News from around the 11 counties of the Diocese of Madison.
MADISON — When the Diocese of Madison shut the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) down in 2009 due to tough economic times, Elia Armacanqui was among the first to rally around the center and advocate for its re-opening.
As a community advocate, Peruvian, and long-time friend and supporter of the CMC, Armacanqui saw this as a wake-up call for herself and fellow Latinos.
FORT ATKINSON — St. Joe’s 55-PLUS Group will have its annual Christmas Party on Thursday, Dec. 15, at St. Joseph Parish Hall.
The group will gather at 1 p.m. for cheese, crackers, and punch and to mingle.
Baked ham, coffee, and lemonade will be provided for the potluck lunch scheduled at 1:15 p.m. Those attending are asked to bring a dish to pass.
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| Dr. Robert Enright |
MADISON — The Jubilee Year of Mercy may have concluded, but its emphasis on forgiveness will continue in a unique international conference to be held in Jerusalem next summer.
The International Forgiveness Institute (IFI) headquartered in Madison has been asked to organize the Jerusalem Conference on Forgiveness for Peace, which will be held on July 12 and 13, 2017, at the Pontifical Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center.
“To my knowledge, there has never been an international conference on person-to-person forgiveness in the Middle East,” said Dr. Robert Enright, professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and founding board member of the International Forgiveness Institute.
He is a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Monona.
He explained that the first day of this two-day conference will concern interfaith dialogue among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim experts discussing what the term “to forgive” means within their own belief system and how that knowledge of forgiveness can be used to enhance and deepen interfaith dialogue.
Internationally known speakers who have agreed to participate include Rabbi Jonathan Sachs, this year’s recipient of the Templeton Prize; Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila in the Philippines and president of Caritas International; and Dr. Mustafa Ceric, grand mufti emeritus of Bosnia.
“All are world-renowned within their own faith communities,” said Dr. Enright.
The second day of the conference will focus on forgiveness education with educators from Belfast, Athens, Lebanon,the U.S., and the Galilee or Jerusalem areas discussing how they implement forgiveness education for children and adolescents.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Eleven women from the Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (MDCCW) gathered with more than 600 women at the recent National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) convention in Indianapolis for four days.
MADISON — They shall live their lives “observing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people” (Rule 4).
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.
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.
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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| Msgr. Larry Bakke, right, continues as director of the newly named Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities. The Apostolate’s new associate director is Deacon Jim Hoegemeier, left, and the new administrative assistant is Kellie Raddell. (Catholic Herald photo/Pam Payne) |
MADISON — The newly named Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities in the Diocese of Madison builds on the vision of its first director while expanding its outreach to include more fully persons with disabilities in the life of the Church in the diocese.
Msgr. Larry Bakke, the current director, announced the new name and two new staff members on the weekly television Mass broadcast on Sunday, Nov. 12, on WISC-TV.
He noted that the former Apostolate to the Handicapped and the TV Mass began in 1967 under the direction of the late Msgr. Thomas Campion, who died six years ago in November of 2010.
“We remember him with great love,” said Monsignor Bakke, saying Monsignor Campion emphasized that “all of you matter; we are all God’s children.”
Monsignor Bakke was appointed director of the Apostolate in 2011, while also serving as pastor of St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Monroe and Brodhead, a parish with a school and large staff.
While Monsignor Bakke will remain in Monroe, the office of the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities has been moved to the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center at Holy Name Heights in Madison. A full-time associate director and administrative assistant have been hired to work in the Madison office.
MIDDLETON — For the past 70 years, Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Madison has put faith in action through its many programs.
At the annual Catholic Charities Faith in Action Celebration held on November 9, President/CEO Jackson Fonder emphasized that it is people who make those programs possible, including staff, clients, and volunteers.
