News Briefs: Helping children deal with stress SINSINAWA -- Caring for children has taken on a new meaning since Sept. 11. "Creative Ways of Helping Children Deal with Stress" will be held at Sinsinawa Mound on Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. Children have become vulnerable and receptive to the climate of fear, and bringing them back to wholeness requires caring for the body, mind, and spirit. This session will guide participants through the Well-Springs process, which utilizes a light touch to transform negative emotions into creative acts. Through use of music, movement, and art, participants will learn how to help children free their spirits by tapping into the wisdom of the body. The $45 fee includes lunch. For information, call 608-748-4411 or visit www.sinsinawa.org. Mothers of preschoolers STOUGHTON -- St. Ann's Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) will meet on Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. in the gathering space at St. Ann Church, 323 N. Van Buren. A panel of speakers will address "Strengthening Your Marriage." The meeting will also feature short presentations on practical and innovative cooking ideas. Those attending are asked to bring empty, adult shoeboxes and small gift items for a Mother's Day service project. All mothers with preschoolers (birth to kindergarten) are welcome. Childcare is not provided. There is a nominal $2 fee. Call Judy Apel for more information, 608-877-0553. Divine Savior training PORTAGE -- On Thursday, March 21, Divine Savior Healthcare will hold a seminar on speed, strength, and agility training from 7 to 9 p.m. The Sports Medicine Team at Divine Savior will be joined by special guest Steve Myrland, an expert in strength, speed, and agility training, to discuss and demonstrate the principles of attaining "peak performance" and offer ways to integrate these principles into a training regimen. This seminar will be held at Divine Savior Healthcare Medical Center, Suite 100, 128 Eastridge Dr. in Portage. Cost of the seminar is $5 per person (pre-registration is appreciated). For more information call 608-745-6290. 55 Alive driving course PORTAGE -- The 55 ALIVE Driver Safety Program is a refresher course for adults. The course is sponsored by AARP and is conducted by a certified volunteer instructor, St. Mary Kyran Curtin. 55 ALIVE, which runs for two four-hour sessions, focuses on problems unique to older drivers. No tests are involved. The course is scheduled at: Divine Savior Medical Center, Suite 100, 128 Eastridge Rd., Portage, on Friday, March 22, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Monday, March 25, 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Course fee is $10. Checks should be made payable to AARP. For registration, call 608-745-6405. Trip to Rwanda MADISON -- As a part of the "Called to Witness" program sponsored by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry, Ben Weisse, associate director of the Diocese of Madison's Office of Religious Education, is making a trip to Rwanda March 14 through March 25. In Rwanda, Weisse will visit a genocide memorial, meet with youth, learn about a street children program and an AIDS home-based care program. The group will also visit an orphanage and will meet with some of the bishops of Rwanda. As a co-leader, Weisse will help participants process their experiences and tie them in with youth ministry in the U.S.

Parish building,
renovation projects:

By Julianne Nornberg
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- When parishes begin looking into building or renovating parish facilities, certain diocesan guidelines must be met.

A certain group of people, the Diocesan Building Commission, helps parishes meet those guidelines.

Consisting of 10 people appointed by Bishop William H. Bullock, the Diocesan Building Commission meets once a month and makes recommendations to the bishop on building or renovation projects proposed in the Diocese of Madison.

How does the building process begin?

Write to the bishop

The pastor of the parish wishing to pursue a building or renovation project is encouraged to write to the bishop initially to outline the proposed project, said Msgr. Daniel Ganshert, chairman of the Diocesan Building Commission and rector of St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison.

"In the letter to the bishop, the pastor requests approval for establishing a parish committee for the purpose of a needs assessment, feasibility study, and preliminary drawings where appropriate," said Ganshert.

"The Diocesan Building Commission helps the pastor to facilitate the process of any new building or renovation project by helping to clarify procedures and answer any questions they may have," said Ganshert.

Ganshert, who has chaired the Building Commission since 1995, said there has been a moderate increase in the number of building and renovation projects in recent years. This is due to a gradual reduction in the number of Masses celebrated at parishes because of a declining number of active priests.

"Whenever there is a proposal for a project, it normally includes consideration for the future capacity of worship space," he said, noting that priests may need to serve not just their own parish, but neighboring communities.

