What's Happening
at St. John's
Parish News
Parish Picnic Invite
From Father Michael

Fr. Michael hopes to see all parishioners at the upcoming Parish Picnic on Sunday, August 29, from Noon to 3:00 p.m. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, chips, ice cream, soda, and water served in the Hall, and you can picnic anywhere you like on the parish grounds. The event is free, but a free-will offering will be accepted.

Come and socialize with your fellow parishioners!
Deacon Steve: Spiritual Meanderings

Why do we offer our prayers to Mary through the Rosary? The simple answer: No creature knows Christ better than Mary, and can introduce us to a profound knowledge of His mystery.
 
It was at the Annunciation where Mary entrusted herself completely to God:

“Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to thy word.” Luke 1:38
 
Mary cooperates with the Grace of God, and becomes the spouse of the Holy Spirit:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you.” Luke 1:35
 
Here we see Mary devoted herself entirely to the work of her Son, our Redeemer:

“Mary stored all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:19
 
When we pray the Rosary, we ask the Blessed Mother to open the storehouse of her heart and share with us her treasured memories of her Son. This is why devotion to our Lady will always lead us to a deeper relationship with Jesus. The Rosary is the Living Gospel. It is important for us to also realize that we not only “remember” the mysteries of the life of Christ here on earth, we must also enter into them and ask Mary to pray for us. We heard the words of Elizabeth in last Sunday’s Gospel, which would ultimately become part of the Hail Mary:

“Blessed are you among women, and Blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
 
We are calling down GRACE from heaven through the intercession of Mary. The Rosary has power, especially when we unite our prayers together. St. Louis de Montfort tells us, “The one who recites the Rosary alone only gains the merit of one single Rosary. However, if prayed with 30 other people, one would gain the merit of 30 Rosaries. How profitable then, how advantageous is PUBLIC PRAYER?”
 
Fr. Michael has introduced our Parish to the “United States Grace Force,” established by Fr. Richard Heilman (Diocese of Madison). It is a spiritual warfare campaign where persons can unite together in prayer and the offering of sacrifices as ONE body of the Church, calling down that supernatural Grace so needed in both our lives and in society. We are all being invited to participate in prayer, to become like soldiers in an army overtaking their enemies and to appease God’s anger. Each Thursday evening from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., we pray together as a community to Heal Our Land and Unite Our Country.
 
FYI, speaking of Our Lady, the world-famous International Pilgrim Fatima Traveling Statue of Our Lady will be visiting our Parish/School on Thursday, September 23. Stay tuned for more details. What a perfect time to consecrate yourself and your families to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, following the request of our Lady at Fatima.
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 are two open hours
Tuesdays -
6:00 to 7:00 a.m.
Wednesdays -
10:00 to 11:00 p.m. 

If interested in volunteering for this open hour, call Kay Shomperlen at 414-763-1250.
Christian Women Meeting

Christian Women, and any interested ladies of the parish, are invited to attend our meeting tonight (Thursday, August 19, at 6:00 p.m.) in the Hall. Annual $5 dues will be collected and must be paid by CHECK. You can also pay for and make your reservations for the September 9 Dinner at Carl’s Banquet Hall (originally scheduled for June). Members are $18, and guests are $22 (new prices). Payment should be made with a separate CHECK, made out to St. John’s Christian Women. If you are unable to attend the upcoming meeting but want to reserve your table, please contact Diane Gaffke at (414)327-6780.

Reservations and payments are due by Friday, August 27.
Blood Drive Canceled

The Christian Women Blood Drive scheduled for September 13 has been canceled. Versiti of Wisconsin has canceled all mobile blood drives due to a lack of staffing. Those who had planned to donate blood are encouraged to donate at a permanent blood center location instead. Please be sure to let them know that you are donating on behalf of St. John the Evangelist - Greenfield.
Fidelity to the Lord

Regardless of what happens in the world, St. Francis de Sales Seminary will always be rooted in Fidelity to the Lord. The Annual Seminary Dinner will once again return to the Wisconsin Center this fall on Friday, September 24. Please join in meeting the 70 seminarians who are offering their lives to Jesus Christ so that they can serve you as His priests. Join fellow parishioners from St. John’s for a special dinner and evening as we show our support for our diocesan seminary and seminarians.

Please call Mary or Dennis Baumgardner at (414) 427-0832 for further information and/or to RSVP. Your reservation is needed by August 31. Transportation can be arranged.
Fall Auction Items Needed

To help replace the revenue from the Festival Raffle Booth, we will be holding an online silent auction this fall.

We are looking for NEW items, things you would have donated for the Festival Raffle Booth.

