An email from Dr. James A. Nyangas, President & CEO of Safe Water for Life & Dignity (SWLD)
Dear all at St. Pius, Many warm greetings from us! I am writing to let you know that few months ago SWLD received the funds for the 2019 Living water projects. We thank you for your continuous support. From this donation we have proposed to build a total of four wells. Among them one be a deep well of more than 100m with electrical pump and overhead tank, which we are constructing Namiungo village (Tundra-Masasi Diocese). The other three wells are shallow wells which will be located in various villages in Morogoro. So far, we have started the construction works after completed all necessary preparations including the production of wells construction materials, site inspections, formation of villages water committees and hydrogeological surveys. Specifically, in this e-mail I wish to let you know that few days ago we have completed one of the three shallow wells in the village of Kiziwa-mgudeni, which is located about 30 Kilometer South East of Morogoro, Tanzania. This village has the population of about 1,500 people, the majority of them are small-holder farmers. In the past the villagers here did not have accesss to reliable sources of clean waters. Like many villagers of Tanzania, they used to get water from small traditional wells, swamps and seasonal river streams as sources of waters for household uses. These sources were unsafe for human consumption. As a result, many villagers suffered from stomach diseases such as typhoid and cholera, which affected people's quality of life and caused poverty. SWLD received a letter from the village chairperson requesting for a new well to supply clean water to the villagers. Once we received the funds from St. Pius we responded to his letter. With this email I glad to inform you that, we have successfully installed a new well at Kiziwa-mgudeni and turned over to the villagers. Members of SWLD and the villagers give much thanks to all of you at St. Pius community for the donations, which made this project possible. I have attached various pictures taken during project work including materials conveyance, digging and turning over of the new well to the villagers. I will write again to update you on the remaining three wells including the deep well in Namiungo village (Tunduru - Masasi diocese). ASANTE SANA (Thanks a lot). Dr. James A. Nyangas (PhD) President & CEO Safe Water for Life & Dignity (SWLD) Morogoro, Tanzania Sunday, September 10, 2017
10:30 AM Mass in the Courtyard Picnic to follow in the Gym We will be serving: Sliced Turkey or Pulled Pork on rolls Hot dogs, Baked Beans, Chips, Watermelon, Dessert & Beverage Tickets: $7 in advance | $6 children 6-11 $10 at door (Children 5 & under are FREE) Tickets will be sold after mass and in the Parish Office BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY! Next yoga session starts August 26 - October 7 No class Sept. 2nd (Labor Day) Mondays 9-10 am—Room 101 Class is open to all parishioners– women & men This will be Mary Snow's last yoga session she will be teaching. She and her family are moving out of state. This coming Saturday from 9 to 11 am in the church, Br. Silas Henderson, SDS, will give a retreat
based on Mary’s Magnificat. I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity for spiritual growth. Please register by Wednesday through a link on our parish webpage or by calling the parish office. Tuesday, August 20th, is the feast of St. Bernard. I sent a note to the parish in our name, promising prayers and continued cooperation. The next day is the feast of St. Pius X. Let us ask our patron to help us grow in our ability to be true witnesses to the Gospel. The weekend marks my return to active ministry after a three-month recovery from surgery. I thank Fr. Patric for taking over the responsibility for the parish immediately after his ordination. He got a “baptism by fire” with a funeral before his first Mass! I also thank my confreres Frs. Peter, Reed, Jeff, and David for their help. A difficult theme is presented to us this weekend in our readings: doing what is right is not always easy. In our first reading, Jeremiah is telling the king that he should negotiate with the Babylonians or they will destroy the city and take the Jews captive, all a result of their infidelity to the Covenant; the military leaders don’t want to hear any of it and convince the king to turn the prophet over to them to be killed. The author of Hebrews is trying to encourage the Jewish Christians, who have been disowned by their families and banned from the synagogue. He uses the analogy of a race, urging them to “not grow weary and lose heart,” but rather to continue running until the end, as did Jesus. In the Gospel Jesus talks about his own trials and then warns that following Him will not be easy, that it can even bring divisions in families, a reality that the early Christians were facing, as they were denounced and shunned by their own families (the situation being addresses in the Letter to the Hebrews). What does all of this say to us today? History tells us that these readings portray reality: for two