Month: February 2018

On
Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Catechumens and candidates take next steps to joining the Church

rite of election
Catechumen Jessica Beilharz from St. Mary Parish in Milton signs the Book of the Elect while her sponsor looks on during the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion on February 18. The annual rites took place at St. John the Baptist Church in Waunakee. Also pictured is Msgr. James Gunn, far left, pastor of St. John the Baptist. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash)

WAUNAKEE — On February 18, more than 90 people from the Diocese of Madison stood and gave their promises to continue their journey to fully enter the Catholic Church.

The annual Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion was held at St. John the Baptist Church in Waunakee.

More than 20 catechumens, those that are not yet baptized, and nearly 70 candidates, those who are baptized Christians and now seeking the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, took part in the rites.

Erica Wand, from St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Monroe, is one of those candidates.

“I feel like it’s a calling,” said Wand. “I’ve been wanting to do this to help my kids grow in the Catholic Church.”

“It’s been a wonderful journey,” said Wand’s sponsor and sister-in-law Gina Bacher. “I’m glad she’s doing it for her family.”

Words from the bishop

“Welcome to this wonderful moment,” Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison said at the start of the event.

“It’s a joy and an honor to be with you this afternoon. I want you always to be welcome, to feel welcome in the Church, and the way we do that is by carrying out our mission as true disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Later, in his homily, Bishop Morlino reflected on Mark’s Gospel reading that said, “The spirit drove Jesus out into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”

Bishop Morlino said Jesus being tempted was part of his mission and that for everyone, “Temptations are practice in the game of life.”

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Diocesan V Encuentro to be held on March 11

MADISON — Since 1972, the Catholic bishhops in the United States have held an Encuentro every five to eight years to give Hispanic/Latino Catholics an opportunity to express their needs, aspirations, and contributions to the Church.

In 2018, the fifth Encuentro — V Encuentro — is being held throughout the country. Its theme is “Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love.” The main goal of the V Encuentro is to discern ways in which the Church in the United States can better respond to the Hispanic/Latino presence, and to strengthen the ways in which Hispanics/Latinos respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples serving the entire Church.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Equipo del Catholic Herald

V Encuentro Diocesano a ser celebrado el 11 de marzo

MADISON — Desde el 1972, los obispos Católicos en los Estados Unidos han tenido un Encuentro cada cinco a ocho años para dar a los Católicos Hispanos/Latinos una oportunidad de expresar sus necesidades, aspiraciones y contribuciones a la Iglesia.

En 2018, el quinto Encuentro — V Encuentro — se está celebrando en todo nuestro país. Su tema es “Discípulos Misioneros: Testigos del Amor de Dios.” La meta principal del V Encuentro es discernir maneras en que la Iglesia de los Estados Unidos puede responder mejor a la presencia Hispana/Latina, y cómo fortalecer las maneras en que los Hispanos/Latinos responden al llamado de la Nueva Evangelización como discípulos misioneros sirviendo a toda la Iglesia.

En la Diócesis de Madison, el proceso del Encuentro comenzó en el verano del 2017. Un entrenamiento ocurrió el 7 de julio, 2017, para los miembros diocesanos y parroquiales. A finales de verano e inicio de otoño, 12 parroquias involucradas con el ministerio Hispano comenzaron el proceso del Encuentro. Cada parroquia tuvo sesiones enfocadas en temas como la oración, la misión y la evangelización.

El domingo, 11 de marzo, delegados de estas parroquias se reunirán para un V Encuentro Diocesano que se llevará a cabo en la Parroquia Santa Maria Goretti comenzando a las 8:30 a.m. y concluyendo con una Misa en español a las 5 p.m. El Reverendísimo Alberto Rojas, Obispo Auxiliar de la Arquidiócesis de Chicago y Obispo Líder del V Encuentro para la Región VII, celebrará la Misa. El Reverendísimo Robert C. Morlino, Obispo de Madison, concelebrará la Misa.

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On
Fr. Steve Grunow

Perpetua, Felicity, and the theo-drama

Word on Fire
Fr. Steve Grunow

On March 7, the Church commemorates the martyrs Perpetua and Felicity, along with their companions. These Christians were killed in the Roman Provinces of North Africa in the early third century A.D.

They were not alone, but shared the company of many Christians who were persecuted and killed during the early years of the Church’s life. The Church has persistently recalled the memory of the earliest martyrs.

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On
The Ambrosian, Newsletter of St. Ambrose Academy, Madison

Priest makes special appearance in St. Ambrose production

MADISON — As pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Madison, which has hosted St. Ambrose Academy (SAA) since 2004, Fr. Bart Timmerman goes above and beyond to support our school whenever he can.

In addition to making the sacraments of Holy Communion and Confession regularly available to our students, he’s also a guest faculty member, teaching religion each week in a different class.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Food Fair & Farmers’ Market in Reedsburg

REEDSBURG — The joint Justice & Peace Commission of three Sauk County Catholic parishes (Sacred Heart-Reedsburg, Holy Family-LaValle, and St. Boniface-Lime Ridge) is holding its eighth annual Food Fair & Farmers’ Market on Saturday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Sacred Heart School Gym in Reedsburg.

The fair is an effort to support local growers, help people purchase locally grown foods, and educate the public about sustainably-grown and locally-produced foods. There will be a gym full of vendors offering pastured meats, vegetables, grains, flours, seeds, preserves, cheese, bakery goods, maple syrup, mushrooms, and honey.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Priest and Religious Recognition Day

MADISON — The Madison Catholic Woman’s Club will hold its annual Priest and Religious Recognition Day on Tuesday, March 13, at Blessed Sacrament Church.

All women of the Diocese of Madison are invited to attend and encouraged to bring their pastor, pastoral associate, religious education director, and/or other staff who serve to enrich the spiritual life of the parish community.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

St. Dennis Parish welcomes Dr. Robert Enright for Lenten mission

MADISON — On Sunday, March 4, St. Dennis Parish will welcome Dr. Robert Enright, founder of the International Forgiveness Institute, as he returns to the parish for an evening focused on “The Church as a Forgiving Community.”

Last fall, Dr. Enright introduced St. Dennis Parish and guests to “forgiveness therapy” and spoke about the power of forgiveness to heal individual wounds and restore a wounded world. His presentation defined forgiveness, offered insight on reasons to forgive, shared steps in the process of forgiveness, and connected therapeutic forgiveness to Catholic understanding of what it is to forgive.

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