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News Briefs:
Divine Savior offers Heart Care program
PORTAGE -- Divine Savior Healthcare will again be offering its Heart Care 2003 program this year to area residents.
The registration phone lines will be open in July, screening will take place in Portage and Montello in August, and follow-up sessions will be provided in September.
The screening includes a blood sugar test, total cholesterol, HDL/triglycerides, blood pressure, pulse rate, and height/weight evaluation. The examination takes about 15 minutes with an additional 10 to 15 minutes to complete a lifestyle survey.
Those wishing to participate may make appointments by phoning 608-745-6406 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday, July 21, to Friday, July 25. The screening would normally cost more than $100, but Divine Savior Healthcare charges $10. This is due to funding by Divine Savior Healthcare’s Education Department and the Partners of Divine Savior.
For more information, call 608-745-6405.
Children’s music
camp offered
SINSINAWA -- Sinsinawa Mound’s Summer Music Camp will be held July 28-Aug. 1. Times are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 12:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday. The Friday session includes a pool party at the Galena Water Park.
The music camp, now in its eighth year, is for youth in grades three to 10. Its main focus is developing singing ability. The camp is free to members of the Children’s Choir this past year; it costs $70 for all others.
For more information, call Sr. Marie Juan Maney at 608-748-4411, ext. 807.
Together Encountering Christ retreat
WAUNAKEE -- The 100th Together Encountering Christ (TEC) retreat for high school students and adults will take place at St. John the Baptist Parish here Friday, July 25, through Sunday, July 27.
“I see what it does for young people,” said Fr. Dave Timmerman, director of the TEC Board. “It’s a chance to just spend time in your faith with other people your age.”
Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact the Office of Religious Education at 608-821-3160.
Support groups
for divorced, separated
MADISON -- Peer support groups for those hurting from separation, divorce, or loss of a relationship are open to all ages/faiths at two Madison parishes.
Friends on a Journey will meet 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at Our Lady Queen of Peace nursery, 401 S. Owen Dr.
New Directions, which usually meets at St. Dennis Parish, will not meet Thursday, July 24, due to preparations for the St. Dennis Festival.
Screenings
for health risks
CROSS PLAINS -- Life Line Screening will offer screenings to detect the risk of stroke and vascular disease Wednesday, July 23, at St. Francis Xavier Church here: carotid artery screening, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm test, and Ankle Brachial Index. Bone density screening will also be available. To register, call 1-800-407-4557.
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Bishop Morlino's message: Celebrate 'wow'
of Christ's presence in Eucharist, take him into the world
By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
(See also front page photo and sidebar.)
HELENA, Mont. -- People started arriving an hour before the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, June 22, at the Cathedral of St. Helena.
Nearly every Sunday, Bishop Robert C. Morlino celebrates this Mass at his beautiful cathedral. But this Sunday was special.
The Mass would be his official farewell to the people of Helena, with a reception following the Mass. Bishop Morlino would also bless the altar following a renovation of the cathedral. And he would honor Msgr. Kevin S. O'Neill, cathedral rector, who had been recently named a Prelate of Honor by Pope John Paul II.
Resplendent cathedral
For those arriving early, the Cathedral of St. Helena offers a resplendent site for prayer and reflection. Tall ceilings, gold trim, hanging lights, and white marble serve as the backdrop for over 90 stained glass windows as well as statues and Stations of the Cross.
Five minutes before Mass, the cathedral bells rang, calling people to worship. The music of the cathedral organ and choir filled the church as the people stood to sing, "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent."
Bishop Morlino and six concelebrants entered the cathedral. In welcoming the people, Bishop Morlino explained that the cathedral's renovation concluded just before Easter. Today, he would formally dedicate the new altar, which features one piece of marble, honor Msgr. O'Neill for his investiture as Prelate of Honor, and "say some personal good-byes."
Bishop Morlino's homily
June 22 was appropriately the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In his homily, Bishop Morlino talked about a 92-year-old Jesuit priest whom he knew in the 1970s in the New England area.
"He was incredibly with it," said Bishop Morlino. "He would go out on the roof and push off snow - and did it with no difficulty. He had found the fountain of youth."
Bishop Morlino asked the priest for his secret. The priest said having two manhattans a day (one before dinner and one at bedtime) was one. "'But more importantly, I stay alive looking forward to heaven,'" the priest said.
