MADISON — In a nearly empty oratory at Holy Name Heights in Madison, Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison celebrated Mass on March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
With concelebrant Vicar General Msgr. James Bartylla, seminarian Luis Reyes as server, and Office of Worship Director Dr. Patrick Gorman as cantor, the Mass was livestreamed via Facebook and YouTube and viewable to the public, unable to attend Masses during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In these challenging times, I want to thank everyone — our priests, deacons, Religious, lay leaders, and faithful for your trust in the Lord, understanding of this unique situation in the life of the Church, your fidelity to prayer, and loving perseverance in the face of adversity.
MADISON — St. Ambrose Academy (SAA), along with schools around the world, has, practically overnight, become a distance learning school.
The academy closed its doors on March 13 as students hunkered down with their families in the safety of their homes against the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic.
But, said Executive Director Joan Carey, “thanks to a heroic, all-hands-on-deck effort, St. Ambrose Academy reopened its door the following week over the Internet, where we continue to provide the best in education and classical learning for families.”
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Meg Matenaer |
I am a homeschooling dropout. Seven years ago when my oldest was five, we decided that we would homeschool her.
Eight weeks later when the reality was so depressingly different from the ideal I had painted in my mind, she was enrolled in an amazing Catholic school and we’ve never looked back.
Until yesterday.
After it was clear that there would be an imminent shutdown of the schools in Madison, our heroic teachers and principals in only a matter of days mobilized, creating systems to keep learning going at home.
They sent home computers, devised ways to stream lectures and collect homework, spent hours photocopying and recording videos, and packed up the students’ belongings, distributing them at assigned times to parents in the parking lot. |
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Sometimes God must drive us to our knees before we look up to Him, helpless as small children.
It was several days since the worldwide coronavirus pandemic had been announced.
Schools had closed and we were dutifully isolating our whole family in our home.
MADISON — As public health, state, and federal authorities have mandated, Edgewood High School has decided that in order to protect its supporters and the entire community, it will not be able to hold the Spring Fling event at Garver Feed Mill, scheduled for Friday, April 24.
In a statement, the school said, “Our prayers are with every member of our Edgewood community in this unprecedented and difficult time. Our blessings to you, your families, our sponsors, donors, and our entire Edgewood Community.
“We are grateful to our sponsors and all who support Edgewood Crusaders during these uncertain times.”MADISON — The Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) is continuing to operate Dane County’s only daily free community meal program, its food pantry, and comprehensive low-cost immigration legal services program to safely serve the most vulnerable among us during this time of heightened need.
Ever since COVID-19 precautions became necessary, CMC staff have been preparing fresh, hot meals every weekday served as a grab-and-go meal distributed from the parking lot to encourage social distancing practices.
On weekends, a sandwich sack lunch is provided. |
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| ‘[Assistant] Editor’s View’ Kevin Wondrash |
First off, I want to thank Catholic Herald Editor Mary C. Uhler for letting me borrow the Editorial page this week.
As many of you saw in last week’s edition, Mary was taken to the hospital after a serious medical episode.
You dear readers will be happy to know that she’s currently at home, resting and recovering.
I’m sure she’ll tell you more about what happened and what she went through in a future issue.
Know that she has greatly appreciated all of your prayers and thoughts.
Here, at our offices, the situation with Mary was just one of many things we have had to deal with over the last few weeks.With the coronavirus, this year’s Holy Week will be strange and different.
We will not be gathering in churches in large numbers. We will not receive the Eucharist. We will not be joining family and friends for Easter.
We all feel the vulnerability and struggle of this painful moment, wondering what the future holds for us, especially the elderly, ill, and unemployed.
But even in a normal year, Holy Week is the strangest thing.
