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Do you remember the childhood story “Stone Soup”? It’s an old folk tale about a couple of hungry travelers who creatively entice hesitant villagers to fill their large cooking pot with delicious soup ingredients.
After the initial refusal of the villagers to feed the hungry travelers, the two men fill their pot with stream water, light a fire under it, and then add a large stone to the water.
SINSINAWA — All women of the Diocese of Madison are invited to attend the 64th annual convention of the Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (MDCCW) at the historic Sinsinawa Mound on Wednesday, June 13.
Grant Vicariate CCW President Janet Block, St. Clement Parish, Lancaster, chairs the convention and is working with fellow parishioner Bernadette Schaefer, who will assume the MDCCW presidency at the convention.
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I knew that The Shape of Water would win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It checked three of the major Hollywood boxes: celebration of oppressed people, valorization of complete sexual freedom, and a Christian villain. It used to be that a black hat or shifty eyes or a foreign accent would give someone away as the bad guy, but now, it is the quoting of the Bible.
Of course, this shouldn’t surprise us in regard to The Shape of Water, for the auteur behind the film is the Mexican director Guillermo del Toro, who has gone on record many times as a despiser of religion, especially Catholicism.
MADISON — St. Ambrose Academy has recently announced two significant new initiatives that will position the school for future growth and success, including adding new members to its Board of Directors and kicking off a three-year plan to move into a new school building by September 7, 2021.
Since St. Ambrose Academy’s founding in 2003 as Madison’s first independent, classical, Catholic middle and high school, enrollment has grown tenfold. In its first 15 years, St. Ambrose has continually expanded its ability to deliver on its mission of providing Madison-area families with access to a classical education rooted in the Catholic faith.
PRINCETON — Plans are underway for St. John Catholic School’s in Princeton’s 18th annual Golf Benefit to be held on Saturday, May 19, at Sondalle’s White Lake Country Club, Montello.
Price is $75 per person as last year in the hopes of increasing participation. Cost includes 18 holes of golf, cart, and dinner. The cost for full members of Sondalle’s White Lake Country Club is $50 per person.HILLPOINT — Marie Lins, associate coordinator of the Madison Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, will speak on “Sharing the Love of Our Faith” at the spring meeting of the Sauk Vicariate Council of Catholic Women (CCW) Saturday, May 5, at the Joyce Fichtel Farm, 17502 Pregal Dr., Hillpoint.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m. with registration and prayer, followed by business meeting, program, and lunch. It concludes with the Beatitude Rosary and prayers at 12:30.
MADISON — The […]
Sometimes we learn more about a person after he or she dies. That is the case for me of former First Lady Barbara Bush.
Although I knew about her as the wife of President George H.W. Bush and mother of President George W. Bush, I must admit that I didn’t know as much about her until after she died on April 17.
I learned that she took on a number of causes starting with her husband’s inauguration in 1989. These included homelessness, teenage pregnancy, children’s education, and AIDS.
SINSINAWA, Wis. — Sr. […]
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| Volunteers Darrell and Janie help out in the kitchen at The Beacon in Madison. (Contributed photo) | ||
MADISON — “There’s nothing better you can do with your time than to help people who are suffering, have a decent life, [and be] able to lead the life they want,” said volunteer coordinator Tami Fleming from The Beacon.
The Beacon is a comprehensive day resource center for people who are experiencing homelessness in Dane County.
It is a joint venture among Catholic Charities Madison, Dane County, the City of Madison, and United Way of Dane County.
In addition to its staff, The Beacon needs about 20 volunteers per day — half in a morning shift and half in an afternoon shift — to run the normal day-to-day operations. Shifts are about four hours long.
The Beacon is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has volunteer opportunities as a front desk greeter, laundry and shower manager, computer lab assistant, guest and child and family advocate, among many others.
“We need volunteers every day,” said Fleming.
The first step in becoming a volunteer at The Beacon is attending an orientation session. They are held at The Beacon (615 E. Washington Ave., Madison) Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Fridays at 9 a.m.
Fleming said these two-hour sessions give prospective volunteers a chance to “get a real feel for it” and “hear what it’s about [and] see the place.”
She admitted she is “real frank with people” about the challenges they may face working with homeless people who need help.
