News Briefs: Lecture series speaker MADISON -- Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati, Ohio, is the next speaker in the ongoing St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture Series on Thursday, March 7, at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center. His topic will be "Thinking Catholic. Pilarczyk is the author of a popular book by that title published by St. Anthony Messenger in 1997. The event on March 7 begins with evening prayer at 7 p.m. in the Bishop O'Donnell Holy Name Memorial Chapel with Bishop William H. Bullock of Madison presiding. The lecture by Pilarczyk will begin after prayer and will allow time for questions. A social is planned after the lecture. Admission to the lecture is by ticket only. Tickets are free of charge. To request a ticket or for more information, contact the Diocese of Madison's Office of Pastoral Services, phone 608-821-3083 or e-mail: pastoral@straphael.org Day of recollection MADISON -- St. Martin House will hold a Lenten day of recollection on Thursday, March 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Bishop O'Connor Pastoral Center, 3577 High Point Rd. Coffee and rolls will be served from 8:30 to 9 a.m., followed by a presentation by Msgr. George Hastrich, spiritual director of St. Martin House. Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. followed by a noon lunch. A video and discussion follow lunch. An opportunity for Reconciliation will be provided during the afternoon. The day will conclude with Benediction at 2:30 p.m. All are welcome. The program is free of charge (goodwill offering accepted), but RSVP by March 4 to 608-255-1287. Rock Deanery meeting JANESVILLE -- Tuesday, March 12, is the date of the Rock Deanery spring meeting, hosted by St. John Vianney Parish here. Theme is "Serve the Lord with Gladness" (Psalm 100). Registration is at 3:45 p.m., followed by business meeting at 4:15. The rosary will be recited at 5, followed by a concelebrated Mass at 5:15 and dinner at 6. The evening program will feature Fr. Eric Nielsen, Evansville, addressing the theme. Those attending are asked to bring a $15 gift for the mini-raffle. Reservations are due March 5 to Marlene Slowey, 609 Mary Ln., Milton, WI 53563. Cost is $6. Volunteer in Mexico MADISON -- LAMP (Latin American Mission Program) is holding training classes for volunteers who will serve in Mexico for two to three weeks this summer. Because of the rebuilding of St. Martin House, training classes are being held Saturday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m. in the "Gathering Room" at St. Peter Parish, 5001 N. Sherman Ave. The next class will be held Saturday, March 9. The topic will be "Religion in Mexico and the History of Mexico" by Fr. George Fox, LAMP executive vice president. For more information, write LAMP, P.O. Box 85, Madison, WI 53701-0085, or call 608-845-7028, 608-543-3631, or 608-868-7816. Global Fellows Program MADISON -- Traveling to Brazil from Feb. 18 to March 2 as a part of a Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Global Fellows Program is Rev. Mr. David Wanish, a seminarian at Mundelein Seminary who will be ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Madison this May. As a Global Fellow, Wanish, along with other seminarians, will visit CRS relief and development projects in Brazil and interact with local seminaries, churches, dioceses, and CRS partner agencies. Established by CRS in 1992, the Global Fellows Program strives to: help seminarians develop an awareness of the global presence of the Catholic Church; enhance seminarians' understanding of the developing world and the challenges the church faces there; and exposes seminarians to CRS' work with the poor in impoverished countries. Life Line Screening BARABOO -- On Saturday, March 9, St. Joseph Parish in Baraboo will sponsor a Life Line Screening event in the school gym. Life Line Screening will offer three primary health screenings to detect the risk of stroke and vascular disease. A bone density screening will test for osteoporosis. Anyone interested in the vascular or osteoporosis screenings must register in advance. Call 1-800-407-4557 to schedule an appointment.

Diocesan Services Appeal:

(See also front page chart.)

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.

For the first time, the bishop will be 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.

"Acting individually, or as a single parish, we cannot meet the depth of needs," Bullock says in his letter. "Together, through our DSA 2002, we can make a difference. Please reflect upon God's many blessings in your life, and make a sacrificial commitment."

Promoting the DSA

Jay Conzemius, director of the diocesan Office for Stewardship and Development, noted that parishes in the diocese are still responsible for sending out DSA envelopes, receiving and recording amounts contributed, and thanking contributors.

"The diocese is taking a step to help promote the DSA by sending out a letter from the bishop and brochure to every Catholic household. It's meant to answer questions about how the money is used," said Conzemius.

