeply pleasing to God and, therefore, of salvific significance to us.
This is the power and message of the cross, that dynamic into which we, the baptized, have been drawn. Redemptive suffering is what Jesus did on the cross: putting up with suffering to do what is right. This is pleasing in God’s eyes precisely because it is redemptive for the world, precisely because it takes away something that God hates.
Bishop Robert Barron
Explore the goodness, truth, and beauty of the Faith.
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St. John’s is fortunate to have 24-hour Perpetual Adoration. Please take advantage of this beautiful opportunity to stay close to God.
We currently have one open hour:
Saturdays from 2:00 - 3:00 pm.
Contact Kay Shomperlen at 414-763-1250 to volunteer.
Live-streaming: Mass and Adoration
We are live-streaming daily and Sunday Masses as well as Adoration for those who are unable to attend:
Daily Masses:
Monday thru Saturday 8:00 am
Weekend Masses:
Saturday at 4:30 pm
Sunday at 8:30 and 10:30 am
If you miss the Livestream, you can watch the upload of each Mass on our YouTube channel.
The Holy Name Society will celebrate Corporate Communion at 8:30 am. Mass on Sunday, May 7. Breakfast with wives, families, essay guests, and a meeting will follow in the church hall. We will pray the Rosary at 7:50 am in the church. Breakfast and entertainment will follow in the church hall.
All men 16 and older are welcome, and fathers are encouraged to bring their sons eight years and older. Contact Ron Heser at 414-448-7117 if you are interested.
All men 16 and older are welcome, and fathers are encouraged to bring their sons eight years and older. Contact Ron Heser at 414-448-7117 if you are interested.
The 2023 parish festival is set, and they are beginning to accept items for the Raffle Booth and Mystery Packages. You may drop off your items at the parish office during regular business hours. It is too early to donate grocery items, so please hold off on those until further notice.
Meanwhile, the Festival Committee is in need of new leadership. Due to continuing health issues, this will be the last year that Ron and Barb Heser will be the Festival Chairs. Please prayerfully consider volunteering for these important positions. The festival not only contributes to the parish budget but also builds the parish community by involving all volunteers in a common goal. Plus, you will make friendships that will last for years to come.
We are looking for a couple, or two couples, or just a group of friends to be our new leaders. But volunteers are also needed at every level of the festival, so please let the parish office know if you have a bit of time on your hands. July will be here before you know it. Thanks!
The beginning of May will be filled with fun and learning for our students. Our K-4 and 1st-grade students will be heading to the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum for an exciting day of exploring and building. The students will take part in a special session on playground engineering. The students are very excited.
Our 6th and 7th-grade students will be heading to Camp Edwards for a three-day, two-night off-campus learning experience. Our students will stay in cabins and participate in many activities. They will learn about ecology and the power of nature. There will be team building and outdoor activities such as archery, shelter, and fire building. Students will develop friendships and create lifelong memories. Many students in the past have found the trip to be one of the highlights of the school year. Hopefully, this year’s attendees will feel the same way.
Volunteer Needed for Athletic Director
SJE is in need of a volunteer to be our new Athletic Director. We currently have teams throughout the school year. Soccer in the fall, volleyball, and basketball in the winter, and track and futsal in the spring. The Athletic Director, in conjunction with the athletic board, will be responsible for providing outstanding experiences and opportunities for our SJE student-athletes. It is an excellent opportunity to serve our community and help our children grow. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, willing to submit to a criminal background check, and complete Archdiocesan Safeguarding training.
If you are interested in becoming the Athletic Director or helping with our athletic program in any way, please email: boberdorf@sje.school or call 414-321-8540.
Ben Oberdorf, Principal
“Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on Jesus”
— Heb:12:2
Scrip is available at all weekend Masses or during regular business hours at the parish office.
Download the RaiseRight app to reload cards, purchase ecards, or purchase physical cards. Contact the Parish Office or School Office for the enrollment code.
CDs from Augustine Institute
Did you know we have CDs (and other items) located in the narthex? Each week we will highlight one of the available CDs.
The cost is $4 each.
“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” These words uttered 2,000 years ago are still echoed today. Join Dr. Tim Gray as he examines a few of the objections to the Church’s Eucharistic teaching and provides scriptural evidence for these objections. This apologetic helps us to give a reason for our faith and to gain a deeper insight into what it means to be Catholic and experience the true presence of God in the Eucharist.