January 14, 2021
“Ut unum sint…” (Gospel of John 17:21)
“That they may all be one…”
“E pluribus unum…” (Great Seal of the United States)
“From the many, one…”
Dear Friends,
The recent events of history, combined with this next week in which we remember the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., commit to a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, remember the sad anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and struggle through the deadly effects of a world pandemic, the word UNUM is our deepest prayer. In the Gospel of John, Jesus’s most fervent prayer is that his followers be ONE. The founders of our nation knew that in all our diversity, in a land blessed with so much, its citizens must strive to be ONE.
And that is our simple message this week: UNITY!
Please pray fervently that though we have much to face, and the problems and issues seem overwhelming, we must seek that unity which, though it is not uniformity or even agreement, affords us the invitation to civil and life-affirming dialogue. We have to start somewhere to move forward, and being together in mutual respect and making sacrifices for that unity is the best place to start! The founder of the production line in industry, Henry Ford, said it right, and he wasn’t just talking about cars:
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
And so we commit ourselves in prayer and action, one step at a time! Let’s get to work!
Video Mass for Sunday, January 17th. Here is the recorded Mass for this upcoming Sunday (2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time). 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 Meggie Moyer, and our cantor Amy Sobczak for their efforts in making our prayer as beautiful as possible.
In Person Mass. Please be sure to register online to attend an in person Mass. Our Mass schedule and registration links can be found on the Reopening and Mass Times pages of the parish website. The links to those pages are included every week at the bottom of this newsletter.
Eat, Drink and Be Catholic @Home with Fr. Tim Kitzke. On Wednesday, January 13, Fr. Tim joined Eat, Drink and Be Catholic as we continued exploration of this year’s theme: “From Social Distance to Encounter.” The recording of the evening is now available here on YouTube.
Martin Luther King, Jr. This weekend marks the remembrance of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. If you'd like to commemorate his life with other people of faith, here are two opportunities for you to consider:
On Saturday, January 16 from 1:30 - 3:30 pm, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is sponsoring their 30th Annual Prayer Service for MLK Day entitled, "The Drum Major Instinct." This event will be livestreamed on the Archdiocesan YouTube channel. You can find more information at www.archmil.org/ArchdioceseEvents/Dr.-Martin-Luther-King-Jr4.-Prayer-Service.htm.
On Sunday, January 17 at 7:00 pm, the Family of Four Parishes is helping to sponsor Interfaith Devotional: The Faith and Vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This online video presentation promises to be quite inspiring, with representatives of MANY faith traditions, including our own! You can find more information at https://fb.me/e/3txZwSWxg.
Respect Life Mass. January is Respect Life Month to continue building a culture that cherishes and protects every human life. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373, designates January 22 as a particular day of prayer and penance called the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.” The Archdiocese of Milwaukee will host 10 Masses across the archdiocese. Details can be found at www.archmil.org/RespectLife.
The Jewish People and the Church. Looking ahead, The Lux Center is sponsoring another Zoom webinar series, “Jewish Studies for Christians: The Jewish People and the Church,” beginning on January 27 at 7:00 pm. The sessions will feature nationally known Jewish and Catholic scholars and will deal with God, Israel and the Holocaust. You can find more information and a link to register on the attached flyer.
Catholic East Enrolling for New School Year. Your parish school, Catholic East, encourages children in grades K3-8 to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their lives: academic, spiritual, moral, social, and physical. With approximately 250 students, we offer a rich learning experience led by highly qualified staff, with a solid foundation in our Catholic faith, and diversity that reflects our community. Catholic East scholars are living examples of our mission, "We Pray! We Serve! We Learn!" Now is the time to start moving forward with enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year! Catholic East is an uplifting, affordable option for your family! Visit the Admissions page of our website at www.catholiceast.org for more details, or call us at 414-964-1770. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
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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