Since joining the SJV team I have come to expect that things will always surpass my expectations. On Saturday, February 14th, I will experience my first Bids for Kids auction. I am ready to be amazed. Actually, I have already been amazed by the effort spent in the planning and preparations for the event. Members of the committee have put in a gazillion hours to produce this biennial celebration. Hosts of contributors have donated goods and services. We are sure to have a wonderful time while raising funds for continued improvement of programs and facilities at St. John Vianney School. Thank you to all who have worked so hard on the behalf of our school.

We are truly blessed to be part of this community that invests treasure, time, and talent for the advancement of the mission of Catholic education. This prayer below, from the Alliance for Catholic Education, helps us remember why our Catholic schools are so important.

Operation Rice Bowl
Ash Wednesday is on February 18, marking the beginning of our Christian journey through Lent, a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Each family will receive an Operation Rice Bowl bank and calendar.  With this, students and families have an opportunity to pray for and directly assist the poor in the United States and overseas.  Please see the Operation Rice Bowl Letter for further details.  All contributions are due by April 1. 

Thoughts from a Challenged Husband and Father of Five, Rob Durham 

Rob Durham attended the first session of Fr. Philip's presentation,Today's Catholic Family.  He wrote a reflection and would like to share it with you.

In Part 1 of a 3-part series for St. John Vianney parish parents, Fr. Philip answered the question, Faith and Family - A Balancing Act? For the 60-parents in attendance on Wednesday night, they learned the answer is: NO.  

Fr. Philip shared some of the compelling realities of what Catholic parents are faced with in raising kids in a largely secular society today.  Being an engaged parent, a faithful and prayerful parent is critical more than ever. As a group, we were asked to consider the priorities in our life as Catholics, raising Catholic children.  

Even if the room was filled with parents of NBA or NFL hopefuls, the priority on attending church once a week as a family should be the highest in each of our homes.  Fr. Philip was encouraging us to be accountable Catholics; purposeful with our actions and demonstrating each day what is really important.  In the age in which we live, we have so much coming at us (and in every direction).  As adults, it is sometimes hard to prioritize and make the best choices.  How do our children process these messages?  Are they able to prioritize what is most important?   Are they equipped to make the best choices when tough decisions need to be made?  Children need their parents to be the best role models possible, and faith in the forefront is most important.  It is not about balancing faith and family-life; it is about prioritizing what is important.  

Fr. Philip went on to say that if we, as parents, are not challenged today, we need to be.  Catholics raising a family in a largely secular society should be challenged.  If we are comfortable, we are likely going along with popular views and accepting mainstream values - often times not aligning with Catholic values.  To reinforce this particular point, Fr. Philip broke into Meghan Trainor's hit song, "All About That Bass".  Although a catchy tune, the lyrics speak of the self-image of a female and her sexuality. What messages are our children receiving in the world around us?  Are we stopping during all of our busyness to listen to the lyrics?  Are we making time to talk with our kids to point out how some of these messages are not values of a Catholic?

These are just a couple talking (and singing) points Fr. Philip shared with the parent group on Wednesday evening.

It is not too late SJV parish parents! Fr. Philip will be hosting 2 more sessions in the coming weeks.  Be challenged.  Join us in February and get some religion!

Rob Durham

Challenged Husband and Father of 5

Please click here to view the video from Fr. Schumaker's presentation.

Faith and Family:  A Balancing Act Part One 

Faith and Family:  A Balancing Act Part Two 

No SCRIP next week

Due to the shortened school week, we will not process SCRIP on Monday, February 16th.  If you are an online customer and use PrestoPay, feel free to use www.shopwithscrip.com for your SCRIP needs.   Our next regular order will take place Monday, February 23rd.  If you have questions, please ask Martha Connelly, Amy Lodes or Janet Fisher.  Thanks! 

Do you have a special talent, hobby, or interest?  We'd love for you to share your passion at this year's High Interest Day.  We are looking for volunteers to teach classes to our students.  Parents, Grandparents and friends are welcome!  High Interest Day will be held on April 24th, from 12:20 until 2:40pm.  If interested, please contact Tina Lindner at 414-793-8513 or milesandtina@sbcglobal.net. 

