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	News Briefs: Workshop offers heartburn solutions FREEPORT, Ill. -- The questions seem endless: Is it simple heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux? Is medication effective and how does it work? Are there any new treatments? Monroe Clinic and General Surgeon Dr. Nicholas Maxwell will host "Heartburn Solutions," a community workshop designed to clear up the confusion surrounding this common problem. On Wednesday, Jan. 30, the workshop will be presented at the Freeport Public Library, located at 100 E. Douglas St. The public is invited to attend this free event. Refreshments will be served. To register call toll-free: 1-877-865-1462 or go to www.monroeclinic.org and click on Classes & Events. Valentine's Day event at Sinsinawa SINSINAWA -- Celebrate Valentine's Day with the one(s) you love at Sinsinawa Mound's Valentine's Day Event, Thursday, Feb. 14. Share dinner and/or a concert featuring the River's Voice, comprised of Trish and Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, as they entertain and inspire with stories, laughter, and music. Dinner will be served at 5:45 p.m. and the concert will be at 7 p.m. Cost is $30/couple or $15/single for dinner and concert. Concert only is $15/couple or $10/single. Dinner reservation deadline is February 7. Call Guest Services at 608-748-4411 for reservations or information or visit www.sinsinawa.org Recycle the Warmth DANE COUNTY -- The Society of St. Vincent de Paul's 16th Annual Recycle the Warmth Blanket Drive will enable caring people across the county to share their resources with neighbors in need who seek St. Vincent de Paul's help. The society's appeal for used and new blankets and bedding will take place from Friday to Sunday, Jan. 25 to 27. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, and Saturday, Jan. 26, St. Vincent de Paul volunteers will staff Recycle the Warmth collection points at all four Madison-area Shopko stores. Shopko will offer a blanket at a deeply discounted price to maximize the buying power of donors who would like to contribute new blankets. Bedding will also be collected at St. Vincent de Paul's five Dane County thrift stores: three stores in Madison, one in Stoughton, and one in Waunakee. Nearly four-dozen area religious congregations will collect bedding for the blanket drive on Saturday, Jan. 26, and Sunday, Jan. 27. Donors may contact the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at 608-278-2920 for participating places of worship. Tax-deductible donations of money are also welcome. Checks may be made payable to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and sent to: District Council of Madison, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, 1109 Jonathon Dr., Madison, WI 53713-3230. Aquinas Week to celebrate anniversary MADISON -- For more than a decade St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Madison, has honored their patron saint with a week of reflection, study, and celebration. This year the celebration holds even more significance. It is the 50th anniversary as a parish, a year of jubilee. The parish jubilee and Aquinas Week officially begins with a special opening Mass at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27. After Mass, parishioners can linger in the gathering area for refreshments before eating, or head directly to the social hall for a spaghetti dinner. From 5 to 7 p.m., dinner will be served in the spirit of an Italian festival: meatballs, garlic bread, salad, and dessert. There will also be a vocations dress-up activity for the children. On Monday, Jan. 28, follow in St. Aquinas's prayerful footsteps by celebrating morning Mass at 8:30 a.m. or participating in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament any time between 2 and 7 p.m. Adoration ends with evening prayer from 7 to 7:30 p.m. On Tuesday, Jan. 29, Sr. Mary Ellen Green will speak on St. Thomas Aquinas and the challenges in his life that led him to extraordinary holiness and wholeness. The evening begins in the social hall at 7 p.m. with a social. Throughout the week, people are invited to browse the Catholic book sale with its variety of selections for young and old. Art created by St. Thomas Aquinas parishioners will also be on display in the gathering area. For more information, contact Jennifer Ludtke (Adult Faith Formation/Outreach) at 608-833-2606 or jennifer@stamadison.org Joint parish mission hosted by Watertown parishes WATERTOWN -- St. Henry and St. Bernard Parishes in Watertown will be hosting a joint parish mission January 27 through January 31. Presenting will be Fr. Louis Guardiola of the Fathers of Mercy from Auburn, Ky. The theme of the mission will be "The Church as the Ark of the Covenant." Scheduled talks will focus on the "Holy Eucharist and the Real Presence," "Confession as the Sacrament of Divine Mercy," "Mary as Mother of God and Mother of the Church," and "The Culture of Life vs. the Culture of Death: The Eucharistic Solution." For almost 200 years, the Fathers of Mercy have evangelized and strengthened the faith of parish communities through preaching which is both powerful and thought provoking. In discussing this important event in the lives of the parishes, Fr. Brian Wilk, pastor of St. Henry, said, "It is our hope and prayer that the faith life of all who attend will be enriched. A parish mission is a wonderful opportunity for all the faithful to hear a clear presentation of Catholic faith and to get real answers to their questions." All are welcome to attend this dynamic parish mission. Mass marks 60th anniversary of two priests ROXBURY -- The 60th anniversary of ordination Mass for Msgr. William Stack and Msgr. James Kramer will be held Sunday, Jan. 27, at 3:30 p.m. at St. Norbert Parish, Roxbury. Bishop Robert C. Morlino will preside. An open house will follow in the church hall. All are invited. SS. Anthony and Philip to hold Super Bowl tailgate party HIGHLAND -- Construction of the new SS. Anthony and Philip Church facility, Highland, is moving rapidly toward a planned mid-summer completion. After several years of planning the new facility began its actual building phase this past year. The structure is now almost fully roofed, enclosed, and ready for interior finishing. The completed facility will house a 400-seat church (with the capability of seating for 600), a gathering space, an office space, and an unfinished lower level. The parish hopes that future funding will allow the lower level to include a social hall, kitchen, and religious education classrooms. To that end, fundraising efforts are still high on the list of priorities for SS. Anthony and Philip Parish. On Sunday, Feb. 3, the parish will hold a Super Bowl tailgate party at the Red Zone Restaurant, 360 Main St., Highland, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Included in the festivities are a brunch served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., a live auction at 1:30 p.m., and Chili Express (by the bowl or to go). All proceeds from this event will go toward SS. Anthony and Philip building project. The parish is also scheduling a tour of the new facility from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and invites everyone to attend. For questions concerning the Super Bowl event, call 608-929-7490. Visit the parish Web site for a list of auction items and other information at: www.stsanthonyphilip.com/ activities.htm Nominate someone for a profile Do you know a person to nominate for a profile? This could be someone in a paid or volunteer position in the Catholic Church. It could be someone working outside the Church who lives his or her faith in ordinary or extraordinary ways in daily life. Send nominations with information about the nominee to: Catholic Herald, 702 S. High Point Rd., Madison, WI 53719, or e-mail info@madisoncatholicherald.org

