Parishioner News
We welcome the following individuals and families to our parish: Stephen & Paige Rebro and daughters Jayda, Khloe, Brielle, Elowyn, & Luella, and Kelly Wall.
We also mourn the recent death of Robert Ciepluch, an individual from the parish (or parish families).
New School Year
This past Tuesday, the school opened for the first full day of classes. The day before, the students returned to have their pictures taken for the yearbook. We begin the new school year with 164 students, the highest number of students in the 12 years I have been here. We have a great school made up of a very involved principal and a tremendous, experienced, and creative staff of teachers and teacher’s aides. Needless to say, we are very blessed. Let us join in praying with our faculty and student body for a blessed and safe school year.
Saint Monica
This past Tuesday, August 27, the church celebrated the life of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. St. Monica is known for her long years of suffering, tears, and prayers for the conversion of her son and husband to Christianity.
Many people will often ask about what can be done if our children or grandchildren are no longer practicing the faith. If that is true for you or your family, then St. Monica’s life and example can be very helpful. She dedicated her life to prayer and fasting, even “mother tears,” asking for her family to come to faith in Jesus. This is probably the right mode for us as well. If we become overly critical or nagging, we will not attract our family to God or His Church. But, if we are consistent in prayer, fasting, and heroic kindness, slowly, we can invite our family to consider a deeper life of prayer and eventually to the sacraments.
Join Us for Daily Mass
During this first week of September, we have two special Masses. Monday is Labor Day, with Mass at 8:00 a.m. Please join us as we pray for all the needs of our country. On Tuesday, September 3, we celebrate another Doctor of the Church, St. Gregory the Great, who was also one of the early Popes. Wednesday through Saturday, there are no assigned saints, but consider joining us for all the needs we hold in our minds and hearts.
When you are able, please join us for morning Mass at 8:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and consider inviting a family member, friend, or neighbor to join you. Weekday Mass is followed by daily devotions, which usually begin with the recitation of the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Every Tuesday, devotions begin with the powerful Novena to St. Anthony of Padua.
Narthex Bathroom Project
In the next week or so, the windows and doors will be installed. Once the building is secured, then work on the interior will begin.
In addition to the construction of the new bathrooms, work on the “bullpen” is almost completed. The “bullpen” is the fenced-in area north of the shed. It is used to store our festival items, particularly picnic tables, trash containers, and the Money booth. A new layer of asphalt was laid, and a new fence was installed.
A sincere thank you to all parishioners who visited and donated to our lemonade stand for Make a Wish Wisconsin on Sunday, August 25. It certainly was perfect weather for lemonade! We are proud to say that with your generous contributions, we are able to donate $366 to this worthy cause. We are humbled and grateful for our St. John's community, and thank you again from the bottom of our hearts. We hope our donation helps a lot of kids and families in need!
-St. John's Girl Scout Troop 37605
Enjoy Some Quiet Time at a Redemptorist Retreat
Consider spending some special time to step out of the turbulence of our divided world. Follow Christ and discover what He has to tell us. Ladies of the parish are invited to the annual spiritual retreat at the Redemptorist Retreat Center on beautiful Crooked Lake in Oconomowoc. This year’s dates are October 11 through October 13, and the theme is “Following in the Footsteps of Our Redeemer during Times of Division.” The retreat offers time for prayer, celebration of the Sacraments, interesting discussions, and, most importantly, time for quiet meditation.
The cost for the two-night, three-day stay is $275, and meals are included. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required.
Please call Barb Heser at (414) 448-7117 for more information.
To register, please contact the Retreat Center at (262) 567-6900. Mail your payment to 1800 Timber Trail Lane, Oconomowoc, WI 53066. Carpooling is available.
Deepen Your Faith
OCIA (formerly RCIA) Classes: Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic faith and becoming a Catholic? Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) classes begin this fall on Sunday, October 6, following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. If you are interested, contact me at 414-321-8922 or jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org.
Interior Castle Study Group
Starting in October, we will delve into St. Teresa of Avila's classic, "The Interior Castle," with a parish-based study group. Details are coming soon!
Religious Education Classes (Grades 1-11)
Classes resume in October; parent meetings will be held in late September. Online registration opens on Friday, September 6.
Special Events
Day of Recollection at Holy Hill: Join fellow parishioners on September 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a day of reflection and spiritual renewal. The program includes Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, Mass, talks by Fr. David Centner, OCD, and lunch. Registration is $20 per person; please call (262) 628-1838 to make your reservation.
Answering the Call to Care
Pope Francis' Prayer Intention for September: Please join Pope Francis in praying for the care of God's creation throughout September. Learn more at popesprayerusa.net.
As always, you can stay updated with the latest information about programs and other offerings by joining our SJE Adult Formation Flocknote or following us on Facebook.
The new school year sadly brings with it staff changes. Unfortunately, Mrs. Thiel (4th grade), Mrs. Tillman (K4), and Mrs. Weyer (Music) have decided not to return for the 2024-25 school year. Mrs. Thiel left for a new adventure with the library system, Mrs. Weyer has accepted a full-time management position with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and Mrs. Tillman has decided to spend her days with her baby daughter, Evelyn. St. John’s School has been truly blessed to have these teachers as a part of our school community, and they will be greatly missed.
Although it is with sadness we say goodbye to Mrs.Thiel, Mrs. Tillman, and Mrs. Weyer, we are excited to share the changes and new additions to our staff. Mrs. Mary Woytych will move from support staff to our K4 teaching position. Mrs. Woytych has been with us in varying roles (student teacher, K5 aide, long-term K4 sub, support staff) for the past two years, and she is looking forward to her new role as our K4 teacher.
Our support staff role, previously filled by Mary Woytych, will be filled by Mrs. Jennifer Cone. Mrs. Cone is an active volunteer in our school community, and her daughters Kora (first grade) and Lanna (third grade) attend our school. Mrs. Cone holds a teaching license and will fill many different roles as a staff support person. We are happy to welcome her to our school staff.
We are also excited to welcome Mrs. Susan Spiegelhoff as our new 4th-grade teacher. Mrs. Spiegelhoff comes to us with over 25 years of experience in education. She recently moved back to Wisconsin after spending the last eight years teaching 3rd grade at St. Edward Prep Academy in Illinois. Please welcome her to our school community.
The staff worked together, laughed together, and prayed together to prepare for the 2024-25 school year. This year, the staff will be teaching 164 students and serving 105 families. Here is our smiling school staff as we kicked off our in-service week.
"Go out and set your soul on fire for God!"
September 1| The Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who imposed their interpretation of the Law on the Israelites. Keep in mind that the first Christians and the writers of the first Christian documents were all Jews, or at least people formed by a Jewish thought world. They made sense of Jesus in terms of what were, to them, the Scriptures.
Jesus himself was an observant Jew, and the themes and images of the Holy Scriptures were elemental to him. He presented himself as the one who would not undermine the Law and the Prophets but fulfill them.
All of those social and religious conventions that had effectively divided Israel sought to overcome and expose it as fraudulent. He reached out to everyone: rich and poor, healthy and sick, saints and sinners. And he embodied the obedience of Israel: “I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me”; “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me.”
-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 need a second Adorer on Mondays from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. along with many of the overnight hours, especially 12 midnight, 1 a.m., and 2 a.m., any night of the week. These hours are a bit of a sacrifice, to be sure, but there is great peacefulness in the quiet overnight hours. You can always try it out for a few weeks and see how it works for you.
Call or text Mary-Eileen Swart at 414-687-3512 if you are interested.
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.
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.