Author: Kevin Wondrash

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Kevin Wondrash

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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Kevin Wondrash

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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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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Kevin Wondrash

‘You can’t put your arms around a memory’

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I took a couple of audio-visual trips down Memory Lane over Labor Day weekend.

My first trip consisted of dusting off two VHS tapes and watching some “home movies” of the high school band trip to Canada that I went on when I was a senior in high school back in the summer of 2002.

Although I and some of my peers may have rolled our eyes at the time, I’m very grateful that one of the parent chaperones on the trip was constantly using his camcorder and captured more than a dozen hours of memories as they were happening.

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Kevin Wondrash

Catholics invited back to weekly Sunday Mass; safety protocols remain in place

Diocese of Madison Coat of Arms

Statement from the Diocese of Madison:

MADISON — As has been circulated in recent days, the five Wisconsin bishops jointly decided to lift the suspension of the Sunday Mass obligation in their respective dioceses this month. For the Diocese of Madison, this suspension will be lifted beginning on Sunday, September 27th.

As Bishop Hying wrote to the priests of the diocese, “We have been living with the obligation suspended for almost six months and we rightly chose to be cautious, concerned for the safety and health of our people, especially at the beginning of the pandemic.”

Since late May, diocesan guidelines, observing all state and local orders for safe reopening of our 134 churches have been in place throughout the 11-county Diocese of Madison. These measures have proven effective. Our churches were reopened for public worship with limited capacity, distancing, and great caution for the public health, without any known spread of COVID-19.

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Kevin Wondrash

5 Door Recovery helps people with addictions during pandemic

HELP IS AVAILABLE

If you or someone you know are suffering from addictions, contact 5 Door Recovery at:

608-827-9170
[email protected]
http://5DoorRecovery.org

MADISON — March and April of this year was a time to adjust to life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many people were affected by quarantines, the state’s “Safer at Home” order, and other measures taken to try and “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus numbers.

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Kevin Wondrash

God can shape us into who we are called to be, no matter the challenge

A startling truth that struck me as a young priest was the number of people I encountered in the parish who struggled with chronic depression, anxiety, chemical imbalances, a borderline personality, or other forms of psychological and mental challenges.

Many of them were married, held jobs, volunteered in the parish, and were remarkably productive but suffered profound anguish in their minds and hearts.

Sadly, a taboo still clings to psychological illness.

Most people can talk about cancer, heart conditions, and medical treatments of all kinds, but problems of the mind are often feared and denied.

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Kevin Wondrash

Knowing the meaning of ‘yes’

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During what might be my 378th attempt to devote myself to praying the Rosary every day, I’m reading a book that contains meditations on each Mystery of the Rosary.

It’s no surprise that the first chapter is on the First Joyful Mystery — the Annunciation.

Here we find the Blessed Virgin Mary saying “yes” to the Archangel Gabriel to be the mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Words in the chapter go on to describe how Mary’s “yes” literally transformed the world.

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Kevin Wondrash

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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Kevin Wondrash

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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