Gesu - An old Parish with a Renewed Commitment

On September 14, 1994, the Provincial of the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus prepared the way for the second century of Gesu's parish life. After a two-year process that attempted to "clarify, redefine and maximize" the collaboration between Gesu, Marquette University and the Marquette U. Jesuit Community, the Provincial decided to separately incorporate Gesu as an Archdiocesan Parish, sponsored by the Society of Jesus. With the blessing of Archbishop Rembert Weakland, he called us to embrace the parish territory entrusted to us, especially the Marquette community. So, though parishioners will continue to be gathered to Gesu from all over the city, our special concern for the future, as a parish, will be the care and involvement of the people of our neighborhood and the Marquette community.

A Parish - a Community Where We Can Fulfill the Mission of our Baptism.

Our first goal as a parish is to structure ourselves in a way that alows alll parishioners to come to the realize the purpose for which we were created and baptized: to praise, revere and serve our God. By this means we save our souls, and to live our baptism in the pattern of the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is the Spirit of Jesus that gathers each and every member of this community. When this assembly is gathered for worship, each and every member is called to work toward fitting praise of our God and service of one another. This basic sense of the ministry of each and every member of the community is very important to us. It is from this ministry that members are called to offer their gifts for further special services (ministries) for the assembly and the community.

The ministries of this parish are not for the "most dedicated" of the parish. It is the hope that all parishioners will, at some time, be able to offer their gifts of course, because we need those gifts, but most of all because it is the very purpose of parish to provide a way for all parishioners to grow in their ability to participate in the mission of the Church. The staff, the Council members, the committee chairs all stand ready to help all member of the parish find ways to use their gifts in this community.

A Jesuit Parish

Our Ignatian heritage gives us a special identity as a parish. A Jesuit parish, while being committed to the pastoral goals and policies of the Archdiocese, places itself in service of the mission of the Society of Jesus. The latest expression of the Society's identity comes from its 34th General Congregation: "As the Society of Jesus, we are servants of Christ's Mission." The Society commits itself "to a radical life of faith that finds expression in the promotion of justice for all," and says that "the integrating principle of our mission is the inseparable link between faith and the promotion of the justice of the Kingdom." It is our goal as a parish to grow in an understanding of our mission in terms of our participation in the mission of the Society of Jesus today.

Gesu Parish Prayer

A Parish's Financial Commitment to our Mission

A parish can not fulfill its mission without the funds to support that ministry. All our desires and commitments are attainable only if the members of the parish support this mission financially. Parishioners take ownership of the mission of the parish by becoming involved with the offering of their gifts and time. But every household that is financially secure is called to take ownership in the mission of the parish by making a meaningful financial contribution to that mission. The only financial support we receive is from our parishioners. We receive no financial support from the Wisconsin Province or from Marquette University.

The days are long gone when a parish can survive on the $2 contribution in the basket. The costs of salaries and benefits and the high costs of maintenance require much more of parishioners today. Each year, we ask each of our parishioner households to make a commitment as to how much they are able to contribute, according to their means, toward the support of our parish. That commitment is for the amount they would give for the entire year, no matter how many times they actually come to Gesu for worship. We are asking each household that is able to consider contributing at least 1%-2% of its combined household income to the parish each year. And in addition to the weekly envelopes, we offer special "postage paid" monthly envelopes by which parishioners can fulfill their commitment each month, at the time they fulfill their other monthly commitments.

Our goal as a parish is to continue to dream about how we can serve the mission of Christ and the Church. We will need the financial support of all of our parishioners who are able to contribute to make that future possible.