May 29, 2022 – Seventh Sunday of Easter
“As Jesus blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven.”
(Gospel of St. Luke, Ch. 24)
Dear Friends,
With one line we hear of the Ascension of Jesus to heaven. Through the years I often reflected on this reality and thought to myself:
“It would have been a lot easier if Jesus had just stayed with us and worked out this mess we call human living.”
But as I get older and experience the wonder of Christ in and through the mess, I am humbled by the fact that he needed to return to the right hand of the Father not only to assume his rightful place in the Kingdom, but to trust and empower with the Holy Spirit the very humans who created the mess in the first place. The Ascension of Jesus is his vote of confidence that all those who follow him can do his work and accomplish great renewal and restoration of this broken world through their absolute trust in his love and mercy and their absolute commitment to work for him in bringing God’s justice, peace and forgiveness to all.
Yes, it would have been a lot easier. But Christianity is not about ease but about enthusiasm. It is not a matter of comfort but commitment. It is not a matter of despair but of determination. Christ has not left us. He just wants us to get to work!
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. Tim
Please join us for Memorial Day Mass on Monday, May 30 at 9:00 am at Old St Mary (Broadway & Kilbourn) as we remember all who have so selflessly given of their lives for our great country.
May 22, 2022 – Sixth Sunday of Easter
Dear Friends in Christ,
On this Sixth Sunday of Easter, we rejoice in the promised peace that Our Risen Lord gives to each one of us as members of His Body, the Church.
Such a peace is so much more than mere feeling or sentiment because the Lord’s peace proceeds from the Altar. As the priest prays from the Altar at every Mass, “The peace of the Lord be with you always.”
Just as Our Lord promised to leave us His peace, so also did He promise elsewhere in the Gospel according to St. John, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (14:18).
For that reason, there is cause for rejoicing this weekend, as we give thanks to God for the goodness of His faithful love in the gift of six new priests for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, ordained by Archbishop Jerome Listecki at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Saturday, May 21.
Just as every newly married couple embarks upon an adventure of fidelity and fruitful love within family life, so does every new priest, conformed by his ordination to the priestly Heart of Christ, beg for that same fidelity, holiness, and love, in his celebration of the sacraments, teaching and care for the Church.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” – we neither have been left to ourselves nor to our own devices, for the Lord comes to us, as surely as He has left us the Mass to be offered, and His Most Holy Body and Blood to be received, the gift of peace, the Holy Eucharist, celebrated for us by His priests.
Please remember Fathers Matthew Ferch, Kevin Harmon, Matthew Kirk, Tonny Kizza, Ariel Orozco, and Pedro Ruiz in your prayers during these Easter weeks as they prepare for their first assignments!
Very truly yours in Christ,
Fr. Michael J. Malucha
May 15, 2022 – Fifth Sunday of Easter
“Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object to your senses, for in both, Christ is truly hidden.”
(C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory)
Dear Friends,
On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, our readings seem to speak directly to the craziness of these divided days. From the Acts of the Apostles exhorting the early church to opening the doors to the outsider Gentiles, through the Book of Revelation proclaiming that the old order has passed and a new birth to hope and peace has arisen to the Gospel of John declaring the great Commandment of Love, we are called ever more forcefully to the mission of Jesus Christ to help the Kingdom of God transform our broken world into the new creation God wants!
The volume of disagreement and protest is high. The lack of dialogue and respect is overpowering. The move from hope to despair, from peace to violence, from trust to judgment, from unity to division, are becoming normal and seemingly unavoidable.
All this shows that the world needs Christianity more than ever to step up to the task of bringing the greatest power—the love of Christ and the truth of His teaching—to any and all situations, to see in our neighbors and in the stranger the presence of Christ which can change even the hardest of hearts and the most closed minds not through force but through love. The world can change, but not through us and our rather limited abilities, but to Christ whose ability is eternal!
Stay hopeful.
Fr. Tim
May 8, 2022 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Dear Friends,
As we gather to worship this weekend, we give thanks to God not only for the gift of the Holy Mass, but also for our own Mothers, especially in this month of May, dedicated as it is to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. To borrow from a college professor, “take your needs to the beads!”
In that same spirit, and on behalf of Fr. Tim, I’m grateful to share with you the news of our newly appointed associate pastor to the Family of Four Parishes, Fr. Carlos Londoño.
Fr. Carlos, a native of Colombia, was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 2020 and currently serves the parishes of Holy Angels (West Bend) and Immaculate Conception (Barton). His first day within our own Family of Four parishes will be Tuesday, June 21.
For my own part, I will be headed north, having been reassigned to Holy Family (Fond du Lac), but am grateful to continue exercising priestly ministry here through Monday, June 20.
Please join Fr. Tim and I in “taking our needs to the beads” not only for Fr. Carlos, but also for our parishes in these weeks of transition.
Our Lady, Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Cause of our Joy, and Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Very truly yours,
Fr. Michael J. Malucha
May 1, 2022 – Third Sunday of Easter
Dear Friends,
Peace of Christ and Happy Easter! What a beautiful Gospel we have this Sunday. I would give anything to have been present on the shore of the Sea of Galilee as Peter spoke these words to Jesus: “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you” (John 21:17).
As I finish my assignment this weekend, I find myself drawn to the figure of Peter and everything he must have felt in this conversation with Jesus. “Lord you know everything – my sins, my weaknesses, my many imperfections, but you also know how I have tried to love you”. So more than anything else I could say, I want to thank everyone for this privileged opportunity to simply love our Lord as His priest. As I began four years ago as the new Associate Pastor, it was my hope that I would give my all to completely love as best I could. For the times where I fell short in any way by my words or actions, or lack thereof, I humbly ask your pardon and forgiveness.
To our parishioners – thank you for the ways that you received and loved me unconditionally! Your kindness will never be forgotten and thank you for your patience as I have grown so much in this time.
To our parish staff – thank you for the privilege of serving in this small part of the Lord’s vineyard. You work so, so hard and know that your labors (often hidden!) are very much appreciated. Thanks for everything that I have learned and for your goodness to me!
To Fr. Tim – thank you for trusting me to serve as your Associate these past four years! I have learned so much from your example and I hope to pay forward all the kindness you showed to me. I couldn’t have asked for a better first assignment!
Please know of my prayers and I would humbly ask for yours as I begin work at the seminary. See you in the Eucharist!
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. John
