St. Thomas/St Clare newsletter

One faith community, two worship sites

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

08 January 2021 Volume 54

January 5, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I guess during my five years of dance classes in tap and ballet in the Adrienne Flegal School of Dance, I must have missed the one that said you could not tap dance on ice. On December 30, in my sister’s driveway, I slipped on the ice and broke my left wrist. My friends who are lawyers said this was a double whammy – the wrist was broken, but there is no one to sue. Over my protestations, my sister convinced me to go to the hospital to have it examined; the X-rays and the ER doctor confirmed the break. The splint and wrap immobilized my hand and increased its size by three times. Many would say that it is a befitting way to end 2020. But, in all things, even the struggles, God is always teaching us and making us aware of our limitations.

I am righthanded, so I did not give much consideration to my left hand. But, now I must do everything without the stabilization or the balance that comes from using two hands. Even now, I am typing this LOA with one or two fingers on my right hand and making all sorts of mistakes. This broken wrist has reminded me of the individuals that have graced my life as friends and suffered the limitations many take for granted.

Michael, a boyhood friend, after his time in the armed service, was thrown from his car and became a quadriplegic. He was paralyzed from the neck down with minimal use of his hands. He went on to receive a Ph.D. in history and taught at a City College in Chicago. Every day was a challenge for him and yet, there are many with far fewer challenges who curse their lot.

There was Bob who suffered from bone cancer. He pledged to God that he would go to Mass daily in his last days of life and, for more than 14 months, he got up every morning for Mass. He would have to wake up three hours before Mass because it took him over two and a half hours to shower and dress in pain and slowly drive to the Church where he spent some time in prayer before Mass. How many attend Mass without difficulty and never stop to thank God for the privilege of being present to celebrate the sacrifice of His Son?

There was Randy who was born with a partial left arm (no hand). The remarkable thing was that this limitation never stopped him from competing in sports or participating in any activity with his friends. Many forgot that he did not have a left hand because he often performed better than his friends. He never complained or sought special treatment.

We are all inconvenienced by this current pandemic. Some of us have even experienced the tragic loss of loved ones. We need to seek the consolation of our faith and turn to God in hope and trust. For those of faith, death does not end our relationship; “life is changed, not ended.” And, we give thanks for the faith that affirms the love we experience in this world which will never end in God. Never fail to express your love with those that surround you with simple words or gestures of affection.

Some have suffered attacks on their health. We often take for granted our health. How often do we thank God for the simple ability to experience another day? We have certainly been made aware of the sacrifices of our medical community, for their steadfast dedication to those who are sick. During this pandemic, let us be reminded to pray for those who are sick and care for them. Let us contact friends in nursing homes or assisted living by phone or emails, letting them know that they are not forgotten.

Indeed, this is not the way we have normally experienced our day-to-day life, but this pandemic allows us to appreciate being people of faith who have received gifts from God and our willingness to witness His love, despite our limitations and difficulties in the way we LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki

Archbishop of Milwaukee

Have you wondered what the roses are in back of church?

The Elizabeth Ministry is here for you

What is Elizabeth Ministry?

Elizabeth Ministry is an international organization designed to support women and their families as they raise their children. St. Thomas has been a registered chapter since 2019.

How does it work if you need prayers or a member to contact you?

In the back of church there is a basket with roses laying in it. White roses are for the loss or miscarriage of a baby, red is for an adoption or waiting to adopt, yellow is for wanting to have a baby and trying to become pregnant, pink is for the expectant mother so her pregnancy goes well. Locate a card that corresponds to the color of rose you need and fill out the card. Once you have filled out the card take a ribbon and attach it to the rose. Once you have completed this, place the rose into the vase. If you would like someone to reach out to you, make sure to include your name and phone number. An Elizabeth minister will contact you. If you would like to remain anonymous but would still like a member to reach out to you, take a card and fill it out and place the card into the grey fabric printed container in the basket with the roses and a member will contact you, but please place the appropriate colored rose into the vase. When the members see a rose without a card they will know to check the container.

How does it work as a volunteer?

Volunteers become Elizabeth Ministers in the areas that they have experience. For example, a woman who has twins would visit and mentor a woman who is pregnant with twins. Continued support is given through the pregnancy and after the birth as needed. This support comes in the forms of visits, prayer, phone calls, cards etc. Areas of the Elizabeth Ministry include pregnancy, birth, miscarriage, stillbirth support, regretted abortion, infant or child death, adoption, family crisis as examples.

Other areas the ministry is involved may include: family mom group outings, meal outreach for parish members in crisis, welcoming baptism families, prayer support for families in need, outreach to celebrate baptism anniversaries to name a few.

The Need

In past generations, the presence, intimacy and support needed during childbearing years was found within the structures of family, neighborhood, church and community. In the past women were near family members and were home with neighbors who raised children together. Today, families work and some are not close to their family members.

Many women feel isolated during their childbearing years, particularly in times of crisis. Elizabeth Ministry will provide a great opportunity to touch women and their families, and to offer them support, encouragement and affirmation during this time. The Ministry will engage many women of the church in active ministry with others, they will provide outreach, service, and love.

Elizabeth Ministry offers women an opportunity to minister to others and to be ministered to during times of need.

What are the benefits?

Elizabeth Ministry supports a faith community’s commitment to the sanctity of life. It’s a way to reach young adults as they build their families. It also provides a focused dimension to bereavement ministry and marriage enrichment. It builds community and is especially successful in parishes with schools and young families.

Elizabeth Ministry is a perfect forum for meeting new people in the church and greeting newcomers with a true spirit of welcome.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact

Mary Chic by clicking here.

or Mary Hoffmant by clicking here

Click here to register for a food donation

Thank you for your financial gifts

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee would like you to be aware of tax benefits available to you when you support your parish.

The CARES Act will allow taxpayers to deduct donations to charity of up to $300 on their 2020 federal tax return, even though they take the standard deduction. The new law allows all taxpayers to take a charitable deduction even if you do not itemize.

Funds from an IRA can be used for charitable donations if done correctly. Using an IRA to make a charitable donation can help lower your tax bill.

Check with your tax advisor for more information and new tax laws for 2020.

Please remember the parish in your year-end giving. The needs in Wind Lake/Waterford continue to grow as the pandemic remains.

Your gift of any amount will empower our parishes to serve those who need it most.

Thank you for your continued support of your church.

CALLING ALL

HUNTERS

It is that time of year again!

The Hunting seasons are upon us, so we begin planning for the

49^th Annual Wild Game Dinner

~We will be seeking Meat Donations~

We can pick up, process and store it!

Please contact…..

Mikki Hegemann Brown… 262-210-3168

Scott Gunderson… 414-581-3157

SAVE THE DATE… MARCH 13, 2021

We hope you used Sign Up Genius to register for this weekend's mass. At St Thomas we will be utilizing the screens for the worship and at St Clare we will have worship aids available. You can obtain a copy of the worship aid by clicking the button below. You can also register for Mass with the link below.