Becoming 'Silent No More'
Women share testimony to help end abortion

MADISON -- The recent Silent No More event at the State Capitol building was a mixture of prayer, song, and testimony, all directed toward bringing about an end to abortion.

Several legislators stopped in during the nearly three-hour event, during which six women shared their testimonies (one by proxy) and offered answers to the sometimes difficult questions raised by those who attended about the hold abortion has on our society, our nation, and our schools.

The event, hosted by the local Silent No More group, was one of many happening around the country January 16. Silent No More, a joint project of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life, works to bring about a greater public awareness of the harm abortion has done to women, men, and their families.

"I love you for what you stand for and you're doing," State Senator Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse) said during the question-and-answer period after the testimonies. "For those who testified, your courage and your bravery . . . I'm impressed."

Assembly Representative Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) echoed those sentiments, but also encouraged those present to go "armed with the knowledge" to others. "The people who need to be part of this group and hear this message are not here," he said. "Don't be afraid to talk to your friends about this."

Helping women

But the day, despite being at the Capitol, was not purely political, said Jane Frantz, the volunteer regional coordinator for Silent No More.

They were there for three reasons, she said: first, to promote appropriate legislation; second, to diminish the need for abortion; and third, to bring about public awareness of the truth of abortion's harm on women, men, and their families.

Before the testimonies of the women, Frantz shared statistics from the Guttmacher Institute and the Wisconsin Women's Council's "Status of Girls in Wisconsin" report. The numbers paint a striking picture of the role of abortion in society:

• Each year, about two percent of women aged 15 to 44 have an abortion, 47 percent of whom have had at least one abortion previously.
  
  
• A strong majority of women cite poverty and a responsibility to other individuals as reasons for obtaining abortions. Half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.
  
  
• Fifty-four percent of women had used a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant; of those, 13 percent who had used the pill and 14 percent of condom users reported correct usage.
  
  
• In 2005, 96,000 of the more than 1.15 million women in Wisconsin became pregnant - 10 percent of these pregnancies ended in induced abortion.
  
