Festival Is Upon Us
Also, to ensure the festival runs smoothly, each festival booth is assigned a “Captain” who helps keep the booth stocked with all necessary items throughout the three-day event. Please consider becoming a booth Captain. Please see below for available slots.
Finally, please join me in praying each day this week for the success of the festival! Here are some things that make the festival a great success year after year: enough helpers, beautiful and pleasant weather, safety of all visitors, people once strangers getting to know each other, forming a community, good food, lots of prizes won, great rides, beautiful fireworks, and the list can go on and on.
Almighty and generous God, we ask for Your blessings on our Parish Festival.
May it be fun, safe, and enjoyable for all who come.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Franciscan Jubilee Year
The Franciscan Jubilee Year 2026, which commemorates the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s death, runs until January 10, 2027. All believers are invited to embrace a life of simplicity, peace, and fraternity. This Jubilee Year is a time for spiritual renewal and reflection, encouraging the faithful to follow the example of St. Francis in living a life of humility, charity, and care for creation.
During the remainder of 2026, the School Sisters of St. Francis invite you to visit their beautiful St. Joseph Chapel, an Archdiocesan pilgrimage site on Milwaukee’s south side for the 2026 Franciscan Jubilee Year. They offer tours that highlight the life and legacy of St. Francis and St. Clare through magnificent stained-glass windows, mosaics, and statuary. Individual and group tours are available.
Details and online registration are available at www.sssf.org or by contacting Peter Berger at 414-944-6063 or emailing him at pberger@sssf.org.
The Festival Committee needs your help and asks that you set aside some time to assist, as the Festival is almost here!
- Thursday, July 16, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Various duties
- Friday, July 17, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Various duties
- Saturday, July 18, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Various duties - Lunch will be provided
- Monday, July 20, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. & 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Various duties (day and evening shifts) - Lunch will be provided
- Tuesday, July 21, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. & 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Various duties (day and evening shifts) - Lunch will be provided
- Wednesday, July 22, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. & 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Various duties (day and evening shifts) - Lunch will be provided
- Thursday, July 23, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. & 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Various duties (day and evening shifts) - Lunch will be provided
- Friday, July 24, 9:00 a.m. until done - Various duties
- Sunday, July 26, after fireworks until 2:00 a.m.: Please meet at the Shed (help is also needed July 27, 28 & 29).
Contact Bob Stemo (262) 219-4251
Booth Captains Needed
The following booths need captains:
Friday: Bankshot/Tic-Tac-Toe, Coke Toss (6-11 pm), Spot Challenge, and Turkey Shoot.
Saturday: Belgium Waffle, Pot O'Gold, and Wild Kingdom.
Sunday: 3-Pin Bowl, Bean Bag Toss, Stand a Bottle, Door Security, Roller Bowler, and Ride Tickets.
Contact Marie Stemo at 414-427-7467 to volunteer.
Food Operations Needs Your Help
The festival committee for inside-food operations is looking for workers to fill various tasks before, during, and after the festival. A complete list is available in the parish office, and copies are also available in the narthex.
Raffle and Various Booth Items Needed
We need items for various festival booths. Please bring items to the parish office.
- Mystery Package Booth: Items should be NEW and worth at least 50 cents for men, women, and children.
- Raffle Booth: Larger items such as electronics, appliances, lawn equipment, or any other larger items you think someone would be eager to buy a chance to win.
- Grocery Booth: A wide variety of non-perishable (not expired) food items is needed.
- Gentlemen’s Chest: We need new and unopened bottles of wine, whiskey, vodka, gin, and after-dinner cordials.
"Live a life that reflects God's love."
Sunday, July 19, 2026 | Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time | Matthew 13:24–43 (or 13:24–30)
Friends, today’s Gospel features one of Jesus’s most beloved parables: that of the mustard seed. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.”
How does God tend to work? What does the building up of the kingdom typically look like? From the very small to the very great—and by a slow, gradual process. God tends to operate under the radar, on the edges of things, quietly and clandestinely, without drawing attention to himself.
In the City of God, St. Augustine opined that the Church is like Noah’s ark, a small ship bouncing on the rough seas of history. As the great empires come and go, as the waves of history crash noisily against the shore, God’s kingdom is quietly advancing, unnoticed but inevitable.
One of my very favorite images from C. S. Lewis speaks to this principle. How, he asks, did God enter history? Quietly, in a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire—sneaking, as it were, behind enemy lines.
How does God tend to work? What does the building up of the kingdom typically look like? From the very small to the very great—and by a slow, gradual process. God tends to operate under the radar, on the edges of things, quietly and clandestinely, without drawing attention to himself.
In the City of God, St. Augustine opined that the Church is like Noah’s ark, a small ship bouncing on the rough seas of history. As the great empires come and go, as the waves of history crash noisily against the shore, God’s kingdom is quietly advancing, unnoticed but inevitable.
One of my very favorite images from C. S. Lewis speaks to this principle. How, he asks, did God enter history? Quietly, in a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire—sneaking, as it were, behind enemy lines.
-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 SIX open hours of Adoration:
Sundays 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Fridays 2:00 to 3:00 a.m. and 3:00 to 4:00 a.m.
Saturdays Midnight to 1:00 a.m., 3:00 to 4:00 p.m and 7:00 to 8:00 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 temporarily to see how it works with 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 most weekend Masses (unless it's a holiday weekend), 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.