News Briefs: Retreat for singles MADISON -- The Office of Family Ministry of the Diocese of Madison invites all single Catholics (never married, separated, divorced, widowed) to a day of reflection, prayer, and discussion. The retreat will be held on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, 702 S. High Point Rd., Madison. Theme is "All the Darkness of the World Cannot Put Out the Light of One Small Candle - Tapping Into the Inner Chambers of Our Heart Where God Dwells." The retreat will focus on Christ's presence in our lives and steps toward strengthening his light within us. Participants are encouraged to bring their Bible and a notebook for reflection. Leading the retreat will be Mary Lestina, pastoral associate at St. Raphael Cathedral, director of RCIA, and parish and family faith formation for the downtown Madison parishes. Cost is $30 and includes lunch. Pre-registration is necessary. For information, call 608-821-3175. Advent retreat at Sinsinawa Mound SINSINAWA -- A "Waiting with Patience" advent retreat will be held at Sinsinawa Mound Friday, Nov. 21, to Sunday, Nov. 23. Group leader Sr. Kathleen Flood, a Sinsinawa Dominican, will use Henri Nouwen's book, Bread for the Journey, as a springboard for teaching how patience is an active waiting in which to live the present moment to the full. The retreat will include input, prayer, and silent and group reflection. Registration deadline is Nov. 14. The cost is $109 for commuters or $164 for overnight guests. For information, call 608-748-4411 or visit the Web site at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter Support groups for separated, divorced MADISON -- Peer support groups for those hurting from separation, divorce, or loss of a significant relationship are open to all ages/faiths at two Madison parishes. New Directions will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at St. Dennis Parish Center, 413 Dempsey Rd., top floor. For information, call 608-821-3170. Friends on a Journey will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at Our Lady Queen of Peace nursery, 401 S. Owen Dr. For information, call 608-821-3170. Priest to speak on church history MADISON -- Msgr. Ken Fiedler, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace/St. Joseph Parishes, will speak on "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," a look at 2,000 years of church history, on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. in the gathering space of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 401 S. Owen Dr. The talk is part of the parish's adult enrichment series. For more information, call 608-231-4600. Prayer for peace at St. Paul Center MADISON -- All are invited to pray for world peace at St. Paul University Catholic Center, Sunday, Nov 16, at 1:30 p.m. in Newman Hall. It is the anniversary of Jesuits martyred in El Salvador. All ages are welcome. For more information, contact Grace Simon at 608-258-3140 or gsimon@stpaulscc.org

High School Youth Rally:
Reaching the highest goal

By Julianne Nornberg
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

(See also front page photo.)

MADISON -- Shouting "Let the church say, 'Amen!' Let the church say, 'Alright!' Let the church say, 'OK!'", dynamic speaker Jesse Manibusan electrified the teens gathered for a recent diocesan high school youth rally.

Nearly 800 people attended the rally, which was held at St. Dennis Parish in Madison and was sponsored by the Diocese of Madison's Office of Religious Education and Camp Gray.

Related article ... • World is in great need of mercy

Pay attention

Through songs, stories, humor, and encouragement, Manibusan captured the teens' attention and drove home the point that being a follower of Jesus with full, conscious, active participation is the highest goal in life.

"We've got to pay attention, be aware, be vigilant. Following Jesus is not about instinct. We have to learn how to follow," said Manibusan. "Following Jesus is not about being perfect but following purposefully."

Manibusan illustrated his point by asking the crowd, "What color are my white socks? What color is the white page?" "White!" the crowd responded. "What do cows drink?" asked Manibusan. "Milk!" they automatically responded, then realized they should have said, "Water!"

"If we're going to reach for the highest goal, you have to pay attention," said Manibusan.

We are a pilgrim people

When singing during Mass, the highest goal is the execution of prayer, he said. "It's not the song, but for whom the song is sung."

When people have a mission, a vision, then their faith is alive, he said. "But the foundation has to be in Christ. Following Jesus is the highest goal because without Christ, it's smoke, it's ash."

We are a holy people, a pilgrim people on the way, he said. "Is there still confusion, addiction, resentment, violence, war, shame, corruption? Yes, there is all of that and more. And yet we are a pilgrim people."

Take off masks of fear

Manibusan encouraged the youth to try to live out their baptism in Christ. "I'm not asking you to be overly pious. I'm saying take off your mask made of fear, resentment, insecurity, and see who you really are."

He said the highest goal is the love of Christ - all of us living, working, serving, healing, laughing, crying, and being people of God together.

"What we've learned is life isn't the outcome, it's the living, the moving through, living the moment, reconciling along the way," he said. We have to take the risk, dive into our faith, and let Jesus catch us, he said.

Show compassion

In his second keynote address, Manibusan emphasized acts of compassion. "Compassion means we take the opportunity to act where we are," he said.

When there's compassion, there are no longer strangers or enemies, he said. "The Body of Christ can't be strangers. We've got to be family and friends."

That means each of us is responsible to reach out to those who are ridiculed, he said.

Jesus goes to the cross and says, "I'm for you. You're my highest goal, you are my mission - to love you, heal you, stand by you," said Manibusan.

"We are God's highest goal. Would that we say, 'Jesus be my guide, my friend,'" he said. "Would that we learn that discipline and say, 'Jesus be my strength. Jesus, I'm for you.'"

Student reactions

Parish groups gathered to talk about what they learned from Manibusan's presentations, which the teens said they really enjoyed.

"The speaker was really motivational," said Kaitlin Bare, freshman from Immaculate Conception Parish, Boscobel.

