St. Louis Catholic Church

Dear Parishioners:

We hope you're doing well and enjoying our beautiful summer. Our children are back in school, and both parents and teachers, are working together to support each other to make lives easier. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your continued support in our journey. We have accomplished a lot over the last two months. Though it was a little tight with many meetings it's worthwhile. This letter is to let you know about the important updates in our clustering process. Please take time to read it carefully, since it reflects important changes.

One Bulletin for the NW Parishes
The awaited one bulletin is becoming a reality beginning September 15, 2024. This will make the communication among the parishes easier. We will have an 8 page bulletin. Each parish will have their own page. Your feedback will be welcomed to make our bulletin better.

Office Location
We are going to one location for our parish offices effective, October 1st 2024. The office location will be at St. Paul's, where we are blessed with enough space to accommodate all of our staff. The Planning Committee which met on August 14th 2024, has approved the necessary changes in the office space usage and the change of location. The Cascia Hall (the monastery building at St. Rita's) situation and the necessity of working together as a team, accelerates this transition. Though the building is secure at St. Mary by the Lake, just one staff at that location doesn't serve the purpose. The leadership, and everyone involved, are being consulted and they all understand the situation and the importance of being in one location. The staff will keep their same positions and job descriptions until the end of the fiscal year. At that time, we will have the design for the cluster staffing.

How do these changes affect Parishioners?
Moving our staff to one location will not affect parishioners or parish life. You will still use the same phone numbers to call your parish, to set up masses and address any other need you have. There will be a drop box for envelopes in the respective parishes. For funeral planning and your other needs, the convenience of the parishioners will be respected. We already have a working system between St. Paul and St. Louis. So, details for funerals and other parishioner needs should be easy to figure out.

New Weekend Mass Schedule

Saturday:
St.Paul the Apostle: 4:00PM
St.Rita: 4:30PM

Sunday:
St. Louis: 8:00AM
St. Mary: 8:30AM
St.Paul: 10:00AM
St.Rita: 10:30AM

The Subcommittee, after due process with the Planning Committee, submitted their proposal for the new weekend schedule. The Planning Committee, aware of the pros and cons of this new Mass schedule, unanimously approved the proposal. The new Mass schedule will be in effect beginning, November 30th 2024.

We know change is not easy. But we must do what is best for our parish and our staff. Though we are losing three weekend masses in the NW cluster, we believe we have chosen mass times close together, with enough space in each location. This Mass schedule change will help us priests to abide with the rules of the number of masses we can celebrate in a weekend, and this change allows the priests time to spend with parishioners after mass, without rushing to another church. It will also help us to be present in each of the other three parishes every other week. We really appreciate your sacrifice and willingness to adapt to the new realities. Let's try to continue to be more positive.

Weekday Masses
We will continue the existing schedule for the weekday masses except, a slight change at St. Rita's for Thursday school mass. The mass will be at 8:15AM, as the school has requested.
Holy day of obligation
Schedule will be published in advance based on the day of the week.

Pastoral Council
One of our goals this year is to form one Pastoral Council for the cluster. The Planning Committee felt the need to form one council at the earliest so that they can work on the vision and mission of our cluster. By the end of December 2024, the current pastoral council will cease and the new Pastoral Council will be formed. Two members from each of the existing councils will be discerned for the new council. Along with them two trustees from each parish will form the new council which will come into effect in January 2025.

Their terms will be determined and after 18 months a normal election process will take place, to replace the outgoing members.

We know that this is a lot to understand now. But if we don't let you know about these decisions right away, rumors can kill the right information. Feel free to talk to us with your questions and feedback. Once again, we really appreciate your patience, support and understanding.

Peace,
Fr. Thomas and Fr. Marco.

A prayer for Labor Day.

Prayer for Work

Creator God,
thank you for providing us
with the gift to share our talents.

Provide our community, our nation, our world
the fortitude to provide work for all
which is decent and fair.

Make us faithful stewards
of your creation
to enhance the human dignity
of our global family.

We ask this in the name of Jesus,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit
now and forever.

Amen

Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

🙏🙏🙏

Are you ready for the Big Bounce America? It's coming to Milwaukee next weekend!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The prophetic voice often is ignored. The prophets themselves can be vilified and scorned, and some even tortured and put to death. They offer their lives for the truth. No society or individual wants to be told they are on the wrong path and their destruction is inevitable. In our modern society, prophecy is equated with foretelling the future. In reality, the prophet is the one who clearly sees the present wrongdoings and knows there will be consequences — even to the suffering or destruction of society.

The prophets of the Old Testament called out society, challenging them to understand that they were turning away from God. They confronted the leadership and warned them to change their ways or face dire consequences. This was not a vile threat but an understanding that their actions displeased God, and that they must reform. The leadership would bring punishment upon themselves and the community. What the prophet was proclaiming was the “sin” of society, and sins always lead to destruction. Of course, if you do not accept sin — or even further, God — then the voice of the prophet is empty.

We often attribute the voice of the prophet to ages past. I would propose that the prophetic voice is still very active, and we fail to acknowledge it at our own risk.

The papacy of John Paul II — now St. John Paul — is filled with spectacular achievements. Elected as the first non-Italian pope in 450 years, he oversaw the internationalization of the Roman Curia and the creation of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church. He pastored the world, addressing both Catholics and non-Catholics as he encountered them. He was a great a leader and spiritual father, and produced more works of theological significance than any of his predecessors for centuries — he was a true scholar.

St. John Paul was also a prophetic voice. He warned of the dangers of a society that moved away from God and towards self-interest and convenience, forgetting the obligations towards our brothers and sisters. In his work “Evangelium Vitae,” the Gospel of Life, he establishes that a society that embraces personal attacks on “life” was creating a culture of death. This culture of death has a consequence of societal su***de. It is important to note that this voice is the voice of a saint. I do not know of any saint who advocated abortion, euthanasia or gender manipulation. They realize that it is always God’s primacy that must be acknowledged.

Just a generation ago, many leaders who advocated “abortion” talked of it as a tragedy and said that it must be limited. Today, I view with horror that abortions are celebrated, and the call is for abortion up to the moment of birth and even after birth. This is sin, and sins have consequences. The punishment is self-imposed. It is both personal and societal.

In St. John Paul’s own words: “The Gospel of Life is for the whole of human society. To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good. It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. A society lacks foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized. Only respect for life can be the foundation and guarantee of the most precious and essential goods of society, such as democracy and peace.”

As a society, the prophetic voice challenges us to establish a culture of life. We demonstrate our willingness to follow as we LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

Great first day of school photos! 📸

Irish mass photos from this past weekend.

PERSPECTIVE!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

If you are feeling extra graces or blessings in your life this week, you should know that I am on retreat praying for you, my LOA community. I am with the bishops of Region VII which includes the states of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. It is always a privilege to be with those who lead our archdioceses and dioceses. Our schedules rarely allow us to gather together and share as servants of the Church, so the retreat is a special time.

The Church in her wisdom requires all priests to make a yearly retreat. For all of us, no matter what station in life, our ultimate goal is holiness. Developing a prayer life keeps us in touch with the mystery which surrounds our lives. We all can get caught up in the day-to-day routines, and even our prayer life can become routine. A retreat allows us to step away from our day-to-day tasks and our routines in order to examine our lives in listening to God and challenging ourselves to be His instruments in the world. One might think that a priest or a bishop is always examining his life in this light, but we like all others must examine our lives and question our motives.

I know that it is not always possible, but I encourage all of you to make a retreat. It questions the path that we are on and whether it is leading us closer in our relationship with God. If a retreat is not possible, perhaps you could add a prayer to the daily routine of life. My mother utilized a favorite novena. Sometimes it was a prayer said for nine days and at other times it was a prayer said every hour on the hour for nine hours. There is a key factor in prayer — it constantly reminds us that there is more to life than what we are embracing at any moment, and that we can pray to God for those in need. I have often heard from family, friends and parishioners that they pray for me. I am blessed by those prayers, and they have supported me in my most difficult times. So, I ask that you remember me in your prayers as I listen to God, seeking what he demands from me.

