Pentecost 2026
Next Sunday, the Catholic Church throughout the world will bring the Season of Easter 2026 to a close with the beautiful Solemnity of the Holy Spirit—Pentecost. Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans.” Jesus promised to send us the Advocate, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity. We each have received the gift of the Holy Spirit in Baptism and again, strengthened with the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Let us continue to pray that we may live out our lives in the power of the Holy Spirit: Come Holy Spirit, be with me, always at work within me.
The color Red is the official liturgical color for the Solemnity of Pentecost. Please plan to wear something red as we celebrate the promise of the gift by Jesus, not to leave us orphaned.
Priest Ordination This Weekend
On Saturday morning, May 16, the Archdiocese celebrated the ordination of six men to the Priesthood at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Two of those men have some connection to our parish of St. John the Evangelist. Newly-ordained Fr. Nicholas Waddell’s parents Jim and Deneen hold a dual membership both here as well as another parish in Milwaukee. Also, newly-ordained Fr. Joel Kolb’s grandparents, John and Patricia Herr, are members here at St. John’s.
Let us continue to pray for all six of these newly-ordained as well as many men throughout the United States that will be ordained this year. And may God continue to bless the church with good, holy priests.
Prayer for Priests
O Jesus, eternal Priest,
Keep your priests within the shelter of
Your Sacred Heart, where none may touch them.
- St. Theresa of the Little Flower
A Beautiful Day for a May Crowning!
On Mother's Day, Bishop Haines, Fr. Kitzke, and First Communicants honored our Blessed Mother at the Archdiocesan Marian Shrine in Milwaukee.
The afternoon included an Eucharistic rosary procession and a crowning of the statue of Our Lady. Each First Communicant received a blessed rosary. A wonderful experience for all.
Spiritual Bouquet for Nicholas Emsing
Parishioners are invited to help prepare a spiritual bouquet for Nicholas Emsing. As you may know, Nicholas has been our teaching parish seminarian for the past three years and will be ordained to the Transitional Diaconate on Saturday, June 6, at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary, Indiana. He will return in the fall to finish his seminary formation and continue to serve in our parish. In the meantime, we can offer him our prayers and support. You may fill them out and return them by the weekend of May 23/24. There will be a collection box in the narthex to collect the forms, or you can turn them in at the parish office. The forms will be gathered together in a gift album and given to Nicholas at his ordination. Your participation is much encouraged and appreciated!
Our Parish Festival will be here in no time. A few recommendations from the Festival Committee include:
Additional volunteer opportunities will be included in future bulletins. If you have never volunteered at the festival, give it a try this summer. You will make new friends and have a lot of fun. There are also opportunities for families to volunteer together and begin to make special memories for years to come.
- If you still have a festival yard sign from last year, please return it to the parish office or leave it in the back of the church.
- You can begin donating to the Grocery Raffle and Mystery Package in the back of the church or at the parish office.
- If you like to bake, keep in mind the festival dinners will need cupcakes or bars, and there is also the bake sale after Mass.
- Inside food operations is looking for workers to fill many slots before and after the festival. A complete list is available in the parish office.
The Festival Committee is looking for someone to take over for Mary Mitchell. After many, many years, Mary is leaving her duties on the Food Committee, and she will be missed.
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Marie Stemo (414) 427-7467 or Mary Mitchell (414) 916-2298.
Additional volunteer opportunities will be included in future bulletins. If you have never volunteered at the festival, give it a try this summer. You will make new friends and have a lot of fun. There are also opportunities for families to volunteer together and begin to make special memories for years to come.
The Christian Women Society will start their May 14 meeting with Mass at 6:00 p.m., followed by a business meeting and trivia.
Ladies are reminded to bring a $29 check, payable to SJE Christian Women, for their “Dinner in June.” All are welcome.
Ladies are reminded to bring a $29 check, payable to SJE Christian Women, for their “Dinner in June.” All are welcome.
On the morning of May 8, we celebrated moms with our annual “Muffins with Moms” celebration before school. It was a wonderful way to begin the day. At 7:00 a.m., the doors opened to smiling moms and excited students ready to share a special morning together. The cafeteria quickly filled with joyful laughter, warm conversations, and plenty of delicious muffins. It was a beautiful opportunity for families to spend time together and create lasting memories.
A heartfelt thank you to our amazing Home and School Committee for organizing and hosting this special event for our school families.
