Tag: virus

On
the Wisconsin Conference of Catholic Bishops

Bishops address COVID vaccine concerns

MADISON — Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops have issued a statement that addresses moral considerations regarding newly-developed COVID-19 vaccines.

In their letter, the bishops acknowledged the devastating impact of coronavirus infections worldwide but also lauded the efforts of nations and organizations to develop safe vaccines that will effectively diminish the impact of the virus.

Moral questions

While the promise of inoculation provides hope for the end of the current pandemic, the bishops indicated that many Catholics have raised moral questions about receiving vaccinations, especially the use of vaccines that utilize cell lines from aborted children in development and production.

There are also questions surrounding the right of conscience and the duty of all Catholics to advance the common good.

Read More
On
Kevin Wondrash

Catholics invited back to weekly Sunday Mass; safety protocols remain in place

Diocese of Madison Coat of Arms

Statement from the Diocese of Madison:

MADISON — As has been circulated in recent days, the five Wisconsin bishops jointly decided to lift the suspension of the Sunday Mass obligation in their respective dioceses this month. For the Diocese of Madison, this suspension will be lifted beginning on Sunday, September 27th.

As Bishop Hying wrote to the priests of the diocese, “We have been living with the obligation suspended for almost six months and we rightly chose to be cautious, concerned for the safety and health of our people, especially at the beginning of the pandemic.”

Since late May, diocesan guidelines, observing all state and local orders for safe reopening of our 134 churches have been in place throughout the 11-county Diocese of Madison. These measures have proven effective. Our churches were reopened for public worship with limited capacity, distancing, and great caution for the public health, without any known spread of COVID-19.

Read More
On
the Wisconsin Catholic Conference

Wisconsin bishops to announce end of dispensation from Sunday Mass

In March, as communities responded to the growing coronavirus outbreak, the bishops of Wisconsin’s five Roman Catholic dioceses each granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. As the outbreak grew into a pandemic, all dioceses suspended the public celebration of Mass until it was safe to resume in-person worship.

In recent months, dioceses and parishes throughout the state have been able to resume public worship by adhering to strict safety standards and by restricting access to services for those who are symptomatic, sick, or at risk of serious illness. Throughout this time, the faithful have not been required to attend Mass on Sundays.

Read More
On
Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Safe openings for students and teachers

FORT ATKINSON — While headlines and social media chatter make many mentions of the Dane County order limiting most public and private education to virtual learning, along with the lawsuits in-progress to attempt to get that order overturned, many schools in the Diocese of Madison have opened their doors for in-person instruction this school year and have done so safely.

Working together

One example is St. Joseph School in Fort Atkinson, in Jefferson County, east of Dane County.

Its first day of school was on August 24.

Since June, the reopening committee met each week to follow the CDC and Jefferson County Health Department recommendations to make sure the school could open safely for students and staff.

Read More
On
Angela Curio, Catholic Herald Staff

Schools make plans for a safe opening

MADISON — Barring local county health departments issuing an order for closure, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Madison will return to in-person instruction this fall, but how that looks from school to school will vary.

“All of our schools are very different,” said Michael Lancaster, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Madison.

“We all have the same mission and academic standards, but we are in very different communities. There is no way we can do a one size fits all.”

Read More
On
Brent King Director of Communications, Diocese of Madison

Becket Fund assists 40 Dane County Catholic sites to open at 25 percent capacity

MADISON — For three months now, the Diocese of Madison has followed the best of state and local guidelines with regard to all reasonable protocols concerning COVID-19, its transmission, and how to protect the public, especially those most vulnerable.

At the same time, and never dismissively, the Church has looked to how best to provide for the spiritual, and especially the sacramental, nourishment of the faithful. This has been a particular weight on the heart of Bishop Donald J. Hying since suspending public Masses in mid-March.

After the Wisconsin State Supreme Court reversed state-wide orders and restrictions, the diocese quickly began planning for its own very-measured reopening.

On Thursday, May 21, the Diocese of Madison shared its guidelines for parish reopening at 25 percent occupancy across the 11-county diocese. These guidelines take everything into account from social distancing, personal sanitation, omission of singing, removal of furniture and hymnals, training of ushers, and so much more.

Read More
On
Patrick Gorman Director, Office of Worship, Diocese of Madison

How can we keep from singing?

There is a lot of excitement among many people regarding re-opening our Catholic churches for Mass in our diocese. Unfortunately, it will be quieter than usual.

Using the best scientific, medical, musical, and liturgical advice, choirs and congregations will not sing until further notice in the Diocese of Madison (and in most dioceses across the USA).

I have to say, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d write! I have been a singer, choir director, and church musician for my entire adult life. I’ve given many workshops and written numerous articles on the importance of music in the Mass.

Risk of passing on the virus

Even so, research is showing that singing raises the risk of passing on the coronavirus and for that reason, it’s the proper response of the Church at this time.

Read More
On
the Diocese of Madison

Diocese of Madison to roll out reopening plan early next week

MADISON — With the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling of May 13, which overturned Governor Tony Evers’ state-wide Emergency Order #28, i.e., the “Safer at Home” Order, Most Reverend Donald Hying, Bishop of Madison offered the following brief statement:

“I certainly appreciate the exception added to the Public Health Madison and Dane County Order of May 13th, which while continuing to list religious entities as ‘Essential Businesses and Operations’, also allows for more reasonably-sized congregations for public worship while maintaining appropriate health-related safeguards, and I look forward to seeing this exception for religious entities being adopted in our other ten counties in the Diocese of Madison, and hopefully statewide in any possible future state order.

Read More
On
David R. J. Stiennon, For the Catholic Herald

Our Lady of Hope Clinic challenged by pandemic and personnel issues

MADISON — Our Lady of Hope Clinic has been hit by multiple challenges during the last three months.

The pandemic has not only altered how health care is provided but has all but eliminated the availability of volunteer medical assistants at the 11-year-old Odana Rd. clinic on Madison’s west side.

Open for members and uninsured recipients

Dr. Michael Kloess and Dr. Elizabeth Larson continue to serve an average of six uninsured patients daily, while providing enhanced access primary care to members of the clinic.

Read More