In our world, many claim that either everyone is going to heaven or heaven does not matter. I know that God our Father loves us and holds us responsible for our actions toward one another. His Son was given to us as the Way, the Truth and the Life. It is important that we follow His way, proclaim His truth, and live His life. A retreat assists us in examining our faithfulness to Jesus, and whether we are guided by the Holy Spirit to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

Join us for a celebration of our Patron Saint Louis - This Sunday, August 25th!

It is customary to celebrate this feast day with your family and serving a special meal. So please join us on Sunday of our Feast of St. Louis.

Hours for our celebration are 11am-2pm.

Enjoy a delicious chicken dinner catered by Rupenas which is served from 11am-2pm (or until gone).

Our famous Raffle Baskets are always a hit.

Satisfy your sweet tooth at the Bake Sale.

Try your luck at the Pull Tabs.

Find some summer reading at the Book Sale.

Come meet our new Pastor, Father Thomas and our Associate Pastor, Father Marco.

Just a reminder, Highway G is currently being resurfaced but access to church is open.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Work continues on CTH G but access is open

CTH G will be closed to through traffic from the East Frontage Road to CTH H until the end of September.

Access to St. Louis will be maintained and you can drive around the road closed signs.

Thanks!

Located at Mount Hotzvim in Jerusalem, a large quarry has been under excavation, exposing more information on the Second Temple time period when Jesus walked the Holy Land.

Archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority excavated the area that covers about 3,500 square meters, forming part of a large field of quarries, according to a press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

They have uncovered dozens of building stones of various sizes, different paths and tools.

Archaeologists uncover stones in Israel matching road where 'Jesus walked' Archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority excavated the largest stone quarry in Jerusalem connected to a path where Jesus is believed to have walked.

Just a quick reminder that Religious Education Registration is now open - Grades K-10

Registrations emailed or can be found on website: https://stlouisparishwi.com/st-louis-catholic-church-religious-education/

Classes being September 8. - New students are welcome!

Please contact Mary Beth Clowney at 262-835-4533 or email
[email protected] for more information

Mary Beth will also be available after mass this weekend, August 24 & 25, to answer any questions you may have in the school.

Thank you!

THE BEST OF US!💗
Every once in a while, my faith in humanity is momentarily restored.
"Kudos to everyone who stopped to help a scared pup who ran under this car in the middle of traffic, at Woodroffe and Richmond today at noon...every car at the intersection stopped in its tracks until they could gently pull the little guy out from under the car and get it back to its owner who was in a panic. 7 people gathered around the car, dropped down without hesitation, while other random people grabbed dog treats from their car to coax the doggy out....a sweet team effort to witness!"

Cherish the simple things ...

CHERISH THE SIMPLE THINGS...
"Sweaty, baby strapped to my back, three-year-old insisting that her belly hurts and NEEDS her donut that she forgot to eat after lunch, 6-year-old using everything in sight as a weapon, 7-year-old wanting to spend the only dollar he has. This. This was my trip to the grocery today.

While I was bagging up my groceries (thanks Aldi) and trying to quietly keep from losing my ever-loving mind, the lady next to me asked if I had one of those phones that takes pictures. Trying not to convey my annoyance to someone else adding to the million questions that make up my day, I replied, 'Yes, I do have one of those fancy phones.' She asked to take a picture of me with the kids at the grocery store....together!

She told me that she wished she had pictures of herself doing everyday things with her kids. She validated the fact that a simple grocery trip is hard. She told me that what I do matters. She doesn't miss what made the days hard, but she misses what made them sweet.

I will always cherish this picture and the message that came with it."

Biking for Babies Rolls Through Wisconsin!

Biking for Babies Rolls Through Wisconsin!

Biking for Babies, raises money for pregnancy care centers and pro-life organizations, which provide support for pregnant women experiencing an unplanned or crisis pregnancy. Read the story from the Milwaukee Catholic Herald here https://catholicherald.org/local/biking-for-babies-rolls-through-wisconsin/.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Anyone who has played sports realizes how difficult it is to perform at one’s absolute best in the heat of competition. Often, you are competing against others of equal or superior talent. At the Summer Olympics in Paris, the United States men’s basketball team played the best competition on the world stage.

Now, basketball traditionally has been the U.S. sport. Early in the 1950s and ’60s, the U.S. dominated the competition playing with college stars, but the world has adopted the sport and now some of the best players in the world are from other countries and play in the NBA.

