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Instead of giving something up for Lent, how about adding something? Below is a list of faith formation opportunities that will bring you closer to God and strengthen your faith. Links from the list: www.stpiusparish.org formed.org/signup bit.ly/PiusLent23  Date: Sunday, February 26th Time: After the 10:30 am Mass Location: Cafeteria Join us to celebrate the service Kathy Wellenstein has given to our parish in music and liturgy, wishing her well in her “second” retirement. Her first retirement came in November 2021, but we were not able to celebrate because of the pandemic. Then, when the need came up this past November, Kathy stepped up to keep our liturgies and music going. With the hiring of our new Director, she was able to retire again. We will gather in the cafeteria after the Mass to congratulate her and celebrate with her. Please come and let her know how much you appreciate her many years of dedicated service. Thank you, Kathy!  We are excited to welcome Matt Zembrowski as our new Director of Liturgy and Music!
Matt brings extensive experience in both liturgy and theater to the position at St. Pius X. Most recently, he served as the Music and Liturgy Director at St. Robert of Newminster Parish in Shorewood. Prior to that, he spent over a decade as the Pastoral Music Director at Cardinal Stritch University. He also served as the Youth Ministry and Youth Music Director at Holy Family Parish in Whitefish Bay, and Choir Director for Lutheran Church of the Living Christ in Germantown. Additionally, Matt was the Theater Director and Choral Director at St. Thomas More High School from 2012-2021, and is currently directing the spring musical at Catholic Memorial High School. Matt has also performed for many local theater companies, and has written both the script and music for several full length musicals, most notably "Dad's Season Tickets", which played a sold-out run at Milwaukee Rep in the fall of 2021. Next time you're at Mass, stop over by the choir area and welcome Matt to Pius! As a reminder, IRS regulations dictate that contributions for the calendar year 2022 must be received by December 31st, or in an envelope postmarked no later than December 31st, 2022.
The last day of the year that the parish office will be open is Friday, December 30th (closing at noon). You may also drop off your donation in the black mailbox to the right of the parish office doors or in the collection basket Christmas weekend or at the 5:00 pm Mass on December 31st. A check dated December 31st or earlier, but not in the parish’s possession or in a valid postmarked envelope, and received by the parish office on January 1st or later, is a 2023 contribution. We invite you to join us as we celebrate the seasons of Advent and Christmas! More information on the Adore Video Series & Discussions & the Reflection Services can be found on our Adult Ministry page.  Card SundayNovember 26th & 27th Help spread Christmas cheer to our homebound parishioners! To participate, fill out a Christmas card (or make your own!) for each person listed in the bulletin. A short message in the cards is always appreciated! Then, bring your cards to church (baskets will be in the Sanctuary) the weekend of November 26th & 27th. If you need more time, drop them off at the parish office by Monday, December 12th. Volunteers will then deliver the cards along with a small poinsettia plant. Contact the parish office with any questions and to get a list of names. Gift SundayDecember 3rd & 4th Gift Sunday is a long-standing (40+ years) tradition at here St. Pius X. It helps to meet needs within our community as expressed by the programs below. The needs are as great as ever, they appreciate your generosity. Please place the gifts on the Altar the weekend of December 3rd or 4th, or you may return them to the parish office by December 2nd. Do not wrap the gifts; if boxed, label with the item, size and age group, and indicate the designated agency (i.e. boy/girl 6+ years, 4T boy blue shirt and pants, woman’s med black gloves). Gift cards are strongly encouraged and may be purchased through St. Pius X’s Scrip program, placed in an envelope(s) and labeled with the agency name. Bring them to church or the parish office. You may also use this order form. Note that using the order form has an earlier deadline. For more information on the organizations that receive the gifts, please see page 7 of our November Parish Press. If you have any questions, please call the parish office. Gift Requests All age groups:
Eras Senior Network:
St. Vincent de Paul:
Hope Network:
Casa Maria:
La Causa Crisis Nursery and Prevention Program (birth to 12):
Food SundayDecember 10th & 11th
Please bring non-perishable food items to church the weekend of December 10th and 11th and place them in the back. Your donations will be delivered to the Hunger Task Force for those in need this holiday season. Pius parishioners always come through, so we thank you in advance for your generous support. We are searching for a skilled, creative and enthusiastic full time Director of Liturgy and Music!
Please review the job listing below. To apply, email your cover letter, letters of reference and a completed application (found at www.archmil.org/Resources/Application-for-Employment.htm) to Dean Weyer, Director of Operations & Finance, at dweyer@stpiusparish.org. General:
Music Program:
Liturgy Program:
Administrative:
Qualifications:
Date: Sunday, September 11th
Time: Mass at 10:00 am in Church, luncheon to follow in the gym Please note: There will be a 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, but no 8:00 am Mass on Sunday. Luncheon tickets are available: At the door, they are no longer available online or at the parish office Ticket prices:
Menu:
We need volunteers to make this happen! Contact the parish office if you are able to help at this event, or even just part of it! Bring your smartphone - we have a surprise for you! (Don’t have a smart phone? Don’t worry, you can take the surprise to use at home.) This is your chance to be a lifesaver - donate blood at Dick's 27th Blood Drive!
