June 25th, 2023 – Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Receive my offering, O Lord.
It is not charity, because you are not a beggar.
It is not a contribution, because you have no need of it.
It is not my leftovers, because you want more than that.
My gift, O Lord, represents my gratitude, my love…
For whatever I have, it is because you have given it to me.”(Stewardship Prayer, author unknown)
Dear Friends,
As we enter the summer, I realize as your pastor how many financial asks we are making these days. Besides the regular weekly contributions that are part of belonging to a parish family, there is the Catholic Stewardship Appeal that we as parishes contribute to for the regular operating costs of the archdiocese.
There is the Love One Another Campaign, the archdiocesan capital campaign, in which each parish raises funds for local, parish-based projects as well as contributing to the reality of ministries throughout the archdiocese.
There is the Spring Combined Collection for worthy charities in the national arena, and the Fall Combined Collection for international ministries. There is our support for Kinship Community Food, the St. Vincent DePaul Society, Fr. Gene’s Help Center, the Open Door Cafe, St. Ben’s Meal Program, Central City parishes, as well as any number of important charitable works that need supporting.
The list goes on, and I just want to say THANK YOU. The simple reality is that in the midst of so many needs and asks, our Family of Four Parishes is amazingly generous and I could not pass the opportunity to let you know your efforts do not go unnoticed.
I promise that your trust in us your priests and lay staff is well-founded! We will not let you down in responsible use of donated funds. Please know of our immense gratitude! HAPPY SUMMER!
Fr. Tim
Also, a warm welcome to Fr. Joseph Heit, as you begin your new assignment as our Associate Pastor. We are blessed to have you be part of the team!
June 18th, 2023 – Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear friends,
Last Friday we celebrated the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As I begin my fourth year of Priesthood, I continue to be amazed at the beauty of this vocation in life.
In the gospel from Matthew that we hear this weekend at Mass, Jesus tells his disciples after looking at the crowds following him:
“Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
The reason why Jesus sent out his disciples to do all these things in his name was because he saw the need for it and his heart was moved with compassion.
As a newly ordained priest three years ago, I didn’t know how much the priest shares in Jesus’ own heart, including his feelings. Three years later, I can honestly describe ordination to the Priesthood as getting a heart transplant, whereby the priest is given the heart of the Lord.
In my conversations and encounters with the joyful and the sad, the suffering and the hopeful, I can tell I have a heart that is not mine because I am able to sympathize as well as feel compassion and empathy in such a new and profound way. It feels like it is the Lord looking at the crowds once again, this time using my eyes and feeling compassion for them with my own guts.
As we welcome Fr. Joseph into our parishes this week, let us give thanks to Jesus for another “icon” of his in our midst and for an extra pair of eyes and hands to continue his work of redemption and healing.
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. Carlos
Your Associate Pastor
June 11th, 2023 – The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
“Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set.”
(from the sequence Lauda Sion)
Dear Friends,
As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, in our hearts–
GLAD THANKSGIVING!
Sometimes, when I am holding the Sacred Host and Chalice up for all to see and proclaim, “Through Him, With Him, In Him,” I see the faces of our parish family in the background and am moved to tears with how thankful I am for the Eucharist and for all of you!
The Eucharist is such a powerful reality that affirms what kind of God we believe in and what kind of people God expects us to be in response. We have a God whose Real Presence affirms us that He is with us in our fears and struggles. He asks us to trust that His love guides us into a future filled with hope and love, and not fear and division.
My good friend and mentor Fr. Tom Kerstein always used to say, “Gratitude is the aristocrat of virtues.” Let’s match our gratitude with joy, even in our struggles! As we move forward to build a community of love, peace, justice for us and our children, and all those dear to us and as we work hard to take care of the poor and all those needing to be loved, glad thanksgiving in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts!
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. Tim
June 4th, 2023 – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Dear friends,
On May 20 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, five new priests were ordained at the service of the people of God in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. One of them, Fr. Joseph Heit, will be joining Fr. Tim and me to serve the people of God in the East Side, Downtown and Riverwest neighborhoods. Tuesday, June 20, will be Fr. Joseph’s first day at our parishes!
We welcome the gift of Fr. Joseph with joy-filled hearts as we also welcome the work of the Holy Spirit at our local seminary, St. Francis de Sales, with gratitude.
Currently, there are forty-five men in formation at the seminary to God-willing become priests in our Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Most of these men are from our neighborhoods and cities, from Sheboygan to Kenosha, all the way to Lake Geneva and Shorewood. We thank God for the gift of these vocations to the Priesthood and continue encouraging young men to consider the Priesthood as a path to live out God’s will in their lives.
I am certainly loving my Priesthood here at the Family of Four. Even though I have only been a priest for three years, next week (June 11) I will be leading my first Corpus Christi procession after the 11:30am Mass at Old St. Mary’s. It will be a short procession, but certainly a beautiful way to bring the Eucharistic Lord out into the streets of our beloved city.
I hope you are having a wonderful start to the summer months!
With love,
Fr. Carlos