Mass of Christian Burial March 10 for Msgr. Joseph Niglis MADISON -- A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, March 10, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Dennis Church, 413 Dempsey Rd., Madison, for Msgr. Joseph C. Niglis, 91, who died Thursday, March 6. Bishop William H. Bullock will be the main celebrant and Msgr. Delbert L. Schmelzer, homilist. Visitation will be at the church from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, and from 9:30 a.m. until Mass on Monday. Msgr. Joseph C. Niglis Niglis was born in Verona to Henry and Elizabeth (McGuiggan) Niglis. He attended Verona public elementary school. High school, college, philosophy and theology studies were completed at St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 22, 1937 for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, at St. Anne Church, Milwaukee by Archbishop Alphonsus Stritch. He served as associate pastor of St. Mary Parish, Burlington; Holy Angels Parish, Milwaukee; and St. Patrick Parish, Beaver Dam. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Madison in 1946. He served as administrator of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cassville; administrator and pastor of Holy Ghost Parish, Dickeyville; and was founding pastor of St. Dennis Parish, Madison, where he served for 25 years. He retired from St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Westport, in 1983. He also served as a diocesan consultor, judge on the Madison Diocese Matrimonial Tribunal, and a member of the Madison diocesan board of education and building commission. He was chaplain to the Catholic War Veterans and the Catholic Daughters of America, Madison Court. He also served as chaplain in the United States Navy in 1943, serving in World War II. Pope John Paul II named him a Prelate of Honor in the Jubilee year of 2000.

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- This week, Catholics throughout the Diocese of Madison will be receiving a personal letter from Bishop William H. Bullock.

As he did last year, the bishop is communicating directly with over 66,000 households in the diocese about the annual Diocesan Services Appeal (DSA).

Along with the letter is a brochure describing diocesan ministries that the DSA helps to fund, along with the budget for the diocese. This year an envelope for contributions and pledges will also be enclosed.

"To further the mission of the Church, we join hands to do God's work," Bullock says in his letter. "The reality is that the Church needs your financial support. The Diocese provides ministries and services that no individual parish can do on its own.

"By acting and giving together as a Diocese, we can meet the needs in our eleven counties in South Central Wisconsin."

Promoting the DSA

Jay Conzemius, director of the diocesan Office for Stewardship and Development, noted that the Diocesan Services Appeal promotion materials are helping the parishes pay their diocesan assessment.

Checks are still made out to the parish. Envelopes may be returned in the Sunday collection basket at one's parish or may be mailed to the parish or diocese with the parish indicated on the envelope.

"If we collect more than the parish's assessment, it goes back to the parish for parish needs," said Conzemius.

He said the opportunity to pledge to the DSA is new. "It gives people the opportunity to 'lighten the load' of their gift by paying in installments and instead of having to pay all at once."

The mailing list for the letter comes from the diocesan central database. "This was compiled and is being maintained by the Office for Stewardship and Development with the help of parishes," noted Conzemius.

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	News & Features: • Special section: Retirement Living • Auxiliary Bishop George O. Wirz: Celebrates 25th anniversary as bishop on March 9 • God is awesome: Youth celebrate at Diocese of Madison's Middle School Rally • Peace efforts: Pope calls for fast, prayers • Supreme Court: Ruling on abortion, racketeering praised Columns: • Guest columnist by Douglas W. Kmiec -- War with Iraq is just: America must respond • Making a Difference by Tony Magliano -- Addiction to war: 'Defeat for humanity' • Question Corner by Fr. John Dietzen -- Conscientious objection: Where does the church stand? • The Pope Speaks by Pope John Paul II -- Psalm 150: Invitation to every living being to join in song of praise to God • Subscribe to print edition

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- Plans to link four sets of parishes in the Diocese of Madison were announced this week by Bishop William H. Bullock (see Bishop Speaks page).

The linkages flow out of the diocese's Inter-Parish Strategic Plan released Nov. 28, 1999. That plan came about after two years of meetings held throughout the diocese to develop recommendations to accommodate anticipated reductions in the number of priests.

Fewer priests

Now, in 2003, that decreased number of priests is here. This year there will be three priests retiring and three priests from Nigeria returning to their country. The unexpected death of Fr. John Dowd in 2002 also cut the number of priests available to serve.

Three men will be ordained to the priesthood in May, but that will not be enough to replace those who are leaving. So more parishes will be linked beginning June 11.

Strategic Plan

In the Diocese of Madison's strategic planning documents, Bullock said he was "committed to preserving our parishes as natural faith communities and to providing the priestly presence to our parishes necessary to sustain us as a people of Word and Sacrament.   Full Story ...