Water Project Mission Appeal
If you would like to make a donation to this summer’s Missionary Appeal, please write out your check to St. John the Evangelist and note “Water Project” on the memo line. You may then place the donation in the parish collection basket, give it to an usher, or drop your offering in the parish office. The parish will then send one check to the Diocesan Mission Office.
Water Damage to the Parish Office
While many people are just about finished with cleaning up their basements from this summer’s historic one-thousand-year flood, so is the parish. Our damage was little compared to most. In the Parish Office and Rectory building, the basement had leaked water, which soaked the drywall and insulation behind it up to approximately one foot. The insurance company sent a special crew to cut out the wet drywall and insulation and replace it. Most of the repair work was completed this past Thursday.
Join Us for Daily Mass
Please join us for daily Mass when possible. We gather in church on Mondays through Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. for Mass, followed by the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
This coming week, we have some great Saints to celebrate.
On Monday, September 29, we celebrate the Archangels, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael.
On Tuesday, September 30, we honor St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church.
On Wednesday, October 1, it is the Feast Day of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
On Thursday, October 2, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels.
On Saturday, October 4, we commemorate the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi.
A Message to Parishioners from
Seminarian Nicholas Emsing
It is great to be back. I hope you all had a fantastic summer! I want to take this chance to share a bit about what I was up to this summer. As you might recall from my last article, I served as a chaplain at Ascension-St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis this summer as part of the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program. CPE is a training program that helps seminarians hone their skills in pastoral care for the sick. I joined the hospital’s chaplain team and was assigned to the Cardiology unit, where I visited patients and provided spiritual and emotional support to them and their families during their hospital stay. This program is meant to give seminarians the experience of working as a hospital chaplain.
As a hospital chaplain, you accompany patients on your unit throughout their stay, providing spiritual support in any way they need it. You work closely with priests, calling them when needs for the sacraments arise. During this time, you have the opportunity to walk with parents and their families through both joyful and challenging moments. For example, during one shift, I was asked to bring the Eucharist to a couple who had just welcomed a beautiful baby boy. Soon after, I joined a family in prayer as they bid farewell to their loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Throughout my experience, I saw the power and love of God manifest in some of the most unlikely places. The faith of patients, even amid great suffering, strengthened my belief in the healing power of Christ. Prior to my departure, my parish pastor back in Indiana warned me that “CPE is built to stretch you!” I had no idea how accurate his assertion would turn out to be!
This weekend is my first weekend back at St. John's! I am looking forward to the many grace-filled experiences that this year has to offer. (to be continued next week)
This year, the Festival's net proceeds were over $71,600. Due to the hot and humid conditions on Sunday, the proceeds were approximately $11,000 less than last year. Thanks to all the volunteers and attendees who make this festival profitable year after year.
Fun Run and Tailgate Party
On Friday, September 12, the Home and School Committee, Wellness Warriors, Mrs. Pitcher, and numerous volunteers hosted our annual Fun Run and Tailgate Party. Our students were divided into four teams. Each time a student completed a lap, they received a rubber band to track their team’s total miles. The students ran for 25 minutes and then had a healthy treat to replenish their bodies. Many parents joined in and either walked or ran a few laps. Our school community logged a total of 533 laps and 133.25 miles.
After the run was complete, burgers, hot dogs, chips, and ice cream were served to our runners and their families. We had over 100 runners and more than 200 people in attendance. There were many smiles as we ran, ate, and socialized. It was a great evening! A big thank you to anyone who helped make this event a success.
"Live a life that reflects God's love."
It's Pretzel time!!
Below is the info sheet and an order form if you would like to order Milwaukee Pretzels from our school. Order forms for parish members are due at the parish office by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8. Parish member pickup is scheduled for Tuesday, October 28, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Register for Our
Religious Education Program Today!
