Big News From the Missionaries of the Real Presence
Big News From Real Presence on the Streets!
This newsletter features an update about the future of the missionaries as well as some ways you can pray for us and those who are growing closer to Christ through our ministry. We hope this encourages our readers to grow in their faith and grow in zeal for the work of the salvation of souls.
In this newsletter
Updates about the Missionaries
Prayer Intentions
Updates about the Missionaries
There has been a lot going on over the past few months for the missionaries. We had a third missionary move in and there is no longer any additional space at St. Rose for additional missionaries to move in, but there are men who are interested in coming. In order to keep expanding the mission, we have realized that we will have to find a new place for the missionaries to live instead of the shared space at the parish center at St. Rose. The original hope was that the convent at St Rose could be restored, but that needs around a million dollars and would not be ready for years. We are planning to move to the former convent at St. Catherine’s Parish on 51st and Center here in Milwaukee. Moving there would mean that we would begin working with St. Catherine’s Parish instead of St Rose of Lima Parish. Our daily prayers would move to the church there and our missionary work would be in that area. The demographics of the neighborhood around St. Catherine’s are very similar to that around St. Rose just a little less densely populated and we will still be able do the same kind of street ministry there as our current spot. We are sad to leave St. Rose of Lima Parish, but we will keep her as one of our patron saints of the missionaries and continue to keep the parish in our prayers. We are thankful for the parish, pastor and all those who have helped us this far.
St Catherine’s convent is a great space that does not need much work for us to move in. Most of what is needed is furniture items for the different rooms. The former convent has 4 floors and we have some big plans for what it can be used for. The 3rd and 4th floors would be living space specifically for the missionaries with both common space and 14 bedrooms. The 1st and 2nd floors would be space that will serve as hospitality center for people from and the neighborhood and other Catholics from the Milwaukee area. Often times when we meet people in the neighborhood, they are in a place of brokenness where they believe they are too dirty for the church, but want to actually change their ways. This hospitality center is the perfect place for them because they are welcomed into a place that is not the church, but is run by missionaries and other Catholics that will have different activities that they can be involved in to stay busy with good things as opposed to remaining idle when temptations abound all around them. They can learn how to play an instrument and come back often to practice in the music room, paint or do other crafts in the art room, learn how to do woodworking in the workshop, print books in the printing room, read spiritual books in the library, have conversations and build community in the community room, garden outside in the garden. There are so many good hobbies and kinds of work that we can spend time on instead of remaining idle in our temptations. Because this is a place that is run by Catholics, visitors will be able to interact with many Catholics on a regular basis who assure them that they are good enough for the church and help them learn about the faith as well as grow in virtue. This space will be open for others to come and teach others some hobby or skill that is meaningful to them. Something like fixing bikes, knitting, basketmaking all do not seem to have anything to do with faith, but if someone comes to teach it at the hospitality center, they occur in a space that people can come to and can provide more activities so that we can reach more people with the gospel by showing them Christian hospitality while they are here. If you would like to volunteer and teach some hobby or skill at the hospitality center once it is open, click here.
Moving to St Catherine’s we will need more help with finances since we will be responsible for upkeep and utilities of the convent and with furnishing the place for these ministries. Click here for a list of needed items. Click here to financially support the missionaries. Thank you for your support!
The missionaries are also in the process of becoming a non profit corporation. You may donate before we receive tax-exempt status and once approved, donations will be tax-deductible retroactively to the date of the missionaries founding as a corporation.
Prayer Intentions
We would encourage our readers to pray for those who we have been working with in our outreach ministry. There is much fruit happening at St. Rose of Lima and we need your prayers! With us leaving the parish, we will continue to work with some of those in instruction classes, but we must pray that the seeds planted in this neighborhood may come to fruition.
Please keep those who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic
Maya, Emmanuel, Jonny, Jay, Scott, Derrick, Romie, Vera, Deborah, Mario, Vygar, Sharon, Willis
Please keep those who are in RCIA classes or private instruction in prayer
Robert, Jeffrey, Marcus
Please keep those who have decided not to continue in RCIA classes in prayer
Chris, Taylor
Please keep those who are fallen away Catholics that have expressed desire to come back to confession and church in prayer
Jonny, Sandy, Rose, Kevin, Judy, Kevin, Tom, Daniel, Richard, Valarie, Daniel, Daniel, Tori, Francisco, Evelyn, Vincent, Slyvia, Tate, Blanch, Yvonne, Wayne, Dave, Christine, Kris
Please keep those who have recently come back to the church after encouragement from missionaries in prayer
Charles, Charles, Julian, Jeff, Kurt, Steven, Allen, Jodee
Please pray for any men who are discerning becoming a missionary
Please keep Terry in prayer who expressed interest in becoming Catholic and starting RCIA classes but passed away.
About the Missionaries of the Real Presence
The Missionaries of the Real Presence are a group of lay men who live in common at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Parish in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We are dedicated to prayer through daily recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours in the church open to the public, Evangelization to the neighborhoods surrounding our parish and assisting in parish ministries.
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Join the missionaries for a day of street evangelization or inquire about becoming an in-residence missionary