Events

UPLIFT Teens provides spiritual formation for all High School students from the parishes of Old St. Mary, Our Lady of Divine Providence, SS. Peter and Paul, and Three Holy Women. UPLIFT Teens will encounter Jesus Christ and be in a peer community that supports a life of discipleship. Whether you are a Junior or Senior in High School preparing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation or an underclassman open to learning more about your Catholic faith, UPLIFT Teens is for you!

We strongly encourage at minimum two years of preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Acceptances will be given to those who are just joining as a Junior or Senior, however, it becomes much more crucial to attend, participate, and engage!

Our UPLIFT Teens format will meet two Wednesdays a month for two hours in the Ministry Center (Adjacent to SS Peter & Paul parish office).  Our time will consist of a dinner meal, prayer in the chapel, videos, small group discussion and a fun game to include throughout the night.

Please register for UPLIFT Teens by September 9 at tinyurl.com/upliftteens2022.

For more information on UPLIFT Teens, contact Nino Rebholz, Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, at nrebholz@ffpmke.org or 414-271-6577.

Eat, Drink and Be Catholic offers women and men of all ages a casual opportunity to explore the Catholic faith. We hope to provide space for intellectual, relational and spiritual growth as well as some real community building. Our hope is that at the end of each evening, individuals not only know more but are inspired and empowered to live out their faith. The format ranges from speakers and group discussion to movies and music. This year’s theme is “Real Presence: Real Love.”

Our next event of the season will be on Wednesday, December 7 at the Wisconsin Tap Room (717 N Plankinton) beginning at 7:00 pm. We will be joined by Jason Gonzalez, founder and executive director of 4D Sobriety.

For more information, to RSVP, or to be added to the email list for future events, contact Chad Griesel at cgriesel@ffpmke.org.

Scheduled Dates:
September 28
October 12
November 9 – “The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of CS Lewis”
December 7 – Jason Gonzalez of 4D Sobriety
January 11 – Fr. Tim Kitzke
February 8 – Anne Haines of St. Bakhita Catholic Worker
March 8 and 29 – Lenten Almsgiving Nights
April 19 – Fr. Gabriel
May 3 – Jon Sweeney
May 24 – Wrap up of theme

Check out recordings of Eat, Drink & Be Catholic @Home evenings: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1dTC8Mi4ngPSBp8iTMi5Y7pc9pFvAZBC

“Love Came Down at Christmas”

The story of Christmas is all about love, and how Jesus came down from the heavens above. We deliver holiday plants to parishioners who are homebound or living in healthcare facilities. If you are interested, please join us on Saturday, December 10 to help deliver 200 plants and visit with parishioners who continue to be a vital part of our parish community. Masks will be provided so we can continue to keep everyone healthy.

Many volunteers are needed! We are asking volunteers to also bring the Eucharist with the plants to our parishioners. If you have never done this before, do not fear! A short formational training will be done before you depart for your visits. Pyx cases and prayer cards will also be provided for you.

On Saturday, December 10, all volunteers will meet at 8:30 am in the Old St. Mary Parish Center (835 N Milwaukee St). Please feel free to use the parking lot.

To volunteer and/or verify that a nursing home or homebound parishioner is on the delivery list, please contact Terri Balash at 414-469-6173 or tbalash@ffpmke.org.

All children, toddlers to middle/high schoolers, are warmly invited to take part in the Family of Four Parishes’ Christmas Nativity Play immediately after the 9:30 am Mass on December 11 at SS Peter & Paul. Roles include shepherds, sheep, angels, Mary, Joseph, Wise Men, and narrator. A rehearsal will be required for all participating children on Friday, December 9, 6:15 – 7:00 pm at SS Peter & Paul Church. Contact LaTanya Bacon at lbacon@ffpmke.org or call 414-962-2443 to sign up.

On Sunday, December 11 at 5:15 pm, the choirs from SS Peter and Paul will be singing at Advent Vespers at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Please consider joining us to pray in this special way.

Dorothy Day writes, “The final word is love…To love we must know each other … and we know each other in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone any more…We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”

Despite the many challenges we face today, we believe in the power of love found in Communion and in community. Our parishes invite anyone who is interested in exploring the Catholic faith to consider the RCIA process. RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a place where adults of any or no faith tradition can explore questions of faith and prepare to join the Catholic Church.

This group meets weekly September through May, with sacraments being received at the Easter Vigil. If you or someone you know might be interested, contact our Pastoral Associate, Chad Griesel, at 414-271-6577 or cgriesel@ffpmke.org.

Our Human Concerns Commission meetings are typically held on the second Wednesday of the month. If you are already involved in a ministry of Human Concerns or if you’d like to learn more, please join us! Good things are happening in our Family of Four Parishes and Milwaukee communities!

For more information, contact Sarah Haus, Director of Human Concerns, at 414-271-6577 or shaus@ffpmke.org. All are welcome!

“Uniting People Living in Faith and Truth” (UPLIFT) Families is the religious education program serving the parents and children (K3-8th grade) of the Family of Four Parishes. UPLIFT Families is a program for children and adults, designed to develop strong Catholic families in which children learn the joys of following Jesus Christ and the truths of our Faith through the witness of Christian life in their families.

Families will attend classes twice a month from October – May, on either Wednesday evenings (6:00 – 7:30 pm) or Sunday mornings (10:45 am – 12:15 pm). To kick off the year, we’ll be having a parent meeting/social on Wednesday, September 14 and Sunday, September 18.

