Month: September 2020

On
Kevin Wondrash

Life changes, turning corners: an old normal

kevin-editorial

This month, I said goodbye to a labor of love of mine for the past several years.

Since 2013, I had been the coordinator of the young adult group (20s and 30s) — on a volunteer basis — at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison.

As I’ve gotten older, the new people have gotten “younger,” many of my longtime friends have moved on from the group or moved away, and myself having less time and energy to devote to the ministry, it was becoming obvious and apparent that it was time to move on and let others take over from here.

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On
Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Schools in Dane County fully open

MADISON — School parents and administrators, teachers, and staff in Dane County got a victory in their efforts to open Catholic schools to all students.

On September 10, the State Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction halting the Dane County Order requiring all schools, public and private, in the county to open virtually for students in grades three through 12.

This meant Catholic schools in Dane County could hold in-person instruction for all students immediately.

Families take action

The county order, Emergency Order #9, was issued on August 21 just days before many Dane County schools in the Diocese of Madison were scheduled to open for full in-person instruction.

Schools had spent most of the summer making preparations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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On
Bishop Donald J. Hying

Why attending Mass is important

Recently, the Catholic bishops of Wisconsin jointly decided to lift the suspension of the Sunday Mass obligation in all five dioceses in the Province during the month of September.

So, beginning the weekend of September 26 to 27, it will be once again obligatory for Catholics in our diocese to attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation.

I lifted the obligation six months ago, beginning on March 17 in the very beginning of the COVID pandemic.

These months have been long and difficult; the inability to go to Mass and receive the Eucharist has been a great hardship, but I made that decision out of concern for the public health and in union with my brother bishops in the state and the country.

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On
Gail Lamberty, For the Catholic Herald

Monastery part of Fermentation Fest D’Tour

PRAIRIE DU SAC — During the upcoming Fermentation Fest D’Tour, you are invited by the Nuns of Valley of Our Lady Monastery in Prairie du Sac to visit their home on the edge of what was once the great Sauk Prairie to learn about their life of “ora et labora” (prayer and work) — from September 26 through October 4.

The Sisters serve God and the world by praying for those in need, singing psalms in Gregorian chant seven times each day, along with planting, harvesting, sewing, and baking altar breads in an enclosed environment of silence and sacrifice.

An onsite exhibit will share their story.

D’Tour is a diverse 50 plus mile self-guided, free family drive through the artistic, cultural, and natural highlights of southern Sauk County.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Recognizing National Assisted Living Week

Dear Editor:

September 13 to 19 is National Assisted Living Week.

This annual observance was established by The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) as a way to celebrate those who choose this type of living option and the caring, dedicated staff members who serve them; and to educate the general public about the importance and benefits of this type of long term care.

This year’s theme is “Caring is Essential.”

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