What's Happening
at St. John's
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Air Purification System
I am happy to report that as of last Friday, every classroom has been equipped with a Bipolar Ionization Air Purification System. In fact, every building and room is now experiencing clean air. This equipment helps kill viruses including flu, pneumonia, and most forms of the Corona Virus.
While our air is cleaner and we can breathe easier, we are still required to wear our masks, spritz our hands, and follow all other protocols.
To date, we have collected $24,500 for these new Ionization products and we are still in need of an additional $9,700 to completely pay the final bill. Again, on behalf of all of us who benefit from this ionization system, thank you to the many generous donors. If you are able to make a donation, please mark that your donation is for the “New Air” system.
Looking Towards Lent and Ash Wednesday
With the coming of Ash Wednesday, many were wondering if we would be able to distribute ashes on people’s foreheads as we have done for hundreds of years. Because of Covid-19, the Bishops of the United States are taking the directive that has come out from the Vatican. Instead of giving ashes in the form of a cross on the forehead (unsafe in this time of pandemic), we can receive ashes by sprinkling on top of the head.
This has been directed to us from the Holy See and affirmed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It recalls the biblical method of putting on a sackcloth and ashes as a sign of penance. In some parts of Rome and some European monasteries, this is the normal way of distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday. This method can be done safely as long as both the minister and the recipient wear masks. As the ashes are sprinkled on top of the head, no words are said.
Here at St. John’s, we will offer a Mass of Anticipation to help accommodate the number of people who desire to receive ashes on Tuesday evening, February 16, at 6:30 p.m. to begin our Ash Wednesday and Lenten journey. On Ash Wednesday, February 17, we will have three parish Masses: 8:00 a.m., Noon, and 6:30 p.m. The school children will have their own private Ash Wednesday Mass at another set time.
Also, to accommodate more people who may desire to receive ashes, permission has been granted to distribute ashes after the Thursday morning Mass on February 18, at 8:00 a.m.
Looking ahead to Palm Sunday, we are pleased to announce that permission has been granted to distribute Palms this year.
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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.
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Men's Retreat
February 26-28, 2021
A retreat for men will be held from Friday, Feb. 26, to Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, at the Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Oconomowoc. The weekend starts around 7:00 p.m. (Check-in starts at 6-6:30 p.m.) on Friday and ends around Noon on Sunday. Carpooling is available.
Social distancing and mask-wearing will be required.
For details and to sign up,
call Ron Heser at 414-448-7117
or the Retreat Center at 262-567-6900.
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Your donations are needed and will help us
continue to operate during these unsettling times.
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Third Sunday
in Ordinary Time
January 23/24, 2021
Today’s readings call us to be decisive in our faith.
Simon, Andrew, James, and John demonstrate this decision for us in their response to Christ’s calling, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." In both instances, the men immediately abandoned what was before them and followed Christ.
Imagine if Simon and Andrew looked at their Savior and said, "Thanks for the offer, but we will finish up fishing and meet you later." That is no way a disciple should respond to Christ’s call. Yet, that is how we often respond to Jesus' offer to us, "Come after me." We can easily fall into the misconception that we have plenty of time to live active discipleship. But as faithful stewards of our time, we must change our ways and immediately follow Christ more intentionally, because Christ is calling us to act now.
These men became members of Jesus' twelve apostles. They surrendered their entire lives to follow Christ. We, too, are called to surrender our lives to the Lord so that He may work through us. We might think, “God isn't calling me.” But indeed, He is. Just as He called four ordinary fishermen, He is calling each one of us. Renewing and reevaluating what God might be asking of us throughout our lives is a key component of our stewardship journey.
As we settle into this New Year, let us ponder the ways we can renew our commitment to God. Let us ask ourselves: what are we casting our nets for? And are we willing to leave it behind for something much greater? And if not now, when?
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We are right in the middle of the school year. As many of our schools in the Milwaukee area are just planning on implementing an in-person model of some type, we are grateful to have our routines well established.
The challenges of teaching during Covid-19 are many, but the rewards are also plentiful. And, of course, there are so many lessons to be learned from this experience. Here are a few of the things we have learned:
Teamwork, whether you are a teacher or a student, is critical. There are plenty of tough decisions to be made, and we are much more comfortable with the outcomes when we consider our actions as a group. Every opportunity we take to model teamwork to our students is a lesson learned!
Perseverance, one of our core SJE values, makes all the difference. Every single thing we have done this year has been a little more challenging than in pre-pandemic times. However, we see the value of perseverance in our students' academic, social, emotional, and spiritual growth. This growth is our focus, and it keeps us going, even when things get tough.
Smiles are, quite possibly, the very best tangible reward. Even the most reluctant of our learners are glad to be learning in person. We were concerned about not being able to see facial expressions behind the masks our students and teachers must wear during the day. In the end, though, we have found that we can see those goofy, happy, enthusiastic smiles, even behind a mask. This, of course, makes all of the extra planning, worrying, and effort worth it.
Prayer, whether as a school community, as a class, or individually, is the best guide for our difficult days. This year, we are able to comment almost daily with examples of times when our prayers have been answered. We learn about putting challenges in the hands of God every single day.
At the end of the month, we will celebrate our school during National Catholic Schools Week. Our celebration will look distinctly differing, but there will be no shortage of things for which we are grateful. We will be celebrating National Catholic Schools Week beginning January 31. This is the beginning of the open enrollment period for the 2021-2022 school year. Have you considered our parish school for your children? Although our celebration will look significantly different, we will be holding an in-person, by appointment only, Open House (1:00 - 4:30 p.m.). To make an appointment, visit our school website: www.sje.k12.wi.us. The link to sign up is on the landing page. You can also make an appointment by calling our school office at 414-321-8540. We participate in both the Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Parental Choice programs, ensuring that all children have access to an exemplary Catholic Education. I invite you to stop by and see what we have to offer for your child. I guarantee you will be glad you took the time to get to know us!
...Together in God’s Name
Mary Laidlaw-Otto, Principal
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Cousins Sub Day
Thursday, January 21
ALL DAY
Do you have the winter blues and don't know what to eat for lunch or dinner? We have the answer! Cousins Subs at 7495 W. Layton Ave. will donate a portion of all sales to SJE School on Thursday, January 21. Just by stopping in and having lunch or dinner, you can help our excellent school.
Scrip cards are available in the Parish Office during regular business hours or after all weekend Masses.
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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.
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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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In this vastly popular talk, Fr. Gaitley describes the "second greatest story ever told" - a story that encompasses Divine Mercy, the life of St. Pope John Paul II, and the crucial role that Marian Consecration can play in your life. Fr. Michael Gaitley is a priest in the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception and the director of formation for the Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy. |
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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
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- 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.
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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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