millennia Christians have died for what they believe; many have died in our life time and are dying right now. Would I be able to die for my faith? Would I endure torture rather than deny Christ? I don’t know. I suppose none of us knows for sure before we are actually faced with the choice. But maybe a good indication might be how I face the small, daily challenges that I do experience. For example, the challenge of making sure that I spend time each day in prayer, that I attend Mass on Sunday, that I resist talking about others, that I forgive those who have hurt me, that I open my heart in a meaningful way to those in need, etc., etc., etc. What I am saying is that our efforts to live the life we know we should, especially when it is difficult or even simply inconvenient, can be strengthening us to be able to die for Christ, God forbid that choice would ever be put before us. And, in one sense, a life lived for the Kingdom on a daily basis, that is living for others and not just self, can be a sort of martyrdom in itself. I invite us to reflect this week on how much we “sacrifice” to live the values that the Gospel teaches us. How often do I hold the course, even when it is difficult? How often do I take the easy way out? Do my actions give good example to those around me, especially those dependent on me? How can I do better? And let us support each other’s efforts in prayer. -- Paul James Portland, SDS As of August 1, I have been able to walk with a large walking boot and a walker. I might be able to celebrate Mass this coming weekend. We will see how things go.
Please remember to register for our two-hour retreat on Mary’s Magnificat by Br. Silas starting at 9 am on Saturday, August 24th, in the church. You can register on our webpage or by calling the parish office. Our readings this weekend deal with “faith.” The Israelites had faith that God would keep his promises; that faith gave them the courage to trust that the “Passover” would happen and so they left the security of what they knew in Egypt (bad as it was) for the unknown in the desert. Abraham also left the security of his clan and set out with his family into the unknown, trusting in God’s promise. And in the Gospel Jesus invites His disciples (that includes us) to the same kind of faith when he says, Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. But what exactly IS faith? I think Sister of St. Joseph Mary McGlone says it well in her comments on this weekend’s readings: Today's three readings describe faith not as belief in something definitive, but radical openness to whatever God is bringing about. Faith is a verb that keeps us in movement…faith kept all of them [the Israelites fleeing Egypt, Abraham, and Jesus’ disciples] on the move. In contrast to McGlone’s definition, faith is often equated with doctrines or dogma that are unchanging, that give meaning and stability to life. From one point of view, I think this is the basis of the tension in the Church these days: Pope Francis is calling us to trust, to move out of our comfort zone and reach out to others, to be willing to change and perhaps grow past some of the ways we have been thinking, believing and acting. The push back that he receives is from those who emphasize the “truth” of what the Church has taught and resist change or modification in the way of thinking. I might not be saying it well and, as with most things in life, it is not one side or the other, but rather both/and. We need to honor and keep the tenets of our Faith, but we also need to be open to growth in all that is not essential. Maybe the key is where we are looking for security. Do we look for security in things we believe in and cling to them like a security blanket? Or do we put our security in trusting God, being open to where God might be leading us? I invite us this week to spend some time reflecting on what “faith” means in our lives. For me, how much is it a set of beliefs I hold to? How much is “faith” a verb for me, being open for where God is calling me? Am I happy with the balance in my life? If not, how can I change? As we reflect, let us pray for ourselves and each other: Come Holy Spirit, enlighten our eyes of faith. -- Paul James Portland, SDS With summer is here, many of us are taking vacations. Please remember that all the good works our Parish does continues while you are away. Our Parish is still very active and being well cared for. Parishioners receive pastoral care, our committees, organizations and all volunteers are busy keeping our Parish running efficiently. Its important to keep your donations coming in on a regular basis. Summer and year around giving can be made easier by signing up for electronic payment. For more information and to sign up for electronic payment please call Dean Weyer, Director of Administrative Services, 453-3875 x 16, or email dweyer@stpiusparish.org. Thank you for your continued support of St. Pius X Parish and its many worthwhile programs. Please remember to register for our two-hour retreat on Mary’s Magnificat by Br. Silas starting at 9 am on Saturday, August 24th, in the church. You can register on our webpage or by calling the parish office.
