News Briefs: Education Institute Oct. 8 MADISON -- The Diocese of Madison's Central Education Institute will take place at the Marriott Madison West Hotel and Conference Center on Friday, Oct. 8. Those involved in parish ministry, Catholic schools, or religious education are encouraged to attend. The keynote presenter is Fr. Pat Norris, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Madison. His address is titled "Decoding The Da Vinci Code: A Catholic Call to Evangelize Culture." The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year. The presentation will examine evangelical responsibility, discuss some of the major difficulties in the book, and offer an analysis as to why the text has been so popular. Workshop topics include areas such as Catholic spirituality, understanding grace and free will, stem cell research, vocations, evangelizing teens, standardized testing, religious education standards, and mission trips. The institute is sponsored by the diocesan Office of Religious Education and Office of Catholic Schools. Registration is necessary. The fee is $45 if you register by Sept. 24; $50 after Sept. 24. For more information, visit www.madisonfaithandfamily.org/ or call the Office of Religious Education at 608-821-3180. Tribunal workshops offered MADISON -- Presentations on "Divorce, Annulment, and Remarriage in the Catholic Church" will be given in various parishes by the Diocese of Madison Tribunal. Jay Conzemius, J.C.L., director of the Tribunal, will discuss the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding annulment issues and will provide specific information about the annulment process in the diocese. There will be an opportunity for discussion, interaction, and group questions. After the talk, Conzemius will make himself available on a one-to-one basis to address personal situations. Upcoming presentations are scheduled at the following parishes: • Sept. 21 at St. Bernard Parish in Madison in the parish hall • Sept. 28 at St. Patrick Parish in Janesville • Oct. 5 at St. Maria Goretti in Madison in Marian Hall • Oct. 19 at St. Cecilia Parish in Wisconsin Dells • Oct. 21 at St. Mary Parish in Platteville in the parish hall All of the presentations will begin at 7 p.m. Rosary March Oct. 3 MADISON -- The fall International Rosary March will be held Sunday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m. at St. Raphael Cathedral. The theme for this Rosary March is "May the month of the rosary inspire more people to honor Jesus and Mary by a devout praying of the rosary." The homily will be presented by Fr. Tait Schroeder of St. Dennis Parish, Madison. The rosary will be prayed while marching in procession with the pilgrim Virgin statue around the St. Raphael Cathedral block. The rosary will also be prayed simultaneously inside the church. There will be a special presentation of flowers to Our Blessed Mother by children in attendance. Any children wishing to participate should bring flowers. The program will conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Marriage Encounter Weekends MADISON -- Madison Marriage Encounter is hosting two Marriage Encounter Weekends. A weekend for all married couples will be held Friday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 26. A Recovery Weekend for couples dealing with substance abuse in their marriage will be held Friday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 10. Marriage Encounter is a weekend away from the daily distractions and tensions of life. The weekends will be held at the Bishop O'Connor Center in Madison. All faiths are welcome. To register, call 608-821-3175 or visit www.marriageencountermadison.org Columbia Deanery HUBERTUS -- The Columbia Deanery Council of Catholic Women will gather at Holy Hill, National Shrine of Mary here Thursday, Oct. 14. Women will meet at the Chapel of St. Therese (level 2) at 11 a.m. for Mass with Fr. Lorin Bowens, Lime Ridge, diocesan moderator, as homilist. A presentation will be given following the Mass on the history of Holy Hill and the Carmelite Order. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. in the cafeteria with an approximate cost of $7. Each woman attending is responsible for her own transportation. Make reservations by calling Kris Karl at 608-592-7421 by Oct. 12. East Dane Deanery MARSHALL -- "Reaching Out" is the theme for the fall meeting of the East Dane Deanery Council of Catholic Women Thursday, Oct. 21, at St. Mary of the Nativity Parish here. Registration is at 5:15 p.m. followed by rosary at 5:40. Mass will be offered at 6 with Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt, Sun Prairie, diocesan moderator, as homilist. Dinner will be served at 7 followed by business meeting; Fr. Ron Rank as guest speaker; and entertainment by the Sisters of St. Mary's. Those attending are asked to bring non-perishable food items for local food pantries. Reservations are due Oct. 11 to Connie Skalitzky, 1376 Hwy. 19, Marshall, WI 53559. The cost is $7. Memorial Mass for Fr. Mazzuchelli NEW DIGGINGS -- The Mazzuchelli Assembly Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus will have its annual Memorial Mass for Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli at St. Augustine Church in New Diggings Sunday, Sept. 26, at 3 p.m. Proceeds from the steak and chicken breast dinner following the Mass will be used toward the restoration of the church. Dinner tickets are $10. A raffle drawing will be held during the dinner. Tickets are still available for the raffle at $100 each with a chance to win a grand prize of $10,000, first prize of $1,000, or second prize of $500. Ticket sales are limited to 350 tickets. Tickets may be purchased by sending $100 payable to St. Augustine Chapel Fund, Inc. to George Burns, treasurer, 150 W. Church St., Shullsburg, WI 53586. All donations are tax deductible.
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Cathedral: Marks 150th anniversary of laying
of cornerstone

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

(See also front page photo.)

MADISON -- On May 28, 1854, Bishop John Martin Henni of Milwaukee presided at the ceremony for the laying of the cornerstone at what is now St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported, "The ceremony of laying the corner stone of this edifice took place yesterday. Bishop Henni was present and some other functionaries. A very large concourse were in attendance to witness the ceremonies. . . . The situation of the Church is fine, overlooking both the Third and Fourth Lakes, and when erected it will be the most prominent building in town as seen from the Railroad."

