Diocese of Madison: A snapshot

		Notes from the  Vicar General  Msgr. Paul J. Swain

Each year the Diocese submits statistical information for inclusion in The Official Catholic Directory. It is a snapshot of the local church of Madison

A snapshot is taken at one moment in time, so the statistics below will not be the same as they are today, yet they help tell us who we are as the Catholic Church of Madison. Most of the data is collected as of Dec. 31, 2002. So, based on this snapshot, who are we?

We are 135 parishes in the 11 counties of southwest Wisconsin - Columbia, Dane, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Marquette, Rock, and Sauk. We are 269,556 Catholics out of an estimated population of 947,699 or 28 percent. This is an increase of 1,433 over the previous year.

We are 99 diocesan priests in active ministry with 49 retired priests who help out when able, and two permanent deacons. Some 20 permanent deacons are expected to be ordained in July. We are 13 priests from religious orders, two priests from other dioceses, six brothers, and 298 sisters, some in active ministry and many in retirement.

Despite difficult times

We are four Catholic hospitals serving 335,305 patients; two health care centers serving 668 patients; four homes for the aged serving 956 residents; 18 day care centers serving 988 children; seven special centers for social services and assistance serving 36,120 guests with meals, counseling, and other programs; one residential care facility for persons with physical and/or mental disability serving 375 persons.

We are six seminarians, four in theology and two in college. We are one college with an estimated 2,400 full and part time students. We are one high school with 664 students; 44 diocesan elementary schools with 6,878 students and one private elementary school with 306 students taught by two brothers, 27 sisters, and 831 lay teachers. We are 8,445 high school students and 15,654 elementary school students in parish religious education programs.

In 2002 there were 3,058 infant baptisms and 410 adults welcomed into the church by baptism or reception into full communion. There were 2,813 first communions; 2,249 confirmations; 1,024 marriages including 628 between Catholics and 396 between a Catholic and non-Catholic or 38 percent interfaith marriages. There were 1,753 deaths recorded.

Church of Madison is well

Statistics cannot convey the impact of the many ministries and programs which touch the lives of so many. They cannot record the spirits lifted, the reconciliation with God achieved, the aches and pains soothed, the minds challenged and consciences formed, the consolation shared.

They cannot communicate the hours and efforts of thousands of volunteers. They cannot express the grace that has been received through the sacraments.

These are difficult days in which we live, with acts of terror throughout the world, uncertain job security for many, new and strange viruses, addictions in so many forms, loneliness in the midst of plenty, to name only a few. The church itself is challenged and marginalized; Christ is trivialized, even mocked.

Despite it all, we can take comfort in these facts. They help us know that because of expressions of faith, hope, and love of so many, the local church of Madison is well and welcoming.

Marriage: Promoting its value

		Eye on the  Capitol  Kathy Markeland

This week the Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute released a report entitled Wisconsin County Health Report Cards 2003.

This county-by-county assessment of various social and health-related indicators provides a snapshot of the state of "public health" in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties.

The report takes into account many health factors including rates of morbidity, smoking, obesity, and physical activity. But it also considers social and economic factors that impact people's physical well being.

This reflects the view that physical health is directly affected by financial, social, and environmental conditions. While difficult to quantify, such factors are a key component of public health analysis.

Risk factors

One of these factors is the rate of divorce. The inclusion of divorce rates in public health assessments is not unique or new, but it is interesting to reflect on its significance in measuring health and well-being. It is also important to assess its meaning for public policy.

Public health analysis generally begins by assessing "risk" factors. It then goes on to identify benefits to be gained by reducing the risk. Therefore the negative socioeconomic risk of divorce should have a positive factor associated with it. Some might assume that "marriage" would be a logical counterpoint to this. Well, things are not that simple in the social sciences.

With regard to relationships, the state public health plan states that social support is generally viewed as a positive force as it relates to health and mortality and that having social networks and "at least one close relationship" is associated with better health and longer life.

"At least one close relationship," is hardly a resounding endorsement of marriage, but clearly marriage qualifies. And, while our state public health plan does not address it directly, there is now good solid social science pointing to marriage as a positive contributor to good physical health and overall well being.

Marriage Initiative

This new data has been foundational to the development of the Bush administration's Marriage Initiative. This initiative makes many in the social services uncomfortable.

Yet our own state health analysis recognizes relationships and stability in relationships as a factor in health. Like any other public health factor, such stable relationships could and arguably should be the basis for formulating public programs and policies.

Ironically, this new data regarding the value of marriage comes at a time when we no longer have a collective understanding of the meaning of marriage. To a degree, science has attempted to quantify something that we find harder to define.

This is one of the reasons that the "Marriage Initiative" is likely on a collision course with efforts to enact a Constitutional definition of marriage. For it is difficult to endorse funding for programs to support and enhance marriages when there is disagreement about what marriage is.

The Marriage Initiative seeks to use the new social science about marriage to establish new social programs helping people form strong and lasting relationships. But can this be effective without a consensus on questions like "which people?" and "which relationships?"

Promote healthy vision

We don't share a common understanding of what value marriages bring to society and to those who marry. Maybe that has been the case for a long time.

But the rising volume of the debate over how to define marriage will likely obscure the vital discussion of how marriage makes us healthier. Thus we will be left with agreement that divorce is a health risk factor, but no common understanding of what good practice to put in its place.

That is not a healthy situation. And that is why, now more than ever, Catholics should clearly articulate - and model - a vision of marriage that promotes community well-being.

Kathy Markeland is associate director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference.