News Briefs: Farewell ceremony in Fort Atkinson FORT ATKINSON -- It's time to bid farewell to the old St. Joseph Church on N. Main St. before parishioners take the joyful leap into the new one on Endl Blvd. A parish council committee has orchestrated a farewell ceremony for Sunday, Jan. 16, at 3 p.m. in the church, followed by a celebration with food and drinks in the church basement. Everyone who has precious memories of the old church is invited to join in. The church service will consist of prayers of thanksgiving and reflections on the past, present, and future. Following the farewell address by Fr. Bill Nolan, pastor, everyone will be invited to come forward to receive a piece of the mosaic as a memento of the old church. Another keepsake will be the program of the event. Concluding the desanctification of the old church will be a ceremonial procession of the removal of the stations of the cross. Pat McGinty will narrate while parishioners engaged in church ministry will carry the stations as they begin their journey to the new site on Endl Blvd. Silent No More Campaign MADISON -- A Silent No More Awareness event will take place in the North Hearing Room on the second floor of the Wisconsin State Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 13, from 1 to 2 p.m. The public is welcome to attend and offer support to those speaking. The purpose of the gathering is for those who regret earlier abortions to raise awareness about the emotional pain and damage of abortion and reach out to women hurting from an abortion to let them know help is available. At the event, women who have experienced abortion will make brief public statements. Participants will also be available for private discussions or interviews. Information about local resources to assist with emotional resolution will be available. The National Silent No More Awareness Campaign is a non-profit, non-denominational Christian effort and has no political or legal agenda. The local contact for Silent No More is Leslie Graves at 608-588-7834 or LBGraves@aol.com. National contact is Georgette Forney, 412-749-0455 or 800-707-6635, Georgette@noelforlife.org Women's Reflection Day JANESVILLE -- All women are invited to attend a Women's Reflection Day with the theme "Our Foremothers on the Journey," with facilitator Kate Wiskus to be held at St. John Vianney Parish on Saturday, Jan. 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Marian Hall, 1236 Racine St. Wiskus is director of the Diocesan Office of Pastoral Services. The day will focus on first century women such as Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the sisters Martha and Mary and the lessons they teach women of the 21st century. Lunch will be served. Deadline for reservations is Friday, Jan. 14. Fee is $20 and includes lunch. To register, call Joan Prendergast at 608-305-0153 or Kay at 608-752-8708. Marriage Encounter Weekends MADISON -- Madison Marriage Encounter is hosting two Marriage Encounter Weekends: Jan. 21-23, and Feb. 11-13 at the Bishop O'Connor Center in Madison. Encounter Weekends are time away from the daily distractions and tensions of life. All faiths are welcome. To register, or for more information, call 608-821-3175, or visit the Web site www.marriageencountermadison.org Huebscher speaks at St. Thomas MADISON -- John Huebscher, executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, will speak at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish on Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 6:30 p.m. He will discuss the relationship between charity and justice as well as the role of advocacy as the way to faithful citizenship between elections. This presentation is part of the annual celebration of St. Thomas Aquinas week in the parish. Everyone is invited. Call 608-833-2606 to register. Taking Care program MADISON -- The Area Agency on Aging of Dane County, in cooperation with Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish is offering the program, "Taking Care of You: Powerful Tools for Family Caregiving." The classes are designed to aid family members and friends as they care for frail elders or persons impacted by dementia, serious illness, or injury. The six-week series gives caregivers the skills they need to take care of themselves. Each class meets once a week for two and one-half hours. The series of classes will be held at Our Lady Queen of Peace in the Parish Center, 401 S. Owen Dr., on Tuesdays, Jan. 25 to March 1, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Fee is $10 (for The Caregiver Helpbook). Registration is required. Call Heather Crade, parish nurse, at 608-663-2996 for more information.
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Tsunami relief: Diocese contributes to efforts

By Julianne Nornberg
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- Parishes and individuals in the Diocese of Madison have been contributing to the tsunami relief efforts in south Asia and Bishop Robert C. Morlino requested that all parishes take up a special collection to support the outreach of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which already has a presence in the countries affected by the tsunami disaster.

"We've gotten a lot of calls," said J. Mark Brinkmoeller, director of the Diocese of Madison's Office for Justice and Peace. "Many parishes have been calling to ask, 'What can we do?' Before they were asked, parishes were responding."

For example, collections have already been taken up at St. Raphael Cathedral and Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Madison and Christ the King Parish in McFarland, he said.

Moved by loss

John Newman, a member of St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison and a postdoctoral fellow in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said it's important that the Catholic community and the nation make it clear that the people in the United States are concerned.

"When I heard of the full extent of the tsunami, I was deeply moved by the scope of the disaster and number of persons who lost their lives," said Newman.

Having friends from Sri Lanka and India, he knows people who have lost relatives in the disaster as well.

"Sri Lanka is a small nation, but their people are very caring for each other," he said. "Families are very tight-knit and strong."

Newman said he felt compelled to do something to help.

"I was in such shock at the loss of life that I felt it demanded an unprecedented response from myself as a Catholic, as a friend of Sri Lankans, as an American, and as a human," he said. "I believe that these events appeal to a deeply humane, basic connection that all people have with each other - the need to give of ourselves to help others when they so desperately need us."

He plans to write letters to Madison news agencies to ask for their help in encouraging people to donate to the CRS tsunami relief efforts.

"CRS is in a very good position to help people quickly," he said.

