News Briefs: Diocesan delegation travels to Ghana MADISON -- A delegation from the Diocese of Madison will be traveling to Ghana Jan 4 to 15 as part of Catholic Relief Services' Global Solidarity Partnership Program. The group of 12 persons will be visiting the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga. This is the second group of people from the Diocese of Madison to visit Ghana through this program. Fr. Stephen Umhoefer, Janesville, reported on the trip to the diocesan Presbyteral Council at its meeting Dec. 17. Umhoefer traveled with the first group. He said this trip will focus on education. Two priests - Frs. Jason Hesseling, Portage, and Randy Budnar, Darlington - will accompany the group, Also going are Jim Silver, superintendent of schools; J. Mark Brinkmoeller, director of the diocesan Office for Justice and Peace; three Catholic school principals; one teacher; three religious education directors; and Clarence Mougin, Dane. Brinkmoeller and Mougin were also on the first trip. The contingent will continue to look at ways the two dioceses can work together in the solidarity program. Epiphany concert, evening prayer SINSINAWA -- The Twelfth Night (Epiphany) Concert and Evening Prayer will be held in Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa Mound on Sunday, Jan. 4, at 4 p.m. This 14th annual Epiphany program, offered free to the public, marks the end of the Christmas season and gives participants an opportunity to pray with the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters. The concert will feature the Sinsinawa Mound Civic Chorus. Music will include "Gentle Mary Laid Her Child" by Vulpius, "Alma Redemptoris" by Palestrina, "New Year's Song" by Mendelssohn, "Behold I Bring You Good Tidings" by Sir John Goss, and "Arise and Shine," an Old Breton air. For information, call 608-748-4411 or visit the Web site at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter Support groups for divorced, separated 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, Jan. 8, 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, Jan. 15, at Our Lady Queen of Peace nursery, 401 S. Owen Dr. For information, call 608-821-3170. The supports groups will not be meeting on Dec. 25 or Jan. 1.

Rededication:
A time to rejoice at Blessed Sacrament Parish

By Julianne Nornberg
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

(See also front page photo.)

MADISON -- The third Sunday of Advent signifies a time to rejoice - and that's exactly what members of Blessed Sacrament Parish here were doing at a Dec. 13 Mass of rededication of the church.

The parish recently completed a more than $500,000 church interior renewal project, which is part of Vision 2000, a five-year long renewal project that includes renovation of the former convent to become the parish center.

In June of 2002, a group of parishioners and parish staff led by Fr. Stan Drongowski, pastor at the time, formed a Church Interior Committee that explored the best options for the restoration, which included: the removal of paneling behind the altar; improvement of lighting and acoustics; provision of handicapped accessibility; replacement of the baptismal font; installation of a new tile floor; restoration of stained glass windows that were returned to their original place behind the altar, and new stained glass windows for the choir loft.

A new altar, ambo, presider's chair, and cushioned pews were also a part of the renovation, with gifts from the Rosary Altar Society and anonymous donors.

The designer for the project was E.J. Potente of the Studios of Potente, Kenosha. The general contractors were parishioners Mark Landgraf and Jerry Heinrichs. The new windows for the choir loft were designed by Franz Schroeder.

The last time the church had any renovation done was in the early 1970s, said Pat Hobbins-Kemps, parish manager, who headed the Church Interior Committee with Sr. Virginia Smith, liturgist.

A time to rejoice

After a process marked at times with anxiety but mostly triumph and the help of many people - some of whom remained anonymous - the church interior project culminated in a beautiful Mass and celebration highlighting the efforts of all involved.

Bishop Robert C. Morlino presided at the Mass. Concelebrants included Fr. Patrick Norris, pastor; Fr. Ronald Kreul, parochial vicar; Fr. Michael Mascari, provincial of the Central Province Dominicans; and Fr. Benjamin Russell, prior and former pastor.

"Today it is a delight to welcome Bishop Morlino to our parish to celebrate this ceremony of rededication on the third Sunday of Advent for a threefold reason," said Father Norris. "First, this Sunday is Gaudete Sunday in which the entrance antiphon reminds us to rejoice. Consequently, it is most fitting that we celebrate the dedication of the new baptismal font, ambo, and altar."

Also, Advent is a season of penance and thus a time to recognize the sacrifices of time, talent, and financial resources that people made in order to make the church renovation possible, he said.

