St. John’s Parishioners Praying for the Deceased
An Open Letter from Parishioner Jeff Drzadinski
Last year at this time, we formed a new parish ministry to pray for deceased parishioners of St. John’s. Specifically, in early November, we take the names of parishioners who have passed away over the past year and pray for their souls. The deceased parishioners are divided into groups of about four. Our prayer group members for this ministry, currently 22 parishioners, pray for a group of deceased parishioners on a daily or at least a regular basis each month. Every month, the members of our deceased parishioner prayer group get a new and different set of deceased souls for whom to pray. There are no meetings. You will be emailed on a monthly basis and given a new set of deceased parishioners for whom to pray. Our current prayer group has remarked on what a blessing this ministry has been in their lives. What a wonderful thing to do, to pray for those souls who can no longer pray for themselves.
The Catholic Church teaches that many souls go to Purgatory and need our prayers to be released into Heaven. Please give this ministry your prayerful consideration and contact me with any questions or if you would like to volunteer. It would be wonderful to expand our current prayer group from 22 parishioners to many more.
God’s Blessings to you all.
- Jeff Drzadinski (jeffdraz@sbcglobal.net or call 414-852-1235)
Saints Celebrated This Week
Monday, October 19, St. John de Brébeuf, Priest: A Jesuit missionary born in France, he came to Canada and converted Native peoples to Christianity. He was taken into custody by Iroquois warriors and killed. He is the Patron Saint of Canada.
Monday, October 19: St. Isaac Jogues, Priest—Similar to St. John de Brébeuf, St. Isaac Jogues was a French missionary in Canada who was captured and tortured to death by Mohawk warriors. He is the Patron Saint of North America.
Tuesday, October 20, St. Paul of the Cross, Priest: An Italian mystic, he was inspired by a vision of the Virgin Mary and spread devotion to Jesus' suffering and death on the Cross.
Thursday, October 22, St. John Paul II, Pope: Chosen as the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years, he traveled around the world, inviting all to let go of their fear. He survived being shot by an assassin, saying the Mother of God had protected him. He later traveled to prison to forgive the man who had shot him. He tirelessly defended human dignity.
Friday, October 23, St. John of Capistrano, Priest: Born in Capistrano, he was a lawyer and then became a Franciscan. Often called the “Soldier Saint”, St. John is the Patron Saint of judges, lawyers, and military chaplains.
Saturday, October 24, St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop: Born in Spain in 1807, he was ordained in 1835. Years later, he founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He is remembered for his missionary zeal, educational reforms, and pioneering work in the Catholic press.
Also on Saturday, October 24, Blessed Virgin Mary: Catholics are encouraged to attend Mass and pray the rosary.
Life Savers 4 Life
The Knights of Columbus will hold their Life Savers 4 Life Drive before and after all Masses on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18. The Knights will match up to $1,000 of proceeds collected to benefit the Respect Life Committee here at St. John the Evangelist Parish.
St. John’s Prayer Shawl Ministry
The next meeting of the St. John’s Prayer Shawl Ministry is Friday, October 16, from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm. They will meet at 8101 W. Dreyer Place, with easy access and no stairs. Please bring your new Prayer Pockets, Shawls, Lap Blankets, Twiddle Muffs, and Baptismal items. If you can't join us, you can drop off any completed items at the Parish Office.
If you enjoy knitting and crocheting, please join us to learn more about this ministry. Thank you for your monetary and new yarn donations brought to the Parish Office. For more information, contact Diane Oakland at dianeoak@gmail.com or call her at (414) 617-0721.
On October 7, our first-through-eighth-grade students hit the pavement to celebrate Catholic education and our St. John’s School community. The afternoon began with prayer in the gym, setting the tone for a joyful day filled with faith, fellowship, and fun.
Students and staff enjoyed the beautiful weather as we walked together, sharing smiles, conversations, and plenty of school spirit. We paused at different points along the route to pray, reminding us that our faith is at the heart of everything we do at St. John’s.
After the walk, everyone gathered to enjoy a cookie and juice box as we continued the celebration. It was a wonderful afternoon to be together and celebrate the blessings of our St. John’s school community. A special thank you to the St. John’s Christian Women Society for providing funds for drinks and snacks for all our walkers. It was a great way to end our afternoon!
Students and staff enjoyed the beautiful weather as we walked together, sharing smiles, conversations, and plenty of school spirit. We paused at different points along the route to pray, reminding us that our faith is at the heart of everything we do at St. John’s.
After the walk, everyone gathered to enjoy a cookie and juice box as we continued the celebration. It was a wonderful afternoon to be together and celebrate the blessings of our St. John’s school community. A special thank you to the St. John’s Christian Women Society for providing funds for drinks and snacks for all our walkers. It was a great way to end our afternoon!
Today and Every Day Be a Peacemaker
Once again, the School is holding its popular Milwaukee Pretzel Company fundraiser. The school will place the order on October 16. We should receive all products by November 16. Place your order at the school or parish office to save on shipping. However, if you choose to have your order shipped directly to you, there is a $10 fee. Please make checks payable to St. John the Evangelist and email cassandra.hirsch@yahoo.com with any questions.
Below are this year’s offerings:
Below are this year’s offerings:
Sunday, October 18, 2026 | Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time | Matthew 22:15–21
Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Pharisees try to trap Jesus. They ask, “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Church-state questions are nothing new—and they remain just as divisive.
In religion and politics, the same principle of Jesus’s wonderful one-liner applies: “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Politics is not separate from religion; rather, its deepest ground is spiritual.
So does this mean that religion just swallows everything up? Of course not. Here we can profitably return to Jesus’s dictum. One implication of the doctrine of creation is that created things have their own integrity. They are not parts of God, appendages of God’s being. Sports, culture, art, politics, science, etc. have their own particular forms of flourishing.
And it’s no business of mine to come crashing into an artist’s studio and tell him how to paint, or to enter an operating room and tell a doctor how to perform heart surgery. This is the valid independence of created things and secular culture vis-à-vis religion. But remember that all things, ultimately, belong to God—including Caesar!
In religion and politics, the same principle of Jesus’s wonderful one-liner applies: “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Politics is not separate from religion; rather, its deepest ground is spiritual.
So does this mean that religion just swallows everything up? Of course not. Here we can profitably return to Jesus’s dictum. One implication of the doctrine of creation is that created things have their own integrity. They are not parts of God, appendages of God’s being. Sports, culture, art, politics, science, etc. have their own particular forms of flourishing.
And it’s no business of mine to come crashing into an artist’s studio and tell him how to paint, or to enter an operating room and tell a doctor how to perform heart surgery. This is the valid independence of created things and secular culture vis-à-vis religion. But remember that all things, ultimately, belong to God—including Caesar!
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 THREE open hours of Adoration:
Thursdays 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Saturdays, Midnight to 1:00 a.m. and 1:00 to 2:00 a.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 through Saturday at 8:00 a.m.
Weekend Masses:
Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
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.