Uncharacteristically, all three of our readings this weekend, in addition to the responsorial psalm, emphasize one theme: we need to get our priorities straight! The first reading sums it up well: Vanity of vanity! All things are vanity! The Hebrew word used for “vanity” means “unsubstantial” or “puff of smoke.” A person labors and is anxious about the future, but then leaves all to someone else when he dies. The responsorial psalm reiterates the theme, reminding us that we will return to dust as quickly as grass wilts and fades by evening. In his letter to the Colossians, St. Paul picks up the theme with Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. He then lists some of the prime attractions of earth: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Stop lying to one another. He closes his admonition with the analogy of clothes, urging us to take off “the old self” and put on the “new.” In the Gospel two brothers approach Jesus and ask him to settle a dispute about their father’s inheritance. The irony is that they are fighting over the material possessions that have come to mean NOTHING to the dead man. Jesus warns against greed (the original word means “insatiableness” or “a restlessness to acquire more”). As is his custom, Jesus drives home his point with a parable, this one about a man who builds bigger barns so he can store his grain and relax securely for years, but dies that very night. We come right back to our first reading: Vanity of vanities! I invite us this week to reflect on our priorities, not what we THINK or BELIEVE are our priorities, but rather what our use of time, talent and treasure reveal to be truly the case. For how we use these gifts from God are a true indication of our priorities. With the insights gained from that reflection, we can plan how to change so that our priorities are more in line with what we know they should be. Viktor Frankl captures well the challenge of our readings: “What is the meaning of life?” is the wrong question. The right question is “What meaning will I give life?” Our priorities tell us! And as we reflect and grow, let us support each other in prayer. -- Paul James Portland, SDS On Wednesday I go back to the doctor. I hope, after 10 weeks, that I will finally be cast free and able to put weight on my leg. That would mean I could begin therapy focused on walking again. I am ready!
Please remember to register for our two-hour retreat by Br. Silas starting at 9 am on Saturday, August 24th, in the church. You can register on our webpage or by calling the parish office. Last week we talked about biblical hospitality and its relationship to the great commandment of love of God and neighbor. Before I look at this weekend’s Gospel, I want to point out that the great sin that brought disaster on Sodom and Gomorrah (our first reading) was that they intended to violate strangers, instead of offering hospitality, as Abraham offered in our reading last week. Our love of God shown through love of neighbor includes strangers, foreigners, those who are different from us, a Gospel value very relevant today. Our Gospel this weekend deals with prayer. Jesus is off praying and, seeing His example, one of His disciples asks Jesus to teach them how to pray. Our good example (going to Mass each Sunday, praying before eating in a restaurant, etc.) can be exactly what God uses to bring someone closer to Him. In response Jesus gives His disciples the Lord’s Prayer. In this prayer we honor God and ask for what we need, showing our dependence on Him. There is one important condition or caveat: we ask to be forgiven as we forgive. It is a dangerous line to pray, if we are not forgiving others! Then Jesus emphasizes the importance of persistence in prayer, first through a story of a man who gets the food necessary for his mandatory hospitality to guests by pestering a neighbor until the neighbor gives in to get rid of him. Then we are told to “ask,” “seek,” and “knock,” each action being more forceful than the one before. We are assured that, just as an earthly parent gives a child what the child needs, our heavenly Father will do so for those of us who ask, who acknowledge our dependence on Him. Notice it doesn’t say we will get exactly whatever we ask for. Luke says we will get “the Holy Spirit.” Matthew says “good things.” The point is that when we are dependent on God, when we trust in His Providence, He will give us what is best for us. I invite us to reflect this week on one or all of the themes I mentioned: the example we can give to others when we pray and attend Mass, our need to forgive if we want to be forgiven, and the need for trust in Divine Providence and persistence in prayer. All three remind us that, while God wants the best for us and will give us what is best for us, we have to play our part. In other words, we have to be open and cooperative. And let us support each other in prayer. -- Paul James Portland, SDS Please see the information in this bulletin for the retreat Br. Silas Henderson SDS will give here at Pius on Saturday morning, August 24, from 9 to 11 am. You can sign up to attend on our website or by calling the parish office. Please take advantage of this opportunity. This will replace the reflection which had been scheduled for Tuesday evening, August 27th.