  
• Forty percent of Wisconsin high school girls reported having intercourse at least once in their lifetime, but only 32 percent reported being currently sexually active. Of girls aged 15 or younger, 42 percent who are sexually active report that their first sexual intercourse was not consensual.

Changing the social acceptance

In the question and answer session, several of those present asked about how things have changed over the past 35 years, since abortion became legalized.

"There's more help out there," Mary Mead, one of the women present to testify, said. "There are more crisis pregnancy centers."

The problem is that abortion is the socially accepted response to unintended pregnancies, she said.

"We need to get on the front end and change the way we teach, parent, etc. If you're not ready for the responsibility of parenting a child," you're not ready to be sexually active, Mead said.

The public also needs to become more aware of the harm abortion does to women over the long term.

The American Psychology Association and other mainstream medical groups deny the existence of such a thing as "post-abortion syndrome," but research has shown a correlation between abortion and later depression, substance-abuse behaviors, and other negative psychological symptoms.

"Not all women regret their abortions," Frantz admitted. "At least, not initially."

It's to the women who do experience regret that Silent No More reaches out. Beyond its goals to invite women to speak out about their abortion experience and in so doing to make the public more aware of its lasting impact, it also offers support and links to resources.

Even if abortion were again illegal, "because of who we are, we feel there's always going to be the need to help women afterwards," said Mead.

And for that reason these women are now "Silent No More."

For more information on Silent No More, visit www.silentnomoreawareness.org

Catholic Conference says 'no' to no time limits
Bill would remove statute of limitations for sexual abuse cases

MADISON -- The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), the state bishops' voice for public policy, has opposed a bill in the legislature to repeal the statute of limitations for all civil suits filed by childhood sexual abuse victims.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee spoke against the bill at a public hearing held January 16 by the Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, and Housing in the Senate for Senate Bill 356. The bill would also open a three-year grace period for filing lawsuits now barred by current statutes of limitation, or time limits on how long after a crime is committed or injury occurs prosecution may begin. More than 30 people were expected to speak for and against the bill at the hearing at the Capitol.

The pending legislation, SB-356 and its counterpart Assembly Bill 651, dubbed the "Child Victim's Act" by its authors Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and Assembly Rep. Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford), is similar to legislation enacted in California in 2003. The law opened a "window" during which victims of sexual abuse could bring civil lawsuits against those responsible no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.

Several experts on constitutional law spoke at the public hearing on both sides of the issue of whether enacting such a law would be constitutional in Wisconsin. Experts for the bill cited the California law's viability and indications from state Supreme Court judges' dissenting opinions that removing the statute of limitations would be constitutional. But experts testifying against the bill said that reviving claims barred by the current statute of limitations would take away the individual's property right that had been created by the statute, thus rendering the legislation unconstitutional.

When the issue of eliminating the statute of limitations had been raised several years ago during the amendment of the current statute of limitations, which since 2004 allows suits to be brought against the alleged abusers until the victim turns 35, then-Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager had advised legislators that a proposal to revive claims after a statute of limitations had expired was constitutionally flawed.

James Birnbaum, an attorney in La Crosse and diocesan attorney for the diocese there, raised the issue that the legislation will fail to "practically assist" the largest group of victims. Suits by victims of incest are generally uncommon, not only for the psychological complexity of suing a family member, but also because the likelihood of financial recovery is remote, as in the majority of cases, the perpetrator has no assets, he said.

"While this legislation appears to neutrally apply across the board to all victims, the practical difficulties of suits against family members continue," Birnbaum wrote in his testimony. "First, let's be honest, no matter how many press conferences or media opportunities posing with victims are held by plaintiffs' lawyers, the bottom line of this legislation is all about the deep pocket - it's all about the money."

While the bills authors say the legislation is not targeted at any entity, opponents of the bill say removing the statute of limitations would unfairly impact institutions based on whether they are public or private.

Unless the bill is amended - a possibility raised during questions by committee members - current law caps the amount public entities could pay to $50,000 per person. Therefore a public school system might be liable for only $50,000 in a suit, whereas its parochial school counterpart could be liable for millions.

During his testimony, Archbishop Dolan described the mediation process the archdiocese has developed to work with victims of sexual abuse. He emphasized that the Catholic Church remains committed to the healing process.

"As I acknowledge that there is always more that can and must be done, I must be candid this afternoon in observing that in opening a window that nullifies the statute of limitations for cases of long ago, this bill goes radically too far," the archbishop said.

