May 2017
S t. K i l i a n
Congregation
428 Forest Street
Hartford, WI 53027
Dennis Vlasak, DRE
262-673-4831 ext. 406
Attendance 262-673-4831 ext. 307
[email protected]
Celebrate Children’s Spiritual Milestones
POWERSOURCE
ASK GOD:
1. To help you nurture your
children’s developing faith.
2. To assure your children that he’s
with them as they grow.
3. To remind you to make your
children’s faith milestones
special and memorable.
Marking children’s physical “firsts”—
from first steps to first words—is an
exciting and cherished part of
parenting. Even more important and
worthy of celebration are spiritual
firsts, or faith milestones.
These rites help children know that
they’re growing up as Christians
and continually reconnecting to their
faith family. Milestones also allow
churches and parents to partner
together to raise up lifelong
followers of Jesus.
Spiritual occasions that warrant
family celebrations include:
Baptism or Dedication Children
are a gift from God, so we “give”
them back by committing their lives
to God. By witnessing a baptism or
dedication, fellow church members
agree to partner with parents to help
raise children as Christians.
Receiving a First Bible When children
receive God’s Word, it’s like their very
own special love letter from God. He
wants us to read the Bible and hold it in
our hearts so we can live it out. Making
a big deal out of getting a new Bible
shows kids how important the book is
to our faith and its growth.
Confirmation or Other Transitions to
the Preteen Years Leaving behind
elementary school symbolizes that
preteens are beginning to “own” their
faith. During their spiritual journey,
they’ll decide whether to draw closer to
God or reject him. Thankfully, God is
always there—for kids and parents,
guiding us throughout our faith walk.
Your Family’s Faith Journey
At-home faith talks are vital for nurturing children spiritually. In Shift (from
Group), Brian Haynes offers these guidelines for family times with Jesus:
 Faith talks should occur regularly and be age-appropriate. Each week,
set aside time to focus on biblical truth in a relational way.
 Faith talks should focus on God’s Word. Read the Bible together,
celebrate it, and apply it to all aspects of your daily lives.
 Faith talks don’t have to be difficult or formal. Make them fun! For
example, go outside on a hot day and compare standing in the sun and
shade. Then read and discuss Psalm 121:5-6.
 Faith talks shouldn’t depend on children’s choices or attitudes. God
instructs parents to be intentional about leading their kids spiritually.
TEACHABLE
MOMENTS
Come to Jesus
Place a 50-foot rope or hose in a circle
around a chair. Choose one family
member to be the “disciple,” and have
him or her stand inside the circle.
Everyone else, stand outside the circle.
Say: Some children wanted to see
Jesus. But Jesus’ friends, the
disciples, didn’t want the kids to
bother him. Imagine Jesus is inside
this circle and you want to reach
him. When I say “go,” lift the rope
and try to sneak under it. The
disciple will try to touch you before
you get through. If you’re tagged, sit
down. You can be freed when
someone else touches you. When
you reach the chair, run back
outside the circle. Ready? Go!
Take turns being the disciple. Then
ask: What was easy or hard about
this? How did it feel when someone
helped you get to “Jesus?”
Read Mark 10:14. Say: Jesus wants
us to come to him. Ask: How can we
do that? Say: We can go to church,
read the Bible, sing, and pray to
Jesus. He’s always there for us!
Celebrate New Life After seeing a
baptism, talk to your children about
their own baptisms—or their desire
to be baptized. Tell them Jesus
washes away our sins. As a family,
make handmade cards for newly
baptized people.
God’s Relevant Word Show
children how the Bible applies to
their lives. Talk about biblical
heroes and how they both stumble
and grow in faith. Tie Bible verses
into kids’ interests, from music and
poetry to travel and adventure.
Lifelong Learners Preteens often
feel as if they’ve outgrown Sunday
school. Provide age-appropriate
Bibles and devotionals for older
kids who are forming their identity
in Jesus. Help them anticipate the
future, and assure them that Jesus
is always with them as they grow.
Family Timelines Tape a long
piece of paper to a wall. Together,
create a timeline of your family’s
journey with Jesus using words,
drawings, and Bible verses. Add
marriages, birthdays, and
milestones such as when a child
started preschool or you moved.
Include fun memories as well as
challenges that affected everyone.
Then discuss: “What are our best
memories? What difficult events
have we faced? How did those
make us closer to each other and
to Jesus? How have we seen
God’s faithfulness? What dreams
do we have as a family?”
