Author: Kevin Wondrash

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Kevin Wondrash

Enter Christmas season with joy, patience, and love

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

I greet you all, and hope and pray that your times of preparation for Christmas have been filled with blessings.

The Church continues to challenge us — a challenge given by our Lord, Himself — to grow and to change as we prepare once again to renew our welcoming of the Lord into our lives.

In the Gospel of this past Sunday we hear Jesus say, “. . . the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed . . . and blessed is the one who takes no offense at me (MT 11:5-6)!”

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Kevin Wondrash

Kairos TEC retreat coming to Kieler

KIELER — A Kairos TEC (Together Encountering Christ) retreat will be coming to Immaculate Conception Parish in Kieler December 28 to 30.

Open to all from juniors in high school and older, TEC is an intergenerational movement of the Catholic Church designed to help meet the spiritual needs of Catholic Christians.

Each TEC retreat proclaims the Paschal Mystery: the death, resurrection, and mission of Christ. Participants not only hear about the Paschal Mystery, but they also experience it.

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Kevin Wondrash

‘Lessons and Carols’ in Montello

MONTELLO — St. John the Baptist Parish in Montello and Good Shepherd Parish in Westfield will present an evening of “Lessons and Carols” on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 6:30 p.m. in St. John the Baptist Church in Montello.

The St. John the Baptist and Good Shepherd Choirs will unite to provide musical presentations. Students from the religious education program at both parishes will also participate.

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Kevin Wondrash

Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols

BARABOO — St. Joseph Parish will present an Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph Church, 304 East St. All are invited to take one hour to spend with the Lord.

Participants will pray the ancient O Antiphons, prophetic promises of salvation. These have been sung with the Canticle of Mary since the sixth century. Each antiphon highlights a title for the Messiah taken from the Hebrew Scriptures.

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Kevin Wondrash

Wisconsin Catholic Conference has new associate director

MADISON — Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) Executive Director Kim Wadas has announced the appointment of Larry Haas of Waunakee as associate director for education and health care policy. He began his duties October 1.

Haas earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Norbert College in De Pere and his Master’s Degree in Business Management from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee.

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Kevin Wondrash

Listening to and encouraging homeless veterans

MADISON — On an August afternoon this past summer, I had the opportunity to talk with “Jack,” a military veteran who had once been homeless but has been off the streets for a number of years.

Jack had been raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm with 11 siblings and served in the Korean War. As we talked, I learned how the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital program for helping homeless vets recover helped Jack take charge of his life.

Help from VA program

We met at Jack’s apartment with Matt Heldman, VA peer specialist at the William S. Middleton VA Memorial Hospital in Madison, himself a homeless vet who experienced a successful recovery.

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