The online registration portal for our 2025-2026 Religious Education program is open, and there are still open seats in all our grades (1-11/Confirmation). If you have not yet registered your child or children, please do not delay! Click here to register. Our year-long program kicks off on the evening of Wednesday, October 1, at 6:15 p.m. We kindly ask that parents accompany their children to their classrooms on the first evening of our program in order to meet our catechists. Please enter through door #13.
Our Next Book Study Is Coming Soon!
Our next book study is just around the corner, and you won’t want to miss it! This time, we’re diving into a timely and powerful classic: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s Communism and the Conscience of the West. In a world where the headlines seem to reflect the very issues Sheen warned us about, this book speaks directly to our present-day challenges.
With so much turmoil surrounding us, it’s crucial that we ground ourselves in our Catholic heritage and arm ourselves with the truth of the Gospel and the Church’s social doctrine, as proclaimed by great Church leaders such as Pope St. John Paul II and Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. This book boldly addresses the pressing issues of our time—socialism, communism, and their enduring impact on modern society. In this classic, Archbishop Sheen “explains the problems with society stemming from socialism and communism, which continue to infect universities and political discourse today. This timeless book exposes communism’s defects, its attitude toward the family, the decline of historical liberalism, and the rise of the anti-religious spirit that pervades our world.”
Join us as we read and discuss this powerful, prophetic work that will not only challenge but also strengthen your faith and understanding of the world we live in. For more information about this book study and to reserve your spot in our group, please visit our parish website. Go to the “Adult Formation” section and click on “Book Studies.” Don’t miss out—this is the book study you’ve been waiting for!
To stay updated, join our SJE Adult Formation Flocknote or follow us on Facebook.
62nd Annual Mission Gala Auction
You are invited to the Xaverian Mission Gala Auction Fundraiser on Saturday, October 18. The event will take place at the Homewood Suites (right next to IKEA). Because the Gala is being held on a Saturday, they will begin the evening with Mass at 5:00 p.m.. This would fulfill your Sunday obligation. There will be free beer, wine, and soda from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., followed by dinner and dessert. You’ll have the chance to participate in a cash raffle and other fun games, as well as a silent auction. Bishop Jeffrey Haines will be the Keynote Speaker. Tickets are $100. The deadline to purchase tickets is October 3.
For their auction, if you have new items that you will not use, but that others may find beautiful, useful, or just plain fun, please bring them to the mission on or before October 10. Your help is deeply appreciated. Any questions, contact Linda at the Xaverian Mission office: 414-421-0831.
The Christian Women's Society will hold its next meeting at 6:00 p.m. in the Church Hall on Thursday, October 9. They will have a demo of “Sit & Be Fit.” Please bring your filled “Boxes of Joy” as well as non-perishable food items for the Craft Fair Raffle Baskets (no outdated items, please). Also, please bring your yearly dues of $5, paid by check only. All ladies of the parish are welcome to join.
Friends, today’s Gospel focuses on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man “dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day,” while lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, “who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.”
God is not pleased with this kind of economic inequality, and he burns with a passion to set things right. This theme came roaring up out of the Bible and into the Christian tradition, and it echoes up and down the centuries. Even though it makes us uncomfortable—and God knows it does, especially those of us who live in the most affluent society in the world—we can’t avoid it because it’s everywhere in the Bible.
St. Thomas Aquinas says that we must distinguish between ownership and use of private property. We have a right to ownership, through our hard work, through our inheritance. Fair enough. But with regard to the use of those things—how we use them, why we use them—then, says Thomas, we must always be concerned first for the common good and not our own. This especially includes Lazarus at our gate: those who are suffering and most in need.
-Bishop Robert Barron
St. John’s is fortunate to have 24-hour Perpetual Adoration. Please take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to draw closer to God.
We have two open hours of Adoration:
Every Other Tuesday (twice per month), 1:00 to 2:00 a.m.
Saturdays, Midnight to 1:00 a.m.
We are also seeking a second Adorer for many of the late evening and overnight hours, particularly on Saturdays at 1:00 a.m. Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. Also Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11:00 p.m. If you are looking for some quiet time to be with Our Lord, please consider signing up.
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.