News Briefs: New Catholic Conference staff member MADISON -- The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) has announced the appointment of Barbara Sella of Madison as associate director for education and social concerns. Sella began her duties on Nov. 1. Sella holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis and a master's and doctorate in medieval studies from the University of Toronto. While in Toronto she also obtained a Licentiate from the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies. From 1993 to 1999 she was an assistant professor of history at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Va. While in Richmond, Sella team-taught a course on the sacraments with her pastor. Since returning to Madison in 1999, she has volunteered with the Office for Justice and Peace of the Madison Diocese on the development of a public discipleship project for the diocese; produced a nationally broadcast radio program on online education; and taught four courses on the medieval and counter-Reformation church for the UW-Extension. "Barbara has superb communications skills, a keen understanding of the church, and a passion for serving it," said WCC executive director John Huebscher. "She complements a strong academic background with an insightful grasp of Catholic teaching and current public policy issues and the capacity to relate the two." Offices move to Multicultural Center MADISON -- Offices will move into the new Diocese of Madison Catholic Multicultural Center located on Beld St. on the south side of Madison. The center will be home to St. Martin House, which provides among its programs a free community meal three times a week, and Centro Guadalupano, a resource for the Hispanic community in Madison. During construction of the new center, St. Martin House has been temporarily located at St. Mark Lutheran Church and Centro Guadalupano has been located in the Villager Mall on Park St. Staffs of St. Martin House and Centro Guadalupano plan to move into the new center by Nov. 25 and 26, said J. Mark Brinkmoeller, administrator of the Catholic Multicultural Center. Programs in the Catholic Multicultural Center will be operational by the first weekend in December. The phone number for Centro Guadalupano is 608-255-8471; phone number for St. Martin House is 608-255-1287. An open house celebration of the center will take place in 2003. Seminarians plan caroling tour MADISON -- Diocese of Madison seminarians who are studying at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary are gearing up for their 40th annual caroling tour. The group will be caroling at various nursing homes and care centers around the diocese, including stops in Sinsinawa, Mineral Point, Dodgeville, Spring Green, Prairie du Sac, and Madison. Included in the group this year are second year theologians Eric Sternberg and Michael Radowicz, and fourth year theologian Rev. Mr. Diego Cuevas. Joining them will be other diocesan seminarians from the university. The group is sustained by the generous contributions of the diocesan presbyterate. This year's Madison Carolers wish to extend to you, your families, and loved ones a most blessed and joy-filled holiday season. Quilt show Dec. 7 in Waunakee WAUNAKEE -- The St. John the Baptist Parish Piecemakers Quilt Guild will hold a quilt show on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the St. John the Baptist School gymnasium, 114 E. Third St. Over 100 quilts will be shown in the exhibit. There will be a quilt raffle, vendors, a mystery quilt exhibit, and a demonstration of "Quilting Through the Ages." For more information, call Marlene Adler at 608-849-4530.

Encouraging vocations:
We all play a part

By Julianne Nornberg
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- We all play a part in encouraging vocations to the ordained priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life.

This was emphasized at a recent diocesan area meeting for parish and regional vocation committees at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center here.

The meeting was one of four meetings held in October and November. Others took place at St. Mary Parish in Platteville; Nativity of Mary Parish in Janesville; and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Portage.

Sponsored by the diocesan Office of Vocations, the meetings featured presentations by Msgr. Daniel Ganshert, coordinator of vocations; Jacky Miller, assistant and director of religious education for Holy Rosary Parish, Darlington; and Mary Lestina, administrative assistant for the Diocese of Madison's Office of Vocations.

Attending the meetings were members of parishes with vocation committees or parishes interested in forming vocation committees. Those attending the four meetings also included pastors, members of Serra Clubs, Knights of Columbus, principals, and teachers, said Lestina. She said the Office of Vocations is compiling a database of those who attended the meetings so that they can keep in touch with them.

"We were pleased because of who came and their seriousness about working together," said Lestina.

Encouraging vocations

"We've been called to life in God's love. Your own discipleship is reflected in your interest and involvement," said Ganshert at the Madison meeting, pointing out that we have all been given gifts, and some people have been given gifts for ordained life. "It takes a lot of prayer, support, and encouragement.

"You will help us increase awareness of vocations and promote a culture of vocations in the church," he said. "The real directors of vocations are priests whose words and lives touch others powerfully. If I were to look at my role as coordinator of vocations, it is to help priests as they reach out to young people, men, and second career vocations."

In addition to creating a culture of vocations, maintaining personal contacts is also important. "The primary resource is us. God uses us to be a voice and presence for Him," he said.

The responsibility of the coordinator of vocations includes being a resource for vocation committees, which frequently consist of five to eight people who work closely with the parish priest. "The committee sees as its responsibility a nurturing of future leaders," said Ganshert.

Praying for vocations is essential every day, he said. "The priests of our diocese are an outstanding group. The key to that is prayerful support," he said, acknowledging the work of groups such as the Serra Clubs, Southwest Vocations Club, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, and Altar Society.

Personal reflection on our own individual calling as a single person, married person, or priest helps us to identify that process in others, he said. "We can be sensitive to others who might be discerning."

Culture of vocations

To create a culture of vocations, we must re-create the climate of the church, said Lestina. She highlighted five points from Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee on how to do this:

1) Prayer: Brings conversion, movement of the soul and heart and an ear atuned to the call of God. Everyone can do this - our first and foremost thing is to pray, she said.

2) Priests: Good, happy priests encourage better lay leadership. We need to recuperate from recent turbulent times and recuperate a sense of confidence in priestly identity.

3) Pride in being Catholic: We need to counteract the fear and embarrassment to belong to the Catholic Church. Our church will recuperate from recent scandals, but we can begin now by being what we are called to be: Happy, faith-filled Catholics.

4) Parents/grandparents: They say, "We want our son to be happy." The vocation to the priesthood is in most priests' lives fulfilling and happy - It's an attitude toward life, said Lestina.

5) Parish: People get vocations, not programs.

Love for God, love for God's work, and love for God's people make up the essence of a priest's life, said Lestina.

She shared ideal goals for members of vocations committees:

• Set aside time for prayer for vocations every day.

• Collaborate with the parish priest about shared vision and goals. Talk to him and pray for him.

• Awaken vocation awareness in and around you.

• Engage leaders in parishes to share in the same vision.

• Support parish priest(s) in their vocation and in their ministry within the diocese.

Target vocations

Miller encouraged vocations committees to target vocations in their parishes three times a year: National Vocation Awareness Week (Jan. 12-17, 2003); World Day for Consecrated Life (Feb. 2, 2003); World Day of Prayer for Vocations (May 11, 2003).

"Vocations come from families. One of the obstacles I see is parents," she said. "One suggestion is during National Vocation Awareness Week, invite parents to talk about what it is like to have a son or daughter as a priest or religious. Try to get parents on board."

Try to encourage young people to think about vocations, she said.

During the discussion, participants shared vocation awareness activities that were successful in their own parishes. Some of these included Life Directions weekend, parish missions and retreats, religious serving as Mass servers, posting pictures of members who became priests or religious, World Day of Prayer for Vocations, vocation prayers in hymnals, biographies of parish priests, and praying for vocations with a chalice that rotates among parishioners.