News & Events

Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti

Art can take you places you’ve never dreamed of going. For the boys of the St. Joseph’s Family and the Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti, the art of dance has been a part of their salvation. Through the St. Joseph’s Family these boys, who were once abused, abandoned and without hope, have been healed, found a family and now dream of a limitless future. Once their society’s rejected ones, these young dancers and drummers are now ambassadors of their country and representatives of their culture throughout the world.

To see how far they have come in their short lives, you have to understand where they started and what dancing and music means to them.

HANDS THAT HELP, NOT HURT

When Bill was only 2-years-old his father developed a fever and died. Five years later, Bill’s mother came home from work totally exhausted. She went to bed and died in her sleep. Bill was 7-years-old. His sister, the only family he had left, was nine. The death of their mother forced Bill and his sister to be separated. His sister went to live with a friend of their mother and Bill went to live with an aunt.

Bill became a live-in servant for his aunt, who abused Bill both verbally and physically. Everyday he was beaten with a leather strap. One day when he was at the open air market, Bill was befriended by a Catholic nun, Sister Caroline. She helped Bill get into school. Eventually, this angered Bill’s aunt because he was not available to work for her as she wanted. Bill’s aunt told him he could no longer go to school.

Sister Caroline went to talk to Bill’s aunt, but could not change her mind. Sister Caroline saw how oppressed Bill was and her heart hurt for him. A few days later, she saw Bill at the market and called out to him. She told Bill she was going to take him to live someplace else. Bill trusted Sister Caroline. That very day, Bill was brought to St. Joseph’s, a five-hour drive from his aunt’s home.

Today, Bill is the director of St. Joseph’s Home for Boys. He is also the co-director of the Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti and the St. Joseph’s Community Arts Center.  Bill has graduated from high school. He is a wonderful role model for the younger members of the St. Joseph’s Family and a very responsible young man. He is a talented drummer and is the lead musician for the Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti. His strong hands create rhythms that not only envelop the dancers in the power of the drum, but they also give audience a powerful beat to follow in their own lives.

LIVING THE POWER OF ART

Walnes has evolved into something of a Renaissance man. He’s a talented painter who has had his work featured in two books — A Gathering of Angels and Always Room at the Inn. He was also commissioned by the Presbyterian Church USA to create an original painting for their 2006 Pentecost Offering. He’s a talented dancer who is the principal dancer and co-director of the Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti. He is also an wonderful drummer. He lends his singing talents to the Resurrection Singers and is a frequent soloist with the group.

Walnes also is a good student who achieves high marks and was also chosen as the president of his class. He has achieved all these amazing accomplishments despite his humble and somewhat dire beginnings. When Walnes was 6-years-old he was sent to live with an aunt because his parents could not afford to care for him. After spending a few weeks with his aunt, she brought him to St. Joseph’s Home for boys and left him there. It was at St. Joseph’s Home for Boys that Walnes discovered the power of art as he began dancing with the RDTH. Walnes, who had always been fascinated by the fine arts and inspired by the beautiful art that fills St. Joseph’s Home for Boys, began studying painting with Ralph Allen, a well-known Haitian artist, in 2002. Walnes’ vast talents were quickly evident and nurtured by Ralph Allen. Walnes has sold his work to art collectors from the United States and Canada.

Walnes’ talents also inspire others. He works with the younger artists at St. Joseph’s Home for Boys to help them develop their own artistic talents. Walnes is also the co-director of the St. Joseph’s Community Arts Center. The arts center is a place for members of the Port-au-Prince community to go to develop their artistic talents and for visiting artists to share their gifts.

The end of summer is less than a month away, and summer vacations have another year’s worth of fond memories. It’s the time of year to look ahead to the shortening days and lengthening evenings and time to re-evaluate how we spend the weeks of fall and winter. What better way to spend your time preparing for the upcoming holiday seasons than by singing praise to God? This year, I’m encouraging the members of St. Therese Parish (and those of you who are casually searching the Internet) to consider joining our music ministry team.  We have a host of ways for you to participate:

Canticle Choir provides sung prayer leadership at funerals. It rehearses the second Tuesday each month from September through May.