Items like - electronics, jewelry, sports/outdoor equipment, household items, gift cards, sports memorabilia, spa items, new, unopened bottles of wine and liquor, etc., make for great single items or baskets.

You can drop off your NEW items at the Parish Office during regular office hours. Contact Diane Gaffke at 414-327-6780 if you have any questions.

Thank you for your support!
Silent Preached Retreat for Women

Ladies of the Parish: Mark your calendars and let God speak to you and revitalize your spirit, Friday, October 1, through Sunday, October 3, at the Redemptorist Retreat Center in Oconomowoc. This year’s theme is “Healing in a Wounded World.”
 
How do we return to those basic gospel values that bring us a sense of healing, not only to the world but to each one of us? This retreat is a great opportunity to encounter our need for Jesus.
 
The weekend starts around 7:00 p.m., with check-in between 6:00 and 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The retreat ends at noon on Sunday. Carpooling is available. For details and to sign up, please call Barb at (414) 448-7117. You may also register directly at the Redemptorist Retreat Center by calling (262) 567-6900 or on their website: www.redemptoristretreat.org. The cost is $230 per person. The center is located at 1800 N. Timber Trail Lane on the shores of Crooked Lake in Oconomowoc.
The Hidden King-
The Jewish Roots of St. Joseph 

What is your image of St. Joseph? A poor, humble carpenter, or the Hidden King of the Jews? An elderly widower, or a man in his prime, the chaste spouse of Mary? The mere legal guardian of the child Jesus, or the earthly shadow of the heavenly father?
 
Come and See! Dr. Brant Pitre will give answers to these questions and any more in this one-day Adult Faith Formation DVD program on Saturday, August 21, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Hall. He will explain how Joseph was indeed the Hidden King of the Jews and why he was a threat to Kind Herod. You will learn why he accepted Mary’s Jewish Vow of Virginity and what his relationship was to the “Brothers” of Jesus. These answers, along with many very important facts that can be learned from the Bible, Ancient Jewish and Roman history, and the living Tradition of the Church, will be presented. Although Joseph is silent in the pages of the New Testament, when looked at through ancient Jewish eyes, he stands with Jesus and Mary at the very center of salvation history.
 
Join in this excellent and easy-to-understand presentation by Dr. Pitre. There is no charge to attend, but there will be a free-will collection.

For more information, call or text -
Laura Lee at (414) 840-0261 or
Austin at (414) 530-5770.
It is that time of year again to grow deeper in our faith and closer to God. We have an amazing core of Catechists who are passionate about teaching the Catholic Faith. If you want your child or children in the parish's Religious Education program this year, you can enroll them on our website, www.stjohns-grfd.org. From the Home Page, please click on Religious Education and select the Grade 1-10 or Confirmation Online Registration option. You should fill out the online form and can register up to four children.

Classes for grade school (1-8) start on Sunday, October 3, from 9:30 - 10:45 a.m. (new time). Classes will let out in time for families to attend the 11:00 a.m. Mass. Classes for high school (grades 9, 10, and Confirmation) start on Sunday, October 3, from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Your donations are needed and will help us
continue to operate during these unsettling times.
Twenty-First Sunday
in Ordinary Time
August 21/22, 2021

“Far be it from us to forsake the Lord for the service of other gods.” We struggle with our gods. They appear in the forms of things like money, power, prestige, popularity, privilege, and self-fulfillment. We like these “gods” because they make us feel good and ask very little of us in return. When we worship them, we worship ourselves. How can you go wrong with that? We buy into the illusion that if something can give us a comfortable life, free of want and need, then it is worth setting other things aside to pursue it. In essence, we sell our souls. Our struggle with “who is God” and "to whom do we belong" is a real one, and one that can easily find us empty and experiencing disillusionment.
 
The devil tempted Jesus in the desert and promised him more. We are promised “more.” But in pursuing the more and the satisfying we lose track of the cost, and the cost is great. We sacrifice our very life in pursuit of something disguised as life. We sacrifice truth for something that only “feels” true. While the true and real God certainly promises us many things, many things are also required. It is not about the warm and secure feelings and self-absorption the world wants to provide, but of giving back. There can be no lukewarm stance with regard to faith. If we are in, then faith in Jesus Christ asks us to do some difficult things: work in service of God’s kingdom (not our own), love our enemies, offer no resistance to injury, that we must die to ourselves in order to find ourselves, and trust that Jesus truly gives us his flesh and blood to eat and drink. These are hard things to accept and even harder to put into practice. It is no wonder that many, who may be attracted to Jesus at first, walk away in pursuit of the more self-satisfying gods.
 
