A Letter from Fr. Paul - April 23, 2017

As was announced at the Easter Masses, we have agreed to rent our school to Wisconsin Lutheran High School to open an all-boys high school starting in the fall of 2018. While Wisconsin Lutheran will host an open house for neighbors as part of the process of seeking approval for an occupancy permit from the city, there will be a special meeting for parishioners on Thursday, April 27, at 7 pm in the cafeteria.

This will give parishioners an opportunity to meet with Wisconsin Lutheran representatives and hear first-hand about their exciting plans.

A number of families took advantage of the school break for a vacation. I hope it was a refreshing time for you. We missed you!

A five session series on The Sacraments by Br. Silas Henderson SDS begins Tuesday evening. I urge you to take advantage of this spiritual formation opportunity. More information is available here.

The IB Learner Profile attribute for the month of April is "reflective." IB students thoughtfully consider the world and their own ideas and experiences. They work to understand their strengths and weaknesses in order to support their learning and personal development. They think about what they have learned, what they are good at, and where they need improvement. They think about their actions and the consequences of their actions. The IB attitudes which correspond to being reflective and which will be emphasized during the month are confidence, independence, and creativity.

Within the last two weeks you should have received a second mailing concerning the Catholic Stewardship Appeal. As of April 3 we have contributed $9,575 toward our goal of $25,000. We are a little over 1/3 of the way there! I hope we can be more supportive of this appeal than we have been in the past. The ministries supported are well worth it: family, schools, parishes, and priestly formation. Please be as generous as you can.

Our first reading on this octave of Easter is the last 6 verses from Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, which describes both the disposition and the actions of the first community of believers. They are described as having awe, exultation, and sincerity of heart. Perhaps it was these qualities that made the following possible: All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need.

Pooling resources and sharing according to needs is not easy; ironically, it seems to become more difficult the more we have: we become possessive, protective. But the early Christians’ ability to joyfully share things in common attracted many people to “the Way”: And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Faith in the Risen Lord gives us the strength and ability to rise above ourselves and our selfishness, prejudices, and fears in a way we never would have imagined.

As we continue our celebration of the Lord’s resurrection, let us thank the Lord for giving us the power to rise above ourselves and share His Love and gifts with others.

​-- Paul James Portland, SDS