Day: September 3, 2020

On
the Wisconsin Catholic Conference

Wisconsin bishops to announce end of dispensation from Sunday Mass

In March, as communities responded to the growing coronavirus outbreak, the bishops of Wisconsin’s five Roman Catholic dioceses each granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. As the outbreak grew into a pandemic, all dioceses suspended the public celebration of Mass until it was safe to resume in-person worship.

In recent months, dioceses and parishes throughout the state have been able to resume public worship by adhering to strict safety standards and by restricting access to services for those who are symptomatic, sick, or at risk of serious illness. Throughout this time, the faithful have not been required to attend Mass on Sundays.

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On
Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Safe openings for students and teachers

FORT ATKINSON — While headlines and social media chatter make many mentions of the Dane County order limiting most public and private education to virtual learning, along with the lawsuits in-progress to attempt to get that order overturned, many schools in the Diocese of Madison have opened their doors for in-person instruction this school year and have done so safely.

Working together

One example is St. Joseph School in Fort Atkinson, in Jefferson County, east of Dane County.

Its first day of school was on August 24.

Since June, the reopening committee met each week to follow the CDC and Jefferson County Health Department recommendations to make sure the school could open safely for students and staff.

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On
Angela Curio, Catholic Herald Staff

New addition to Catholic school celebrated

SUN PRAIRIE — On a hot late August day, in the midst of a pandemic, dozens of masked people gathered outside the new entrance of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary School in Sun Prairie to celebrate a great accomplishment in the midst of hardship.

“I think we are a community that is beyond blessed today with all that has happened in our world, the challenges we are all facing,” said Principal Kimberlee Frederick while standing before the small crowd as they tried to stay cool in the shade of awnings. “To be able to be here, to be able to be celebrating this beautiful building, celebrating Catholic education, celebrating the tradition that is Sacred Heart, is beyond a great gift to us.”

Beside her were Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison and priests Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt, the recently retired pastor of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish; Fr. Thomas Kelley, the new pastor; Fr. Lawrence Oparaji, parochial vicar; and Msgr. Donn Heiar, pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish in Sun Prairie.

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On
Bishop Donald J. Hying

Death from a Catholic perspective

Hying Logo

Beginning this month, a new series of articles will appear in our newspaper to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from our Catholic perspective.

No one easily faces these issues because they remind us of our mortality and fragility, but our faith in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, helps us understand how our own death, ending an earthly existence lived out in faith, hope, and charity, becomes the sacred passage to eternal joy in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Church encourages us to prepare for death, most importantly on the spiritual plane of being ready to meet the Lord with our interior house in order, but also on the practical level of health decisions, an updated will, funeral and burial plans, and the dispersal of possessions.

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