About Us

Welcome to Saint Barnabas!

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Matthew 28:19

We are inspired by the call in Matthew's Gospel to go into the world and evangelize. We find great peace in the Mass and worship, but we understand that we can only fulfil our Christian responsibility if we are sharing our faith with and serving others. Our greatest joy is in bringing others to Christ.

We are one parish with three sites in West Allis, Wisconsin, formed in 2024 by the merger of St. Rita, St. Augustine, and Holy Assumption parishes. Our parishioners are diverse, ranging from lifelong West Allis residents who went to grade school at one of our legacy parishes to young families new to the city. We celebrate a Spanish Mass to serve the growing Hispanic share of our community and regularly have truly bilingual celebrations. Whether you are a lifelong Catholic new to West Allis, are returning to the faith, or are just curious what Catholicism is all about, you are welcome here.

Love, peace, and joy!

Father Gerardo Carcar, Pastor

pastor@westalliscatholic.org

Welcome from Father Gerardo

Mission

The purpose of Saint Barnabas is four-fold and implores that, as the People of God, we:

Be a united community of believers
Meet parishioners’ and the community’s spiritual needs through liturgy and worship, with music being a uniting element, as well as temporal needs through outreach and service.
Joyfully spread the Word of God through our loving service to others.
Above all, advance the mission of Jesus Christ to everyone, but especially to those on the peripheries of society.

Vision

Saint Barnabas desires to be a forward thinking, vibrant, active, and community-oriented parish that is united in faith, joined in prayer, and strengthened by community.

Values

Loving our neighbor and announcing the message of Jesus Christ guide our values. As a result, we are:

Passionate missionary disciples of Christ
Kind, compassionate, and welcoming
Advocates for the life and dignity of all
Community oriented
Innovative in our approach to spread the message of Jesus while remaining rooted in tradition

Who was Saint Barnabas?

Saint Barnabas, born a Levite Jew named Joseph in Cyprus, is recognized as one of the earliest Christians, converting shortly after Pentecost, and an Apostle of the early Church.

He played a pivotal role in the spread of Christianity, particularly among the Gentiles, and participated in the Council of Jerusalem, arguing that Gentiles should be included in the Church without the requirement of circumcision. Saint Barnabas was also instrumental in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (later known as Paul), with the two later traveling together to evangelize regions such as Antioch and Cyprus among many others. He embodied the Great Commission to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19).

Saint Barnabas is celebrated for his cooperation, missionary efforts, generosity (selling his property to give the proceeds to the Church), and his faith; it is generally believed that he faced martyrdom for his beliefs.

The feast day for Saint Barnabas is June 11.