Not only would removing the statute of limitations be unjust toward churches and non-profits, but older lawsuits could also harm current Catholics who had nothing to do with the original incidents, he said.

"I can't see how any of the goals that were - laudably - put forth by the sponsors of this bill" will be satisfied, Archbishop Dolan said after his testimony. "It'll just make it easier to sue the Church."

As of January 21, both the senate bill and its counterpart in the assembly remained in committee.

The WCC is urging citizens to write to their legislators in opposition to the two bills, SB-356 and AB-651. For more information on the bills, or to read Archbishop Dolan's written testimony to the committee, go to www.wisconsin.nasccd.org

All involved in catechesis invited
to meetings

MADISON -- Bishop Robert C. Morlino invites all those involved in catechesis to meet with him in February at the dates and locations listed in the box with this article. He will offer some thoughts about catechesis in the Diocese of Madison, and then field any questions attendees may have.

Catechetical meetings (All sessions held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.) • Wednesday, Feb. 13 -- Bishop O'Connor Center, Madison • Thursday, Feb. 14 (added session) -- 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Bishop O'Connor Center, Madison • Tuesday, Feb. 19 -- St. Joseph Parish, Ft. Atkinson • Thursday, Feb. 21 -- St. Mary Parish, Platteville • Friday, Feb. 22 -- St. John the Baptist Parish, Montello • Tuesday, Feb. 26 -- St. John Vianney Parish, Janesville To register go to the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis Web site at www.MadisonDiocese.org/OEC

All those involved in catechesis are invited to attend these gatherings, whether paid or unpaid, full or part time, including parish directors and coordinators of religious education, youth ministers, principals, teachers in Catholic schools, and catechists. As always, priests and deacons are also invited.

To make these meetings accessible to as wide a group as possible, they will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. People are welcome to attend any of the gatherings which fit their schedules.

Eric Schiedermayer, executive secretary of the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, explained that a bishop's mission is essentially three-fold: to teach, govern, and sanctify. Bishop Morlino is now focusing his primary attention on his teaching mission and these gatherings are an opportunity for him to spend time with all those who assist him in that ministry.

"If we're going to make serious progress in our efforts to strengthen catechesis in the diocese, we all have to pull in the same direction," said Schiedermayer. "These gatherings give all of us - from volunteer catechists to directors of religious education - a chance to hear and understand the vision, ask any questions, and appropriate the mission as our own."

He added, "Jesus tells us that apart from him we can do nothing, and as Catholics we understand that Christ cannot be separated from his mystical body here on earth, the Catholic Church. These gatherings create an opportunity for all those who serve in faith formation to strengthen their connection to the vine."

Portage parish 175th anniversary
Activities planned each month in 2008

PORTAGE -- St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception begins a year-long celebration of its 175th anniversary. Each month the parish will join in a special activity to involve the whole parish, often the whole community.

The January event provides an opportunity to walk the labyrinth in the school gym. This will start the celebration off with a very ancient meditative prayer form that may be a new experience for many.

Oldest parish in diocese

St. Mary holds the distinction of being the oldest parish existing in the Madison Diocese. It all began with Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, a Dominican priest, who offered the first Mass in what was known as "Pauquette's Church" then located near the current intersection of Conant and Adams Sts.

Other churches were built in 1851 and 1854. The current church was dedicated on December 8, 1859.

In 1855 St. Mary School was opened and staffed by Sinsinawa Dominicans. One hundred years later a new school was built on the corner on Conant and MacFarlane.

In 1877 German immigrants who arrived in Portage to dig the canal formed St. Francis Xavier Congregation, which was incorporated into St Mary's in 1906.

The beginning of the 20th century saw the building of a rectory for the pastor and two assistants. The church interior was redecorated in 1959 and 1976.

Anniversary events

Other events during 2008 include:

• February, Mardi Gras
  
  
• March, History of the Church
  
  
• April, planting a tree
  
  
• May 16, 17, 18, Best Fest
  
  
• June, Parish Directory
  
  
• July, Mass on anniversary of the first parish Mass followed by a fish fry
  
  
• August, food drive for local pantries
  
  
• September, family picnic
  
  
• October, an Irish wake
  
  
• November, Gala
  
  
• December 8, Closing Mass with Bishop Robert C. Morlino, 149 years after the dedication of the current church to the Immaculate Conception.

Other projects during the year will be the creation of a time capsule and the production of an anniversary cookbook.