What's Happening During a Pandemic
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While we are "Safer At Home" our weekly newsletter has changed format
to help you during this challenging time.
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Spiritual Meanderings During a Pandemic
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Fr. Michael will be hearing confessions this
Friday, April 24 at 8:30 a.m.
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Live-streaming: Mass and Adoration
I was recently asked if St. John’s was considering live-streaming Mass and Adoration. The answer is YES! Actually, the Liturgy Committee has talked about this possibility for a while. In addition to the spiritual aspect that comes with live-streaming, it would add a safety feature to our 24-hour Adoration.
To live-stream, one needs a Wi-Fi connection. While there is Wi-Fi in the school and in the church hall, the Wi-Fi signal wasn’t strong enough to live-stream from inside church. The first thing that needed to be done was to have one of the Information Technology (IT) volunteers install an antenna to bring up from the church a strong-enough Wi-Fi signal.
Secondly, we were fortunate enough to be able to purchase the last in-stock camera to record the livestreaming.
Thirdly, the computer we thought would work to operate all of the above isn’t strong enough to view Mass and Adoration accurately.
However, the good news is that all of the pieces are coming together and within a week or so, everyone with a computer at home will be able to view 24/7 Eucharistic Adoration and be able to live-stream and virtually join in my daily private Masses in church. Once the pandemic restrictions are lifted, those who are not able to come to St. John’s for Mass due to health issues will be able to view Mass and Adoration from their homes.
A big thank you to Darrell, John and Nick who have spent hours and days setting up all of this equipment in order to make live-streaming a flawless reality at St. John’s. Thank you!
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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 been a recent increase in this kind of activity. I will not ask for gift cards. I will not ask you to make gift card purchases on my behalf, or for staff or other parish leaders, and then say you will be reimbursed. Please be alert for scams similar to these. Ignore, and/or delete, any such messages.
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DELIVERANCE PRAYER FOR USE BY THE LAITY
In His name and by the power of His Cross and Blood, I ask Jesus to bind any evil spirits, forces, and powers of the earth, air, fire, or water, of the netherworld and the satanic forces of nature. By the power of the Holy Spirit and by His authority, I ask Jesus Christ to break any curses, hexes, or spells and to send them back where they came from, if it be His Holy Will. I ask You, Lord Jesus to protect us by pouring Thy Precious Blood on us and our families, which You have shed for us and I ask Thee to command that any departing spirits leave quietly, without disturbance and go straight to the Cross to be disposed of as Thou sees fit. I ask Thee to bind any demonic interaction, interplay, or communications. I place (name a person, place, or thing) under the protection of the Blood of Jesus Christ which He shed for us. Amen.
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Your donations are needed and will help us
continue to operate during these unsettling times.
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Face Masks
Archbishop Listecki invites all who have the gift of sewing and crafting to make homemade face masks for our local healthcare systems. Please visit the Archdiocese of Milwaukee website –
Homemade Masks to learn how you can help our local healthcare systems in this effort.
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Pope Francis issues a Plenary Indulgence Decree
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During this time when many of us are spending more time at home, consider the following as a way to continue the practice of the faith:
- Spend time praying the Rosary with your family.
- Read/Pray over the Mass readings for the day (in “The Word Among Us” or “Magnificat” or on the USCCB website).
- Pray for all of those affected by the Coronavirus as well as those who care for them.
We rely on our faith when faced with challenging times like this. We place our trust in our merciful Father who never fails to take care of us.
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Third Sunday of Easter
April 25/26, 2020
Today’s readings focus on the theme of “sojourning.” As Christian stewards, we know our lives are a sojourn towards the ultimate destination of heaven.
Our Gospel passage today describes the sojourn of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The two are dejected and despondent after Jesus’ death. They knew Jesus personally. They had heard the Gospel message directly from His lips. They listened to the testimony of the women who discovered the empty tomb of our Lord and saw a vision of angels announcing He was alive. They had been informed by other disciples who went to the tomb that all was exactly as the women reported.
How much more obvious could the Good News be?
And yet, at times, the reaction of the two disciples describes our own stewardship journey, doesn’t it? We have the fullness of the Catholic faith, the power of the sacraments, the support of our parish family. Yet, we often lose our way. We fail to see all the gifts we have been given. We lack trust in the perfect goodness and almighty power of God.
But notice what happens to the two men when eyes are opened once again, and they recognize Jesus in the Eucharist, the “breaking of the bread.” They are transformed! Their hearts are set on fire with love for the Lord and their faith. They recall that their hearts began “burning within” as the Lord was explaining the Scriptures to them. When we find we have lost our way, we can go to the same sources as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus; the Scriptures and the Eucharist.
In this Easter season, resolve to feast deeply on these two sources of grace. They are the fuel that will propel us on the journey towards heaven.
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Our Unusual Journey and the Need for Prayer
In our early childhood classrooms, the curriculum includes so much more than reading and writing. Although our traditional learning days are packed with plenty of academic readiness, our early childhood team incorporates these skills into days allowing for play and social interaction. We know that early learners need opportunities to be together, as a class, discovering strengths and learning how to overcome challenges. Distance learning, of course, does not offer inherent opportunities for group play, social interaction, or even just the need to take turns and engage in lunchroom conversation.
The challenge to our team, then, is to find ways, even during distance learning, to bring our students together. Daily class meetings provide our students with the opportunity to interact: taking turns speaking, sharing what they are doing while in quarantine, and actually seeing their classmates (virtually of course). Our teachers read stories and guide projects and
learning using Zoom and Google meetings. They allow time for students to talk to each other, practicing those incredibly important social skills from their own homes.
Every single day brings us a new distance-learning challenge. Please pray for our staff as they work to meet not only the academic needs of our students, but also the emotional and social needs of our precious children and their families.
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Safe at Home and Being a Blessing!
Mary Laidlaw-Otto, Principal
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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.
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Dr. Brant Pitre, scripture scholar and bestselling author, uses biblical and historical evidence to bolster the “case for Jesus” by exposing the problems with the many false theories that have been introduced over the past hundred years resulting in widespread skepticism about the reliability of Christian faith. He tackles head-on questions like: Were the four Gospels written anonymously? Did Jesus claim to be God? Did Jesus fulfill the Jewish prophecies of the Messiah? and many more.
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With public celebrations of Mass being canceled over the next few weeks, SCRIP is still available at the parish office during regular business hours. However, we have some materials available if you would like to set up an online account.
Our enrollment code is
18DE7D4F11822. 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.
These are unprecedented times, but with your help we can keep this fundraising effort viable.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call the parish office at 414-321-1965.
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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.
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The newsletter is published on Wednesdays. Articles for each week's publication are due on Mondays at noon.
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"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.
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