Bishops' Schedules: Bishop Robert C. Morlino Friday, October 7, 2005 12:10 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at the Celebration of the Eucharist, St. Patrick Church, Madison Friday, October 7, 2005 6:00 p.m. -- Theology-on-Tap Party, Bishop O'Connor Pastoral Center, Madison Sunday, October 9, 2005 3:00 p.m. -- Preach at Solemn Closing of the 40 Hours Devotion, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Peoria, Ill. Sunday, October 9 - Friday, October 14, 2005 Chairman, Apostolic Visitation of Seminaries, St. John Vianney, Redemptoris Mater Mission & Fraternidad San Antonio Seminaries, Denver, Colo. Bishop William H. Bullock Saturday, October 8, 2005 Preside at the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Andrew Parish, Verona, and St. William Parish, Paoli, at St. Andrew Church, Verona

Priest assembly: Gathering provides moments of grace

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Dear Friends,

Since I last communicated through this column the Lord blessed us with our regularly scheduled Priests' Assembly where we gather for three overnights to enjoy priestly friendship in Christ and to reflect on our priesthood under the guidance of a presenter. These gatherings of priests are always a place of joy and strength, as we honestly bear the burdens that the Lord calls us to face at this particular time and place in history.

This year's presenter was Father Gene Hemrick, who is well known as a convocation leader and retreat master for priests. He is a priest of the Joliet Diocese headquartered in Washington, D.C. His theme was focused on the priesthood as a place of hope. He used words like zeal, energy, and excellence with great frequency. His manner was very laid back, I would say, but very insightful and displaying great depth. Just about every priest with whom I spoke had a particular phrase or insight or thought from Father Gene that he had found personally helpful and enriching. Father Gene invited the participation of the priests through shared conversation and it is always helpful when priests share, in one another's presence, what is on their mind.

There were three moments that were very powerful for me and I believe for many others. We always have a memorial service for our brother priests who have died and the names of all, beginning in 1946 when our diocese was created, are read amid the reading of the Gospels and the singing of appropriate hymns. It is always moving, especially when we consider that at the Sacrifice of the Mass they are actually present with us from their place in eternity before the face of Christ. The diocese was built upon their faith leadership.

Of course, among the priests mentioned are also the bishops and the popes who have died since 1946. It is particularly important that the pope be included among the priests of our diocese who have died because, according to the mystery of the Church, as holding the office of St. Peter, the pope has immediate and ordinary jurisdiction over our diocese and is more deeply embedded in our diocese than any of us priests could ever be. The pope, whoever he is, is never "an outsider" but is at the very heart of the Church in each and every diocese, so how fitting it is to remember each pope with love.

Sharing vocation stories

The second moment which had a deep impact on me, came when five of our brother priests recounted the source and origin of their vocation as well as some of their joys and struggles. These priests, who included our two newly ordained priests, our Director of Vocations, our Director of Continuing Education (a middle-aged priest), and one senior priest, were the occasion of a rich outpouring of grace from the Holy Spirit, for us to realize that with all of our diversity in today's Church, we love the priesthood more than ourselves and we have so much in common. Again many priests commented to me as to how powerful this conversation among priests was for them.

And then there was the Sacrifice of the Mass offered for our Jubilarian priests, including Bishop Bullock, who celebrated 25 years as bishop this year, Father Gary Wankerl, and Fathers Philip Conlon and Bernard Pickarts, who were not able to be present with us but who joined us in prayer and in spirit.

An inspirational gift

At the banquet after the Mass there came a great surprise in the form of a new painting that Father Gary Wankerl presented to me and really to all of us as diocese. On the evening of his own silver jubilee, when he might have sat back and enjoyed the affection and applause of others, he exercised very strong leadership and a great deal of generosity and kindness in terms of the work that went into this painting, as he presented it to the diocese, to our priests and to all of you, through myself. Of course the picture is reprinted in this edition of the Catholic Herald but the reproduction in any newspaper (and ours is an excellent newspaper) could never do it justice. One really has to see the original, which will be displayed prominently in the Pastoral Center.

