 |
|
| St. Paul’s University Catholic Center, Madison. |
| To view the St. Paul’s University Catholic Center decree, click here. |
MADISON — Bishop Robert C. Morlino has issued a decree clarifying the status of the “community of faithful” constituting the “personal parish” at St. Paul’s University Catholic Center in Madison.
Bishop Morlino notes that in 1967, Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell erected the personal parish of St. Paul, indicating who would be considered members of the parish and further stipulating that registration would be required for parish membership.
After consulting with the Presbyteral Council and with former and current pastors of St. Paul, Bishop Morlino decided to clarify who would be considered members of the parish. Bishop Morlino also decided to remove the registration requirement and to expand the period of membership.
Those considered members include:
• All those who are enrolled in the University of Wisconsin-Madison during regular or summer academic periods or who have been so enrolled at any time during the prior 24 months.
• All those who are in the employ of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, whether as administration, faculty, or staff, or who have been so employed during the prior 12 months.
• The spouses and minor children of the above.
At the February 7 meeting of the Presbyteral Council, Bishop Morlino noted that persons who are considered members of St. Paul Parish per the new clarification above can also be simultaneous members of a regular territorial parish.
Although students and employees are not required to register at St. Paul’s under the new clarification regarding membership, the parish does maintain registers of its members for administrative purposes.
However, it is a challenge to solicit registration from every member in a student and university setting, said Msgr. James Bartylla, vicar general. He noted that the new 24-month “grace period” of continuing St. Paul’s membership after the end of one’s enrollment at the university helps provide pastoral care to recent graduates or recent university enrollees whose pastoral needs are often similar to those of current enrollees at the university.
The Presbyteral Council gave its unanimous approval to the draft of the decree, which the bishop published on February 9.