If the bishop approves the establishment of the parish committee, the pastor is asked to convene a meeting of neighboring pastors to discuss the proposed project to see what effect it may have on collaborative efforts.

Parish plans

At the parish level, the pastoral and finance councils are familiarized with the project. A parish committee is formed and decides on a fund raising campaign.

The Diocesan Building Commission reviews the campaign and makes a recommendation to the bishop, who must approve it in order for the fund raising campaign to proceed.

An overall financial plan is prepared by the parish to project costs and how they will be met.

"According to the diocesan guidelines, 50 percent of the total cost of the project must be in cash at the time of construction, with the remaining 50 percent pledged," said Ganshert.

Design, construction

The diocesan commission makes a recommendation to the bishop regarding the approval of the plan and allowing the project to proceed to the next step: design development and schematic drawings, which must be approved by the bishop in order for construction to start.

"Any project that would have an impact on the worship space would be reviewed initially by the diocesan Office of Worship," said Ganshert. "Any impact on the school would be reviewed by the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools."

In past years for various parish projects, Our Lady Queen of Peace, St. Maria Goretti, Blessed Sacrament, and St. Dennis Parishes in Madison obtained the services of a planning consultant, Sr. Barbara Dannhausen.

Some considerations during building or renovations are ADA requirements and overall accessibility.

In a 1999 project, for instance, St. Bernard Parish in Madison built a new handicapped accessible entrance, including an elevator.

Recent projects

Other recent projects in the Diocese of Madison include:

• At Immaculate Conception in Blanchardville, a new church was built in 1999.

• St. Dennis Parish in Madison added a new parish center in 1999.

• At Holy Rosary Church, Darlington, parishioners were involved in completing the renovation of the interior of the church in 2000.

Policies for building projects in Diocese of Madison The following diocesan financing policies apply unless a waiver is granted by the bishop: 1. All projects affecting the liturgical character of a church building must be presented to the Diocesan Building Commission. 2. For building projects of $50,000 or less the Procedure for Receiving Approval of the Bishop for Acts of Parish Administration should be followed unless the project would have an impact on the liturgical character of a church building. Projects in excess of $50,000 must follow the Procedures for Building or Renovating Parish Facilities. 3. For building projects over $50,000, the normal requirement is that the parish must have 50 percent of the project cost in cash or other liquid assets, and the remainder in pledges and/or assets sufficient to retire the balance within a 10-year period. Approval of the general nature of the project by the bishop upon the recommendation of the Diocesan Building Commission must be obtained before fund raising may begin.

Ganshert said projects in the past year have ranged from $200,000 to $6 million.

One of the newest projects is at St. Patrick Parish in Madison, which now has elevators, a narthex, and an updated parish center. This provides a resource to other parishes in the downtown Madison area because they can collaborate on their RCIA programs and meet at St. Patrick Parish, said Ganshert.

For more information

"The commission is not meant to add to the complexities of projects, but to help guide and provide resources as much as possible so the project can be executed according to diocesan policies," Ganshert said.

For more information, or for a copy of the Diocese of Madison policies and procedures for building or renovating parish facilities, contact Ganshert at 608-821-3000 or dganshert@straphael.org.

St. Patrick Parish:

By Julianne Nornberg
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- People of the Diocese of Madison are invited to attend a Mass and dedication ceremony on Sunday, March 17, for St. Patrick Parish here.

Recently the parish finished a complete rehabilitation of its parish center.

"This included bringing it up to code in terms of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, and plumbing," said John Baggot, member of parish building committee. It also included expanded classroom space and an updated kitchen.

New elevators also allow accessibility to the parish hall and the priests' living quarters.

"Some parishioners couldn't access the common space in the facility. Now that has been addressed and it's a more welcoming experience," said Baggot, commenting that the changes are consistent with the original design of the church, which was built in 1888.

A new narthex connects the parish center and the church and provides an area where parishioners can gather before and after Mass.

The building was under construction for seven months, ending in December of 2001. The building committee first met in 1999.

Strang of Madison was the architect for the project, and Findorff of Madison was the general contractor.

Tours of the narthex, the parish center, and the priests' living quarters will begin at 2 p.m.

Bishop William H. Bullock will preside and preach at the 3 p.m. Mass. Auxiliary Bishop George O. Wirz will concelebrate. The narthex will be dedicated and the parish center will be rededicated.

A 4 p.m. social will follow in the parish hall.