Consecration scheduled October 26 Bishop Paul J. Swain MADISON -- The Episcopal Ordination of Most Reverend Paul J. Swain as the eighth Bishop of Sioux Falls, S.D., will be celebrated on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006, at 2 p.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral, Sioux Falls, S.D. Because of limited seating, it will be by invitation only. At a future date, Bishop Swain will return to the Diocese of Madison to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving. Please keep him and the people of the Dioceses of Madison and Sioux Falls in your prayers as they prepare for the future. • Previous article: Pope Benedict XVI Names Msgr. Paul J. Swain Eighth Bishop of Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota (posted 8/31/2006)
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Cathedral future: Bishop holds first townhall meeting

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

SUN PRAIRIE -- Bishop Robert C. Morlino listened to a variety of opinions and questions about the future of the diocesan cathedral at the first of a series of townhall meetings held September 6 at St. Albert the Great Parish in Sun Prairie.

	Related articles: August 17, 2006 edition: • Bishop plans townhall meetings on cathedral future • More articles on St. Raphael Cathedral

The bishop thanked the approximately 60 people for coming. He acknowledged Bishop Paul J. Swain, recently named Bishop of Sioux Falls, S.D. Bishop Swain is rector of St. Raphael Cathedral and pastor of the downtown Madison parishes.

Bishop Morlino said he will continue to consult with Bishop Swain after he goes to Sioux Falls.

"I am here to listen to you," Bishop Morlino told those gathered. He also noted that people of the diocese will be getting together and listening to each other in the diocesan planning process.

The bishop said he didn't want the townhall meetings to be adversarial. "My point is to listen in a way that there are no winners or losers," he said, adding that people should show "forbearance" and "give people the benefit of the doubt."

Several members of St. Albert the Great Parish spoke about the importance of feeding the hungry and healing the sick. One woman suggested instead of building a new cathedral, the diocese should build a medical center downtown.

Several suggested designating another church, such as St. Bernard Church in Madison, as a cathedral. Several mentioned that parking is a problem downtown.

Bishop Morlino pointed out that existing parishes may not want to be designated as a cathedral, since it would change their parish life.   Full story ...

By Kathleen Bushman
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

Both the weather and the welcome were warm for the eight delegates from the Diocese of Madison to the sister Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatonga in Ghana.

The fourth delegation between the two dioceses was able to see the differences that have been made by the Global Solidarity Project, begun in 2002 under the auspices of Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

Much as the recent delegation from Ghana experienced here, the Madison delegates had an opportunity to visit parishes and see the origins of the chocolate in Divine Chocolates, a fair trade organization, as well as meet officials and beneficiaries of the Donkey Project.

Schedule

The delegation arrived in Accra, the capital of Ghana, and met with CRS officials Thomas Awiapo and Michelle Borne. Accra, a city one delegate compared to Chicago, is a port city in the southern and more rain-forest-like part of the country.

From Accra, they drove five hours into the city of Kumase, where they visited the Cocoa Cooperatives, where chocolate is grown for Divine Chocolates. After meeting with the farmers, the delegates were given a surprise audience with the chief of the Ashanti tribe.

After Kumase, the delegates traveled to Bolgatanga in the northeastern, sub-Saharan part of Ghana. There they met beneficiaries of the Donkey Project and had Mass and breakfast with Bishop Lucas Abadamoora of the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga. They also were able to meet with the Regional Minister, Mahami Salifu.   Full story ...