While these past almost 12 months have been filled with reasons and methods to “distance” ourselves from one another, dozens of people growing in their faith recently had a chance to come closer to something.
Category: Around the Diocese
News from around the 11 counties of the Diocese of Madison.
40 Days for Life mid-point prayer vigil on March 7
MADISON — “On March 8, our spring 40 Days for Life campaign will have completed 20 days with 20 days to go of praying and fasting for an end to abortion,” said Gwen Finnegan, co-leader of the Madison campaign.
“It’s time to gather members of our pro-life community at our vigil location, Planned Parenthood, 3706 Orin Rd. in Madison, to thank God for how far we’ve come and to pray for the endurance to finish strong. So far, we know of one baby and mother saved from abortion on the sidewalks outside of Planned Parenthood in Madison from this campaign.”
40-day vigil
40 Days for Life is a peaceful, highly-focused, non-denominational initiative that focuses on 40 days of prayer, fasting, and peaceful witness outside abortion facilities, as well as on grassroots educational outreach.
The 40-day time frame is drawn from examples throughout Biblical history.Teens visit Religious communities
MADISON — Getting away for the weekend can often include a fun road trip, a new-to-you destination, and a lot of great memories, but for a local group, a recent weekend included something a bit atypical: Religious Sisters.
Last month, Fr. Greg Ihm, Diocese of Madison vocations director, led a group that included 10 St. Ambrose Academy students, a mother of one of the teens, and four other Madison-area women on a journey of prayer and discernment.
A ‘Nun run’
While Father Ihm’s primary role is supporting men in their discernment of the diocesan priesthood, he also seeks to make other opportunities available, especially for women.Msgr. James Bartylla receives award from Warhawk Catholic
WHITEWATER — Warhawk Catholic, the campus ministry for Catholic students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is pleased to announce the winner of its Distinguished Alumni Award is Msgr. James Bartylla.
He is being recognized as part of an extended celebration of the 50th anniversary of Warhawk Catholic.
Many UW-Whitewater graduates are Catholic, one notable alum being Monsignor Bartylla ‘83, the vicar general of the Diocese of Madison.Madison Catholic Woman’s Club to celebrate Religious and hold donation drive
MADISON — All women of the diocese are warmly invited to join Madison Catholic Woman’s Club (MCWC) members as we celebrate our parish priests, Religious, and staff on Tuesday, March 9, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2116 Hollister Ave., Madison.
Mark your calendars to join us in person at 11:10 a.m. to pray the Rosary followed by Mass at 11:30 a.m. with Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison presiding.
For those wishing to participate virtually, the event will be livestreamed on the Blessed Sacrament YouTube channel.No pork hock and sauerkraut dinner this year
MADISON — No pork hock and sauerkraut dinner will be held this year in the St. James Church basement.
The annual event that started decades ago with sauerkraut made by former Dane County Sheriff John Haas is taking a year off.
Haas’ son John continued the tradition of making the sauerkraut and offering it to the parish for the dinner usually held in February or March.
Stations of the Cross video produced in diocese
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| A screenshot of the Stations of the Cross YouTube video produced by the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities-Diocese of Madison. The video is available during Lent. (YouTube image) |
MADISON — During most seasons of Lent, it is a devotional tradition to pray the Stations of the Cross.
During typical years, parishes in the Diocese of Madison will host praying of the Stations at their churches where many gather to pray them together.
This year, with many people not entering church buildings due to health concerns and restrictions on the number of people allowed to be in a building at the same time, the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities-Diocese of Madison has produced a YouTube video that gives everyone the opportunity to pray the Stations of the Cross from their own homes or elsewhere through the blessings of technology.
Video contents
It’s called the “Stations of the Cross presented by the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities-Diocese of Madison”.
The nearly 24-minute video begins with a reflection from Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison.
“As we pray the Stations of the Cross, we participate and share in Jesus’s suffering and death,” he says in part of the reflection.St. Mary Parish in Portage announces capital campaign
PORTAGE — St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Portage recently announced plans for a capital fund drive to its members.
The effort will be entitled the “Our Church-Our Future” campaign.
Its aim is to raise the funds required to renovate and expand the church and parish facilities.
A minimum goal of $3,500,000 has been set for the effort which will enable the parish to break ground on the project.
Rite of Election on February 21
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| A catechumen in 2019 signs the Book of the Elect during the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion. This year’s event will take place on Sunday, Feb. 21, at St. John the Baptist Church in Waunakee with safety measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
WAUNAKEE — The Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion will be held on Sunday, Feb. 21, at St. John the Baptist Church in Waunakee.
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison will preside.
In this Church season of Lent, its primary purpose intensifies the time of preparation for those seeking Baptism.
Now that Lent has come upon us, it’s time to start this sacred work.
A call to join the Church
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (no. 64), which was promulgated during the Second Vatican Council, called for a revision of several of the rituals of our Church.
Part of this included the Baptismal rites for adults and children.
In 1988, an adult ritual was promulgated called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults which is commonly called RCIA.
Since that time, some or all of the RCIA has been used in parishes throughout the world.
An exciting start to the new year for St. Ambrose Academy
MADISON — The trials and challenges of a pandemic can’t stop the growth and joy of Catholic community, and spring 2021 is shaping up to be a season of exciting happenings at St. Ambrose Academy (SAA).
New home in the making
After dozens of property searches by a team of professionals and numerous conversations with potential partners, the Academy first shared in December 2020 at the interactive, virtual See the Joy Benefit Dinner news of great joy: A site for a permanent school home is being finalized.
The centrally located Fitchburg development will be an ideal home for the first Catholic school building project in the diocese in over 50 years.