Our Staff
Fr. Yamid Blanco
Pastor
Dear Parishioners of St. John Paul II Parish,
I am Father Yamid Blanco. On June 16, I was appointed by Archbishop Grob to serve as your new pastor. I am very happy about this new appointment and excited to begin walking together with all of you on this journey of faith. I warmly welcome you to our parish and humbly place myself at your service. I hope that in our parish you will find a place of prayer and reflection, spiritual growth, and encounter with God. Please know that the parish staff, Fr. Gabriel, and I are here to serve you in whatever way you may need. May God and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, bless you and accompany you always. With my prayers and affection,
Father Yamid Blanco, Pastor
Fr. Gabriel Zavala
Associate Pastor
Hello, I am Father Gabriel, a Mexican Xavierian Missionary. I have served the mission for 36 years in the Philippines and Mexico. I am happy to fulfill the mandate of Jesus to go into the world and share the Good News. I am happy to be here serving the community of SJPII and to learn from each one of you.. Please pray for me to be faithful to my vocation as I will pray for you.
Dcn. Manuel Maldonado
Deacon
Dcn. Manuel Maldonado-Villalobos, born in Puerto Rico; has a master’s degree in theology. He moves to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2000 to develop formation programs for the Latino Community on the area of catechesis, lay ministry formation and liturgy and safe environment. He was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on September 11, 2021. Part of his work in the Archdiocese was the translation and adaptation of the Religious education Curriculums, developing a Spanish Catechist formation (training) Program for the growing Latino Community. He was the Associate Director for the Diaconate Formation for 19 years and now he is the Director of the Safe Environment Office for the Archdiocese. His experience in the multicultural environment and his knowledge of the Popular Religiosity brings an awareness of a Multicultural Church and the unity in the diversity.
Dcn. Edwin Reyes
Deacon
Diácono Edwin has spent his life answering the call to serve—first his country, then his beloved family, and for the past two decades, the faith community of St. John Paul II. His journey is a profound testament to enduring commitment, marked by military service, a deep 53-year love story, and a dedicated vocation to the permanent diaconate.
Sharon Dahle
Director of Faith Formation
My career began at St. Helen's Parish in 1998. I have witnessed our parish community grow and evolve into St. John Paul II as the Director of Administrative Services (aka: the Business Manager). I look forward to seeing what the future holds for SJPII and working with our dedicated parish staff. Besides working at SJPII, I am a parish member. My family and I usually attend the 8:30AM mass at the St. Helen's Church. Throughout my years of working and attending mass, I have enjoyed meeting parishioners, many who are friends and are like family.
Amelia Avila
Director of Faith Formation
My name is Amelia Monserrat, but my family calls me Monse. By the grace of God, I have been working in this beautiful community in the area of Faith Formation for five years. Some of the things I enjoy are spending time at home, watching movies, attending Adoration at the Blessed Sacrament, and traveling; one of my recent trips was a second visit to Medjugorje a place of peace, grace, and the presence of Our Mother Mary. May Our Mother Mary continue to intercede for each of us.
Awilda Aranda
Outreach Ministry
After 23 years as a first grade teacher, I had an opportunity to switch lanes and work here at SJPII as an Outreach Minister. It has been delightful to serve this community through the Food Pantry, St.Vincent de Paul meal site and, my favorite, visiting the homebound. I have made many new friends through these ministries and consider many like family. I work alongside a dedicated and kind staff who make coming to work here a pleasure.
Doreen Petrovic
Admin. Assistant / Safeguarding Coordinator & Bulletin Editor
My journey with St. John Paul II Parish began in June 2004 at St. Alexander Church, serving as the parish secretary for Fr. Robert Nawrocki. Looking back, it is hard to believe 22 years have already passed. While the parish has seen many changes over more than two decades, they have all been positive steps forward. It has been a true pleasure to work alongside so many wonderful people over the years, and I look forward to continuing this blessed journey with our incredible community.
Maria Tejeda Cuevas
Bilingual Secretary
My name is María Tejeda. It is a joy to be part of the St. John Paul II community and to have the opportunity to serve our families at St. Helen and St. Alexander. I am very grateful to God for allowing me to serve in our parish community. With humility and love, I hope to contribute to the mission of the Church and to building the Kingdom of God.
Robert Martin
Director of Music & Liturgy
I am the Director of Music & Liturgy at SJPII Parish. I have a B.M. (Bachelor of Music) from El Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico and an M.M. (Master of Music) from William Paterson University in New Jersey. During my 25+ year career I have served as Music Director in various parishes including Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Jersey City and St. Paul (now St. Paul & Holy Rosary) Catholic Church in New York City. I was also a college Professor at the Interamerican University and the Puerto Rico Conservatory for two years. I have served at St. John Paul II for over 14 years and consider my Catholic faith to be the center of my life. I am married for over 26 years to my wife Graciela and we have five wonderful children. I love to include my family in parish music as well as other performances in the Milwaukee metro area.
Myriam McClellan
Principal
For more than 20 years, I have been blessed to serve in Catholic education, dedicating my career to forming students academically, spiritually, and morally. For the past two years, I have had the privilege of serving as Principal of St. John Paul II Catholic School, where I continue to build upon the foundation of faith, excellence, and service. Having spent 14 years as a Catholic school educator at St. John Paul II, I have witnessed the life-changing impact that a faith-filled education has on children and their families.
To me, being a Catholic educator is more than a profession—it is a vocation and a ministry. It means seeing Christ in every child, leading with compassion and integrity, and helping students discover the unique gifts God has given them. Catholic education is about nurturing the whole child by integrating faith into every aspect of learning while fostering academic excellence, servant leadership, and a lifelong relationship with Christ. It is an honor to walk alongside our students, families, and staff as we work together to build a community rooted in faith, hope, and love.
Graciela Martin
Elementary School Secretary
I have been working at SJPII School since 2013 as the Elementary Administrator Assistant and the Security Administrator and have a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. For 26 years I have been married to Robert Martin and have five adult children (Emily, Melany, Nataly, Robert & Michael). I speak Spanish, English and some French. I enjoy reading, singing, and traveling. Her Catholic faith is the center of her life.
Marissa Hernandez
Middle School Secretary
Miguel Herrera
Director of Maintenance
Since 2018, I have had the privilege of serving as the Director of Maintenance for St. John Paul II Parish, where I oversee the care and upkeep of our churches, schools, convent and rectory facilities so they can run safely and smoothly. I am married and blessed with five wonderful children. Balancing a busy household with the demands of managing our parish properties means there is truly never a dull moment.
Jason Kegel
Maintenance
Christopher Cerda
Maintenance