Blog Archives

First Corinthians & Galatians Bible Study

7/31/2018

First Corinthians & Galatians Bible Study: Please register by Aug. 30th if you are interested in participating in these two Bible studies. First Corinthians will be offered in September; Galatians begins in January. Materials for each study is $25.00 and can be paid separately before the beginning of each study. Checks should be written out to St. John’s. Both will be held in the Columbia room on Sundays from 8:15 - 10:15am

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is beginning on September 6th, 2018 with full entrance into the church occurring at Easter of 2019. RCIA is the process whereby a person learns about the beautiful Catholic faith that we sometimes take for granted. Please pick up a brochure at the entrance of the church if you or someone you know is interested in becoming Catholic or if you just want to deepen your understanding of the faith. This will be an excellent way to grow closer to God by learning about Catholicism and how it promotes heroic goodness! For more information, contact Dcn. Jeff Austin at 715-676-3186 or Jane Gerend at 715-387-2019.

Homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

7/30/2018

Listen to the homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time from St. John the Baptist Church:

Click here to listen

Pope Francis will canonize Italian teenager in October

7/27/2018

From the Vatican

It is fitting that Nunzio Sulprizio, who died at the age of 19, be canonized during the Synod whose theme is Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. Now with the addition of Blessed Nunzio, the canonization will include people from every walk of life: clerical, religious and lay.

Read More...

Coming soon....

7/26/2018

Coming Soon: St. John’s will begin hosting a praise and worship Holy Hour at 7:00pm on the first Friday of the month. Watch the bulletin for further details.....coming soon!

From the Desk of Father Martin - July 22, 2018

7/25/2018

Praised be Jesus Christ! The movie “Romero” came out in 1989 and became a staple for Catholic students as it was shown in religion classes for many years. I remember seeing it and being impressed by Archbishop Oscar Romero’s courage and his true solidarity with the poor. I was shocked when he was gunned down while celebrating Mass in March of 1980. This October 14th Pope Francis will canonize Archbishop Romero a saint and that means the poor of this world will have another true friend and intercessor in Heaven. His feast day is March 24th, the day he was martyred in the hospital chapel of Divine Providence. At some point it would be great to show the film and have some discussion about the impact of his life... keep your eyes peeled for this later in the fall. You might be familiar with the spiritual axiom that nobody goes to Heaven alone – in that spirit Pope Paul VI will be canonized a saint on the same day as Oscar Romero. Born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (I’m not kidding – what a mouthful!) in 1897, there is a famous story of how he came to Rome with his parents shortly after his 1st Communion. Pope Pius X was so moved by how pious little Montini looked in his 1st Communion outfit, that he suddenly took off his white skull cap (a.k.a. zucchetto), put it on the boy and said, “Ecco, quel papalino!” (Look at that little Pope). And lo and behold, in 1963 Pope Pius X’s prediction came true. For those of you who remember him, Pope Paul VI was austere in appearance and followed in the formidable footsteps of the affable Pope John XXIII. Whereas “Good Pope John” was gregarious and open-hearted, Paul VI was more melancholic in temperament (leading some to dub him “the sad Pope”). And while both became saints, the circumstances in which they did so were radically different. Pope Paul VI served as Vicar of Christ from 1963-1978, arguably some of the most tumultuous years the Church has endured since the French Revolution (1789-1799). This year we remember the 50th anniversary of the year that will forever be connected to Pope Paul VI: 1968. It was then he issued the encyclical Humanae vitae (“Of human life”), the document that affirmed the Church’s perennial teaching about openness to life and to God’s will for procreation. Saying it was not received well in some quarters is putting it extraordinarily mildly. The birth control pill had received full FDA approval in 1960 and the Supreme Court decision Griswold vs. Connecticut in 1965 had decriminalized the use of contraceptives. The expectation of many (including myriads of priests and religious, as well as some Bishops) was that the Church would follow the lead of the Anglican church and allow discerning couples to use the pill in a responsible fashion. Pope Paul VI shocked the world when he affirmed that the way of love according to God’s design could never endorse contraception, as it closes our hearts to trusting in Him in the marital act. Many dissenters were given a megaphone to tell the world that Pope Paul VI was wrong and that his predictions about this being bad for marriage and especially bad for women were roundly ridiculed. But the verdict is in: contraception has been very bad for marriage and family. Many people in our world still do not believe this. The best answer is in the families who are trying to live the way Christ teaches through His Bride, the Catholic Church. Our parishes are getting younger with many vibrant, faithful families, and that is in some part due to soon-to-be Saint Paul VI’s courage in teaching an unpopular truth. As Pope Liberius pointed out nearly 1,700 years ago, “The truth of the faith is not lessened by the fact that I stand alone.” We thank God for these two new saints who inspire us by their courage and assist us by their prayers.
May God be praised in His Saints – the holy men and women who were faithful in their trials!
Your friend in Christ, Father Martin

Parish Picnic on August 19

7/24/2018

Save the Date! Our annual parish picnic will be held from 3:30-7:30pm on Sunday, August 19th! Once again we will celebrate with food, music and games for the children. Andy Wanta will entertain us on his concertina; and new this year - singer & songwriter, Luke Spehar!

