Recent News &
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Recent News &
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Our nomination process for parish leadership closes after the 10:30 Mass this weekend. I thank those who made nominations. The nominees will be contacted in the next days and invited to a discernment session with the Pastoral Council on May 1st, when the new leadership will be chosen. Please continue to keep this process in your prayers.
Sometime this week you will receive a second mailing from the diocese for the Catholic Stewardship Appeal. If you have not yet contributed, I urge you to do so. This appeal supports social justice ministries and services that we use. It is our responsibility to support our local Church and its efforts to serve us and those in need. This is the last weekend this year that I will be in Racine for a workshop with our Salvatorian candidate and the directors/candidates from other religious communities of religious men and women. I appreciate your understanding, prayers, and support. Some of these candidates could be your pastors in the future! Only one week remains until we enter the most moving and central week of our liturgical year. I commented at length on Holy Week in The Invitation, which you received this week and/or can read on our webpage. I urge you to join your faith community as we walk with Christ during the last week of His life, beginning with our reenactment of His entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and culminating in our celebration of His Resurrection. Prepare to celebrate Holy Week by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation after our communal penance service on Tuesday evening at 7 pm. Three priests will be available for individual confession. (In this context, I invite you to go back and reread the reflection for Saturday, Third Week of Lent, on page 26 in our Lenten reflection book With Grace and Gladness). We find it so easy to judge and condemn: That person doesn’t come to church. That person thinks they are better than anyone else! That person isn’t doing what they should be doing. Etc. Etc. Fill in whatever you want. In our Gospel today, the woman WAS guilty. She WAS caught in adultery. (Doesn’t it take two to tango? Where is the man???) According to the Law, the scribes and Pharisees had the right to bring her to be stoned. And Jesus doesn’t object, He doesn’t go against the Law. He simply suggests that the one without sin throw the first stone. Why are we so quick to judge? And condemn? Even when it is justified? What does it say about us? Are we REALLY able to throw the first stone? In this final week leading up to Palm Sunday, I invite us to reflect on our tendency to judge and condemn, especially when we are doing it with our mouths or fingers (on social media), asking the Lord to forgive us for this and help us grow in our ability to say with Jesus, “neither do I condemn you.” -- Paul James Portland, SDS Adults of all ages should have one. Do you need one or need to update your current document (due to deaths, divorce or marriage)?
St. Pius X Health Ministry invites you to learn about Advance Health Care Directives also known as Power of Attorney for Health Care on Thursday, April 11, 2019 in the rectory living room* at 6:30 PM. Take charge of your future health care decisions and put the worry of your loved ones aside. Lisa Marie Idzikowski, APSW will explain your choices and the difference between a Living Will, Advanced Directive and a Wisconsin Health Care Power of Attorney as she walks you through the decision-making process. Lisa Marie will answer your questions, and will provide the forms you need to complete a legal document (that evening if you choose to). Come learn about this process for yourself or to help a family member, friend, or loved one. You can even complete your Directive for free! Please plan to join us! *Rectory Living room, 2506 Wauwatosa Ave., enter parish office doors and turn right. Street parking Recently someone asked me about the “Angel Fund.” (Every so often there is an envelope for the “Angel Fund” in your packet of envelopes). This fund supports tuition assistance at our school, Wauwatosa Catholic, and I encourage you to support it. The combination of Catholic education and the International Baccalaureate curriculum gives our children basic attitudes and tools for living a Gospel-oriented and meaningful life. We want this to be available to families who are in need of financial assistance. I also encourage all our families to consider Wauwatosa Catholic for your children; I believe it is worth it.
