(Catholic Herald photo/Nico Fassino)
MADISON — To say the night was merely a success would certainly be an understatement. Now in its fourth year, the Spring Wine Fest hosted by St. Paul University Catholic Center was held on Friday, May 3, at the Madison Concourse Hotel just steps away from the Wisconsin state capitol building.
A huge turnout, a festive atmosphere, and enthusiastic support for the new St. Paul’s building project made it clear that — more than a mere success — this event had, quite simply, been knocked out of the park.
The Spring Wine Fest has quickly become known as one of Madison’s premiere social events, and has seen attendance and support grow rapidly with every passing year. The first Wine Fest was held in 2010 with a crowd of approximately 150 people.
This past Friday, 420 people filled the grand ballroom at the Concourse Hotel for a night of wine and beer tasting, a splendid dinner, and a brief program describing the successes and pressing needs of the thriving Catholic campus ministry center.
The evening began with wine and beer tasting, for which each guest was given a personal wine glass and brochure describing the offerings in detail. This year, for the first time, an array of beer from local microbrewery Karben4 was available to guests in addition to the 10 different wines — five red and five white — that are customarily presented from wineries around the state and world.
More than simply a tasting event, the Spring Wine Fest also offered guests the opportunity for extensive socializing throughout the evening and provided a delicious meal with options for every palate and preference.
Robert Booth Fowler, professor emeritus of the University of Wisconsin Madison, attended the event and offered guests the opportunity to learn more about and purchase his book Catholics on State Street: A History of St. Paul’s in Madison.
St. Jude Hospice, the diamond sponsor of the evening, was honored with special mention by Fr. Eric Nielsen, executive director of St. Paul University Catholic Center, because St. Jude is the only Catholic hospice care in the Diocese of Madison.
After the dinner, several awards were given to members of the Madison Catholic community who have performed distinguished service to St. Paul’s. Cecelia Klingele, alumna, UW-Madison law professor, and mother of eight children was awarded the Harrington Award for Distinguished Alumni, and Charles and Darlene Mistretta were given the Melvin award for Service to St. Paul’s.
The program also included two powerful testimonies from current students Claire Cepla and Nicholas Stabo, whose lives have been profoundly changed by their involvement at St. Paul’s.
At the end of the evening, Scott Hackl — senior director of advancement for St. Paul’s — spoke briefly but impassionedly about the beautiful mission and massive impact that St. Paul’s has on campus. Approximately 3,000 students participate in Bible studies, retreats, and other program at St. Paul’s each year, and approximately 1,000 students attend Mass every Sunday.
Hackl noted that 30 percent of UW-Madison graduates remain in the Diocese of Madison after graduation, and these young Catholics have and will continue to have a major impact on the diocese and state as they take their faith and what they’ve learned at St. Paul’s into the world.
St. Paul’s is already the largest student ministry on campus, and when faced with a continually growing number of students participating annually, the pressing urgency of the building project is clear.
Currently, St. Paul’s operates out of a gloomy and dilapidated chapel last renovated in 1968 which few students find attractive or inspiring. St. Paul’s also uses a tiny, rundown house built in the 1890s as a student center — this building is completely overwhelmed by the demands for space and the need for continual serious maintenance.
Said Hackl, “We are living within a center where the demands from our students reach beyond what we can do . . . our ministry has grown extensively and our building continues to crumble!”
The proposed building project aims to build a six-story structure that will integrate both a large, beautiful chapel and a spacious student center into a single building.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Christ the Cornerstone capital campaign and ways to be involved is encouraged to sign up for more information, by visiting http://uwcatholic.org/capital-campaign/