"Advent is also a season of hope," said Father Norris. "As we begin to worship in this renovated space, we do so with an aura of excitement and hope of the many good things that lie ahead of us as a parish."

A special Mass

Mass began with the Rite of Sprinkling over the sanctuary, people, ambo, and altar.

"Lord, fill this place with your presence," Bishop Morlino prayed. He then prayed a blessing over the ambo before the first reading.

In his homily, Bishop Morlino thanked the priests of the Dominican Order for their hospitality, congratulated the parish on the renovation, and thanked everyone who made the evening "one of joy" on the weekend of Gaudete Sunday.

"A good question is: do I rejoice always or do I get interrupted in my rejoicing?" said the bishop. "There's so much that comes to us in Advent and Christmas that says, 'Be stressed out constantly,' but Jesus says, 'Rejoice always.'"

Jesus said the key to that is to let your kindness - or forbearance - be known to all people, said the bishop. He explained that forbearance is giving the other person the benefit of the doubt.

"Treat that person like a son or daughter of God, a brother or sister of Christ," he said. "Let your forbearance be known to all. Then you'll be able to rejoice always."

Today as we bless the new altar and ambo, we celebrate ourselves as a community of living stones. "We're celebrating Jesus Christ who makes us the church," he said. "Rejoice always."

The bishop blessed the altar, anointed it with chrism, and incensed it. Light from a candle from the Advent wreath then lit the candles of the altar and the candles throughout the church.

After Communion, Father Norris thanked Bishop Morlino and expressed appreciation to everyone who made the renovation possible.

Referring to a quilt made of squares from parishioners' families that had been brought forward and displayed during the entrance procession, Father Norris said, "It reminds us that we are all the Body of Christ, indeed a Blessed Sacrament."

Reactions

Parishioners gathered afterward for a dinner reception.

The renovation is "delightful," said Jean and Ken Brost, members of the parish for 47 years.

"The parish did a good job of trying to please everyone and have it still come out looking like Blessed Sacrament - and that's the most important," said Rose Langer, a Blessed Sacrament parishioner for 40 years and president of the Rosary Altar Society. "Our renovation crew did a fantastic job. We are just so blessed."

Capital campaign: To build new monastery

PRAIRIE DU SAC -- Mother Paula Hannah, a Cistercian Sister who is prioress of Valley of Our Lady Monastery here, announced that a $7 million capital campaign would be conducted to build a monastery near Highland on a 210-acre farm.

Marcella and Harvey Yero, who read in the Madison Catholic Herald about the need for a new monastery and a search for land on which to build it, donated the farm to the nuns last year.

Kurtis D. Welton, president and treasurer of Welton Enterprises, a Madison-based real estate development company, accepted the position as the campaign general chairman.

New monastery plans

The monastery will be constructed of materials built to last far into the future, accommodating many generations of women. The plans for the monastery address many serious deficiencies of the present buildings.

A church large enough and suitable for liturgical worship and to permit all of the nuns to view the priest during Mass is essential to the nuns' life of prayer. Twenty-five cells to serve as private rooms for each nun, larger common living areas, offices, a dining area, and rooms for the sick are planned.

The nuns provide for their basic needs by making altar breads that are sent to many parishes, diocesan centers, seminaries, and monasteries. The monastery will have a separate section for altar bread operations.

Existing buildings

According to Welton, "For nearly a half-century the nuns have coped with buildings that were to be a 'temporary' monastery. The nuns have used up all the available space in the makeshift monastery."

He noted that one building is a stone house built in 1850, and another was the summerhouse that Governor Emanuel L. Philip built in the early 1900s.

Two additions were added, but fundraising efforts did not achieve the amount needed to construct quality buildings. The main building was built on a cement slab with poor heating and air circulation that has contributed to a serious mold problem in the walls. The cost of maintaining these structures is very high.

Need suitable space

Mother Paula Hannah said, "We must never be in a position where we cannot accept new candidates. This means there must be suitable and adequate cells and a place in the dining hall and chapel for each new candidate."

Six Cistercian nuns came to the Madison Diocese in 1957 from their Motherhouse in Frauenthal, Switzerland. Then Bishop William P. O'Connor requested of the General House in Rome that an order of contemplative cloistered nuns be sent to the diocese to worship and praise God through liturgical prayer, to pray for the world, and to foster vocations.

For more information on the capital campaign, call the campaign office at 800-966-6266.