Special Sheep Draw a sheep
shape on paper. Set out cotton
balls and glue sticks. Have family
members take turns holding up
cotton balls and saying why each
person is special. Then dip the
cotton in glue and stick it on the
sheep. Continue until you have a
fluffy reminder that you are all
God’s special sheep. Read Luke
15:3-7 and say Jesus is a good
Shepherd who loves us, his sheep.
God’s Path On a map of your
hometown or neighborhood, mark
important spots such as your
home, school, church, friends’
houses, and more. Highlight the
roads your family uses most often.
Read aloud Psalm 139:1-3. Say:
“God always knows where we are,
what we’re doing, and where we’re
going. He has big plans for us as
we grow and get to know him
better. Jesus loves us and will
always be with us.” With a red
marker, draw a large heart around
all the sites you’ve highlighted.
Display the map as a reminder of
God’s promises.
“Train yourself to be godly. For…godliness has value
for all things, holding promise for both the present life
and the life to come.”
—1 Timothy 4:7-8, NIV
MEDIA MADNESS
MOVIE
BOOK
Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long
Haul
Genre: Comedy, family
Rating: Not yet rated
Cast: Jason Drucker, Charlie Wright,
Alicia Silverstone, Tom Everett Scott
Synopsis: Hoping to attend a gamer
convention, Greg talks his family into
traveling to his great-grandmother's
th
90 birthday party. Crazy road-trip
antics result. This is the fourth “Wimpy
Kid” movie but the first in five years, so
the cast is all new.
Our Take: Young fans of the popular
book series will enjoy seeing the
Heffley family in action. The film lends
itself to discussions about decisionmaking, family unity and conflict, and
how much control kids should (and do)
have over their lives.
Title: Stef Soto, Taco Queen
Author: Jennifer Torres
Synopsis: Middle-schooler Estefania
“Stef” Soto is embarrassed by her
Mexican-American family’s food truck
and tired of the teasing she endures
because of it. When the business is
threatened, however, she fervently
defends it—and also learns to embrace
her cultural identity.
Our Take: This heartwarming realistic
fiction, geared toward grades 3 through
6, explores conflicting loyalties
between family and friends. Young
readers will consider the role of cultural
heritage and the importance of
tradition. They’ll benefit from seeing
how Stef finds her voice amid conflicts
and challenges.
TheKidShouldSee
This.com
This new title from the
acclaimed series is for
the new Nintendo
Switch console. For
players, Hyrule is an
open world waiting to
be explored. They must
battle enemies, hunt
wild beasts, and gather
food and equipment for
the journey. Rated
E10+
Parents can sign up (for
free) to receive 8 to 12
videos per week tailored
to curious kids. Many
videos emphasize
STEAM-related topics
and spark conversations
about the world around
us. All videos are
appropriate for young
viewers, but the content
isn’t dumbed down.
New Zoos Now that the Ringling
Bros. circus has disbanded and
SeaWorld is phasing out its orca
shows, zoos are the next animalbased attraction facing changes. A
reported new “unzoo” approach
involves taking people to the animals
and providing more space for
animals to roam, often above visitors’
heads. (various sources)
Happy Campers If you’re not yet
comfortable sending your children to
summer camp—or just want to share
in the fun—check out the family
sessions being offered by many
groups. It’s a popular strategy for
getting away together without
worrying about meals or hotels.
(empowher.com)
QUICK STATS
Games, Sites & Apps
Legend of Zelda:
Breath of the Wild
CULTURE
& TRENDS
Clarify* by Playbac
This video-news app
from the inventor of
BrainQuest explains
news stories and current
events in fact-based, kidfriendly language. The
timely videos end with
discussion-starter
questions that families
can use. The first week
is free, but after that a
subscription costs $1.99
per week.
This page is designed to help educate parents and IS NOT
meant to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our prayer is
that you’ll make informed decisions about what your children
watch, read, listen to, and play.
Faked Out Fewer than 45% of U.S.
kids ages 10 to 18 said they could
accurately tell which stories in their
social-media feeds were fake. Nearly
one-third said they’ve shared fake
news before realizing it. (Common
Sense Media)
Movie Violence PG-13 movies have
23% more gun violence than R-rated
movies do. (Pediatrics)
Step It Up Pokémon Go players
walk an estimated 2,000 extra steps
daily, compared to people who don’t
play the game. (healthday.com)
May, 2017
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
1
WEDNESDAY
2
THURSDAY
3
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
4
5
6
12
13
National Day of
Prayer
St. Joseph the
Worker
7
th
8
St. Athanasius
9
Sts. Philip and
James,
Apostles
10
11
4 Sunday
of Easter
Sts. Nereus
and Achilleus
St. Damien de
Veuster
14
15
16
St. Pancras
17
18
19
Mother’s Day
20
Armed Forces
Day
5th Sunday
of Easter
21
St. Bernadette
of Siena
St. John I
St. Isidore
th
Our Lady of
Fatima
22
23
24
25
26
27
6 Sunday
of Easter
St. Rita of
Cascia
28
7th Sunday
of Easter
Ascension of
the Lord
29
30
31
Memorial Day
The Visitation
of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
St. Philip Neri
St. Augustine
of Canterbury
Journey On ….