If you are interested in helping families who face food insecurity, the link to the Feeding America website is: https://feedingamericawi.org/.
A heartfelt thank you to our amazing Home and School Committee for organizing and hosting this special event for our school families.
If you are interested in helping families who face food insecurity, the link to the Feeding America website is: https://feedingamericawi.org/.
"Live a life that reflects God's love."
Please Pray for Our Confirmation Class of 2026
On the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima, 22 young women and men were sealed in the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit through the sacred rite of Confirmation. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Most Reverend Jeffrey Haines, our Pastor Fr. Michael Merkt, and Deacon Steve Pemper for their pastoral presence and loving guidance, and to our dedicated catechists Paul Fruncek and Rick Fessenbecker for their generous service and faithful witness. With great love and appreciation, we also honor our sponsors, families, and the entire parish community, whose prayerful support and steadfast accompaniment made this sacred journey possible.
We ask that you continue to hold our newly confirmed in your prayers as they deepen their faith and embrace with renewed zeal their call to live as committed disciples of Christ. As they step forward in bold and joyful faith, may they be abundantly filled with the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit - Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord - and may these gifts bear fruit in every season of their lives.
Let us remember our newly confirmed by name in our prayers: Nicholas, Samuel, Oliver, Dylan, Emily, Karina, Kaitlyn, Antonio, Elena, Juan, Nicholas, Noah, Hailey, Savannah, Anthony, Denyse, Liam, Frances, Mason, Benjamin, Matthew, and Anthony.
To stay updated, join our SJE Adult Formation Flocknote or follow us on Facebook.
Vacation Bible School
Elementary school–aged children entering grades K5 through 6 are invited to join us for an exciting week of faith and fun at our 2026 Vacation Bible School: Rainforest Falls – An Epic Adventure of Faith! Vacation Bible School will run from June 15-19 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.
Each day, children will discover God’s love through engaging Bible stories, music, games, and hands-on activities in a vibrant rainforest setting. A snack will be included.
Space is limited, so please register today. The cost is $10 per child or $30 per family (for families sending three or more campers).
Students entering grades 7 and 8 are welcome to apply as Junior Crew Leaders, and high school students may apply to serve as Rainforest Rangers. For more information about the Rainforest Rangers program, please contact me.
To register campers (grades K5-6) and Junior Crew Leaders (grades 7-8), contact me at jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org.
To stay updated, join our SJE Adult Formation Flocknote or follow us on Facebook.
Sunday, May 17, 2026 | Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord | Matthew 28:16–20
Friends, today is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. After his resurrection, Jesus continued to appear to his disciples for a time—the standard biblical frame of forty days—and then stopped. The Ascension of Jesus signals the definitive end of these post-resurrection appearances and the commencement of Jesus’s operation from the properly heavenly sphere.
It is crucial to remember, however, that this distantiation by no means amounts to an abandonment, but rather to an even more intense form of intimacy. To move into heaven, or the divine manner of existence, is not to move to another place but to that arena of existence that stands outside of space. Paul Tillich refers to God’s Überräumlichkeit (over-spacedness), and he insists that this transcendence to any particular space implies the capacity to be present to every space. This is what we mean when we say that God is “everywhere.”
Therefore, to say that Jesus has “ascended” to that sphere of existence is not to say that he has “gone away.” It is to assert, if I can adopt a military metaphor, that he has journeyed to a higher point of vantage, where he can see the entire field of battle and direct operations more efficaciously.
It is crucial to remember, however, that this distantiation by no means amounts to an abandonment, but rather to an even more intense form of intimacy. To move into heaven, or the divine manner of existence, is not to move to another place but to that arena of existence that stands outside of space. Paul Tillich refers to God’s Überräumlichkeit (over-spacedness), and he insists that this transcendence to any particular space implies the capacity to be present to every space. This is what we mean when we say that God is “everywhere.”
Therefore, to say that Jesus has “ascended” to that sphere of existence is not to say that he has “gone away.” It is to assert, if I can adopt a military metaphor, that he has journeyed to a higher point of vantage, where he can see the entire field of battle and direct operations more efficaciously.
-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.
There are two open hours of Adoration:
Tuesdays 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Saturdays 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
We are also seeking Adorers for several hours during the week, with many options to fit your schedule! Please consider an hour during the day, the evening, or overnight.
You are welcome to sign up on a temporary basis to see how it works for your schedule. Please 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.