News Briefs: Initiation rites Feb. 17 SUN PRAIRIE -- The Rite of Election of Catechumens and Call to Continuing Conversion for Candidates for full communion in the Catholic Church will be celebrated by parishes of the Diocese of Madison on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 2:30 p.m. at St. Albert the Great Parish in Sun Prairie. More than 50 parishes from the diocese will send nearly 300 people who will celebrate the sacraments of initiation this Easter, as well as their sponsors, family members, and friends. About 1,000 people are expected to attend. Bishop William H. Bullock will preside. Mass of Healing STOUGHTON -- A Mass of Healing and Hope will be celebrated on Sunday, Feb. 24, at St. Ann Church, 320 N. Harrison St. Prayer and praise will begin at 2 p.m. and Mass at 2:30 p.m. Msgr. Gerard M. Healy will be the celebrant and will administer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. After Mass, prayer teams will be available to pray with people for spiritual, physical, emotional, financial, and relational needs. The Mass is sponsored by the Madison Diocesan Catholic Charismatic Renewal. For information call 608-833-6560 or 838-6619. Clinic open house NEW GLARUS -- The Monroe Clinic-New Glarus will host an open house on Sunday, Feb. 17, from 2 to 4 p.m. Guests are invited to learn more about plans for the new clinic and meet clinic team members, including Dr. Gaines Richardson, who moved his practice to New Glarus in December. Refreshments, free blood pressure screenings, and sketches of the new facility will be on hand. Fish and Philosophy MADISON -- The annual Lenten Fish and Philosophy series at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish here will feature three speakers on Feb. 22, March 8, and March 22 and a catered fish dinner by Crandall's. To make a dinner reservation, send a check for $8.50 per plate payable to Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 401 S. Owen Dr., Madison, WI 53711, by the Monday preceding the event. Include address, telephone number, and names of all persons covered by check. Dinner begins at 6:15 p.m. in the church gathering space and is followed by presentation at 7 p.m. There is no fee to hear the speaker. Preaching, Prayer, Song MADISON -- Fr. James V. Marchionda, a Dominican priest, composer, conductor, singer, and woodwind instrumentalist, will present "A Spiritual Experience of Preaching, Prayer and Song" on Wednesday, Feb. 20, and Thursday, Feb. 21, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2115 Rowley Ave. Each day morning sessions from 8:30 to 11 a.m. include Eucharist reading in church, continental breakfast, preaching with shared reflection and time for questions and answers. Evening sessions from 7 to 9 p.m. include readings, prayers, and preaching accompanied by the musical group Sonday, with refreshments following. For more information, contact Blessed Sacrament Parish, 608-238-3471. Post-abortion support MADISON -- Hope is available for those who suffer from the aftermath of abortion. Whole Heart, a ministry of Care Net Pregnancy Center, will offer a 14-week support group for women beginning Monday, Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m. Covered will be topics of relief, denial, anger, depression, grieving, guilt, repentance, forgiveness, and healing. A workbook, Forgiven and Set Free, which uses scripture reflections, will be used. Whole Heart offers a safe and confidential setting. Facilitators have received training from Project Rachel and Post-Abortion Counseling and Education. Call Cassie at 608-259-1605 by Feb. 18 to register for the support group or for more information on Care Net help for women and men who are suffering.

Olympic athlete:

(See also front page photo.)

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON/RIO -- Fr. Donn Heiar visited the home of Debbie and Pete McCormick last week to bless their new home in Rio -- and to offer a special prayer for Olympic athletes.

Debbie left shortly afterward for Salt Lake City to compete as a member of the U.S. women's curling team. She was accompanied by her father, Wally Henry of Madison, Team USA's assistant coach.

Members of parish

The McCormicks are active members of St. Mary Parish in Pardeeville, where Heiar serves as parochial vicar. The priest described the McCormicks as "very faithful people" and a "delightful couple."

Debbie is a member of the parish's Pastoral Council and husband Pete is a parish trustee.

The couple met in Madison, where they both attended Madison Area Technical College. Both had an interest in curling. "I used to curl with her brother," said Pete.

Second Olympics

Debbie competed as a member of the U.S. women's curling team at the Winter Olympics in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, where curling made its debut as an Olympic medal sport. The U.S. women finished with a 2-5 record and failed to advance.

This time, the team has high hopes for a medal. Pete McCormick, who will be joining his wife this week in Utah, will be cheering for them. "I'd love to see them get a medal," he said.

Engaged in Nagano

Although the U.S. curlers didn't earn a medal in Nagano, Debbie came away with a prize: Pete proposed to her in Japan and they were engaged there on Valentine's Day.

Debbie, who was Episcopalian, went through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process and joined the Catholic Church in April of 1999. She and Pete were married in July of 1999.

Does Pete have any surprises planned for this year's Olympics? "I don't know what I'll do this time," he said.

Hotbed of curling

Pete said that Wisconsin's Columbia County is a "hotbed of curling" in the U.S. There are curling clubs in Arlington, Lodi, Pardeeville, Portage, and Poynette. The McCormicks are members of both the Pardeeville and Madison Curling Clubs. "The Olympics should give curling good exposure," observed Pete.

Debbie is fortunate to be employed by Home Depot in Madison, which allows her to work 20 hours a week and get full-time benefits and wages plus time off to travel as an Olympic athlete. Pete works at CC & N, a communications, cabling, and networking company in Sun Prairie.

MADISON -- It is because of the work of many hands and the willingness of many hearts that the proceeds of a special handmade quilt will be donated to the building of the new Catholic Multicultural Center, which will be the home of St. Martin House and Centro Guadalupano.

The "Rose of Sharon" quilt, made by a group known as the Nazareth House Volunteer Quilters, is on display at various parishes, where people may purchase raffle tickets for chances to win it. The drawing will take place Monday, March 11, at St. Martin House, temporarily housed at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 605 Spruce St.

The Nazareth House Volunteer Quilters, founded by Dee Schammel in 1988, was started because a family had donated to Nazareth House in Stoughton a number of quilts that needed finishing.

Ever since then, the ecumenical group has gathered every Thursday afternoon at Nazareth House for quilting and socializing. The quilts that the group makes are usually raffled off to benefit Nazareth House.

Last year, two of the quilters, Beverly DeGroot and Marilyn Ladwig, who also volunteer weekly at St. Martin House and are members of its advisory board, asked the group if they would be willing to make a quilt to be raffled as a fundraiser for the new Catholic Multicultural Center. The group readily agreed.

As they developed the design for the quilt, they realized that 12 squares would be needed and there are 11 women in the group. Sr. Mildred Okon, a Nigerian sister serving and living at Nazareth House, stepped forward to volunteer to complete the 12th square.

"These women are amazing volunteers," said Steve Maurice, administrator of St. Martin House. "It is a great compliment to us for them to have made a quilt to be raffled off."

"It's fun to be part of a project like this, but it's also pleasant to get together with friends once a week," said Schammel. "It's not a chore at all - it's a lot of fun."

Besides DeGroot, Ladwig, and Schammel, the quilters include Coral Berglund, Marion Bartman, Marion Forrer, Diane Martinson, Louise Nagel, Nora Krabe, Helen Probst, and Florence Folbrecht.

Those interested in purchasing tickets for the drawing may contact Steve Maurice at St. Martin House, 608-255-1287. The tickets are $1 each or six for $5.