Homily for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

7/23/2018

Listen to the homily for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time from St. John the Baptist Church:

Click here to listen

The Ordination to the Priesthood of Fathers Saylor, and Laylan

7/20/2018

From the Diocese:

On June 30, 2018, Fathers Kyle Laylan and Barry Saylor were ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. On Sunday, each new priest returned to their home parishes to celebrate their first Masses. Father Laylan returned to Queen of the Apostles in Tomah and Father Saylor returned to St. Vincent de Paul in Wisconsin Rapids.

Now, they will each take their first steps as priests for the Diocese of La Crosse at their new assignments.

Read More...

Assorted Saints & the Virtues of Faith, Hope & Love - Vacation Bible School

7/19/2018

Assorted Saints & the Virtues of Faith, Hope & Love - Vacation Bible School: The week to set aside is July 23rd - July 27th. If you are able and willing to volunteer, please call Heather Adler at 715- 897-1941. Registration forms can be found in the kiosk. Help us provide an outstanding Vacation Bible School experience for our young people by taking an “ornament“ off the tree (located in the entranceway of church and either purchase or donate money for the item listed. Please return the item to the box provided or place the money in a marked envelope in the collection by July 15th. Thank you for being a part of helping our children grow in faith.

From the Desk of Father Martin - July 15, 2018

7/18/2018

Praised be Jesus Christ! Do you ever listen to Relevant Radio? It’s a great source of Catholic formation and has brought countless souls back to the practice of their faith. Recently Father Simon was expressing his frustration with what he calls “garden weddings.” And as a priest I could completely relate. Now before you read further, some of you are not going to like what is written and some will complain about feeling judged. Let me begin by pointing the finger of blame toward me and my brother priests. We have not done an adequate job of teaching and explaining that Catholics have a very specific and beautiful understanding of the sacrament of marriage. Some of us have not explained clearly enough that Catholics who marry outside the Church without a dispensation (i.e. permission from the Bishop) are not in a sacramental marriage. And this is a problem because if affects the communion that we share with Christ – what happens is that a Catholic marrying outside the parameters of a sacramental marriage are now in an irregular situation and should not receive Holy Communion until this is remedied. My guess is that many people do not know this (that’s why I write about it every year: repetition is the mother of learning); a deeper discouragement is that some priests do not teach this and that divides us and makes us appear uncertain. If more priests were team players and had the courage and confidence to teach the truth, more of our faithful would be receiving Jesus in Holy Communion in an efficacious way. People who receive Jesus but are in an irregular situation are simply not able to receive the grace God wants to give. Grace builds on nature, but only if our nature is humble and obedient. Getting married in a park or on the beach is not a bad thing. But it is not a Catholic thing. One of the least enjoyable aspects of being a priest is trying to explain to people when they’re not disposed to receive Holy Communion. This could be a person who went through a divorce and remarried but never had the first marriage annulled (which is important because it makes sure that the person is free to marry again). Again, a person living with someone as if they were married when in fact they are not damages communion with Christ, meaning they are not objectively in the state of grace. And Catholics that are civilly married but have never had their marriage blessed are also in spiritual limbo because their marriage is not a sacrament. Okay, by this point many reading this might be discouraged and wonder, “Now what?” The good news is that each of the aforementioned situations can be remedied. The annulment process is not difficult and can bring extraordinary healing. I’ve helped dozens of folks go through the annulment process and it has brought real hope and healing. We can also help with the financial aspect for those worried about the cost. As for the many “garden weddings” happening, if you would like to practice your Catholic faith and resume receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, having your marriage blessed is eminently possible (thus raising it to a sacrament, complete with all of the sanctifying graces). Please do not hesitate to contact me or any priest who teaches what the Church teaches. Blessing the civil marriage shows trust in the Lord and an honest awareness of our need for God’s divine assistance. For everyone reading this, please pray for those who find themselves in spiritually difficult situations – we’re all in this together and our prayers are a powerful means of loving and not judging God’s people. And while Father Simon and I might be frustrated by the widespread confusion regarding Catholic marriages, we work for a Boss who can draw straight with crooked lines – in Him we trust.
May God sanctify our love and renew the beautiful sacrament of Holy Matrimony!
Your friend in Christ, Father Martin

MASS SCHEDULE
Monday - Friday: 7:00 AM
Saturday: 8:00 AM
Saturday: 4:30 PM
Sunday: 7:00, 9:00 & 11:00 AM

CONFESSION SCHEDULE
Tuesday–Friday: 6:30 - 6:50 AM
First Friday: 6:00-7:00 PM
Saturday:3:45 -4:15 PM & 6:15 -6:45 PM

ADORATION

PERPETUAL ADORATION: The Marshfield Deanery has the John Paul II Adoration Chapel located in the basement of St. John the Baptist Parish, at 201 W. Blodgett St. The chapel is accessible from the rear parking lot. For more information or to sign up:
contact Jean Kaiser 715-503-0118. Click on the image below for more information.

Stay Connected with Our Parish

Welcome From Our Pastor

Welcome to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church! Ever since 1877 this parish has been assisting souls in their quest for deeper union with God. Pope John Paul II called the parish a “school of prayer” and St. John’s is committed to promoting growth in holiness in every state in life. Each of us is called... Read More

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