Diocesan Pastoral Council welcomes new members

MADISON — Bishop Robert C. Morlino’s Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC) received a boost and an influx of fresh perspective as Kevin Kelly, chairman of the DPC, introduced 13 new members at the council’s recent meeting held at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center.

The bishop had asked that the DPC, which is his consultative body on pastoral matters, be renewed — especially with members providing more representation from parishes in all corners of the diocese.

Many of the 24 continuing members of the DPC also re-introduced themselves. The council offered its gratitude to Maureen Arcand, a member of St. Raphael Cathedral Parish in Madison, who announced that she would be stepping down as a DPC member following the meeting. She was an original member of the DPC when Bishop Morlino re-established the council in January of 2006.

The bishop also offered his thanks to Sr. Mary Ellen Gevelinger, O.P., who announced prior to the meeting that she would no longer be able to serve on the council. The bishop indicated his plans to ask a few additional women and men to serve on the council, especially in light of the two losses mentioned.

Bishop meets Pope Francis

In his opening remarks at the October 26 meeting, Bishop Morlino reflected on his first meeting with Pope Francis in an October 9 audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Despite it being a rainy day, Bishop Morlino observed that the Holy Father’s uncovered “popemobile” went throughout St. Peter’s Square as the pope greeted the large crowd gathered there.

In his personal meeting with Pope Francis, Bishop Morlino was impressed by his holiness and spiritual warmth. “He is obviously close to Christ and Mary,” said the bishop. “He emphasizes evangelization. He wants to bring people closer to Christ.”

Despite some media reports, Bishop Morlino emphasized that Pope Francis hasn’t changed Church teaching.

Future of O’Connor Center

Msgr. James Bartylla, vicar general, discussed plans to lease the Bishop O’Connor Pastoral Center (BOC) and move diocesan offices to another location.

Monsignor Bartylla said the Diocese of Madison has undertaken three studies since the early 1990s to look at the future of the former Holy Name Seminary building. Built 50 years ago, the building has been underutilized for a significant time. At the present time, it is only utilized at 36 percent of capacity.

Despite many efforts, the financial challenges at the center have remained, said Monsignor Bartylla. Consultants have found that the BOC will require over $15 million in capital improvements during the next 30 years.

The vicar general said the diocese looked at various options for use of the BOC. The diocese eventually approached Gary Gorman, an active Catholic in the diocese, for advice regarding use of the property.

Gorman and his development firm, Gorman & Company, after doing a market and feasibility analysis, proposed a plan to lease the BOC building and a portion of the land around it for 60 years. The diocese would retain ownership of the property and full determination of the future use of the balance of the land during the lease term.

The diocese would have approval of the final redevelopment plan, which calls for multi-family housing, before a final lease is executed.

If the Gorman development plan moves forward, diocesan officials predict savings on the BOC operations in the range of $500,000 annually, said Monsignor Bartylla.

“We tried to find the middle road, eliminate the deficit, and derive some cash flow for our ministries,” said the vicar general.

The chapel in the BOC would be preserved in a manner approved by the diocese. The stained glass windows in the chapel and the steeple on the building will remain, said Monsignor Bartylla.

Joe Tisserand, a DPC member, said he knows Gary Gorman from his service on the Catholic Charities Board. “You couldn’t have picked a better developer,” said Tisserand.

Seminarian formation

Fr. Gregory Ihm, new diocesan vocation director, reported to the DPC that there are currently 32 men in formation to be priests of the diocese. “Please pray for the perseverance of these men God is calling,” he said.

Father Ihm received “very positive feedback” on the talks given by seminarians in parishes during the summer. “I hope to continue that program in the future,” he said.

Monsignor Bartylla also talked to the DPC about the funding of seminarians’ education. “When I became vocation director in 2004, there were six diocesan seminarians,” said Monsignor Bartylla. “That number has continued to grow to the current number of 32. It creates a challenge for funding.”

The St. Joseph Fund, which pays for seminarians’ education, has continued to decrease. “It has been affected by the ups and downs of the economy and the large number of seminarians,” said Monsignor Bartylla.

The diocese has contracted with a firm to do a feasibility study to determine a course of action to replenish the St. Joseph Fund, said Monsignor Bartylla.

The firm will be interviewing priests and lay people with a report expected later this year.