The City of Milwaukee has begun a transit public works project on the sidewalk in front of our church. This has greatly impacted access to the Wisconsin Avenue entrance of the building. For daily Masses and confessions, the elevator door and east and west transept doors are still accessible from either Parking Lot "J" behind Gesu, or from inside the Marquette campus. For the weekend we are working on securing temporary access to the front doors on Wisconsin Avenue. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will keep you posted as this project develops.

Dear Gesu Parishioners,

I am excited to begin serving as your pastor today.

I begin this new role with deep respect for the history of this great parish. I have clear memories from my time as a student of going to confession with Fr. Ken Herian, of listening to Fr. Jim Warosh’s daily homilies about the saint of the day, and of being fed by Fr. Pat Walsh’s preaching in his expeditious 6:00 p.m. Mass. My appreciation of our history has only grown over the past year.

The future also holds exciting possibilities. We are working on several opportunities for the coming year. Be on the lookout for ways to engage with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, formation related to the Eucharistic Revival, and more about the Church’s Synod on Synodality that is currently underway.

Forgive us for war, O Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners!
Lord Jesus, born in the shadows of bombs falling on Kyiv, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus, who died in a mother's arms in a bunker in Kharkiv, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus, a 20-year-old sent to the frontlines, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus, who still behold armed hands in the shadow of your Cross, have mercy on us!

Forgive us, O Lord.

Forgive us, if these hands which You created to tend have been transformed into instruments of death.
Forgive us, O Lord, if we continue to kill our brother;

Forgive us, if we continue like Cain to pick up the stones of our fields to kill Abel.
Forgive us, if we continue to justify our cruelty with our labors, if we legitimize the brutality of our actions with our pain.

Forgive us for war, O Lord. Forgive us for war, O Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, Song of God, we implore You! Hold fast the hand of Cain! Illumine our consciences;
May our will not be done;
Abandon us not to our own actions!

Stop us, O Lord, stop us!
And when you have held back the hand of Cain, care alsol for him. He is our brother.
O lord, put a halt to the violence!
Stop us, O Lord!
Amen.

 

As you know, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is conducting a capital campaign, “Love One Another.” In past parish updates, I mentioned that Gesu is in the “first wave” of parishes involved. Indeed, during the last several months, we have participated in meetings with the Archdiocese and its consulting firm. We also identified a case or project for our parish, i.e., replacement of flooring and pews in the upper church.

In conversations with the Archdiocese, we learned that Gesu is not obligated to participate in the “Love One Another” campaign. The reason is that our governing structure is different from the typical parish of the Archdiocese. Nonetheless, Gesu will make a significant financial contribution to the campaign. We also encourage you to contribute, as you see fit.

This new scenario, however, allows us to envision a capital campaign of our own in which 100% of donations will go to the parish. The project of replacing the flooring and pews in the upper church remains the same. Depending on the funds raised, we may be able to make additional renovations, as well.

In the coming weeks and months, Gesu will communicate more details concerning the campaign. The success of the campaign will help sustain our remarkable worship space for generations to come.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the parish!

Fr. Jim Flaherty, SJ

Past Pastor