GIFT 2023-2024
The Body of Christ: We Are Eucharist
This year’s theme is inspired by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Eucharistic Revival and the corresponding celebrations from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Our goal is to expand our understanding of the Eucharist in a way that allows us to celebrate both gratitude and sacrifice as we grow as a faith community through education and action.
All sessions are 9:05 am-10:20 am, unless otherwise noted.
We Are Eucharist with Deb Steppe Earlier this summer we were delighted to learn that the archbishop appointed Deb Steppe as our Parish Director. To celebrate the beginning of her journey as our pastoral and spiritual leader, Deb is opening the 2023/2024 GIFT season with her presentation, We Are Eucharist. Inspired by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Eucharistic Revival, our goal this year is to expand our understanding of the Eucharist in a way that allows us to celebrate both gratitude and sacrifice as we grow as a community through education and action. Deb’s presentation will give us an opportunity to look at what we believe about the Eucharist and to see the Eucharist as what we receive, who we are, and how we are to live as Christians. Where is your spiritual dining room? with Leah Sealey, MKE Spiritual Directors As disciples we have a multitude of opportunities for spiritual nourishment; however, we don’t always make the space for it. In this session, Leah Sealey will encourage us to be more aware of our spiritual connections outside of Sunday liturgy by challenging us to build our own spiritual dining room. Leah will also introduce us to resources like MKE Spiritual Directors, that will help us fortify the walls of our spiritual dining rooms. Join us in our second GIFT session where you will be reminded that you are Eucharist, you just need to make the space for it. Leah Sealey is a former Jesuit Volunteer (Belize 1989-91) and later served on staff as a program director for the International Jesuit Volunteers in Washington, DC. Leah and her husband John have lived in Milwaukee for over 20 years and have three young adult children. Leah has been providing spiritual direction since 2016 after completing her internship through Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, Illinois. In the spring of 2020, Leah graduated from Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology’s Cor Unum program with a master’s degree in systematic theology. She is a parishioner at St. Sebastian Parish and is active with their Facing Racism group. She also volunteers with ExFabula, a Milwaukee non profit with a mission of “strengthening community bonds through the art of storytelling.” During the past two years Leah brought together a group of local spiritual directors for peer support and sharing best practices. They have recently launched a website, MKE Spiritual Directors, for those seeking spiritual direction in the Milwaukee area. We Are One Body with Mike Kolz A drop of water when standing alone has little power. A drop of water that works in unison with the river is a source of tremendous power. Likewise, a single part of the body is powerless on its own. When the parts of the body work in harmony, the body’s power is multiplied exponentially. St. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 12 that we ae called to be one body- the Body of Christ. It is a high calling which is best accomplished when each part of the body is valued and when the parts work as one. In this session we will examine 1 Corinthians 12 in an effort to seek gratitude for all the members of the Body of Christ in our community and in the greater communities that we are part of. Michael Kolz has taught theology and scripture for the past 33 years at Pius XI Catholic High School. He has a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Cardinal Stritch University and a Masters in Pastoral studies from University of Loyola University of Chicago. He is a proud father of three young men. And most importantly he is a blessed husband of his wonderful wife Lisa for 35 years. His passions are coaching, participating, and watching multiple sports. He believes that sports and the bible are excellent ways to shape young people’s lives.
Praying with Color and Gratitude: An Art Meditation with Maggie Russell When you think of Eucharist what words pop into your mind? Go ahead and pause. Stop reading. Seriously. What words do you think of? Perhaps Jesus or Body of Christ? Or communion or sacrament? Maybe your thoughts were literal, and you pictured bread and wine. But what about gratitude? Join us for our fifth GIFT session of the year where our Director of Formation Ministries, Maggie Russell, will help participants understand the connection between Eucharist and gratitude. During this creative and meditative session, Maggie will prove that every disciple is capable of artful prayer. Make sure to bring your Bible! The Communion of Saints with Dr. Lorrie Wenzel “The Church is the mystical body of Christ. As we gather around the Eucharistic table and make the death and resurrection of Jesus our own by sharing in the ‘bread of life’ and the ‘cup of salvation,’ we become together the living body of Christ. The Eucharist is the sacrament by which we become one body.” (Catholic Encyclopedia) The body of Christ encompasses not only those on earth, but also those who have fallen asleep and now abide in God. This presentation will identify some of those early Christian followers whose stories are etched into the statues and stained glass of cathedrals around the world. Recalling holy lives gives us hope in times of heartbreak. Christian saints and martyrs show us it is possible to carry the Light of Christ in the face of grievous despair and give us the courage to do the same. Dr. Lorrie Wenzel, is a scripture professor and a noted church historian. She regularly speaks about medieval cathedral imagery across the country. In March 2023, she published a book entitled, Cathedrals: Clues to Identifying Biblical Figures in Cathedrals Around the World. The photographs in the book were taken by her husband, Dr. Mark Wenzel, on their trips to over three hundred cathedrals and churches in Spain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, England, Italy, Hungary, Austria, and Italy. Dr. Wenzel and her husband attended St. Lucy’s Catholic School and St. Catherine’s High School in Racine. They have been married for 43 years and have raised four daughters. They are blessed with seven grandchildren. The Synod on Synodality The Body of Christ: We Are Synodal
What occurred in October at the Vatican at the Synod on Synodality? What did the synthesis document contain? What does it mean for the Church going forward? Join us at GIFT on January 14, as Steve Szymanski walks us through these questions and we practice synodality in discussing the pressing issues facing our Church.Join us to pray, listen, discern, react, and share as we delve into the issues raised at the Synod on Synodality last October. This GIFT session, facilitated by Steve Szymanski, connects with our previous GIFT session on January 14, yet attendance on January 14 is not a prerequisite to attend.