Fr. Lukoa, our Salvatorian priest from Tanzania who helped me a lot over the last three years, sends his greetings from Rome. He is now a member of our international leadership team, which is based in Rome. He misses the community here at Pius. Nine parishioners signed up for various ministries this past weekend at our ministry fair. I thank you for your willingness to share your time and talent with the community. Our effectiveness depends on the generosity of parishioners in sharing what God has given them. The obvious theme of our readings this weekend is reconciliation. In the first reading, the Lord says to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you” and the Israelites enter the Promised Land. Then Paul tells the Corinthians that God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and now sends us as ambassadors to bring that reconciliation to others. Finally, the Gospel story of the Prodigal Son reminds us that God is always waiting for us to return and be reconciled. He has done His part and is waiting for us to make our move. The prodigal and the father are reconciled and are having a great party, as are the Israelites as they enter the Promised Land. But the elder brother, who cannot forgive, who refuses to be reconciled, is left outside and alone in his anger and resentment. Now really: whom is he hurting? To forgive, to be reconciled, not only makes moral sense as a follower of Jesus, but it also makes practical sense: if we don’t forgive, if we harbor resentments, we cut ourselves off and hurt ourselves, as the elder brother was doing in our Gospel story. We are at the midway point in Lent. Perhaps there is nothing better that we can do than to be reconciled – both with God and with others from whom we might be estranged. On Tuesday evening, April 9, we have a penance service at 7 pm with three priests to hear individual confessions. I invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to be reconciled with the Lord. And if there are resentments and hurts to be healed, I urge you to use this time of Lent as an opportunity to bring about the needed healing. And let us support each other’s efforts with prayer. -- Paul James Portland, SDS Come learn about environmentally-friendly options in and around our Parish! Representatives will be here from:
Family fun for all ages! Come learn about how to preserve our environment! Please note the report on our recent parish survey which is included in this bulletin and can be found on our webpage. Overall, it was very positive. The comments and suggestions for priorities that were given will be very helpful as the Formation and Evangelization Commission and the Pastoral Council develop a parish goal for 2019-2020. I thank the 74 parishioners who made the effort to participate.
Parishioners are receiving e-mails, purportedly from me, asking for Amazon cards, I-tunes, etc. It is a scam, using public information in the bulletin and on the webpage to get contact information. Never contribute to something like that without checking that it is valid. Be especially careful if “hurry” and “emergency” are invoked. Take the time to find out or simply delete I thank all who participated in our Lenten reflection this past Tuesday evening. Hopefully, it will help make our Lenten observance more meaningful. Please join us for our Stations of the Cross this Tuesday, March 19, at 7 pm. Our Living Waters campaign is off and running. Please be as supportive as you can. On Ash Wednesday we heard Jesus explain the three disciplines of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The first Sunday of Lent we heard about the temptations of Jesus: as a human being, he was tempted to use His power for His own good, comfort, and self-advancement. Now, the second Sunday of Lent, we have the story of Jesus’ Transformation. Why? One way of looking at it is that we are being reminded, early on in Lent, that the purpose of the disciplines we do in Lent is to transform us, to change us, to make us more like Christ. Hopefully, by the time we celebrate Easter, there will be a little less of Paul Portland’s ego and needs in me and a little more of Christ. Like St. Paul, we are gradually transforming ourselves into Christ. I repeat what I wrote last week: to help us grow (read TRANSFORM), Lent calls us to increased fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. The fasting helps us move out of ourselves, to be less self-indulgent; the almsgiving goes a step further, asking us to reach out and use the gifts we have been given for others; since both of those are difficult, building a stronger relationship with the Lord through prayer will hopefully give us the help and strength that we will need to continue our lifelong process of transformation. Fr. Anthony de Mello tells the story of a change in one man’s prayer life: “I was a revolutionary when I was young and all my prayer to God was: ‘Lord, give me the grace to change the world.’ As I approached middle age and realized that half of my life was gone without changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to: ‘Lord, give me the grace to change all those who come in contact with me; just my family and friends and I shall be satisfied.’ Now that I am old and my days are numbered, I have begun to see how foolish I have been. My one prayer now is: ‘Lord, give me the grace to change myself.’ If I had prayed for this right from the start, I should not have wasted my life.” Let us support each other’s efforts with prayer. From Fr. Paul --
Below is the report on our recent parish survey which was included in the bulletin. Overall, it was very positive. The comments and suggestions for priorities that were given will be very helpful as the Formation and Evangelization Commission and the Pastoral Council develop a parish goal for 2019-2020. I thank the 74 parishioners who made the effort to participate. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the Parish. -- Paul James Portland, SDS Join us on Sunday, March 24th from 12pm-2pm at St. Pius X, Cafeteria for an afternoon with Grace Urbanski, the author of Pray with Me: Seven Simple Ways to Pray with your Children and former national director of children's ministry for the Apostleship of Prayer (now the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network). Grace will talk about how to engage in the Mass with your children and how to pray more together as a family.
