Tag: diocese

On
Mary C. Uhler, For the Catholic Herald

Growth of Catholic population led to new Diocese of Madison in 1946

First in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison

MADISON — In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Catholic population had been expanding in the southwestern region of Wisconsin, leading to the formation of the Diocese of Madison in 1946.

Work of missionary priests

The faith had grown thanks to the work of missionary priests, including Venerable Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP, who built 25 churches and established nine schools in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois in the 1800s.

He also founded the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Sinsinawa. Their work has kept his legacy alive to this day.

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Bishop Donald J. Hying

Celebrating 75 years of the Diocese of Madison

On January 9, 1946, Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Madison, taking territory from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the Diocese of La Crosse.

Created right at the end of World War II, our diocese was poised to grow dramatically in the ensuing decades of population boom and economic ascendancy.

Bishop William P. O’Connor, a priest from Milwaukee, became Madison’s first bishop and was immediately faced with the many challenges of shaping a brand new diocese.

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Erin Kerns, For the Catholic Herald

Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation gives thanks in 2020

MADISON — As 2020 comes to a close, the Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation (CDMF) has a lot to be grateful for.

As of October 30, the foundation has reached $55 million in assets under management and expects to finish out the year strong.

Over the past year, more than $225,000 has been distributed to support the programs and operations of parishes and schools.

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Brent King Director of Communications, Diocese of Madison

Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ amid COVID-19; the Diocese of Madison nine months in

Coat of Arms

MADISON — This week marks nine months that we as the local Church have been struggling, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to continue to proclaim the Gospel and the good news of salvation, only made possible through Our Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection.

While so much of our daily life has been altered, the need for the Church and Our Lord’s graces through the sacraments made available through Her have only become more crucial. Even in a pandemic, we are still called to Go Make Disciples and grow in our holiness.

Specific to keeping the Sunday Mass obligation

As the number of cases, hospitalizations, and sadly, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 continue to increase, Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison reminded us last week in one of his daily videos that those vulnerable or at risk, and those who work or live with those at risk, should “take advantage of the generous dispensations that are written into Canon Law.”

You are likely already dispensed from your Sunday obligation, if you are older, immuno-compromised, live or work with someone who is, or are subject to other COVID-related situations.

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Jane Lepeska Grinde, Catholic Herald Correspondent

Farmers invited to Rural Life Listening Sessions

Rural Life
Tom Nelson, far right, member of St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Monroe, works in the St. Thomas Aquinas outreach garden in Madison. With him, from left, are St. Thomas Aquinas parishioners Neil Vassau, Paul Scheffelman, and Tom Hartberg.
(Photo by Jane Lepeska Grinde)
NOTE: The first Rural Life Listening Session scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, in Highland has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No decisions have been made yet on other scheduled sessions in November. A session in Iowa County will be rescheduled sometime after January 1.

MADISON — “Our bishop has planted the seeds, and now we must cultivate and tend the row so the harvest may be fruitful and sustaining across the heartland of our rural diocesan home,” said Tom Nelson, diocesan rural life coordinator in announcing three Rural Life Listening Sessions to be held this month.

The first session will be on Thursday, Nov. 12, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Ss. Anthony and Philip Church, 726 Main St. in Highland.

The next session will be on Monday, Nov. 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at St. Clare of Assisi Parish, St. Victor Church, 1760 14th St. in Monroe.

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The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

National Vocation Awareness Week, November 1-7

Vocations Week
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison speaks to diocesan seminarians during this year’s Seminarian Gathering held at Camp Gray in Reedsburg. (Contributed photo)

WASHINGTON — The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week on November 1-7.

This annual weeklong celebration is an opportunity for dioceses and parishes in the United States to uphold and promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and Consecrated Life and encourage the faithful to renew their prayerful support for those currently discerning one of these calls.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unforeseen challenges in the lives of many throughout the country.

Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations, offered that these current challenges provide an opportunity for genuine discernment fully rooted and dependent upon Christ.

“These unusual and difficult times have brought much uncertainty and fear into our lives, but we know in faith that Christ’s powerful hand extends over all of us in mercy. I invite those discerning a vocation to use this time to prayerfully renew your love for Christ and recognize your complete dependence upon Him who loves and calls you uniquely,” he said.

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Catholic Herald Staff

Rural Life Listening Sessions to be held

NOTE: The first Rural Life Listening Session scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, in Highland has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No decisions have been made yet on other scheduled sessions in November. A session in Iowa County will be rescheduled sometime after January 1.

The Diocese of Madison Rural Life Ministry is coordinating listening sessions in all 11 counties, so that Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison and diocesan leaders can better understand the blessings and challenges of our rural communities.

We watch with great concern the crises our farmers face, especially the loss of family farms, financial failure, plunging dairy and meat prices, and increasing costs of production, all the while being more productive than ever-before.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Priest appointments 10-18-2020

Msgr. James Bartylla, Vicar General, announces the following priest appointments made by Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison, effective Saturday, October 24, 2020, and announced at weekend Masses of Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, 2020.

• Rev. Fr. D. Stephen Smith, resignation from pastor, Christ the King Parish, McFarland, in accordance with canon 538 §1, to pastor emeritus.

• Rev. Fr. Steven Brunner, to parochial administrator, Christ the King Parish, McFarland, per canon 539, from parochial vicar, St. Dennis Parish, Madison.

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