Donations

Donations for CRS may be marked "tsunami" and sent to the Office of Finance of the Diocese of Madison, P.O. Box 44983, 702 S. High Point Rd., Madison, WI 53719.

Brinkmoeller pointed out a Web site, www.give.org, which offers information on organizations giving to tsunami relief efforts. Those with specific questions about tsunami relief efforts may call Brinkmoeller at 608-821-3087.

Suggestions for vocations awareness:
'Cast Your Nets into the Deep'

By the Office of Vocations
DIOCESE OF MADISON

(See also front page Prayer for Vocations.)

Jesus encouraged his Apostles to cast out into the deep, in spite of the fact that their long hours of fishing seemed fruitless. Obedient to the Master, they cast their nets once more. As they abandoned human reason, it was rewarded in such a multitude of fish that the nets nearly broke.

Jesus implores us in the same way to cast for vocations to priesthood and religious life. The Lord commanded us to pray for vocations (Mt 9:37 and Luke 10:2) and therefore it cannot fail because He wants to grant it.

Here are some suggestions for promoting vocations awareness:

1. Holy Hours for Vocations - Begin Eucharistic Exposition for Vocations in your parish. Prayer before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is particularly fruitful for vocations. A parish rosary for vocation intentions is also very fruitful.

2. Encourage Prayer for One's Own Vocation - Encourage and lead young people to pray to the Lord for discernment in their vocation. Is the Lord calling me to priesthood, religious life, married life, or the single life?

3. Mass Intentions for Vocations - Offer Mass on a regular basis for the intention of increased vocations to priesthood and religious life.

4. Ask - Tell promising young boys and men who show interest in truth, compassion for others, and an aptitude for the spiritual life that they would make a fine priest. Ask them to pray and consider the priesthood. Likewise, ask promising young girls and women to pray and consider religious life, and tell them they would make a fine Sister or nun.

5. Work with the Parish Priest - Work with the pastor at your parish on vacation awareness activities. The priest is a primary influence on young people considering priesthood and religious life. For example, the priest at Confirmation interviews can ask the candidates if they've considered priesthood/religious life.

6. Encourage Parents - Invite parents of sons and daughters with a vocation to give a talk at the end of Mass about the joy of being a parent of a priest, seminarian, or religious brother or sister. Parents need to hear other parents speak on vocations.

7. Celebrate Vocation Dates - Have special Masses, talks, or events during National Vocation Awareness Week, World Day for Consecrated Life, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Make use of materials provided by the Office of Vocations of the diocese.

8. Parish Bulletin Articles - Provide a weekly or monthly article or "corner" in the parish bulletin on vocation reflection or vocation prayer. Place a vocation prayer card in the hymnals or parish missalettes.

9. Parish Mission or Retreat - Host a parish mission or retreat. Prayer often brings discernment and conversion.

10. Recognize Altar Servers - Recognize servers with a reward night or an outing.

11. Invite the Vocations Director to Speak - The Director of Vocations can be invited to speak about vocations at weekend Masses or at other events. It is a nice way to give the local pastor some time off.

12. Vocations Committees - Start a vocations committee at your parish to encourage young people to consider vocations.

13. Vocations Presentation at Parish Schools and Religious Education Classes - Periodically talk about vocations to students in parish schools or religious education programs. Often a panel format with priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and others is a great way to show the unity of the Church in vocations. Ask TEC members or those particularly skilled in youth ministry to speak on vocations. Also, highlight the lives of saints in religious education classes - they are the heroes and models for young people.

14. Vocations Literature - Put up pictures of diocesan seminarians and make available other vocation literature from the Diocese of Madison Office of Vocations. Have pictures of priests, Brothers, or Sisters who came from the parish displayed with a short biography in the parish hall.

15. Sponsor a Visit to a Seminary, Monastery, or Convent - Having young people visit religious houses and seminaries provides tangibility to priesthood and religious life.

16. Youth Ministry and Young Adult Discussion Groups - These ministries are the seedbed of vocations. Youth ministry and young adult groups allow young people to consistently pray and examine issues of faith that help them grow in the spiritual life.

17. Prayer by Shut-Ins, Elderly, and the Sick - Ask those who may be physically limited to offer their prayers and suffering for vocations.

18. Host Catholic Movie Nights - Ask youth or young adults to attend a Catholic movie night at the parish. The night could consist of prayer, a meal or refreshments, a Catholic movie, and discussion.

19. Host Parish Youth or Discernment Nights - Invite youth, high school students, or young adults to separate or combined discernment nights. Possible components could include prayer, socials, panel discussions from priests and religious, meet the pastor sessions, question and answer sessions, movies, trips to cathedrals or other churches, book reviews or discussion groups . . . .

20. Host the Chalice/Cross Program - Work with your parish priest to have families gather (perhaps for a meal) to pray for vocations, and then circulate the chalice or cross from family to family as each family prays for vocations. This chalice or cross is then given to the member of the parish who becomes a priest, Brother, or Sister. This gives each family a wonderful opportunity to talk about vocations and their role in fostering vocations.

21. Invite Candidates to Speak to the Vocations Directors - Invite those showing interest in priesthood or religious life to speak to the Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Madison. You can call him at 608-821-3095. We never pressure young men or women, but rather help them to grow in their spiritual life and discern and pray about their vocation, and encourage them to learn more about possible vocations. The Lord wants a free response from those whom He calls.

22. Visit the Vocations Web Site of the Diocese - Young people and young adults in parishes can access the diocesan vocations Web site at www.madisonvocations.org. It is an easy and exciting way for Catholic school students and religious education students to interactively learn about vocations.