What to Expect: Food and Fellowship Talk on how help children (and you!) get more out of Mass each week Family Activities on the Mass Please remember our Lenten reflection/adoration Tuesday evening, March 12, at 7 pm in the church. And nominations are still open for one trustee and four pastoral council members.
I have received an e-mail from Padre Fernando, the pastor of our sister parish, saying they are using our donation from last year to remodel the multi-purpose room of the main parish. From the pictures he sent, I can see that it is needed. He thanked us again and said they were offering a special Mass for our intentions. Our first reading from Deuteronomy presents being generous as the proper response to what God has given us. The Lord had called the Israelites, led them from slavery, forgiven them when they wandered, and given them the promised land. Their response was to offer their first fruits in gratitude (the origin of tithing). In the Gospel we hear Luke’s version of the temptations Jesus experienced after his baptism. They were temptations to be self-centered, to use his gifts in a selfish way, the opposite of being generous. The message for us is to grow in showing gratitude for the time, treasure, and talent that the Lord has given us by being more and more generous. To help us grow, Lent calls us to increased fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. The fasting helps us move out of ourselves, to be less self-indulgent; the almsgiving goes a step further, asking us to reach out and use the gifts we have been given for others; since both of those are difficult, building a stronger relationship with the Lord through prayer will hopefully give us the help and strength that we will need. My prayer is that we all take this time of self-reflection and spiritual growth seriously, using the booklets the community has provided to help us pray individually and as a family, as well as participating in the various spiritual activities that have been planned. Hope to see you Tuesday evening at the Lenten reflection. And let us support each other in prayer. -- Paul James Portland, SDS It's that time again to support the Tosa Food Pantry with our donations of non perishable food items. The brutal winter has no doubt been even more brutal to those who have less than we do.
Please be as generous with your support as you are able to. Pick up a bag after all the masses on March 9th and 10th and use the attached list to guide your donation purchases. Return the bag with your items on March 16th/17th in the back of church. Thank you to all who contribute so generously and continuously to this important mission. Lent is upon us! We have an Ash Wednesday service at 8 am, St. Bernard has a noon service, and Christ King has a service at 5:30 pm. The Lenten reflection booklet for adults and the activities booklet for families with children are available in the back of church and the parish office. And you can register for child care on our webpage for Tuesday evening, March 12, so that you can attend our Lenten Reflection Christianity as a Lifestyle at 7 pm in the church. I urge you to take advantage of these opportunities.
Nominations are open for one trustee and four pastoral council members. Forms were sent with our newsletter, and can be found here on our website. A theme of our readings this weekend is watch what we say. Our lesson starts in the first reading from Sirach where we hear: When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one's faults when one speaks and then Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested. Our Gospel concludes with the following words, taken from near the end of Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain”: A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. In other words, when I speak I reveal more about me than about the subject of my words. Am I kind and understanding or am I harsh and judging? Do I reveal a cranky complainer or a joyful, compassionate follower of Jesus? There is so much gossip, judging, condemning in our culture today. These things are NOT rooted in the Gospel and they reveal what is in our hearts. As both our readings indicate, “by their fruits you will know them,” and that is so true when we open our mouths. Lent starts in three days. There can be no better resolution than to strive so that everything that comes out of our mouths builds up, rather than tears down. And let us support each other in prayer. -- Paul James Portland, SDS This weekend we start our discernment for a trustee and four pastoral council members. More information can be found on the nomination form online, in the bulletin, and in our newsletter, which will go out this week. Please prayerfully reflect and nominate good leaders for our community.
