December 17, 2020
Dear Friends,
As your pastor I would like to take the chance this 4th Sunday of Advent to THANK YOU for all the support and encouragement you have given me, Fr. John, Chad and our whole pastoral staff as we worked to “keep the ship afloat.” It has been, as they say, “interesting.”
As we approach the great feast of Christmas, I am amazed at the depth of generosity as we pay the bills, keep the heat on, make sure the floors are swept and pews dusted, keep our programs going, serve our students and Catholic East and in UPLIFT Families religious education, pay our staff, help the poor and those Central City parishes so dear to our mission, remember our elders and reach out to anyone who might be going through tough times. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Please know of our continued presence especially for Christmas with our YouTube Mass. You all will be in heart as I preside at that Mass. For those considering in person Mass, please be patient with the steps we are taking to ensure health and safety. See our websites to sign up for the ticket you will need to attend or call our parish offices.
The birth of Love at Christmas will make our celebration the best ever! Please know of our love and prayers.
- We are still in need of ushers to help us welcome guests at our Christmas Masses. If you are available and willing to serve, please contact Mary Robertson (robertsonm@archmil.org) or Brian Eggers (eggersb@archmil.org).
- With Brian Eggers' retirement from parish ministry, our pastors are excited to announce the hiring of a new Associate Director of Music & Liturgy: Meggie Moyer. We look forward to welcoming Meggie into our Family of Four Parishes in the New Year!
Video Mass for Sunday, December 20th. Here is the recorded Mass for this upcoming Sunday (4th Sunday of Advent). We provide a worship aid to help you better enter into the prayer of the Mass. Please know that we will continue these recorded Masses indefinitely. We are so grateful to DV Productions, our Liturgists Mary Robertson and Brian Eggers, and our cantor Amy Sobczak for their efforts in making our prayer as beautiful as possible.
At-Home Advent Retreat. Advent is a time to prepare our hearts for our Lord, Emmanuel, which means “God-with-us.” During this pandemic and safer at home, people have been finding creative ways of using their time. The At-Home Advent Retreat was developed to offer you time to dwell in the great love that came down at Christmas. Click here to view and print the At-Home Advent Retreat Booklet. If you know someone who does not have internet access and would like a copy of this booklet, please contact Terri Balash, Director of Pastoral Care, at balasht@archmil.org and one will be mailed to them. Have a blessed Advent.
Coping With the Holidays Booklet. With the loss of a member of your family, holidays and special occasions will be difficult. Holidays are often filled with traditions and memories of closeness. As we face these days without our loved one, the empty space they leave behind looms large in our hearts. By creating new traditions and understanding the common difficulties faced with the holidays, they can be easier to cope with. The Coping with the Holidays Booklet has been created to help in the healing process. Be gentle with yourself, and know of our prayers for you. Please feel free to contact Terri Balash, Director of Pastoral Care, at 414-469-6173 or balasht@archmil.org.
Advent Giving Tree. Many thanks for your generous giving for this year’s Advent Giving Tree at Old St. Mary, Our Lady of Divine Providence, and Three Holy Women! MANY of our Milwaukee neighbors will be blessed by the warm slippers, men’s wallets, clothing, socks, toys, pots and pans, blankets, gift cards, and other items that you have shared with La Causa Crisis Nursery, The Guest House of Milwaukee, and the Six Saints conference of St. Vincent de Paul. We are blessed by your merry and joyous giving… THANK YOU!!
It’s not too late! You can still contribute to this year’s Holiday Giving Tree at Saints Peter and Paul by sending gifts directly to the recipient organizations through their Amazon wish list. We are asking for toys for the House of Peace and long underwear for St. Ben’s Community Meal. Guidelines on purchasing items can be found in the attached flyer. Thank you for sharing the love of Christ with our neighbors!
March for Life Madison. Pro-Life Wisconsin invites you to march with them on the sidewalks around the State Capitol on January 2, 2021. More details can be found at www.prolifewi.org/march-for-life-madison.
Making, Not Baking, the World a Better Place. The Three Holy Women Parish Christian Women are unable to safely have our annual Christmas cookie sale this year. Over the many years of the sale, we have been able to provide financial support for areas of need within the parish and in our neighboring community. In keeping with the spirit of the cookie sale, Fr. Tim has challenged us to raise sorely needed funds for our Central City parishes. To help us rise to his challenge, in lieu of a cookie order this year, please complete the "order" form and return with your donation by Christmas. Peace and blessings to you from the Christian Women Society! Thank you!! Click this link to take you to our “no cookie sale” flyer and order form.
Parish Financial Support. We continue to be humbled by your financial support of the parish during these tender and tenuous times. Thank you so much, it has been amazing to witness the generosity of so many! Please mail in your envelopes and contributions to our parish office (SS Peter & Paul Parish, 2491 N Murray Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211), and our parish staff will process these.
Please do not hesitate to contact me (Cell: 414-762-7986; kitzket@archmil.org) or Fr. John (Cell: 414-305-3824; baumgardnerj@archmil.org) if you need anything! Be assured of our love and prayers.
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. Tim
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