I thank Fr. Patric for his continuing service to our community. I hear good things about how well he has adapted to his new role. Congratulations! On the way to a doctor’s appointment, I went by the parish on Wauwatosa Avenue. I thank our “Garden Angels” for their wonderful work on the flower beds, as well as our maintenance man, Neil Krumenauer, who keeps the grass cut. Our property looks wonderful! I have received a notice from the diocese that we have not even reached 50% of our parish goal in the stewardship appeal. We use the services provided and we need to support them. Please contribute, if you have not yet done so. There are extra envelopes in the back of church, if you have misplaced your mailing. Our readings continue with a focus on law, this week zeroing in on love of God shown through love of neighbor, especially through the virtue of hospitality. Hospitality was obligatory for the Jews and Abraham gives an excellent example of true hospitality: he took the initiative, not making the others ask or beg for help; he framed it as they doing him a favor, so as to enable them to feel good about the situation and not beholding; and he gave them the best of what he had, not left over scraps. Most importantly, he sat with them while they ate: he gave of his time and attention. The Gospel story of Martha and Mary picks up the theme of true hospitality. Martha thought she was being hospitable, preparing food for the guests, etc. But she was not paying attention to her guest. One might ask, whose needs was she fulfilling? Mary, on the other hand, made the guest the center of her attention. Yes, the needs of the guest need to be taken care of, but the guest needs to be the center of attention. It is both…and. There are many ways we can apply this in daily life. I tell Ministers of the Eucharist to the homebound that spending time listening to the person is as important as giving them the Eucharist, for both bring Christ to them. Serving in a soup kitchen or giving a beggar some money on the street: yes, they need the food and the money, but they need human interaction, they need to know they are someone who is valued, they need to be made to feel like a person, just as much as they need the food and the money. Abraham is a perfect example of this: he didn’t just give food to his guests; he sat with them while they ate. Reflection for the week: is my natural inclination to be more like Mary or Martha? In my interactions with others, do I give them my full attention, truly listening to them? Or do I simply “give things” to them or “do things” for them? Jesus was right in front of Martha and she was missing it. In what circumstances am I doing the same? What can I do to be more attentive to people? And let us support each other’s efforts in prayer. Families are invited to sign up their children (ages 3-5th grade), middle school students, and high-school students for various opportunities to help them encounter Christ and grow in their discipleship. To find out more, see schedules, and to register, please visit our website. Most of our programs begin in September, so sign up today! Kid's Small Group Leaders--Join our Team!Our children's small group ministry is looking to grow our team of Kid's Small Group leaders. Use your gifts of hospitality, leadership, and teaching to help children encounter Christ through the Scriptures and the beauty of our Catholic Church. Kid's Small groups meet on Sunday mornings from September through April at Christ King. No teaching experience is necessary and training will be available. All Small group leaders are expected to have a background check completed and participate in the Archdiocese Safe Environment training. To find out more information, contact: Samantha El-Azem at elazems@christkingparish.org.