Today, the world’s competition has risen to the level of the United States' game. It was obvious that our best players were challenged. What happened on Saturday against France, a formidable opponent, produced one of the greatest — if not the greatest — shooting performance in the history of the game. On the world stage, Steph Curry shot four three-pointers with the game on the line in each shot. It was, in my estimation, one of the greatest shooting performances in the history of the game.

With each shot, the U.S. team regained the lead. Each shot was demoralizing to the opponent. It was not that Steph was standing there alone — rather, there were defenders on him, and still, from 25 to 30 feet away, he dropped the ball through the net. For myself, as a basketball player who hung up the Converse All Stars gym shoes (except for the Archdiocese Schools Walk) 35 years ago, it took my breath away. This was on a par with Secretariat’s 31-length victory at the Belmont Stakes in 1973 or Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. But with Steph’s achievement, every shot was necessary to assure victory. He has secured his position as the greatest shooter in the history of the game.

It is a true achievement to be considered the greatest in any venue. Pope John Paul II was consistently referred to by Pope Benedict as John Paul the Great. I could not agree with him more. John Paul certainly was great and perhaps the greatest figure of the twentieth century. His span as pope over 26 years raised the whole Church in their responsibility to live the faith of Jesus Christ in the world. John Paul threatened the world order. The enemies of humankind attempted to assassinate him. He pastored the entire globe, and it was said that his funeral was the single most-watched event in the history of television. He personally wrote on every theological matter affecting the Church and Christians in the world.

Recently at the National Eucharistic Revival in Indianapolis, there were 65,000 people present and it was incredible. There was a power in those assembled with a joy of Christianity. I could not help to reflect on the fact that in 1979, for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Chicago, there were some 2,000,000 people. You knew you were the presence of the greatest — someone touched or, rather, ordained by God.

I give thanks to God, and I am proud to be a John Paul bishop. With every turn that I make in the Church, I see the influence of his teachings, his presence and his holiness. At his funeral, signs were held up stating, “Santo Subito” (a saint now). The “sensus fidelium” (the sense of the faithful) at times reflects the movement of the Holy Spirit. Listening to the wisdom of the faithful, and after discernment, the Church canonized Pope John Paul II. This superseded any achievement a person could accomplish in life, for this was a declaration that he is with God in heaven. This declaration by the Church carries with it Divine Truth.

Holiness is for all of us our ultimate goal. It is a “greatest” achieved not in anything we have done, but in our union with God. Nothing in this world could ever be equal to salvation. Standing before God will take our breath away for eternity as we will understand why we LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

CTH G Roadway Resurfacing Project

CTH G will be closed to through traffic from the East Frontage Road to CTH H until the end of September. Local access will be maintained. Access to Church will be maintained.

Religious Education Registration is now open - Grades K-10

Registrations emailed or can be found on website: https://stlouisparishwi.com

Classes being September 8.

New students are welcome!

Please contact Mary Beth Clowney at 262-835-4533 or email
[email protected] for more information

Mary Beth will also be available after mass on August 24 & 25 to answer any questions you may have in the school.

Thank you!

Update on the Holy day of obligation for the northwest cluster August 15th

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Thursday, August 15th
Mass times: 9 am at St St. Louis Catholic Church
6 pm at St Paul the Apostle

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Thursday, August 15th
Mass times are: 9 am at St. Louis Catholic Church
6 pm at St Paul the Apostle

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The other day, I was talking to my classmate Fr. Anthony Brankin and we were reflecting on how blessed we are to have lived when the Baltimore Catechism was used to train young Catholic minds in the teachings of the Catholic Church. It’s not that knowledge alone will make us holy – we must live the faith. After all, we are called to lives of holiness. But the Baltimore Catechism did instill in us a vision or, better yet, a lens through which we can evaluate our relationship to the world.

So many of our Catholics seem to be left floundering amidst the ideologies that challenge our faith, some of which are contrary to the basic teachings of the Church. Recently in an interview, Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., was asked to comment on the response of President Joe Biden, which was clearly contrary to the Church’s teachings. Cardinal Gregory used a term that I had almost forgotten. He said that President Biden was a “cafeteria” Catholic, one who picks and chooses what suits him or her, or is convenient. It is a denial of the truth of the Catholic Church. Placing oneself in contradiction to the Church’s teaching is a serious matter. It is placing one’s opinion above the truth proposed by the Church which Our Lord instituted.