Fr. Joseph Kelly, who had a doctorate in physics, said that when he gets to heaven, he wants to ask God to explain how he was present in the Eucharist. "'As a physicist, I can't begin to imagine,'" he said.
Christ's presence: Wow!
Bishop Morlino said Fr. Joe Kelly lived with the attitude of amazement the Holy Father described in his recent encyclical on the Eucharist. "I like to call it the 'wow,'" said Bishop Morlino.
"How could it be - what a miracle of love - that Christ has given himself to us under the sign of bread and wine, food and drink.
"Looking forward to that made Fr. Joe Kelly young at 92. It makes our Holy Father young at 82," observed Bishop Morlino.
"We celebrate that mystery, that miracle, that response - that wow! - today. The deeper the wow runs in your soul, the better disciple you are," he said.
Three ways miracle happens
Bishop Morlino explained that the miracle happens in three ways (as a former Jesuit, he often uses three points in his teaching).
• First, it happens around the altar. "Through the ministry of the ordained priest, that miracle, that mystery, happens. Imagine that a human being can be the person of Jesus Christ, so we can go to heaven. Our whole life is a pilgrimage to this altar through which we enter heaven."
• Secondly, Bishop Morlino said, "From the altar, the Mass, the Eucharist remains alive in meditation, in the tabernacle. The response of 'wow' can deepen in us as we spend time in meditation before the Eucharist."
• Thirdly, time in meditation at the tabernacle leads us into the world. "We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ in a world that knows no mercy," he said.
In a Mass such as this one, Bishop Morlino observed, "Today we do it all: we come to celebrate at the altar, with his presence, and we take Jesus Christ out there to promise to the world that there is mercy."
Taking Christ into the world
As they take Christ into the world, Bishop Morlino asked the people to consider, "Am I myself holding grudges, even in my family? Am I myself withholding forgiveness? What am I doing about mercy? How am I going to keep that promise?
"What a beautiful gift the Church gives us in the presence of the Lord," he concluded, praying, "Praise be Jesus Christ."
The people responded enthusiastically, "Now and forever."
From Helena to Madison
After the Mass, Bishop Morlino spent about two hours saying fond farewells to the people of the Diocese of Helena. He has enjoyed his four years as bishop there and says he will miss the people he has befriended.
At age 56, he becomes the fourth bishop of Madison, succeeding Bishop William H. Bullock, 76, who has served as Bishop of the Diocese of Madison since 1993.
The Diocese of Helena covers the western and north central third of the state of Montana. Established in 1884, the diocese covers 52,000 square miles and has a total population of over 425,000, including over 67,000 Catholics.
The diocese has 58 parishes and 39 missions. The Cathedral of St. Helena in the city of Helena is a state monument and arguably one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the United States.
Bishop Morlino was ordained to the priesthood for that Jesuit Province on June 1, 1974. His education includes a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Fordham University, a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Divinity Degree from the Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass., and a doctorate in Moral Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, with specialization in moral theology and bioethics.
Bishop Bullock:
Plans to stay active after retirement
By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
MADISON -- “I have really loved being Bishop of Madison,” said Bishop William H. Bullock in an interview with this reporter.
The bishop reflected on his 10 years as Bishop of Madison as he prepares to retire with the title “Bishop Emeritus.” Bishop Robert C. Morlino will arrive in Madison July 23 and take over complete reins of the Diocese of Madison on Aug. 1 during a Mass at St. Raphael Cathedral.
As Bishop Emeritus, Bishop Bullock will reside at the Bishop O’Connor Center and have an office there. He will continue to attend meetings of Catholic bishops.
Continue to participate
“The bishop continues to participate in the life of the diocese in the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the region, and the national level,” noted Bishop Bullock.
In May of 2004, he and Auxiliary Bishop George O. Wirz will accompany Bishop Morlino to Rome for their “ad limina” visit. They will all meet with Pope John Paul II and other Vatican officials.
Bishop Bullock observed that one of his predecessors, the late Bishop William P. O’Connor, lived in residence at the former bishop’s home (now the Bishop’s Bay Golf Course clubhouse) from 1967 until his death in 1973. “It is now the norm that when the ordinary (bishop) retires, the bishop’s residence is given to the new ordinary (in this case, Bishop Morlino),” said Bishop Bullock.