"What he told you is opposite of what society tells you," said Carissa Molina, sophomore from St. Maria Goretti Parish, Madison. "Love what you do. Don't worry about what others say. There's more to life than grades and sports and society."

When asked why it is important to have goals, Clarissa Kramer, sophomore from St. Maria Goretti Parish, Madison, said, "We should be happy with ourselves but strive for improvement."

World is in great need of mercy

By Julianne Nornberg
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- "There's nothing the world needs more than mercy," Bishop Robert C. Morlino told teens during Mass at the Diocese of Madison's high school youth rally held at St. Dennis Parish here.

Related article & photo ... • High School Youth Rally: Reaching the highest goal • Front page photo

Bishop Morlino presided at the Mass. Concelebrating priests of the Diocese of Madison included Frs. Paul U. Arinze, Eric H. Nielsen, Tait C. Schroeder, and Kent A. Schmitt.

Gift of Christ

"Wow. There is a lot of energy, inspiration, hope here," said Bishop Morlino in his introductory words to the students. He noted that the Holy Father calls young people to be saints of the next millennium.

"What a wonderful gift this is: for all of you to come together in the name of Jesus Christ," he said in his homily. "What a wonderful gift to see one another.

"This gift of Christ is so much bigger than you or me or the parish group or diocesan group. The mission of Christ is so inclusive, it includes all believers in the world, angels and saints in heaven, souls in purgatory. It can't get any more inclusive than that. As we come to the Eucharistic altar, we're caught up in that."

Importance of service

Bishop Morlino noted that the Scripture readings for the day (Isaiah 53:10-11, Hebrews 4:14-16, and Mark 10:35-45) are challenging because they focus on sacrifice and suffering.

"The key word in the Gospel is service. Jesus came not to be served but to serve," he said. He quoted Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, who said a true servant doesn't get to choose how he serves; a true servant responds to the greatest need.

"And how do we serve the world?" he asked. "The key word in the second reading is mercy. We serve the world by being ambassadors, messengers of Christ."

World in need of mercy

He pointed out areas and situations of the world in which there is no mercy: Afghanistan, Iraq, the Holy Land; people shot by snipers; children kidnapped, abused, murdered.

"There is no mercy for young children sometimes abused, even by priests. There's no mercy for priests either now," he said.

"There's nothing the world needs more than mercy. It's merciless out there," said the bishop. "In order to be human, we need mercy and need to show mercy. The most powerful mercy is Jesus' death on the cross. Mercy is poured out on cross by suffering, by sacrifice."

Think sacrifice, do mercy

We need to think sacrifice, he said, because if you think sacrifice, you'll do mercy.

"Our culture in the U.S. tells you to plan for the future, make enough money so you can create for yourself a life safe from sacrifice. Jesus says the opposite: think sacrifice, do mercy," he said.

There's a shortage not only of priests, but of good marriages, he said. "Where are the priests coming from? Good marriages."

Whether you're called to marriage or to religious life and the priesthood, think sacrifice, he said.

"To serve in the life of Christ is to do mercy, do sacrifice," said the bishop. "Go out and live that. You're made for hope and joy. Do it. There's no joy anywhere else."

Catholic Charities:
'Faith in Action!' theme of awards dinner

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- "Faith in Action!" was the theme of the eighth annual Catholic Charities awards dinner held Nov. 4 at the Marriott Hotel.

The agency honored three community leaders along with three clients or volunteers - all of whom put faith in action in their daily lives.

Phil Galassie, president of the Catholic Charities Board of Directors, said the board assists Executive Director Brian Cain and his staff in providing "compassionate, caring services for those in need. We develop self-sufficiency. We build better and more humane communities."

Galassie noted that Catholic Charities has expanded its programs to assist families, the developmentally disabled, the elderly, and those in drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs.

Cain observed that Catholic Charities has grown in the past 15 years from a staff of 30 persons serving 11,700 people a year with a budget of $1.5 million to a staff of 220 serving 21,000 persons with a budget of $7.5 million.

"We thank you for joining hands with us to make a difference," Cain told the over 400 people attending the dinner.

In his remarks, Bishop Robert C. Morlino said, "I say from the heart, thanks for all you do. You're generous in serving our sisters and brothers."

But the bishop also observed that human beings don't live by bread alone. "We're naturally hungry for food. We're like sheep, hungering to be fed.

"But we're not simply sheep; we're human. We have minds. And our minded/human dimension is joined with our physical dimension.

"As our bodies hunger for food, our minds hunger for the truth. Yet we live in a society which rejects truth. Truth is what you want it to be."

Bishop Morlino said we can assist people who hunger for food, clothing, and shelter. "But people often don't want our assistance when we offer truth," he said. "That hunger has been squelched by our society.

"We need to teach people to hunger for the objective truth. If we don't as agents of Catholic Charities, we are not wholistic. We have to address the whole person. The real challenge is to teach people to hunger for the deepest needs of the spirit, of the mind, of human intelligence, the truth. Truth finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ."

Receiving awards were:

• Bob Bright, Madison, Visionary Leadership Award.

• Dennis McKinley, Madison, Catholic Leadership Award

• Mary Sykes, Fort Atkinson, Community Leadership Award

Executive Directors Awards went to:

• Donna Bloom, Edgerton, client in the Catholic Charities Developmental Disability Counseling program

• Greg Loberger, Madison, client in the Supportive Living Program

• Twila Sheskey, Madison, volunteer in the Catholic Charities Elder Mentor Program