Divine Mercy Weekly Update

This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  Be sure to bring your family to church so you can grow in holiness, too!

Anointing of the Sick will take place following the 4pm Mass on Saturday, December 30th.  All in need of healing are welcome.  If you know someone who could benefit, please invite them to Mass this Saturday.

Join us in celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God on Monday, January 1, 2024!  Although not a Holy Day of Obligation this year, we will begin the New Year by honoring our Holy Mother.  Eucharistic Adoration begins at 8:00 a.m., followed by Mass at 8:30 a.m. in church at 800 Marquette Avenue.  There is NO morning Mass in our Chapel this day.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, January 1st. 

It’s not too late to sign up for Emmaus 90 TODAY!  A 90 day journey from New Years to Easter - 90 days to encounter Jesus Christ, grow more firm in your faith, and emerge more confident in sharing the Gospel than ever before.  For more information and to register, visit www.archmil.org/emmaus-90.  

Emmaus 90 pilgrims receive daily prayer prompts, short weekly formation videos, a pilgrim guidebook, and discussion guide to help your group encourage each other on the adventure. Registration is $20 per pilgrim or $40 dollars per family. 

Invite 2-3 friends or family (your pilgrim group!) to join you on this 90-Day adventure of encountering Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, growing in your faith, and emerging confident in sharing the Gospel. You can choose the times to meet that work best for your pilgrim group. You can meet in person, on the phone, or via Zoom, It’s up to your pilgrim group.

If you need help finding a pilgrim group to journey with during Emmaus 90, the parish will be offering small groups at a variety of meeting times.  

• Thursdays, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m., (1st meeting in the Parish Office Conference Room) with Amanda Decker. 

• Mondays, 9:15 - 10:30ish, in conjunction with Monday Morning Bible Study Plus (Parish Office Conference Room), with Laurie Bania.

• 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Ladies only; in conjunction with Lovely Ladies in Christ Bible Study (800 Marquette Ave), with Laurie Bania.

Please contact the Parish Office at 414-762-6810 to sign up for any group and to ensure there is space for you.  

If you have any questions about Emmaus 90, please feel free to contact Dennis Irwin at dennis.irwin@yahoo.com or 414-628-2732.

In Honor of Larry Blood Drive, January 3, 2024, 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at 800 Marquette Avenue in South Milwaukee.  In honor of parishioner Larry Johnson, who passed away November 25, come to our Divine Mercy Gathering Space and donate blood in his memory.  See the flier here and secure your donation spot by visiting the link below or call 877.232.4376 tinyurl.com/InHonorOfLarry1324.  Walk-ins welcome, but appointments are highly encouraged.

Start the New Year off with Eucharistic Adoration!  The beginning of each month has lots of opportunities in addition to every Wednesday.  

• Wednesday, January 3, 8 - 4 p.m. in the Chapel at 695 College Avenue; offered every Wednesday.

• First Thursday, January 4, 6-8 p.m. in Church at 800 Marquette Avenue during our All Committee Night meetings.

• First Friday ABIDE Adoration & Prayer, 6-7 p.m. in Church at 800 Marquette Avenue.  Fr. Joe will be speaking on the theme of the domestic church and family prayer. 

All the latest Christian Formation news and updates can be found here.

Have you heard the wonderful news?  Divine Mercy School has received a FIVE STAR rating!  Each year, the Wisconsin Department of Education releases a report card for every school.  We are so pleased to share that Divine Mercy Catholic School has received a five star rating, the highest possible rating!  A five star rating denotes that the school is "significantly exceeding expectations" based on scores within four priority areas.  Schools receive a school for each of the following priority areas: 

 1.  Achievement proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics on the annual state assessments.  

2.  Growth year to year in ELA and math achievement.

3.  Target Group Outcomes for growth and achievement outcomes for  students identified with lowest test scores.

4. On Track to Graduation by looking at a set of reliable predictors of how successfully students are progressing toward their completion of K-12 education. 