He also expects to assist in parishes at the request of the pastor or on assignment by Bishop Morlino. “I will also be available for retreats,” said Bishop Bullock, pointing out that he was a spiritual director/confessor for priests while he was a priest in the Archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul. He also gave priest retreats in various parts of the country.
Years in Madison
“I must say that as I come to the end of my novena of years, I feel a sense of satisfaction about what the priests, people, and myself have been able to do together,” said Bishop Bullock reflecting on his 10 years as bishop of Madison.
“I am so filled with joy and hope for our Latino, Black, and Asian people with the new Catholic Multicultural Center. I think it’s got so many possibilities to help the poor, to help the people we feed and clothe. I’m really pleased with that.”
The Catholic Multicultural Center, built on the site of the former St. Martin House and Centro Guadalupano on Madison’s south side, opened in the fall of 2002.
Bishop Bullock noted the center is not only ministering to blacks and Latinos, but also serves the growing Asian population. He observed that two-thirds of the world’s population can be found in Asia and many of them are immigrating to the U.S.
Accomplishments
Besides the erection of the new Catholic Multicultural Center, Bishop Bullock is pleased and proud of the consolidation of diocesan offices and remodeling work of the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center (former Holy Name Seminary).
Of particular pride is the Bishop O’Donnell Holy Name Memorial Chapel with its stained glass window of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who will be beatified this autumn by Pope John Paul II. The chapel also features stained glass windows of Christ of the Handicapped and holy men and women of the church.
The Bishop O’Connor Center also serves as a diocesan center and provides retirement suites for retired priests. “Many parishes and all sorts of groups use the center,” he pointed out.
Built Strategic Plan
Bullock also built a diocesan Strategic Plan from “the ground up.” He consulted with many people throughout the diocese on a grassroots level to develop the plan.
The plan looks at many key issues facing the church, including use of a fewer number of priests in parishes in the diocese and an increasing growth of Catholics in the church.
Bullock has spearheaded efforts to encourage more vocations to the ordained and consecrated life. He ordained 18 new priests during his time as bishop.
The bishop also began a diocesan permanent diaconate program, with the first class of deacons to be ordained in 2004. He also developed a plan for parish directors; and brought a graduate extension program (Loyola Institute for Ministry Extension — LIMEX — from New Orleans, La.) to the diocese.
Catholic Herald
Bishop Bullock has used the diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Herald, as a primary means of communication. He has written a weekly column since July of 1993.
“What I write is not that brilliant,” he says modestly, “but I do it each week because the people are important. In the course of a decade, doctrine, catechetical knowledge, traditions, and truth have been folded into simple articles. What I experience I shared with the people.”
The bishop gave high praise to the Catholic Herald and its editor (Mary C. Uhler) for continued collaboration on news of the diocese. “The Catholic Herald mission statement is to interpret the news, and they do that with extraordinary skill,” said Bishop Bullock. “Mary Uhler’s editorials which frequently address life issues are carefully researched and magnificently presented. They are a joy to read.”
Bishop Bullock also highlighted his like of the paper’s Profiles from the Pew and information on what lay people are doing, along with parish and diocesan news and news about priests and religious.
Lay people
Bishop Bullock believes the laity have moved in the church from simple acknowledgement of them as baptized to “genuine collaborators” in the church today. “That growth has been gradual since the early 1950’s,” he admits, but it is growing stronger.
He points to health care, education, and social justice as areas where lay people have become “collaborators in ministry.”
Madison is his home
Bishop Bullock was born April 13, 1927 in Maple Lake, Minn., and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis June 7, 1952. Although Minnesota is his home, he says “Madison is my home, too.”
He and Bishop Wirz (who will turn 75 in January of 2004) have “walked together.”
Bishop Bullock says, “I have found a home and genuine affection from the priests and people of Madison. I feel comfortable here. It’s my home now since 1993.”
Bishop Bullock is a “very enthusiastic supporter” of Madison’s new bishop. He praised Bishop Morlino as being “very bright, a good communicator.”
In Bishop Bullock’s opinion, Bishop Morlino is receiving a “diocese that is in good order. We’ve worked diligently through the strategic plan. He’s very lucky and I know he is pleased to have a diocese of this magnitude (267,000 Catholics) and the quality of staff who work actively and collegially with the bishop.
“And we’re very lucky to have somebody like Bishop Morlino, a rising star in the American hierarchy in the U.S.C.C.B. Help him shine brightly!”
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