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October 14, 2004 Edition • Volume 134, No. 38 • Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. |
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Cistercian Sisters:
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Pictured here is an artist's rendering of the proposed new Valley of Our Lady Monastery to be built near Highland, Wis., for the Cistercian nuns. |
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PRAIRIE DU SAC -- A capital campaign is currently being conducted to raise $7 million to construct a monastery for the nuns of Valley of Our Lady Monastery, now located in Prairie du Sac, that will last for hundreds of years and accommodate many generations of Cistercian nuns in the Madison Diocese.
The new monastery will be built on farmland donated to the nuns by Harvey and Marcie Yero. The gift, worth in excess of $300,000, is located near Highland, Wis., in Iowa County.
It is in prayerful trust of the nuns that God will inspire Catholics in the Madison Diocese to come forward with gift offerings to make their campaign a success.
Substandard dwellings
The nuns have lived in substandard dwellings for nearly 50 years. They came from Frauenthal, Switzerland, in 1957 at the invitation of Bishop William P. O'Connor. He wanted contemplative cloistered nuns to pray for Catholics of the recently created Madison Diocese and for all humanity.
When they arrived the nuns were located on a 112-acre farm near Prairie du Sac that was to be a temporary location. The site consists of a stone building built in the 1850s and the summer home of Governor Emmanuel I. Phillip built in the early 1900s.
Two additions were added over the years: one to accommodate the nuns' growing numbers and the other for the baking of altar breads that support their basic needs. Both additions' fundraising programs fell short of the goals. The sisters, with hard work and a frugal lifestyle, paid the indebtedness 13 years later on the 1964 addition. The 1990s addition for altar breads was also not built as a quality structure, but again, the nuns satisfied the mortgage.
Mold in the walls, poor heating, and expensive upkeep on old buildings make this the time to provide a home for the nuns worthy of their service to God and Catholics of the diocese.
Volunteers at work
Volunteers are working throughout the diocese to make the campaign successful, but it can only be accomplished through the generous donations of the Catholics in the diocese. Full story ...
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Update: On sexual abuse prevention program in diocese
MADISON -- It has been almost a year since the Diocese of Madison - responding to the child sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church - implemented the Protecting God's ChildrenTM Program and other elements of the VIRTUS® programs.
The program grew out of the provisions of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, adopted by the U.S. Catholic Bishops.
"Integral to the Charter is an education program for all diocesan and parish employees, as well as volunteers dealing directly with children," said Msgr. Paul J. Swain, vicar general of the Diocese of Madison. "For this education component, the Diocese of Madison contracted for Protecting God's ChildrenTM Program." Full story ...
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Mailing address: P.O. Box 44985, Madison, WI 53744-4985
Phone: 608-821-3070 Fax: 608-821-3071 E-Mail: info@madisoncatholicherald.org
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