Parishioner News
We welcome the following individuals and families to our parish: William & Heide Bolek, son Brian & daughter Elizabeth.
We celebrate the children who have recently been baptized: Kaylani Villanueva & Meadow Dove Rebro.
We rejoice in the Sacrament of Marriage of Jacob Carr and Madeline Unger, Peter Bock and Hannah Forgét, and Greg Hart and Diane Grabner.
We also mourn the individual from the parish who recently died: Mary Giuliani.
Blessings for Fr. Timothy Sanchez
On Saturday, May 17, Fr. Timothy Sanchez and two of his classmates were ordained priests. Fr. Tim will be with us this Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. Mass as the main celebrant and homilist. At the conclusion of the ordination rite, Archbishop Grob prayed this blessing over the newly ordained priests. I offer the blessing because it gives us three ways to continue to pray for Fr. Tim and all priests in their ministry.
May God, who founded the church and guides her still, protect you constantly with His grace, that you may faithfully discharge the duties of the Priesthood. Amen.
May God make you servants and witnesses in the world to divine charity and truth, and faithful ministers of reconciliation. Amen.
And may God make you true shepherds to provide the living Bread and Word of life to the faithful, that they may continue to grow in the unity of the Body of Christ. Amen
Pentecost Red-Come Holy Spirit
Next Sunday, June 7, the church throughout the world celebrates the Solemnity of Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit. We recall the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus breathed on the Apostles and then promised to send the Holy Spirit into the world as He departed to Heaven. The catechism teaches that in the sacrament of Baptism, we each receive this powerful gift of God, the Holy Spirit. May we daily call upon the Holy Spirit to enlighten and guide us all the days of our lives. Red is the Liturgical color of this Solemnity. I encourage everyone to wear something red to Mass next Saturday and Sunday.
In this coming week, we celebrate the lives of some wonderful saints:
Monday, June 2: St. Marcellinus and St. Peter, two fourth-century martyrs, during Roman Emperor Diocletian’s attempts to eliminate the church from his empire and force all Christians to submit to the Roman pagan religion.
Tuesday, June 3: St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs in Uganda during the late 1800s, who were executed after a local King, a violent ruler, ordered 22 Christians to be taken on a grueling 37-mile trek and then burned to death.
Thursday, June 5: St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr, converted pagans in Germany and the Netherlands and united the Church more closely with the Pope in Rome.
Friday, June 6: St. Norbert, Bishop, a powerful preacher and important reformer of the Church during the early 12th century. He gave all of his wealth to the poor and possessed nothing but the means to celebrate Mass.
Firecracker Backer
As a Firecracker Backer, you may choose to donate at any of the following levels:
Diamond $1,000
Platinum $500
Gold $250
Silver $150
Bronze $100
Copper $50
Please make checks payable to St. John the Evangelist and drop them off or mail them to the Parish Office. Thank you so much for your many donations for our Parish Festival Fireworks.
Booth Sponsor
St. John the Evangelist invites you to support our beloved festival by becoming an official sponsor of a festival booth or game for your business or organization, or you can even honor a loved one with a sponsorship this year. St. John’s is an extremely popular festival with thousands of attendees, providing strong traffic for your sponsorship. The cost is $175, which includes a professionally-produced custom sign as well as inclusion in daily announcements on the PA system throughout the three-day festival weekend. Please contact Dave Radke at (414) 529-2356 to become a sponsor, or if you are interested in learning more about the opportunity to not only promote your business, but help St. John’s thrive for years to come.
Our annual Gallery Night was a great success. Throughout the year, teachers collect art completed by their students, and it was displayed in the Gym and in our school’s hallways. We also had a Family Art Night this year, and work from that evening was also displayed. There were opportunities for students to create even more art at the event. Our students were excited to share their art with parents, grandparents, and special guests. The Home and School committee provided Ice cream, and we had a Book Fair the same evening. A big thank you to our staff for displaying all of the artwork. A big shout-out to Mrs. Cone for her huge part in making the evening a success. Art, books, and ice cream! Yahoo!
"Go Out and Set Your Soul on Fire for God!"
Help Us Bring Christ to Our Elders:
Reigniting the Elder Care Ministry
As followers of Christ, we are called to live out the Works of Mercy, acts of love that reflect the heart of the Gospel. The Corporal Works of Mercy call us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned, give alms to the poor, and bury the dead. Alongside these, the Spiritual Works of Mercy invite us to comfort the sorrowful, counsel the doubtful, forgive injuries, pray for the living and the dead, and more. These are not just ideas, they are a way of life. As individuals and families, and especially as a parish community, we are invited to practice these mercies every day.
In a special way, we feel called now to renew our parish’s commitment to visiting the sick and comforting the sorrowful. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our Elder Care Ministry was a vital part of parish life, bringing Holy Communion, prayer, and a loving presence to those in nursing homes, hospitals, hospices, and private homes. The impact was profound, and the need has only grown.
Now, during this third year of our National Eucharistic Revival, which invites us to bring Christ out to the world, we are excited to relaunch our Elder Care Ministry!
This ministry will include:
- Holy Communion Visits - bringing the Eucharist to those unable to attend Mass
- Social Visits - offering companionship and a listening heart
- Prayer Visits - praying with and for our elders, sharing God’s love and peace
Would you consider joining this beautiful mission of mercy? Training will be provided, and scheduling is flexible to fit your availability. If you feel the Spirit nudging your heart to serve in this way, please reach out. My contact information is jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org or 414-321-8922. Let’s bring Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, to those who long for His presence.
Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. – Matthew 25:40
To keep up to date, join our SJE Adult Formation Flocknote or follow us on Facebook.
The Holy Name Society of St. John the Evangelist will gather for Corporate Communion at 8:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, June 8. The Rosary will be recited at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast will follow in the Church Hall. All parish men (and their sons) are invited to join the Holy Name Society or attend the breakfast to learn more.
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus is taken up to his heavenly Father. We tend to read the Ascension along essentially Enlightenment lines rather than biblical lines, which causes much mischief. Enlightenment thinkers introduced a two-tier understanding of heaven and earth. They held that God exists but lives in a distant realm called heaven, where he looks at the human project moving along, pretty much on its own steam, on earth.
In this Enlightenment reading, the Ascension means that Jesus goes up, up, and away, off to a distant and finally irrelevant place. But the biblical point is this: Jesus has gone to heaven so as to direct operations more fully here on earth. That’s why we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus has not gone up, up, and away, but rather—if I can put it this way—more deeply into our world. He has gone to a dimension that transcends but impinges upon our universe.
-Bishop Robert Barron
Consider watching the clip below where Bishop Barron explains why the Ascension of Jesus matters.
“Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him!"
St. John’s is fortunate to have 24-hour Perpetual Adoration. Please take advantage of this beautiful opportunity to stay close to God.
Please read carefully, as many of our open hours have changed. We are currently in need of one (or ideally two) people for the following:
Sundays, Midnight to 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Mondays, 3:00 to 4:00 a.m.
Thursdays, Midnight to 1:00 a.m.
Call 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.