9:00 am-12:00 pm Service Day: Parish Spring Clean We are once again dedicating our spring service session to our parish community by caring for our building. This service day is open to our entire OLOL community in addition to GIFT attendees. We will gather at 9:00 am on Saturday, March 2, and the morning of service will close with a catered lunch. All attendees, including GIFT members, should RSVP by contacting Roxanne in the Parish Office or using the following link: http://tinyurl.com/springclean24 Celebrating God’s Presence Amongst Us with Mike Kolz It is not a coincidence that one of Jesus’ last actions with his disciples occurs around a table and a meal. Combined, the words: food, feed, feasts, and meals appear over 500 times in the Sacred Scriptures. As Jesus shared the bread and wine with his disciples he said: Do this in remembrance of me.” When the body is properly nourished it is more apt to be spiritually motivated. In this session we examine the biblical roots of the Eucharist and discuss the importance of feeding each other. We will discover the benefits of gratitude and thankfulness as a source of food for the soul centered around the Eucharist. Michael Kolz has taught theology and scripture for the past 33 years at Pius XI Catholic High School. He has a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Cardinal Stritch University and a Masters in Pastoral studies from University of Loyola University of Chicago. He is a proud father of three young men. And most importantly he is a blessed husband of his wonderful wife Lisa for 35 years. His passions are coaching, participating, and watching multiple sports. He believes that sports and the bible are excellent ways to shape young people’s lives. Partaking at the Table of the Earth When Cathy Markwiese and Steve Tietz built a new home, they tried to make it as Earth-friendly as they could, beginning with geothermal heating and cooling. Ten years later, they added solar panels and batteries to their home to increase the use of renewable energy. Lourdes members for over 25 years, Steve Tietz is a community journalist and Cathy Markwiese is a retired librarian. Go Be Jesus! with Nancie Chmielewski While studying at the seminary, one of Nancie’s instructors shared that the dismissal or the sending forth was the most important part of the Mass. This shaped her approach to ministry and her understanding of the Eucharist. Join us as she breaks apart this portion of the liturgy and sends us forth to be Eucharist for others this summer.
GIFT FAQs
Our gatherings include: Season Pass (Good for all 12 Sessions plus snacks and supplies! ) The GIFT Core Team assists, plans, and evaluates each monthly GIFT session. Some experience in planning processes and our Catholic teachings is helpful. A sincere desire to explore and plan for the whole community is necessary. This team meets every other month. Contact: Steve Szymanski………………………………………..(414) 545-4316, Ext. 127 Adults (21 and older) are needed to teach our faith for K4-K5 yr. olds, Gr. 1-2, Gr. 3-4, Gr. 5-6, Gr. 7-8, Gr. 9-10, and Confirmation. Guide plans and materials for each session are provided. Catechists are asked to work together to implement and evaluate each session. In-service training, safe environment training and continuing education are needed. The catechist should be a person of faith actively involved in the liturgy and life of the parish. If you enjoy working with children and youth and desire to share your faith, you are invited to call our faith formation directors for more details. Contact: Steve Szymanski…………………………. Grade K4-Grade 6 Teens and adult helpers are needed to assist the catechists with the activities and needs of the children and youth. Teens and adult helpers are needed to assist the catechists with the activities and needs of the children and youth. Contact: Steve Szymanski………………………………………..(414) 545-4316, Ext. 127
(from 9:05 am-10:20 am).
GIFT Core Team
GIFT Catechists
GIFT Aides
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