Wauwatosa Catholic School Athletic Association
6th Annual Golf Outing Saturday, August 24, 2019 starting at 2:30 PM Currie Park & Dugout 54 (Bluemound Road) $100 per person/ $400 per foursome INCLUDES CART **Dinner ONLY- optional ticket- $25 Price includes cart, 18 holes of golf, and lunch (hot dog or brat, chips & 2 drinks) ALSO, includes dinner and beers at Dugout 54 after the event! Come Join Us For a Day of Fun, Food, and Fundraising! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that from 2000 to 2015, more than half a million people died from opiate overdoses. When scientists began to study addictive behavior in the 1930s, people addicted to drugs were thought to be morally flawed and lacking willpower. This shaped our response to drug use, treating it as a moral failing rather than a health problem, which led to an emphasis on punishment rather than prevention and treatment. Discoveries about the brain changed our understanding of drug use, allowing us to respond effectively to the problem. As a result of research, we know that addiction is a medical disorder that affects the brain and changes behavior. On March 29th, 2017 President Trump declared the Opiate Epidemic a national public health emergency and signed an executive order establishing the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
As a result of this, the Wauwatosa Health Department created an Opioid and Prescription Drug Education and Resource Guide. The guide is a resource for families to learn more about substance use, prevent misuse, and provide local resources for mental health and substance use treatment. The information guide includes information about opioids and prescription drugs. GOOD NEWS: Br. Silas Henderson, SDS, who provided adult faith formation opportunities before he moved to Tucson, has offer to give a two-hour “retreat for busy people” at Pius on Saturday morning, August 24, from 9 to 11 am. The retreat is titled The Magnificat: making Mary’s song your own. More information will follow, but please mark your calendar to take advantage of this opportunity. This will replace the reflection which had been scheduled for Tuesday evening, August 27th.
Wednesday I had my first visit with the doctor since the operation 6 weeks ago. He said he was please with the x-rays, that the plate and all the screws were aligned as he wanted. He put another cast on for the next four weeks, allowing very limited weight to be put on during that time. I will remain where I am and go back to the doctor on July 31. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I recently received an e-mail from Fr. Fernando Zapeta, the pastor of our sister parish in Guatemala, with two pieces of information. First, with their celebration of the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ on June 20th, they began their parish “Missionary Week,” in which the Blessed Sacrament will visit the home of every parishioner. The celebration concluded on July 7th with the Mass of the Martyrs (We will remember the martyrs of our sister parish the weekend of July 27/28). Second, they are nearing the completion of badly needed renovations to the parish hall, being done with materials purchased with money from our collection. When they are finished, hopefully sometime this month, they will offer a special Mass for our intentions, in thanksgiving for our support. Pius Parishioners Always Come Through!!! Our readings pick up the theme from last week of the place of law in our lives. Our first reading says the law is not up in the sky or across the ocean, that is, far away, but rather is in our very hearts, as close to us as can be. I will return to this. In the Gospel, a lawyer is putting Jesus to the test, asking what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus turns the question back on him and he gives the right answer: it all comes down to love of God and love of neighbor. Jesus’ responds: do this and you will live. In other words, it isn’t enough to KNOW but we must LIVE the law of love. We must DO it. The lawyer persists and, in response, Jesus shares one of the best known and loved parables, the parable of the Good Samaritan. We are not told the motives of the religious leaders who passed by the needy man, but we are told the Samaritan’s: he was moved with compassion. Notice that “compassion” is a “heart” word, literally “with passion.” Though, as a Samaritan, he was hated and shunned by Jews, including the victim, his heart moved him to action. That my friends, is the lesson for us. The law is not in the sky or across the water, it is in our hearts. We need to feel “with compassion” when someone is in need, even if they do not belong to our group or our religion or our country or or…or…… No doubt it is a challenge and our culture seems to be moving in the opposite direction. That makes it all the more important that, as followers of Jesus, we grow in our ability to be the Good Samaritan to others, especially those who do not have resources and others to help or protect them. We have to be witnesses to the love of neighbor that Jesus espoused and lived. Our hearts need to grow more and more to be like the heart of the Good Samaritan, like the heart of the Good Shepherd, like the heart of the Son of God who gave all for us. I invite us to reflect this week on the compassionate heart of Jesus, asking ourselves how compassionate we are. When do I tend to be compassionate? How can I grow in compassion? What is one concrete situation in which I can learn to be more compassionate and how can I do it? And let us support each other’s effort in prayer. Br. Silas Henderson SDS will return to Milwaukee from Tucson
to present a mini retreat on Saturday, August 24, from 9 to 11 am at Pius. He will explore Mary’s Magnificat and how this hymn of praise invites us to live as disciples. This replaces the evening of reflection which had been scheduled for Tuesday evening, August 27. Once again, Saturday morning, August 24, from 9 to 11. Please plan to attend. |