News Briefs: Bishop's service award given MADISON -- St. James parishioner Randall "Tinker" McCann received the 2002 Bishop's Distinguished Service Award at a Nov. 24 Mass at St. James Church at which Bishop William H. Bullock presided. Bullock presented McCann with the award and a "Prince of Peace" crucifix. The Bishop's Distinguished Service Award is presented to those who have witnessed to their faith and have been committed to the church in a special way, explained Bullock. McCann has opened up the church each day and served at daily Mass for many years. "Randall is a trustworthy man of God who gave loyal service," said the bishop. "I am happy to confer this service award to him." Upcoming parish Advent play MT. HOREB -- St. Ignatius Parish in Mt. Horeb will present a "sing-along, dance-along" Advent Play on the weekend of Dec. 7 and 8. "A Family Christmas: or Follow That Light" is a production that uses skits, carols, readings, and dance to examine the true meaning of the Advent Season. Parishioners of all ages are participating in this latest effort of the St. Ignatius Drama Team. Guests are invited to come dressed as a star, shepherd, or angel and be ready to dance along in certain scenes. Costumes are not required. On Saturday, Dec. 7, there will be a potluck dinner at 6 p.m., followed by the play at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Dec. 8, the play begins at 4 p.m. with refreshments to follow. There is no admission. Group for mothers of preschoolers WAUNAKEE -- Mothers of preschoolers (birth through kindergarten) are invited to experience support and friendship at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). Sponsored by St. John the Baptist Parish, the ecumenical group will meet Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Arboretum Centre, 1004 Quinn Dr. The topic of discussion will be "Nurturing the Spirituality in Your Children." For directions or more information, call Lisa at 608-824-0984 or the parish nurse at 608-849-5121. Night of Prayer for Life MADISON -- Holy Redeemer Church, 120 W. Johnson St., will be the area site for the national Night of Prayer for Life Sunday, Dec. 8. People gathered in churches across the nation before the Blessed Sacrament will offer prayers in adoration and in reparation for sins against the lives of innocent unborn human beings. The vigil starts at 8 p.m. and culminates in a "unity prayer" (the Angelus) at midnight.

New Catholic Multicultural Center:
Staff getting settled after move

By Julianne Nornberg
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- Having moved into the Diocese of Madison's new Catholic Multicultural Center last week, diocesan staff members are getting settled into the new building.

	The new Catholic Multicultural Center is located at 1862 Beld St., which is off of S. Park St. a half mile north of U.S. Hwy. 12/18. Centro Guadalupano: 608-255-8471 St. Martin House: 608-255-1287

The new building is now home to St. Martin House and Centro Guadalupano. St. Martin House serves 140 meals a night three nights a week and runs a children's summer program. Centro Guadalupano offers pastoral and legal services, computer classes, English language classes, Spanish classes, food pantry, job placement service and clothing for job interviews.

The new center will be an outreach to the Asian community as well.

Tour of new building

J. Mark Brinkmoeller, administrator of the Diocese of Madison's new Catholic Multicultural Center, recently took Catholic Herald staff on a tour of the building, constructed by J.H. Findorff and Son Construction Co.

Entering from the new parking lot or from the entrance facing the street, visitors enter a well-lit building with high ceilings. Satillo tile, brownish orange tiles from Mexico, covers the floor.

Three St. Martin House offices, including a nurse's room, occupy the front of the building on the first floor. With a wood ceiling and brightly colored striped (green, red, orange, brown) carpeting that lines the floor, the community room offers a welcoming space.

The chapel, which includes stained glass windows from the previous building, can seat up to 110 people when a partition opens up into the community room. Currently the altar and furniture is being built for the chapel, said Brinkmoeller.

Signs throughout the building will be in English and Spanish.

A children's room including small tables and chairs and low windows will allow for babysitting during events held at the center.

The reception area for Centro Guadalupano is near the heart of the building on the first floor. Green, orange, and blue colored windows decorate the reception area, as does the striped carpeting.

The space for Centro Guadalupano includes three offices, a food pantry well-lit with tall windows, a loading area to bring in food (including a freight elevator from the kitchen), a closet space for clients to select clothes for interviews, and a break room.

As one walks down the stairs to the lower level, vertical blocks of small red, blue, orange, and green windows add a festive touch to the walls.

Lower level

With large windows, colorful flooring, wide open space, and colorful tables and chairs, the dining room on the lower level can seat 100 people. The kitchen area, used for the St. Martin House meal program, includes stainless steel, industrial strength kitchen appliances, which the cooks are excited to use, said Brinkmoeller.

The lower level includes space for possible future extension, a room for the Latin American Mission Program (LAMP), small locker room and shower, and a room for a washer and dryer (for kitchen linens).

Riding the elevator up to the second floor, Brinkmoeller said the building is 100 percent handicapped accessible.

Second floor

A reading room and library with study corrals and book shelves on the second floor has broad windows that face the neighborhood on Beld St. The second floor also includes a computer lab with seven PCs and three Macintosh computers. Also on the second floor are six classrooms with different desk configurations offering scenic views of the city. Between 20 and 30 people can fit in each classroom.

"It's designed to be flexible," said Brinkmoeller.

"The computer lab will be a wonderful addition for both agencies," said Steve Maurice, administrator of St. Martin House. "It will help provide job skill training and more advanced training, in Microsoft certification, for example."

Working together

Except for the individual office areas for St. Martin House and Centro Guadalupano, all other common areas are shared, said Brinkmoeller.

"The place is nice," said Romilia Schlueter, pastoral minister of Centro Guadalupano. "Change is good because it allows us to review what is done."

"One of the things in the works is using the new commercial kitchen as a training ground for people going into food service work," said Maurice. "My hope is to work with restaurants. They need quality trained staff with knowledge of food service operation. We can design a collaborative program and help provide the training."

In the St. Martin House meal program, dinners are served every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4 to 5 p.m. and the last Tuesday and Thursday of each month from 4 to 5 p.m. Carryouts are available; people should bring their own containers for carryouts.

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

( en Español )

MADISON -- In the Diocese of Madison, a Mass will be celebrated in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Raphael Cathedral, 222 W. Main St.

Those attending are invited to wear traditional costumes and/or bring flowers for Our Lady of Guadalupe or the flag of their native country.

Beginning at 11 a.m. will be a procession including a statue of Our Lady and children from religious education classes at Centro Guadalupano. People are welcome to bring up flowers to place before the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Mass will begin at 11:30 a.m. Bishop William H. Bullock will preside and preach at the Mass. Estudiantina, the Diocese of Madison's Spanish choir under the direction of Toni Kellor, will lead the singing.

All are invited to enjoy a reception in the church hall afterward. A group of Hispanic women in their traditional dresses will perform folk dances. Everyone is welcome.

A few events leading up to the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe include the following:

• Wednesday, Dec. 11, 6 p.m. - People will gather at the Centro Guadalupano and go to Holy Redeemer Parish in Madison to pick up the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that has been there during the construction of the new Catholic Multicultural Center. They will return to Centro Guadalupano with the image, pray the rosary, and have a cup of hot chocolate.

• Wednesday, Dec. 11, 10 p.m. - Maņanitas, a traditional serenade of song and prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe, will be held at Holy Redeemer Parish until midnight.

• Thursday, Dec. 12, 5 a.m. - Maņanitas at Centro Guadalupano.

• Novena before the feast, held by the Familias Guadalupanas - Participants meet in homes to pray for the needs of the community.

For more information, call the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry at 608-821-3092 or Centro Guadalupano at 608-255-8471.