A Prayer for All Season

The Parish Mission as an aid to prepare for Lent

It is amazing as we get older how the years seem to go faster and faster and inevitably we always find ourselves saying, "I can't believe it's Christmas already." Well we might also be saying, "I can't believe Lent us here already." Yes, indeed, Lent is almost upon us this year; Ash Wednesday is on February 18. Often the liturgical seasons come upon us, and we have little time to prepare for them because of the business of life, but let us resolve to change that this year and prepare for Lent before it has come and gone.

Always the three things that help us to focus our lives around in Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Often in choosing what to do, or not do, during Lent we often say things like: "I'm going to give up judging," or "I'm going to be more kind to others," or "I'm going to try and listen to my wife/husband more". Yet these are things that we already should be trying to do. Lent is a penitential season, which means we go above and beyond what we normally would do. So for fasting we could give up sweets, alcohol, eating snacks between meals, not listening to music in the car and instead pray the rosary etc.  For almsgiving, I could give more money to charity or give more of my time to serve others either in our parish or in our larger community. For prayer: I could choose to pray more than I normally would and schedule the extra time for prayer that I have allotted for Lent.

Given that prayer is one of the main focuses of Lent, what better way to help prepare ourselves for Lent than by coming to the Parish Mission "A Prayer for All Seasons" and learn more about prayer and how we can pray. The sessions begin on Sunday, February 15, at 7:00pm, and continue on Monday the 16th at 8:15am and 7:00pm, and again on Tuesday the 17th at 8:15am and 7:00pm. Also, please feel free to join us for the 7:00 Mass that morning right before the morning sessions begin. Please feel free to join any and all of the sessions. It certainly is easy to say to ourselves, well, I'm busy that day or those days or those times, and yes we do have busy schedules, but let us resolve as a parish to be prepared for Lent, and what better way to do this than by attending one of these sessions even if it inconveniences us.

I will leave you with a closing story. Last Sunday I was greeting people after one of the Masses I said. As I was talking with people a young lady, a parish member between ten and twelve, came up to me and handed me a dollar to give away to someone or something. Now when I was a kid, a dollar was a lot, and I would not dream of giving it away unless I had to. If only we all could have the giving heart of this young lady. Her actions went well beyond what she is 'supposed' to do as a child, and they inspired me greatly, for which I am very grateful to her. Let us be inspired by this little example of great love and choose to go the extra mile this Lent in our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

New Server Training

Any student currently in 5th, 6th or 7th grade or any server who wants a review, is invited to attend one of our upcoming training sessions to be held in the church.  

Attend one (1) of the following:

Sunday, February 22 after the 11:00am Mass

Wednesday, February 25 at 6:00pm

Please let Angela Bravata know which training session you are planning to attend so that adequate training materials can be available.

First Communion Preparation

Parents of second grade children receiving their First Communion in May are asked to attend a second parent/child session on Tuesday, February 10th at 6:30pm in the Church. 

Reminder, the first family sharing experience is due Monday, February 16th. 

Tiny Tot Time

Tiny Tot Time will meet on Tuesday, February 17th at 10:00am in the Church Hall. Moms, Dads, Grandparents, please bring your little ones for an hour of story time, activities, and snack.  This month we will learn about Lent.  Please feel free to drop in or let us know you are coming by calling Dawn Van Dorf at 796-3944 x1117. 

 In 4 shorts days, it will be here- Under the Moroccan Moon- Bids for Kids 2015.  We are so excited for this fabulous event; many volunteers have spent numerous hours creating an evening to remember.  On Valentine's Day arrive anytime after 5:30pm, stop at the registration table for name tags and Express Checkout, check your coats, pick up drink tickets and make your way into our beautifully decorated Activity Center.

Auction Catalog  

Catalogs were sent home through school mail on Tuesday, but you can click here to view it online.  There are separate tabs for the Silent, Dessert, and Live (Voice) Auctions.  Be sure to bring your catalog with you on the night of Bids. 

Express Checkout  

Upon arrival at the registration table, guests will be offered the option of registering for Express Checkout.  Under this option, a guest pre-registers a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit or debit card.  At the end of the evening, the accumulated balance on a guest's bidder account will automatically be charged to their pre-registered card.  An Express Checkout receipt will be hand-delivered to the guest's dining table after the conclusion of the silent auction.  This Express Checkout receipt can be used to claim silent auction items at the end of the evening.  A final receipt itemizing all silent auction packages, live auction packages, and special appeal donations will be emailed to Express Checkout guests after the event.