One of the great contributions of St. John Paul II – and there were many – was the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In the promulgation of the Latin text, he wrote, “This text will provide every catechist with sound help for communicating the one, perennial deposit of faith within the local Church, while seeking, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to link the wonderous unity of the Christian mystery with the varied needs and conditions of those to whom this message is addressed.”

I should not be, but I am always amazed at the positions of those who claim to be Catholic who take positions in opposition to the Church. Some do so by claiming a progressive mentality. There is nothing wrong with progress if it reflects the "truth":

• The arguments that surround support for abortion are clearly wrong. It begins with the denial of the innocent human life.
• Marriage is between a man and a woman. This was established by God for the stability of the family and to further the human race.
• Tens of thousands of Catholics travelled to Indianapolis this year to proclaim and witness to the Church’s teaching and belief in the Real Presence of the Eucharist.

The teachings of the Church affect every aspect of our belief and the history of the Church is filled with those who have attempted to stray from the revealed truth.

The challenge to those who disagree with the Church is not for the Church to change – for revealed truth is on the side of the Church. But for the person who rejects the teachings, to examine with humility the "rightness of the teaching."

Last Sunday, I received eight individuals into the Archdiocesan Order of Catechists. This group of believing individuals pledged to incorporate the teachings of the Church in everything that participates in their ministry. They are not only teachers, but business managers, volunteers, pastoral ministers, and chaplains. Their task is to pray for each other to be formed in the teachings of the Church and to witness to others. They will not only assist me as archbishop but will assist the Church through the "rightness of their actions."

These new members join the growing number of persons in the Order of Catechists. I know that God has and will continue to work through them to fulfill His command. They will reach the lives of members of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, assist their pastors and, by their words and example, will help us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

🙏🙏🙏

Please take a moment to share your prayer intentions with us by including them in the comment area below. Let us know and let us pray!

Please consider becoming a Catechist

Top Reasons to Become a Catechist

- You will grow in your own faith, learn the teachings of the Church, and deepen your relationship with Jesus.
- Your Baptism calls you to share in Jesus' ministry.
- Children in today's world, more than ever, need to hear the Good News of Jesus.
- Children in today's world, more than ever, need to encountergood role models of faith.
- You have much to share with those you'll teach, and you'll have opportunities to share faith with other catechists.
- Today's catechetical textbooks/resources offer outstanding support.
- You'll be challenged, you'll have fun!
- You'll be helping people deepen their relationship with Jesus.(You'll be evangelizing!)
- You'll be handing on a 2000-year-old Tradition that changes lives.
- It's our job: Jesus sent us to "go and teach all nations."

For more information please contact Mary Beth Clowney - [email protected] or 262-886-0530.

Please consider donating to the Food Pantry this weekend for Food Share Weekend

The list of items below is what the Food Pantry is ALWAYS in need of.

Brownie Mix
Cans of Manwich
SpaghettiOs
RavioliOs
Hamburger Helper
Jiffy Mixes (assorted)
Jelly
Pancake Mix
Syrup
Pkg'd Instant Oatmeal
Tooth Paste
Cereal
Baked Beans
Jello
Applesauce
Canned Potatoes
Canned Chicken
Canned Tuna
Egg Noodles
Chicken Noodle Soup
Tomato Soup
Raman Noodles

Thank you in advance. 😊

Congrats to Katie on so many levels. 🥇🙏

The Joy of Reconciliation: St. John Vianney is the Patron Saint of diocesan and parish priests. He was from the French town of Ars and achieved his childhood dream of becoming a priest in the early 1800s. St. John had the gift of reading hearts and was a tremendous confessor to thousands of people, sacrificing and giving every day to reconciling people with God.

Let us honor the Feast of Saint John Vianney by taking the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Here in the Archdiocese you can visit Saint John Vianney Parish in Brookfield for both Mass and Reconciliation. Have a wonderful day!

Saint John Vianney Parish & School brookfield