This description of the laying of the cornerstone is found in a new history of St. Raphael Cathedral written by Charles T. Scott, a cathedral parishioner who is an emeritus professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The history book is part of St. Raphael's celebration of the 150th anniversary of the cornerstone laying.

Celebration events

All of the 150th anniversary events are open to the public.

• The celebration will begin on Sunday, Sept. 26, with the 10:30 a.m. Mass at the cathedral. There will be historical exhibits in the St. Raphael church hall.

• A concert -- "If these walls could sing" -- will be presented by the St. Raphael Cathedral Choir on Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m. Dr. Patrick Gorman directs the choir with Sigrun Franzen as organist. Admission to the concert is free. A freewill offering will be taken.

• On Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m., Bishop Robert C. Morlino will preside at Vespers at the cathedral on the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

• On Thursday, Sept. 30, the Chamber Choir of the Academy of Music Franz Liszt from Germany will perform at 7:30 p.m. The concert will include works by J.S. Bach, H. Schütz, G. Verdi, B. Britten, and others.

• Bishop Morlino will celebrate the closing 150th anniversary celebration Mass on Sunday, Oct. 3, at 10:30 a.m. There will be a social in the cathedral parking lot after the Mass. The annual Rosary March at 2 p.m. will conclude the festivities (see related news brief).

On Monday, Oct. 4, the top of the cathedral steeple will be removed as part of the cathedral renovation project, according to Msgr. Paul J. Swain, cathedral rector.

The renovation project involves repairing the exterior as well as eventually refurbishing the infrastructure and interior.

Public invited to Eucharistic Exposition, Prayer for Vocations

By Fr. Jim Bartylla
DIOCESAN VOCATION DIRECTOR

The Serra Club of Madison invites the public to Eucharistic Exposition and Prayer for Vocations at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center beginning the week of Monday, Sept. 13.

The Exposition will be every weekday, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Everyone, at their convenience, is welcome to join the members of the Serra Club and others who are promoting this prayer for vocations before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

Begun by seminarians

Eucharistic Exposition for Vocations at the O'Connor Center owes its beginning to three diocesan seminarians, Eric Sternberg, Ben Kessler, and Greg Ihm, who instituted a Holy Hour for Vocations this past summer.

Knowing that our beloved seminarians would be returning to seminary in the Fall, members of the Serra Club of Madison along with me, Fr. Bartylla, chaplain to the Serra Club of Madison and director of vocations for the Diocese of Madison, decided to institute a daily (during the week), year-round, three-hour Eucharistic Exposition for Vocations.

Only holiday closures of the O'Connor Center or other events using the chapel during those hours would curtail or modify the Eucharistic Exposition for Vocations on those particular days.

Importance of prayer

As vocations director, I've often been asked about the importance of prayer for vocations. I cite the example and writings of a recently canonized saint - Saint Hannibal Mary di Francia.

Saint Hannibal was canonized on May 16, 2004 by Pope John Paul II and was the founder of the Rogationists and the Daughters of the Divine Zeal of the Heart of Jesus.

Saint Hannibal saw unlimited possibilities in prayers of petition for vocations. He wrote, "The basic reason to use petitionary prayer for vocations is that it was 'commanded' by Christ in Matthew 9:37 and Luke 10:2. . . . The solution (to the scarcity of vocations) is bound to prayer, which is the supreme, infallible remedy. And we call this remedy infallible because since our Lord has revealed it to us and demanded it from us, it cannot fail; and if he revealed to us a prayer for this purpose, it means that he wants to grant it, otherwise he would have not commanded it. . . .

"Petitions are made for rain, for good harvest, to be freed from divine punishments, and for hundreds of human necessities; and we fail to ask the Most High to send good evangelical laborers to the mystical harvest?! . . . All that God has arranged to do with our salvation, he has arranged to do it by means of our prayer."

Fostering vocations

Indeed, it is well known among seminarians, including our own, that dioceses with Eucharistic Exposition, especially daily or perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, evidence much greater success in fostering and sustaining vocations to priesthood and religious life. Pope John Paul II, in recent documents, has called for greater devotion and adoration of the Eucharist.

The Serra Club of Madison and I hope that this example of Eucharistic Exposition for Vocations at the O'Connor Center will encourage vocation committees, parishes, and other Serra Clubs throughout the Diocese of Madison to begin or continue Eucharistic Exposition and Prayer for Vocations.

If anyone is interested in starting this at their parish, I am happy to assist them. In addition, if anyone is interested or knows of someone interested in a vocation to priesthood or religious life, they should feel free to contact me, Fr. Bartylla, at 800-833-8452 or 608-821-3095 or vocations@straphael.org

Expressing thanks

Lastly, I wish to thank all of the members of the Serra Clubs of Madison, Janesville, and Beloit; the Southwest Vocations Club; the Knights of Columbus; and many parish vocation committees for their leadership in promoting and supporting vocations.

Many thanks go to diocesan staff at the O'Connor Center and other members of the diocese who are supporting this Eucharistic Exposition for Vocations at the O'Connor Center.

Lastly, of course, we thank all of our seminarians who initiated and support Eucharistic Exposition for Vocations at the O'Connor Center. The zeal of our men in the seminary is a great sign of the New Evangelization called for by our beloved Holy Father.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam - To the Greater Glory of God.

Fr. Jim Bartylla is director of vocations for the Diocese of Madison and chaplain of the Serra Club of Madison.