The mailing list for the letter comes from the new diocesan central database. "This was compiled through the combined efforts of all the parishes in the diocese," noted Conzemius.

Change in timing

Another change in the Diocesan Services Appeal this year is the timing. The DSA used to be kicked off on Mother's Day weekend. This year, the appeal begins on Sunday, March 3, in all parishes of the diocese.

The season of Lent was chosen because of its emphasis on sacrificial giving. "In this season of Lent, which began February 13th, we cannot fail to realize that all has been given us by God's loving initiative. 'Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give' (Matt 10:8)," reminded the bishop in his letter to the people of the diocese.

The DSA will conclude on Easter Sunday, March 31.

Grassroots effort

Conzemius said a committee of pastors advised him on how to conduct the annual appeal. "It's a grassroots effort of the pastors," he said.

He noted that in previous years, not all parishes were meeting their DSA goal through the appeal and had to take money out of general funds to meet their assessment.

This year's overall DSA goal remains $2,245,000, unchanged from last year. Individual parish goals may change based on fluctuations in the formula used to determine the assessments. Each parish will determine the average gift for its parishioners.

"I think this is a big step for us," said Conzemius. "I'm thankful the parishes came forward to give us the information for the diocesan database and are helping us maintain it."

For more information about the Diocesan Services Appeal campaign, contact the Office for Stewardship and Development at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, P.O. Box 44983, Madison, WI 53744. Jay Conzemius may be reached via e-mail at jconzemius@straphael.org

MADISON -- The Diocese of Madison will host its annual Natural Family Planning (NFP) Enrichment Day on Sunday, March 10.

The conference, held at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, will begin with a welcome at 1 p.m. and conclude at 5 p.m.

Keynote address

In her keynote address, Donna Dausman, director of the Office of Family and Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Springfield, Ill., will discuss how to "Make Mine a Holy Family: Living the Church's Teaching on Life and Love."

Looking to the Holy Family for inspiration, Dausman will explore the calling of families, especially spouses, to be ministers of God's life and love.

Dausman will discuss ideas for finding the sacred in ordinary moments of family life and for using family prayer and rituals to enhance family faith.

Dausman's current position includes overseeing marriage preparation and enrichment, family spirituality, divorce ministry, bereavement ministry, NFP, and chastity education.

She has been a member of the national advisory board to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning since its inception in the early 1990s.

Previously, Dausman taught marriage and family life and morality/sexuality in a Catholic high school. She also served as a volunteer diocesan NFP coordinator. She and her husband Harold have five children and eight grandchildren.

Following the keynote presentation will be two sets of breakout sessions. Couples may choose one from each session:

Session I

"NFP -- The Joy of it All From a Man's Perspective" - Jeff Heinzen, NFP co-coordinator of the Diocese of LaCrosse, will provide an interactive session of presentation, questions and answers, and prayer intended to look at NFP from a man's point of view, to share the good news, and to "put the toolbox to use" on the tough questions and issues.

"Taking the Curse out of Menstruation: An NFP-only physician talks about alternatives to the pill" -- Dr. Julie Michelson, an OB/GYN from St Mary's Medical Clinic, Milwaukee, who does not prescribe contraception or refer for sterilization, will talk about alternatives to the pill for treating common menstrual difficulties.

Session II

"Empowering Parents to Promote Teen Abstinence" -- Annie Miller, director of the Wisconsin Abstinence Initiative Team, will discuss the parent's role in keeping teens chaste and promoting the value of lifelong marriage. She will also inform participants about WAIT, the statewide program to promote abstinence.

"Options in NFP: A discussion by NFP instructors" -- NFP instructors representing the four models of NFP available in the diocese will discuss the similarities and differences among the options. This is an opportunity for couples considering NFP to take a look at the possibilities.

Experienced users and couples in ministry to the engaged may update their NFP knowledge and be better prepared to answer questions about the various NFP methods available. The presenting instructors are: Maureen Duhn, Creighton Model; Mary Fabian, Couple to Couple League; Kathy Lauer, Northwest Family Services; and Mary Schneider, Marquette Model.

Following the breakout sessions is an opportunity for couples to socialize and browse resource tables for enrichment materials. Refreshments will be provided.

Free childcare is available. The cost is $5 per adult. Pre-registration is required. To register, or for more information, call the NFP Office at 608-273-2236.