Tag: Diocese of Madison

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Chris Lee

Diocesan seminarians plan annual Caroling Tour

MADISON — Seminarians of the Diocese of Madison are planning their annual Caroling Tour at parishes and health care facilities on Friday, Dec. 22, and Saturday, Dec. 23. Locations and times include:

Friday, Dec. 22

8 to 8:45 a.m. — Opening Caroling Tour Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Madison

10 to 10:30 a.m. — Park Place Assisted Living, Platteville

11:20 a.m. to 12 noon — Holy Ghost and Immaculate Conception School, Dickeyville

12:30 to 1 p.m. — Atrium Post Acute Care of Lancaster, Lancaster

2:30 to 3 p.m. — Good Samaritan, Fennimore

3:15 to 3:45 p.m. — Boscobel Care & Rehab, Boscobel

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Pray always so we can rejoice always

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends:

In our Second Reading of this past Sunday (1 Thessalonians 5), we hear: “Rejoice in the Lord always,” and “Pray without ceasing.” The idea of rejoicing always is, from a human point of view, unthinkable, without that second half: pray without ceasing.

One of the Christmas cards that I opened recently said simply this: “Bishop, please pray for us. It’s been tough.”

How is that person, from a human point of view, expected to rejoice? The answer is, they’re not.

And consider St. John the Baptist. If you go through his teaching, mentioned in the Gospels, you will see that never once did he tell a joke. So, there was a sort of rejoicing from a human point of view, in which St. John the Baptist did not indulge.

Yet, John was full of joy, just as the family who wrote me the card is called to be full of joy, the family for whom things have been pretty tough.

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Dick Jones, For the Catholic Herald

Restored pipe organ has uplifting sound

MADISON — Enter the quiet chapel at Holy Name Heights, walk down the aisle, then turn and look to the balcony. The pews are gone, and an organ console is visible. That’s different. Otherwise, not much to see, nothing all that remarkable.

Yet, there is now something truly noteworthy in the choir loft. Behind a wall of organ swell shades are the pipes and inner workings of a superb instrument, an Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ, old and used, but newly restored and installed in the chapel.

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By Dick Jones, For the Catholic Herald

New organ will highlight this year’s Festival of Lessons & Carols

diocesan choir gorman
At the Advent/Christmas party sponsored by the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities are, from left: Katie Gorman, one of the newest members of the Madison Diocesan Choir; her father, Dr. Patrick Gorman, director of the choir for over 25 years; and Pat Paska, a member of the choir since its beginning nearly 45 years ago. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash)

MADISON — Much as O Come All Ye Faithful is a favorite known by all since childhood, the opening hymn of Lessons & Carols will become a glorious new sound Sunday, Dec. 17.

That’s when Dr. Patrick Gorman directs the Madison Diocesan Choir and all present, accompanied by a classic pipe organ described as magical, restored, and installed in the Holy Name Heights chapel.

Seeking an organ

“I have literally been working on this since I arrived in Madison,” said Gorman, now in his 26th year as director. “We put together so many different proposals, and it’s always been, ‘We can’t afford it! We can’t afford it.’

“New pipe organs are extraordinarily expensive. Then we started to look at organs that have come out of churches.”

With the help of Bruce Case of Case Pipe Organ Company in Verona, an exceptional pipe organ was found in Kenosha at the First Congregational Church that closed in 2013.

Though silent for years, the organ was in surprisingly good condition. The new owners, an evangelical congregation, had no use for it and agreed to sell it.

Rolls Royce of organs

Thanks to a generous gift from the estate of the late Msgr. Delbert Schmelzer, the Diocese of Madison was able to buy and restore the pipe organ, built by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company in Boston nearly 70 years ago.

According to Case, it rivals the commanding Klais organ in the Madison Overture Center, and in some respects is superior.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Message for Advent: ‘Watch!’

Dear Friends,

We have entered into the Season of Advent. It is a short Season of Advent this year, so let’s get right to it. Our message from the Lord on this first Sunday is simple: “watch!” The Gospel of this past Sunday (MK 13:33-37) doesn’t even contain 100 words, yet, in this small discourse we hear Jesus say repeatedly, “Be watchful,” “be alert,” “watch,” “What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

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Pat Casucci, Catholic Herald Correspondent

Thrift store in Beloit seeks to continue serving people in need

BELOIT — Since opening its larger thrift store, Beloit St. Vincent de Paul Society volunteers agree there has been a notable increase in customers. The customers often express their appreciation for the inviting, expanded store area.

After operating its store in about 1,500 square feet for the past 30 years, last spring the society purchased the adjoining building at 614 Fourth St. Now with 4,444 square feet of space, there is room for appliances and furniture as well as clothing and household items.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Catholic Charities Faith in Action Celebration

MIDDLETON — Catholic Charities (CC) in the Diocese of Madison held its 22nd annual Faith in Action Celebration on November 9 at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton.

“This annual event touches my heart,” said Toni Prestigiacomo, Catholic Charities Board chair and co-chair of the event, in welcoming the guests. “This event is a reminder of why we choose to support Catholic Charities. It truly makes me proud.”

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John Joy, For the Catholic Herald

Knowing your faith: What does it mean to be a ‘practicing Catholic’?

Knowing Your Faith column

John Joy

You might run into the term “practicing Catholic” in various contexts: if you teach in a Catholic school, for example, or if you serve as a catechist in your parish, or as a Confirmation sponsor or a godparent, you are supposed to be a “practicing Catholic”. But what does that mean exactly?

According to the Wisconsin Catholic Conference’s Standards for Educators in Catholic Schools and Parishes, it means: “a Catholic in good standing who participates fully in the worship and life of the Church, and who understands and accepts the teachings of the Church and moral demands of the Gospel, as articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

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Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Local woman reflects on Fr. Solanus Casey

solanus casey casket
Audrey Lukes from Sun Prairie prays at the tomb of Venerable Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM Cap,  at his final resting place in Detroit. The Capuchin priest and Wisconsin native will be beatified on Saturday, Nov. 18, at a Mass at Ford Field in Detroit. (Contributed photo/Audrey Lukes)

SUN PRAIRIE — If you mention the name “Shorty” to anyone who has lived in Sun Prairie for the past several decades, they’ll probably know exactly who you are talking about.

His wife, Audrey, will talk about the man who was more than six feet tall, “very athletic,” worked for the county, was a war veteran, went dancing with her all the time, and ran to work every day.

He and his young family met a big challenge when in 1955, at age 31, he was stricken with polio and was paralyzed from the chest down.

Audrey said they had to “change our whole lifestyle”.

This world lost Shorty, also known as Norman Lukes, nearly six years ago at the age of 87.

At the time of his passing, his life, and that of his family, served as an example of faith in God and walking with the Lord, facing life’s challenges.

More than 300 miles away, on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Detroit’s Ford Field, another man, who lived to roughly the same age of 86, will be taking the next step toward canonized sainthood.

More than 70,000 people are expected to attend the beatification Mass for Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM Cap, in a venue more commonly known as the home to the NFL’s Detroit Lions.

What is the connection between Shorty and Father Casey?

The connection is faith in the Lord and a brief encounter with each other toward the end of Venerable Father Casey’s life.

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