Now that it is confirmed that Pope Francis, the Holy Father of the Roman Catholic Church is coming to Milwaukee in 2015 it is time to write him and invite him here:

Dear Holy Father,
I recently heard that you are coming to the USA in September 2015. I would like to invite you to Milwaukee, WI. Milwaukee is the most racially segregated city in the USA, one of the poorest and with the highest number of African American males that are criminalized. Sadly the government and Church have segregated African Americans in North Central Milwaukee where there is high employment and poor education. Where once the Catholic Church was flourishing in this area, including many African American Catholics and 17 Catholic Churches there is now three Catholic churches and lots of former African American Catholics. The local Society of St. Vincent de Paul now wants to invest over 5 million dollars of money for the poor on a Thrift Store in the suburbs, based on the “Trickle down” economics, not in this area You concern for poor and marginalized can have a real impact here in Milwaukee.

Also, Milwaukee is the home of the only Catholic Jesuit University to host Department of Defense training programs for Army, Navy/Marines and Air Force, Marquette University. It is the regional training center for teaching war and “reflexive killing”, killing without use of conscience. (Notre Dame is the only other Catholic University hosting all three departments of the military.)

On the other hand, Milwaukee is ‘city of festivals’ on the Lakes, hosting major cultural and ethnic festivals for the diverse ethnic population of Italians, Irish, Germans, Polish, Native American, Greek and many more. My wife and I live in a large house on the West Milwaukee and use our empty rooms for hospitality for family, friend and people in need. We both were educated by Jesuits and including high school I have 13 years of Jesuit education, which can be a curse or blessing. I was taught to practice our Catholic faith but as St. Ignatius said this sometimes involves “rejection, insults, poverty,” and these days being ignored and marginalized.

We live close to Miller Park, the home of our major league baseball team and close to Marquette University. We can accommodate you and some of your party here where you will find good Italian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and other good cooking.

I can back up statements I made above with documentation. However, the real reason for this invitation is that you give all of us, even poor and marginalized a good kick in the butt to live our faith in our daily lives.

May the blessings and grace God only gives to the poor and marginalized be with you,

Bob Graf

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