Congratulations to parishioner Ron Schwartz who turned 108 on February 14 and was featured in the Journal-Sentinel last Sunday with an article and photos! Keep our Lenten Reflection in church from 7 to 8 pm on Tuesday, March 12, on your radar. Childcare will be provided. We all have heard of Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount,” which begins with the beatitudes. Luke has a “Sermon on the Plain,” which we started to read last week with his version of the beatitudes and which continues this weekend with a call to love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke then rachets up the pressure by noting that God will treat us as we treat others: Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you… All of this challenges us to act in ways that are extremely difficult, some would say impossible. But, to use a cliché, “nothing is impossible with God!” We won’t be able to do this in one day or one week or one year or one lifetime: it will be a lifelong process of growing in our ability to do so. And the important thing is that we are growing. But we need help and support, first from God. That is why building a personal relationship with God is so important. And we need the support of the community, others who are struggling to be compassionate, loving, and forgiving. That is why it is so important that we stay connected to the community and the graces that come from receiving the sacraments. I invite us this week to reflect on whether we are growing in our ability to incorporate these difficult demands into the way we act. Are we improving? How can we do better? And let us support each other in prayer. -- Paul James Portland, SDS This is the time of year when we ask people to prayerfully consider serving in various parish leadership roles that will be available. The work of the Church has always been fueled by people offering their talent and time. Perhaps, at this time, there is something you have to offer our parish in the way of leadership that you are able to share. Please look over this form detailing the leadership positions that need to be filled. Prayerfully consider taking a leadership role or nominate a parishioner whom you truly feel would be a good leader. Persons who are nominated will be contacted and invited to participate in a discernment session to give them more information on the commitment. Your prayers for the success of this selection process and for the life of our parish are always a way to be connected and involved; a leadership role will enhance this. After you have entered your nominations, please place the form in the offertory basket or turn it in to the parish office. Please also feel free to submit a nomination via email to piusx.council@gmail.com (please include the name of the nominee, contact information and role). Learn more about the open positions, requirements, and full details: Schedule for nomination/selection process 2019
Adults of all ages should have one. Do you need one or need to update your current document (due to deaths, divorce or marriage)? St. Pius X Health Ministry invites you to learn about Advance Health Care Directives also known as Power of Attorney for Health Care on Thursday, April 11, 2019 in the rectory living room* at 6:30 PM.
Take charge of your future health care decisions and put the worry of your loved ones aside. Lisa Marie Idzikowski, APSW will explain your choices and the difference between a Living Will, Advanced Directive and a Wisconsin Health Care Power of Attorney as she walks you through the decision-making process. Lisa Marie will answer your questions, and will provide the forms you need to complete a legal document (that evening if you choose to). Come learn about this process for yourself or to help a family member, friend, or loved one. You can even complete your Directive for free! Please plan to join us! *Rectory Living Room, 2506 Wauwatosa Ave., enter parish office doors and turn right. Street parking Even if you don’t skate, you are welcome to
come to the cafeteria for great homemade pizza by Pius Pizza Pops, from 6-8 PM Only $10 with unlimited toppings. Beginners ONLY ~ 6-7 PM ~ All Skate ~ 7-9 PM Children under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Admission $5—includes skates ~ $1 discount with own skates No child will be allowed outside unless accompanied by an adult No in-line, Skechers or Heelys skates For more information or to schedule a party contact: Carey at paradiseandfirst@hotmail.com |