Cantor Ministry provides sung leadership at the 5:00 pm and 8:00 am weekend liturgies. The schedule is flexible and rehearsals are planned at your convenience.

Cherub Choir – for children ages 3-8 years old — sings for the Intergenerational Christmas Liturgy and at the 10:00 am Liturgy on Mother’s Day.

Instrumentalist: No matter what instrument you play well, St. Therese Music Ministry will find liturgies for you to accompany. High School students are encouraged to join this ministry. The 10:00 Mass Praise Band would love to have a drummer join them – see the blog posted on July 29^th.

Kids In the Middle Kantor Khoir: This newly forming group for students ages 9-13 years old will cantor for the 10:00 am Mass on the third Sunday of the month.

Sound Board Minister: Maintain consistently good sound for liturgies. Training is provided at your convenience. 5:00 pm weekend Masses are especially in need of Sound Board Ministers. See the blog posted June 3^rd.

St. Therese Sunday Choir provides sung prayer leadership at the 10:00 am weekend liturgies. Rehearsals are Wednesdays at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm.

Participating in any parish ministry rewards you in ways you could not have imagined. Ask our current participants: they’ll gladly tell you why they keep coming back year after year.

If any of these ministries sounds intriguing, contact Elterine (Dusty) at:     jankowe@sainttheresemilwaukee.org

St. Therese Parish is very lucky to have a professional quality Praise Band. This is a cross-generational volunteer group of musicians who is versatile in many styles of music from bluegrass to jazz and Christian Rock. The Praise Band meets on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. until 8:15 to rehearse the upcoming weekend’s music for the 10:00 a.m. Liturgy during the months of September through May. The Band accompanies and supports the congregational hymns and acclamations, as well as, the choir anthems when appropriate.

However, the Praise Band needs a drummer! St. Therese Parish has a Roland TD-6V Electric Drum set to play on. Anyone who has played it has found it enjoyable.

We are inviting any percussion musician who is versatile in playing many styles of music on the trap set to join this group of fine musicians at our weekend liturgies. If you would be interested in trying us out, call Dusty at the parish office 414-771-2500 x15 or email her at: jankowe@sainttheresemilwaukee.org Try it!  You’ll like it! And you’ll be praising God at the same time. We look forward to hearing from you!

Mary Queen of Heaven, Mary Mother of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Our Lady of Fatima, are just a few names used to discuss Mary the mother of Jesus, the mother of God. Why do we know her by so many names you may ask? That’s easy because she is showing us that she is one of us. And what better way to show us that than to be a vision or an apparition. Each time there has been a reported sighting of Mary, she has revealed herself in the native appearance of those with whom she revealed herself. Another interesting point is she has always chosen to reveal herself to the average person. Sightings of Mary are not by heads of state or powerful people, but by people who need her most; people who are most like she was while she walk the earth.

Non-Catholic Christians have difficulty understanding the significance we place on Mary. In fact, some even accuse Catholics of making Mary an idol to worship. Of course as Catholics we know we only worship the one true God. However, we also believe that praying to through Mary is a good thing to do. Mary has a very special relationship with Jesus. Due to that relationship, she is able to make requests. If you look at the first miracle Jesus performed at the wedding in Cana, it was at the insistence of Mary that Jesus turned water into wine.

Mary is an example of a woman called by God. Some people refer to Mary as the second Eve for she was conceived without the stain of original sin. In this way, she is for each of us, a reminder of what God intended for all people. Mary was faithful even in her lack of understanding as seen in Luke 1:26-38. She fully trusted God as she said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” This statement of faith clears the way for the Son of God to be born of a human woman. It is in her giving birth to Jesus that she becomes our spiritual mother. Mary was a disciple of Jesus following Him even to the cross. In Acts 1:14 Mary is listed as having been with the other disciples in Jerusalem before Pentecost.