All items purchased at Bids will automatically be charged to bidder accounts with the exception of drink tickets.  Drink tickets can be charged to bidder accounts or purchased by cash or check.  The accumulated balance on a bidder account can be paid via Express Checkout (explained above) or by stopping at the bank at the end of the evening.

Bidding  

Mobile bidding will be on your own smartphone this year! The Mobile Bidding page of the Bids website has a link to a short video explaining the basics.

• Conveniently use your own smartphone to bid in the silent auction. No extra gadgets needed!
• When registering, provide your smartphone number.
• Bring your fully charged smartphone to Bids for Kids.
• Upon check-in at Bids for Kids, you'll receive an automated welcome text message. Click on the personal bidder link which will allow you to take part in bidding on silent auction items
• If you don't have a smartphone, let us know and we will provide you with an alternate means of bidding.

New this year! Remote Bidding in the Silent Auction

Are you unable to attend Bids for Kids, but still want to participate in the Silent Auction bidding? This year we are offering the ability for supporters to bid remotely using their own smartphones. In order to do so, you will need to register by Wednesday, February 11 for remote bidding. You will be asked to provide your name, address, email address and smartphone number. In addition, you will be required to pre-register a credit/debit card to which any winning bids can be charged.

Just prior to the doors opening at Bids for Kids, all remote bidders will receive an automated welcome text message. Upon clicking the bidder link contained in the text message and confirming your name, you will be directed to the Under the Moroccan Moon mobile bidding interface. From there, you can view packages and bid just like guests attending the event.

If you would like to register for Under the Moroccan Moon remote bidding or have any questions, please contact Gina Tegge by phone at 262-798-8088 or via email at bidsforkids@stjohnv.org.

Drink Tickets

Drink tickets can be charged to bidder accounts or purchased by cash or check the evening of Bids.  To avoid lines at the event, use the pre-sale order form.  

Drink ticket prices are:

Beer $3

Wine/Cocktail by the Glass $6

Wine by the Bottle (not the Wine Pull) $15

Soda/Water $1

Stay for the After Party

Bids doesn't end when the bidding is finshed!  Stay and have fun at the Rockin' the Casbah After Party.  There will be snacks, drinks and music to dance the rest of the night away.

Next Day Clean Up

We know you will have a blast, but we need many hands on deck to help clean up after the auction.  Clean up begins at 9:00am, but if you can only give us an hour or two, it would be appreciated.  Sign up to help on our Volunteer page. 

Cockapoo Puppy 

One of the Voice Auction items is this adorable female Cockapoo who was born December 5.  She is buff colored with a white diamond on her head.  A cockapoo is a mix of a cocker spaniel and a poodle, resulting in a small, low to non-shedding, hypoallergenic puppy that is highly intelligent with an excellent personality. Cockapoos are very mild-mannered, easy to train, excellent family pets who love kids and are great for families with allergies!

She is currently at a home in Brookfield.  We can set up a time for you and your kids to meet her if you'd like. She will be perfect for any loving home!  Contact Angela Niemann at 262-347-7988 or aniemann@mac.com. 

Dessert Auction

• Zilli's- tableside flaming red velvet donut holes with Purple Door ice cream, serves 10
• Miss Julia's- a three layer 8" chocolate cake which will serve 20 people, value is $125.00
• Brookfield Wedding Cakes- a 9" heart shaped tuxedo cake with raspberry crème filling, value is $40
• Simma's Bakery- 10" cheesecake with fresh strawberries on top and a strawberry glaze, value $80

Sign-Up Parties  

• Fiesta Ladies Night- June 18th, 2015, $40 per person for up to 25 people
• Blue's Egg- April 25, 2015, $74 per person for up to 100 people
• Wine and Beer Tasting- July 11, 2015, $70 per couple for up to 20 couples
• Bean Bag Tournament- June 13, 2015, $100 per couple for up to 32 couples
• Two on Two Backyard Basketball and Cookout-  Date TBA, $20 for up to 15

For $35, you can purchase a glass of champagne in a decorated keepsake flute, giving you a chance to win a gorgeous piece of David Yurman diamond jewelry.  New this year- there will be two winners!  We have two beautiful pieces of jewelry:

• Cerise mini earrings with diamonds- These beauties are sterling silver with Pave diamonds.  Their total carat weight is 0.33, the centers are 6x6mm and the earrings overall are 10mm.
• Cable classics bracelet with diamonds and gold- the gorgeous bracelet is sterling silver and 14-carat yellow gold with Pave diamonds.  This piece has a total carat weight of 0.16 and the Cable is 5mm wide.