“Then Jesus turned to the twelve and asked, ‘Are you also going to leave me?’”
John 6:67
As Religious Ed classes end and the school year winds down, there is an interesting phenomenon that
occurs here at St. Kilian. Sunday Mass attendance drops considerably. I am
not sure how much it drops, but it often seems about half the normal
amount of pews have people in them. One of our faithful and faithfilled catechists refers to this as “The ‘Mass’ Exodus” – you would
almost think the Egyptian charioteers themselves had suddenly
chased people out of the building!
The summer Gospels of Ordinary Time are full of the main body of work of Jesus’ teachings, and contain
the parables and miracle stories that help us all understand the love, compassion, and mission of Jesus the
Christ. Most of us would not attend a concert or sporting event, join an organization, or even read an
article and skip half of it, or more. There would be no continuity and our understanding would be skewed
or disjointed. We, along with our children, would not be getting the entire story of Jesus. We are also
cheating our children out of becoming comfortable with our Parish Community. This Community may one
day be, or already is, a source of great strength, witness, support, or comfort to them.
I am wondering if we and society in general have become so self-sufficient that we
no longer have gratitude for our blessings? Do we no longer give God credit for
the blessings in our life? God’s blessings and faithfulness never end - or even take
a break, yet in our human weakness and, dare I say, fickleness, we do!
Many national Catholic education experts caution their fellow Catholics against
the practice of going on “vacation” when it comes to practicing our faith. Jesus
came to not only teach about how to have a relationship with God, but also with one another. Catholic
theology teaches that when we gather, all of us together, we make up the Body of Christ. When members
are absent, we are a fractured Body, we do not function well, both within the community and in the
broader world in which we live. The Body suffers.
When your children were baptized as infants, the statement is made that you,
the parents, are the first and the best teachers of your children in the way of
the Faith. St. Kilian is blessed to be able to help and guide you.
Thank you for the privilege of allowing us to help form your children this
year! Our faithful volunteer catechists do an amazing job! I wish you and
your family many blessings as your children continue to grow in faith and
wisdom! Have a blessed summer, and….
See you at Mass!
Questions about the Catechism: A Continuing Series
8. Does the Catechism contain a methodology for its use by the
faithful?
Prepare for
the Sunday Gospel
Tune into a series of weekly
podcasts from the Archdiocese
of Milwaukee with Fr. Phillip
Bogacki, Pastor of Christ King
Parish, Wauwatosa and St.
Bernard Parish, Wauwatosa,
and Fr. Ricardo Martín,
Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish,
Racine and Vice-Chancellor for
the Archdiocese of Milwaukee,
to help you start thinking about
this Sunday’s Gospel reading.
Sit down, listen and pray with
Fr. Phillip Bogacki and Fr.
Ricardo Martín as they
brainstorm about their homilies
and reflect on the Gospel
reading.
No. The Catechism does not include a methodology. It is a
complete and accurate exposition of Catholic doctrine. It does
not present methodologies for the communication and study of
that doctrine by people of different ages and circumstances
throughout the world. Methodology varies according to the
developmental levels of those to whom the catechesis is directed
and according to the cultural contexts in which catechesis is
given. Catechetical directories, such as the General Directory
for Catechesis and the National Directory for Catechesis,
provide more information on methodology, and local catechisms,
such as the United States
Catholic Catechism for Adults,
incorporate a methodology
reflecting the audience and
cultural context.
9. How is the Catechism a
"point of reference?"
The Catechism is a "point of
reference" primarily for the
development of national and
local catechisms. For example,
the United States Catholic
Catechism for Adults was
adapted from the Catechism of
the Catholic Church. In addition
to the new adult catechism,
Catholics in the United States
ordinarily depend on
catechetical materials that
present what the Church
believes, teaches, lives and
prays in a comprehensive and
systematic manner within a
process that spans many
years. . The Catechism is a
"point of reference" for the
development of these kinds
of catechetical programs as
well as for catechetical
materials that will be revised
or developed in the future.