 The current school report card is primarily based on last year's performance of students in grades 3 through 8 during the 2022-2023 school year.  The report cards are intended to help schools use performance data to celebrate successes and improve their efforts to prepare students for their futures. As a learning community, we are continually looking to improve; our state DPI report card is one resource used to reflect on school strengths and areas in need of improvement.  

 These public report cards can be found online at: http://dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards.  Our school report card is also posted on our website: https://divinemercysmschool.org

 Thank you to all of the teachers, staff, students and families who have made this possible through their commitment to Divine Mercy Catholic School....we are SO proud of all of you!

The next grief support activities are:  Good Grief on Monday, January 8, 11:00 a.m. at the Bucyrus Club (1919 12th Ave in South Milwaukee) and Grief Support on Monday, January 29, 10-11:30 a.m. at 800 Marquette Ave.  One does not need to be a parishioner, nor attend every meeting to seek grief support - it is open to all adults who mourn or have experienced loss.  No RSVP required.

Time is running out to get your 2024 Raffle Calendar.  Now through December 31st - $20 gets you 366 chances to win in this daily draw raffle and you can win more than once.  Makes a fabulous gift for friends and family!  Get yours at the parish office or in the Gathering Space after Mass.  **No sales during Christmas Masses.  Final day in the Gathering Space will be Sunday, Dec. 31st and in the Office until December 29th at Noon.  No stubs can be accepted after December 31st, per State raffle rules.**

We’re excited to introduce you to Divine Mercy Roots 35, a group especially for our young adults aged 18-35.  We invite young families and singles alike to “Come to the Table” for 9:30 a.m. Mass and brunch follow on Sunday, January 14 at Divine Mercy.  Questions and RSVPs by December 7 by texting or calling Cindy Semski at 414-412-2047 or Laurie Bania at 414-350-8469.  Invite the young people in your life today - All are welcome!

The South Milwaukee Knights of Columbus Council 1709 invite all to prayer and celebration of the Eucharist  at our Corporate Communion Rosary and Mass at Divine Mercy Parish on Sunday, January 7, 2024, the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. Rosary at 9:00 a.m., Mass at 9:30 a.m.

At the Corporate Communion Mass, Knights of Columbus members gather as one with their families and friends and share the Eucharist together in both fraternity and unity with our parish community as one body. It also offers an opportunity for others to see and get to know the Knights.

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization with over 1.7 million members. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, their communities, families and young people. The South Milwaukee Council works closely with the following parishes in our area: Divine Mercy in South Milwaukee; Nativity of the Lord in Cudahy; and St. Matthews in Oak Creek, providing funds for various projects, supporting schools, with members being active participants in their parish. etc. To learn more or become a Knight, see any of our members or contact Tony Bloom at (414) 449-1586.

Hospitality and Ministry Awareness will take place January 6 & 7 after all Masses.  Join your parish family for a donut and coffee or juice after Mass and consider getting involved at Divine Mercy!

Divine Mercy Men’s Group has issued their meeting dates for first half of 2024 - typically last 3 Wednesdays of the month 6PM - 8PM. January 17,24,31; February 21, 28; March 13, 20; April 10, 17, 24; May 8, 15, 22. We will skip Ash Wednesday and Holy Week.

Men are also invited to the first Men of Christ Leadership Event - Saturday morning January 13th at St. Leonards Parish in Muskego 7:30AM - 12 Noon. - https://menofchrist.net/event/13-january-2024-leadership-event/

These are a little different than the Men of Christ Conference scheduled for Saturday March 9th. They are the buildup for the "big" conference. They are also inspiring events and you are  encouraged to sign up and join in. Basic details and registration can be found in the link.  

Those with questions can reach out to Gary Branger via text at 414-530-6964.

Save the Date(s) for the following upcoming events and see the bulletin for more details in the coming weeks:

• Hospitality & Ministry Awareness Weekend - January 6 & 7, 2024
• Healing Mass - January 8 
• Roots 35 Mass and Brunch - January 14
• 2nd Annual Pasta Dinner - February 3
• 4th Annual Sipply Divine - February 9