Date: Saturday, July 9th Time: 8:00 am - 1:00 pm Location: Wauwatosa Catholic School gym Hot dogs and brats will be served to all attempting donors and their guests, and as an extra thank you, limited edition t-shirts will be given out while supplies last. Please make an appointment to help minimize waiting times at http://www.bit.ly/dbdjuly922 or call (877) 232-4376. Thank you for your continued support! Written by Sam El-Azem, Tri-parish Director of Formation for Children During the season of Easter, we witness of the joy of the Sacraments, especially when our youngest friends are invited to receive Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time. This is always such a special time for the children and our parish communities.
I want to share with you the process to prepare for the Sacraments within the methodology of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Beginning in Level 1 (K3-K5), the child is invited to consider their friendship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd. It is a friendship that, we believe children already have with God, and is rooted in love and security. Drawing on the Kingdom parables, these themes in the Scriptures are presented and the children are invited to respond. Once in Level 2 (1st-3rd Grade), the children are starting to consider their place in the world, their families, their friendships, and their relationship with God. In Level 1, they grow in the foundational and unchanging love of God and in Level 2, we ponder our response. We start to consider all of the amazing gifts that God has given to us, there is an even greater gift that God wants to give to us—Jesus in the Eucharist. At the beginning of the year, we gather as a group and the children are invited to consider if this is their year to receive Jesus in this special way. When we think about child development, we discover that not all children develop at the same rate physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and yes, even spiritually. Our mixed age group classes allow for children to be exposed to this process of discernment and to assess their own readiness to start preparing to receive these gifts of Reconciliation and the Eucharist for the first time. This is the first year that we approached preparation this way and the fruit of this is beyond words. For the children who discern that this is their year, their focus shifts a bit when it comes to presentations and work with the materials in the Atrium. As their moral lives start to develop, we ponder the moral parables that Jesus gives to us like the Good Samaritan, the Found Coin, the Found Sheep, and the True Vine. We think about what it looks like to love God with all of our hearts, our souls, and our strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus also gives us Maxims in the Bible that help us think more deeply about these commandments—”love your enemies,” “your body is temple of the Holy Spirit,” “do not blow a trumpet before you,” and more. These Maxims invite the children to consider their own lives and how they live (or do not live) these out. This is our response to the gifts we are given. We also study the Mass more intentionally and the children work on a big project of writing out certain prayers of the Mass to make their own first Missal, or guidebook to the Mass. In April, we have three extra sessions that include the child and the parent(s) where we ponder the parable of the True Vine, being connected to Christ, the moments of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the gift of the love of God. A highlight of this entire process, however, is the Sacrament retreat. The children and at least one parent attend a retreat, a time of intentional preparation, on Thursday evening, Friday evening, and most of Saturday. On Friday, we celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time, recalling our connection to Jesus, the True Vine. After receiving the Sacrament, the children then light a candle from the Easter candle as a sign of this Light of Christ being renewed within us. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is deeply connected to the Sacrament of the Eucharist. This is why we celebrate the two of them so close together. When we link the Sacrament of God’s mercy and healing with the celebration of the Eucharist, the children know the deep love of the Good Shepherd, a love that is their own, no matter what. That in renewing the Light within us, we can more fully receive all the love that God wants to give. What a gift! These gifts are seen as a part of the whole gift of having a lived relationship with Christ and gifts that we continue to receive as a sheep in the flock of Christ. I encourage parents to not wait to sign their children up for formation when they are in that 2nd grade year. Children have a deep friendship with Christ even from a youngest of ages. Consider enrolling them in our Level 1 Atrium (K3-K5 aged children) so they can spend time cultivating the foundation of Christ’s love so that when they get to Level 2 (1st-3rd grade) and to Level 3 (4th-6th), they can build upon it. Sign up for our 6-week summer sessions is open now and fall registration will open in the middle of summer. Date: Tuesday, May 17th
Time: 6:30 pm Location: St. Pius X, in the Francis Jordan Room (enter through parish office doors) RSVP: Call the St. Pius X parish office at (414) 453-3875 Adults of all ages should have an Advanced Health Care Directive, also known as Power of Attorney for Health Care. Do you need one or need to update your current document (due to deaths, divorce or marriage)? Take charge of your future health care decisions and put the worry of your loved ones aside. Parishioner 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 provide you with 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. They are welcome as well.  Over the coming months, Catholics from around the world will be participating in a worldwide Synod, or consultation process. Lend your voice to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's response to Pope Francis' Synod on Synodality! What would you like the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and Pope Francis to know?
Join us on Saturday, May 21st at 10:00 am in the Francis Jordan Meeting Room* for a facilitated dialogue and listening session about the consultation questions. A synthesis of the discussion, along with your comments, will then be forwarded to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which will in turn forward their synthesis to Rome. No registration is required. Unable to attend the meeting? You can still share your thoughts by filling out the survey here. *Come to the parish office doors off Wauwatosa Avenue. |
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