Secondarily, the Catechism is
a "point of reference" for
bishops, priests, catechists,
teachers, preachers, scholars,
students and authors. Similar
to a Bible commentary or
theological dictionary, the
Catechism serves as a vital
reference work for all those
responsible for catechesis.
2017-2018 RE Schedule
We are nearing the finalization of the calendar for the
2017-2018 year. Watch for next year’s RE Schedule
in your inbox before the end of school!
CONFIRMATION
Confirmation Practice
Confirmation Candidates are
reminded of the Confirmation
Practice scheduled for
Thursday, June 15, 2017 at
7:00 pm in St. Kilian Church.
All candidates are required to
be at the practice.
Sponsors are asked to be
present with the candidate for
the practice. If a sponsor is
unable to be there, a parent is
asked to attend in their place.
Please arrive by 6:50pm so
that we can start on time.
Practice should only take an
hour if everyone is on time and
attentive to what is going on!
Confirmation Celebration
St. Kilian and St. John parishes
will be celebrating the
Sacrament of Confirmation on
Sunday, June 18, 2017 at
2:00pm with new Auxiliary
Bishop Jeffrey Haines. There
are 21 young people from St.
Kilian and 10 young people
from St. John that are
preparing for Confirmation.
Please include these young
people in your prayers as they
enter the final preparation
period for this Sacrament of
Initiation.
Candidates are reminded to
be in Gathering Space by
1:40 pm on June 18th.
Information about Registration for the
2017-2018 RE year
Registration information will be sent the beginning of
August to all families who were in Religious Education during
the 2017-18 year, to students graduating from St. Kilian School,
and to new families that have requested information.
If you know of anyone who is new to the area or of someone
who has children who should be attending Religious Education
Classes, please have them call the Religious Education Office
and an information packet will be sent in August.
Direct any questions or comments to Dennis Vlasak in the
Religious Education Office at 262-673-4831 ext. 406 or
[email protected].
1st Eucharist
Students from the Religious
Education and School
Programs who have been
preparing for the Sacrament
of First Eucharist will
celebrate the Sacrament on
Sunday, April 30th at 2:00
pm.
One large group picture will
be taken following Mass. All
children receiving First
Eucharist need to be on the
picture as it is placed in the
parish archives.
Envelopes to order pictures
were sent the beginning of
April. Parents can take their
own pictures after the
photographer has taken the
group picture. Please wait
until the photographer has
finished, as flashing affects
the quality of the picture.
Baccalaureate Mass
All graduating High School Seniors who are members of St. Kilian
and St. John Congregations are invited to attend the 4:30 pm Mass
on Saturday, June 10th.
Please meet in the Gathering Space at 4:15 pm wearing your
graduation gown (no caps). Graduates will process in at the
beginning of Mass and will have reserved seating.
A Summer
Blessing
May you walk with God
This summer
In whatever you do
Wherever you go.
Walking with God means...
Walking with honesty
And with courage,
Walking with love
And respect
And concern for the feelings of others.
May you talk to God
This summer
And every day and
In every situation.
Talking with God means...
Praying words of praise
For the beauty of creation
Saying prayers of thanks
For friends and good times,
Asking God's help
In all your decisions
Expressing sorrow
When you have failed.
May you talk with God
Every day. Amen.
- Author unknown
An appetizer reception will follow Mass in the Gathering Space
sponsored by the Confirmation students and parents. Everyone
attending Mass will be invited to stay and celebrate with our
graduates.
REMINDER
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee
recommends and St. Kilian
requires, at least one year of
religious formation prior to a
student preparing for First
Reconciliation and First
Eucharist. Students in their
first year of Religious Education
during the 2017-2018 year will
receive First Reconciliation and
First Eucharist in the 2018-2019
year.
The Archdiocese recommends
and St. Kilian requires
participation and attendance
in Grades 9 and 10 Religious
Education prior to the direct
preparation for Confirmation
in Grade 11. Does not apply to
Catholic High School students.
CONFIRMATION
One large group picture
will be taken following
Mass. All young adults
receiving Confirmation
need to be on the picture
as it is placed in the parish
archives.
Envelopes to order
pictures were sent the
beginning of April. Parents
can take their own
pictures after the
photographer has taken
the group picture. Please
wait until the
photographer has finished,
as flashing affects the
quality of the picture.
The 2017-2018 Religious
Education year will start on
Sunday, September 10th.