Mary is special for many reasons, but for me, the most important reason is she said “YES” to God. In her willingness to serve God unconditionally, by her strength to stay by her Son during His passion, and from her ability to show herself in the world in times of trouble, she continues to be an example of how to live. May she continue to be an intercessor for the faithful as we continue to follow in the ways of her son, Jesus Christ.

This article was inspired after a Theology on Tap session with Archbishop Dolan on Thursday, July 17 which was held at Derry Hegarty’s Pub, 5328 West Bluemound Road

A Catechetical Support Minister is needed for a 10 hour per week position here at St. Therese. The ideal candidate would have some experience as a catechist as well as basic skills using Microsoft Office. Do you have a love for God and the Catholic Church? Are you able to share the “Good News” of the Gospel? Can you be creative in advertising for programs offered at St. Therese? If you answered yes to these questions, we are looking for YOU! If you are able to work well with others and wish to share your faith, check out the full job description and download an application. To apply or if you have additional questions contact Cathy Smith.

UPDATE:  This position has been filled.  Thank you to all applicants!

As per the recommendations put forth by Fr. Jim Connell, Archbishop Dolan has approved the dissolution of District 11. Yesterday, July 1st, marks the official date of that decision. Half of the parishes from that district have been added to District 13, and the other half have been added to our district, District 12. We would like to officially welcome St. Bernadette, St. Catherine-Granville, Our Lady of Good Hope, and Blessed Savior to our district! It will be determined in the fall if re-clustering is necessary and how we should go about it.

Fr. Jim Connell’s appointment as the Vicar for Planning has ended. He has submitted his recommendations and observations to Archbishop Dolan. He would like to stress that his documents are just that–recommendations and observations. Archbishop Dolan will present his archdiocesan pastoral plan at a later date, after taking these documents into consideration. Please review the links below.

Note: These are large documents and may take a while to load. Please be patient.

• Letter to Archbishop Dolan
• General Recommendations and Observations
• Recommendations for our District

You may also access each District’s Recommendations. Thank you to all those who sent letters and participated in discussions regarding these documents.

As of this writing, the St. Therese Festival is only 37 days away! There’s no better time to get involved. If you haven’t noticed already, the Festival Events 2008 page has been added to the menu on the top of every other page, and to the links at the right of this page. Click on it to visit the page with all the details. Find out when your favorite bands are playing, what kind of food will be offered, and even a sneak peek at some raffle prizes. Support your parish and volunteer! There are always more spots to fill, and there’s bound to be a job that will suit your needs. Our Festival is not possible without the help and cooperation of all of you! Get involved today!

Without adequate amplification, it is very difficult to hear the Word or the music accompaniment during our liturgies, because of the current layout of our worship space. Thanks to the donation of an anonymous donor and the expertise of Pat Hall, St. Therese Parish has a “State of the Art” sound system, which has solved this problem. Now that the system is installed and the bugs worked out, it is quite easy to operate.

The Saint Therese Sound Board Ministry is extremely important for the success of our liturgies, but the Sound Board Ministry team needs more members! Anyone from high school age and up with a passion for sound equipment is qualified. Training takes just a few minutes.

If you would like to become a member of the Sound Board Ministry Team, please contact Dusty at the Parish Office 414-771-2500 x15, or email her at jankowe@sainttheresemilwaukee.org to get started!

Vacation Bible School will take place at Christ King Church from Monday, June 16th through Friday, June 20th. Each session will begin at 9am and end at 12noon. There will be games, music, crafts, opportunities for service, and snacks. The fee is only $15 and registration deadline is Sunday, May 18th. If you have questions or would like to volunteer to help please contact me in the parish office. Click here for registration form.