But truth is truth. If we cannot accept it from the lips of Jesus Christ, then where else will we find it? To whom can we go? There is only one source of truth and life, Jesus Christ. Jesus has the words of eternal life and if we do not go to him, then where else will we find this gift? But we must be faithful and buy into the whole package deal that requires sacrifice and fidelity. When we do, we find ourselves, through the Body and Blood of Christ, connected to the Source of all life and then intimately bound with our brothers and sisters. We all have to decide whether we want to stay or go and if we can accept what Jesus has to say. It’s a choice we all have to make.
 
©LPi
School News
The school year has started. Teachers picked up their keys on August 16, and their energy and enthusiasm for the start of the school year were evident immediately. August 23-26 will be teacher Inservice days. The plans for the school year will start to materialize and begin to be implemented. Let the fun begin!
 
Of course, the real fun begins with our first full day of school for all students, grades K4-8, on Tuesday, August 31. I cannot wait to welcome the students back to school and start the learning party. The energy of the first day of school is exhilarating.
 
Another exciting day on the calendar is our Back to School Fun Run and Tailgate Party on September 10. This will be a fun-filled evening complete with food, games, and community. This event will be sponsored by the SJE Home and School Committee. A special shout out to all the members of the committee for sponsoring this event and for the many other great events and fundraising opportunities they are planning for this school year. Our school community is lucky to have such an outstanding Home and School Committee. 
After School Care Helper Needed

The parish school is seeking help in the After School program. There are two positions available. The employees provide a safe, fun program for students each school day from 2:30 p.m. until approximately 6:00 p.m. (or until the last student goes home). The employees must be willing to supervise students outdoors as well as engage in indoor activities such as board games. The positions will begin when school starts on Tuesday, August 31. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, willing to submit to a criminal background check and participate in Archdiocesan Safeguarding training. Please call the school principal, Ben Oberdorf, at 414-321-8540 or email him at boberdorf@sje.school if interested.
Live-streaming: Mass and Adoration
 
We are live-streaming daily and Sunday Masses as well as Adoration for those who are unable to attend:

Daily Masses are:
Monday thru Saturday 8:00 a.m.

Weekend Masses are:
Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday at 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Our YouTube channel is SJE-Greenfield.

If you miss the livestream, you can watch the upload of each Mass on our YouTube channel.
CDs from Augustine Institute

Did you know we have CDs (and other items) located in the narthex? Each week we will highlight one of the available CDs.

Cost is $4 each.
The Soul of the Apostolate was the favorite book of Pope St. Pius X. Matthew Arnold presents excerpts from this timeless classic that shows how prayer is the soul of every work for God and is absolutely critical for apostolic success. This foundational work on the spiritual life will help you understand that the Lord first desires prayer and then our works and will help you to avoid serious spiritual mistakes.     
Start earning the easy way with the new mobile app: RaiseRight by ShopWithScrip
RaiseRight is simply the right way to fundraise for our organization. Shop gift cards from more than 750 top brands to earn on your daily purchases—right from your phone.

Turn your shopping list into fundraising
  • Discover new earning opportunities every day 
  • Narrow your search with categories that fit your everyday shopping needs
  • Easily browse brands offering bonus earnings
  • Add brands you love to your Favorites for faster shopping
  • Manage your gift cards in one place: your Wallet

Pick up right where you left off. Sign in with your same ShopWithScrip username and password. Access your gift cards right away. And check out with payment information already saved to your account.


SCRIP will now be sold before and after all weekend Masses. As always, SCRIP is available at the parish office during regular business hours. We have materials available below if you would like to set up an online account.






You can also click here to view a how-to video from Scrip on how to open an account.

To protect the program from fraud, please contact the Parish or School offices for the enrollment code. Once you have an online account you can pay by direct debit from your checking account (Presto Pay), by credit card, or by check here in the parish office. If we do not have the item in stock, we will order on Monday and have the cards by Thursday. Once you have the physical card you can enroll it in your "wallet" and reload it as needed.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the parish office at 414-321-1965.
This program allows .5% of your shopping on Amazon to be donated to St. John the Evangelist.

If you purchase Scrip, St. John's receives an additional 2.25%. That's 2.75% of your purchases to St. John's if you are already shopping Amazon.
The newsletter is published on Thursdays. Articles for each week's publication are due on Mondays at noon.

To submit articles e-mail to: newsletter@stjohns-grfd.org
"Remember God's Will in Yours!"

Please keep the needs of St. John the Evangelist in mind as you do your estate planning. For information on how to include the parish as a beneficiary, contact the Parish Office at 414-321-1965.
Like us on Facebook