What Would Have Been
This past weekend of July 24, 25, & 26 would have been our festival weekend. Due to the COVID-19 Virus, the festival was canceled. The two weeks leading up to the festival, we had days filled with heat and humidity. I wondered what the festival weekend would have been like. Friday, the day we had our first Drive-Thru Fish Fry, was a beautiful day and evening and would have been a great opener. However, that soon changed as the southwest winds increased the heat and humidity for Saturday and Sunday. Both days were in the 90s with humidity at 70 percent. Then Sunday evening around 6:30 p.m., the heavy rains came and it rained for the next few hours. So much for the fireworks. While canceling the festival was not an easy decision, this past weekend's weather helped confirm it was the right one. We look forward to a better year in 2021.
Begging For Money
Over the past 54 years, the festival has aided the parish’s yearly budget. This year was no different. When the budget was being prepared in late winter, $70,000 from the festival was slated toward the parish budget. Realizing in May there would be no festival and no $70,000 to depend on, we decided to send out a begging letter, asking parishioners who are able to make a sacrificial financial donation to help recover that financial loss. To date, we have received $19,335.50. Thank you to those who have contributed! On behalf of the parish, I ask that those who haven’t contributed as of yet, prayerfully consider making a financial contribution. If possible, please return your financial donation in an envelope marked “Festival.” We will be accepting financial donations until September.
Drive-Thru Fish Fry
Our first Drive-Thru Fish Fry, by all accounts, was a success. By 6:00 p.m., 335 fish dinners were sold. A big thank you to the Festival Committee members who helped plan and organize this new adventure in our pandemic times. A special thank you to Ron Heser and Peter Kurz who worked many hours behind the scenes to make sure the first experience was a good one. Based on the success of our first Fish Fry, I’m pleased to say a second one is planned for Friday, August 28 (4:00-7:00 p.m.). We plan to make it better and more efficient than the first one. Thank you to all who helped at the Fish Fry, and thank you to all who waited in line to order and pick up your dinners. We appreciate your patience.
New Ministry Opportunity
The “Stream Team” is looking for volunteers to help stream daily and weekend Masses. We had talked about live streaming Adoration and Mass for a number of years. With the Pandemic, we decided to do it ASAP. We have received many positive comments from parishioners and from people all over the country expressing their appreciation for the ability to view Mass and Adoration from their homes while being “shut in,” especially people from St. John’s who have said it helps them feel connected to their parish.
We need to train a few people to help live stream Mass. If you are relatively comfortable around computers and attend daily or weekend Masses, please consider calling Denise Kasulke at the parish office (414-321-1965) or email her at
dkasulke@stjohns-grfd.org for more information
.
Fr. Michael Goodavish
For a number of years, Fr. Michael Goodavish was the celebrant of our Monday morning Masses. Every now and then, someone asks where he is. Recently he called me to say he accepted a position as Administrator of the Church of Corpus Christi in Roseville, MN. He will be leaving the Milwaukee area this week. I told him he will be supported by our prayers.
Scam Alert
Please be aware of telephone calls, texts, and emails that appear to be from myself, or other Parish staff or Parish leaders. There has again been a recent increase in this kind of activity. The sender’s email address is
mmerkt.stjohnsgrfd@gmail.com or revfr840@gmail.com
. Do not reply to this email address. It is not my legitimate email address.
I will
not
ask you for a favor, or ask you to buy gift cards for myself, for staff or for other Parish leaders.
Please be on alert for these and similar scams. Ignore, and/or delete, any such messages.
24-Hour Perpetual Adoration
St. John’s is fortunate to have 24-hour Perpetual Adoration. Please take advantage of this beautiful opportunity to stay close to God in these difficult times. Hand sanitizer is available in the Adoration entrance (south side of Church), and we ask that you practice social distancing and stay at least six feet from others while in Church.
There is currently one open hour for Adoration
on Monday from 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.
Please call Kay Shomperlen to volunteer (414) 763-1250. Come join us!