Winner #1 will choose on piece and winner #2 will receive the second piece.  This is a limited offering- only 100 glasses will be sold. 

Souk Marrakesh Restaurant Gift Cards

For $25, you can choose a numbered spice jar that corresponds to a restaurant gift card valued between $20 and $100.

Swag Bags (formerly know as Gift Bags)

Stop by the Swag Bag table to purchase your $25 bag (grab-bag style).  What exactly is in each bag is a mystery, but we can tell you this- each bag will be filled with an item(s) that is valued at a minimum of $15. There are many bags that range from $20-$30, but most exciting is that there are even a few bags that will have gifts valued from $50-$150.  So, please stop by and grab your swag and see what surprise your bag holds. We guarantee you will head home with something fabulous and/or fun!

Jr. Swag Bags 

So, every year when you arrive home from the auction, do your kids ask what you got them?  Well, ours do. So to help make it easier on the parents... new this year... we are having Jr. Swag Bags. When you stop to buy your swag bag, you can now buy a little swag bag for your child for $10 each.  Most of the bags will be filled with the same fun treats and surprises. However, like the adult bags, some lucky kids might just open their bags to find something extra special inside.

Wine Pull

For $20, you can purchase a bottle of wine.  You can choose either red or white, but the bottle you purchase will be a surprise.  All wines are valued over $15 with a couple of bottles between $75 and $100.

Henna Artist

Sit down and relax for a few minutes and enjoy getting a henna tattoo from Hands of Henna by Anita.  Henna tattoos can last from one to three weeks. They are available from 5:30-8:00pm for $10.

Raffles- We have 2 great raffles this year!

The Masters Raffle  

Did you know that holes 11, 12 and 13 at Augusta National are called Amen Corner?  In 1958, Arnold Palmer was declared the winner after these three critical holes, however, Ken Venturi was still challenging it decades later!  Check out Amen Corner if you are the winner of the Masters Raffle at Bids for Kids!  There are four days left to purchase your tickets.  Do it today!  

One Grand Prize: 2 one-day badges to the 2016 Masters Golf Tournament (April 8-10, 2016).  Full tournament hospitality access with open bar and meals included.  One night hotel accommodations in Augusta, GA.

Five- 2nd Prize Winners: $75 gift certificate toward a private golf lesson with Paul Mindel of the National Golf Center

Five- 3rd Prize Winners: $50 Gift Certificate toward a private golf lesson with Paul Mindel of the National Golf Center

The Masters raffle tickets are $100 each with only 150 available. Tickets are available for purchase during regular business hours at the St. John Vianney School Office (by cash or check), the St. John Vianney Parish Office (by cash, check or charge). Any questions, please contact Beth Dobrzynski or Tracy DiPiazza.

Cash Purse Raffle 

The Cash Purse Raffle has limited tickets- 100 for $25 each, and only available on the night of Bids. The lucky winner will receive a designer bag filled with cash and gift cards valued over $600!

The raffle drawings will be held at Bids for Kids at 8:15pm.   

If you have any questions regarding Bids for Kids, please contact Kim Tallmadge by email at sktallmadge@sbcglobal.net or by phone at 262-789-9392.

Spotlight Presents Cinderella 

Come see SJV's own - Genevieve Baynes, Riley & Ella Connelly, Luc Demmon, Ellen, Erin & Emily Fricker- in Spotlight Youth Theater' production of Cinderella. Shows will be performed at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. (901 15th Avenue South Milwaukee, WI 53172)

Show dates and times:

Friday, Feb 20th -   9:30 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Saturday Feb 21st  2:00 and 6:00 p.m.

Sunday Feb 22nd at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased on line at www.spotlight.org  or contact one of the SJV families and they may be able to help you get tickets. 

Catholic Memorial Junior Football

Enrollment is under way for the fall Jr. Crusader football teams. Team sizes are limited to ensure quality coaching and playing time. Applications should be received by April 1 to ensure a spot on the team. This is full contact tackle football, with football equipment provided by Jr Crusaders, for youths entering 5th, 6th 7th and 8th grade in fall of 2015. The season starts the 1st Monday in August and ends the last Saturday in October, with games played on Saturdays. All practices and home games are played at Catholic Memorial High School.  For information and an application go to our web site www.jrcrusader.com.  Any questions call Andy Krause 414-406-3474.