At each meeting, we provide a community meal for all families to enjoy before the children go to their age-specific classrooms and parents engage in their own faith lesson. Through research, we understand that children learn best when at play so we incorporate family games and engaging activities into each meeting to reinforce the lessons. New this fall – we are excited to offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) lessons for ages 3-6. CGS teaches young children the faith through a Montessori-based learning environment. This will only be offered during our Sunday morning program, not during our Wednesday evening program. Free childcare for babies and toddlers under the age of 3 will be available during our Sunday morning program.

Additional sacramental preparation meetings and a retreat are offered for children in second grade and their parents/caregivers. Second graders prepare for both First Reconciliation and First Communion in the same year.

To register for UPLIFT Families go to tinyurl.com/upliftfamilies2022 and complete one registration form for your family. Registration deadline is September 9.

For more information on UPLIFT Families, please email familyformation@ffpmke.org or call Anh Clausen, Director of Family Ministry and Religious Formation, at 414-962-2443 x19.

Join us at 6:30 pm for a Taizé-style Prayer Service. Taizé Prayer is meditative in nature, using music, readings and silent reflection to focus our prayer. It is an ecumenical form of prayer modeled after the Taizé community in France. Christians of all traditions share in this ecumenical prayer whose purpose is to foster reconciliation and peace among all peoples.

If you have questions or would like to join the planning or music team or be a reader of Scripture, please contact Mary Robertson at mrobertson@ffpmke.org or 414-271-6577 ext.108.

Scheduled Dates:
October 19
November 16
December 14
January 25
February 15
March 22
April 19
May 17

Dads – We Have a Group For You Too! Bacon Dads was formed as an offshoot of “Beacon Moms.” Join a community of dads from a variety of faith experiences who share the common goal of developing a deeper faith through fellowship, conversation and the occasional beer. The hope is to become better men, husbands and fathers by sharing in each other’s wisdom and strength.

Bacon Dads group will be starting up again October 20. They meet every other Thursday from 8:00 – 9:30 pm. The theme of this session is “From the Unreal to the Real: Meditations with Thomas Merton.” We will read and discuss short sections from Merton’s “Thoughts in Solitude.” If you are interested in joining these fun and faith-filled dads please register at tinyurl.com/bacondadsgroup.

Questions? Contact Jacob Riyeff at jacobriyeff@gmail.com or Andy Clausen at garnet888@gmail.com.

All parishioners from the Family of Four Parishes are warmly invited to attend our Advent Reconciliation Service. Is there a past sin or mistake weighing you down? Do you feel a need to begin again in some area of your life? Come and experience the healing power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as we prepare our hearts for Christmas. Priests will be hearing individual confessions at the end of the prayer service.

“Uniting People Living in Faith and Truth” (UPLIFT) Families is the religious education program serving the parents and children (K3-8th grade) of the Family of Four Parishes. UPLIFT Families is a program for children and adults, designed to develop strong Catholic families in which children learn the joys of following Jesus Christ and the truths of our Faith through the witness of Christian life in their families.

Families will attend classes twice a month from October – May, on either Wednesday evenings (6:00 – 7:30 pm) or Sunday mornings (10:45 am – 12:15 pm). To kick off the year, we’ll be having a parent meeting/social on Wednesday, September 14 and Sunday, September 18.

At each meeting, we provide a community meal for all families to enjoy before the children go to their age-specific classrooms and parents engage in their own faith lesson. Through research, we understand that children learn best when at play so we incorporate family games and engaging activities into each meeting to reinforce the lessons. New this fall – we are excited to offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) lessons for ages 3-6. CGS teaches young children the faith through a Montessori-based learning environment. This will only be offered during our Sunday morning program, not during our Wednesday evening program. Free childcare for babies and toddlers under the age of 3 will be available during our Sunday morning program.

Additional sacramental preparation meetings and a retreat are offered for children in second grade and their parents/caregivers. Second graders prepare for both First Reconciliation and First Communion in the same year.

To register for UPLIFT Families go to tinyurl.com/upliftfamilies2022 and complete one registration form for your family. Registration deadline is September 9.

For more information on UPLIFT Families, please email familyformation@ffpmke.org or call Anh Clausen, Director of Family Ministry and Religious Formation, at 414-962-2443 x19.

Any and all young adults in their 20s and 30s are welcome to join UPLIFT Young Adults monthly from September-May. Here we will gather together for some intentional prayer time, hear a speaker and enjoy a beverage together. Sessions are Sundays from 2:30 – 4:00 pm.

Go to tinyurl.com/upliftyoungadults2022 for a complete list of dates, details, and to RSVP.  If you have questions or would like to be on the email list, email Nino Rebholz at nrebholz@ffpmke.org.

Scheduled Dates:
September 18
October 9
November 20
December 18
January 22
February 19
March 19
April 16
May 21

Our Nova Nights are a lot of fun! From active games to spiritual talks to great snacks, the evening always goes by in a flash! All students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade (from any school or religious background) are welcome to join in the fun. We’ve been averaging around 30 kids at each event, from a variety of schools and neighborhoods, and we are always eager to include new people! Registration can be found at https://tinyurl.com/novanight2022.

For any questions, feel free to reach out to Nino Rebholz, Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, at nrebholz@ffpmke.org or 414-271-6577.