Father Gary's 25th jubilee as priest coincided with the 25th jubilee of priests' assemblies for the Diocese of Madison, and so the painting is captioned "Madison XXV." The painting includes a wonderful image of John Paul the Great taken during one of his last public appearances, before he entered the last of many Mt. Calvary experiences in his life, which ended with his prayerful uttering of the words, "Let me go to the house of my Father" in Polish. The strength of Pope John Paul's presence, while on earth, and of his presence before the face of Christ, that unforgettable power, is manifest in the signs of advanced age and serious illness. I think of the beautiful words of the liturgy spoken of the Apostles, "from their place in heaven they guide us still."

At the bottom of the painting is the wonderful image of our firefighters in Madison rescuing the Blessed Sacrament from the Cathedral Church of St. Raphael. What an incredible manifestation of the power of the Eucharistic Presence of Christ during this Year of the Eucharist, accompanying the firefighters out of the charred ruins. And yet we know that in the mystery of the Trinity, Christ humbled himself and became like us in his human nature in all things but sin. And so in the Eucharist he humbled himself in needing the assistance of those whom he led out of the Cathedral. And then above the Eucharistic representation is the image of my most recent meeting with Pope Benedict.

Painting brings about hope, joy, unity

Unworthy though I am, as the diocesan bishop, I am the glue that binds the church of Madison to Jesus Christ through Pope Benedict. It is very humbling to speak that truth and I would never judge myself worthy of such a call nor of being included in such a painting.

Had I known in advance anything about it, I probably would have discouraged my own inclusion in favor of another theme. But I am honored by the truth of the apostolic office that the Lord has chosen to confer on me, again unworthy as I am. In the context and environment of our priests' assembly the presentation of that painting brought about a sense of hope, joy, and unity, that I don't believe I've ever experienced before among priests. Our guest presenter, Father Hemrick, commented that it was the most beautiful occasion that he had ever shared with priests in his whole life - he said that with tears and he meant it.

And so during this last assembly of priests, all of us in the diocese were given a blessing that no one of us deserves or could ever have earned. If ever there was a moment of grace, if ever there was a moment of joy, hope, and strength that was it. Please pray for me and my brother priests in the days ahead that we will take that moment with us and not allow the burdens and anxieties of the day to dim its light. Pray for those of us who serve you as priests that we will be holy leaders - confident, courageous, and competent. Pray that we will labor with zeal and energy, with enthusiasm and excellence. Pray that we will truly be as Christ's Presbyterate, and yours - elite - "with a humility that shows no trace of elitism" as a very perceptive author has written.

Thank you very much for reading this, and God bless each one of you. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Respect Life Letter from Bishop Morlino

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of weekly letters written by Bishop Robert C. Morlino during October, which is observed as Respect Life Month.

Dear Sisters and Brothers, All in the Lord,

Today's readings bring us images of feasts of rich food and choice wines, of the Lord who wipes away the tears from every face, of places of rest and refuge and safety.

These are beautiful themes for what I want to share with you today - that we, as God's people, can offer that place of refuge and safety for people in need.

We all owe great thanks to the many volunteers throughout the Diocese who help women in crisis pregnancy with free services, counseling, clothing, cribs, on-going supplies, and access to resources throughout the community. As St. Elizabeth offered refuge and support to Mary, when she was with child, so do these many people work within our communities to offer refuge, support, and safety each day to women who are pregnant, who have miscarried, or who otherwise need some extra care.

Our Diocesan offices help train people to provide this much-needed support. On this weekend of October 8 and 9, through the special Respect Life collection, I ask you to extend your generosity to build an ever-stronger network of support for saving the lives of unborn children.

Last week I wrote to you about the very visible and tragic loss of lives, homes, families, and communities caused by Hurricane Katrina and the Stoughton tornadoes. This week, it weighs heavily on my heart that I must remind you of the very invisible and horrendously tragic loss of lives and families caused by abortion.

Think of the magnitude of this tragedy! One in four pregnancies end in abortion. This totals to more than a million lives a year. This is year in and year out - for 32 years. This is more than the population of Canada. Imagine all of Canada without a living soul within its boundaries!

Some will now be thinking, "Oh, this same old story. This doesn't affect me." I plead with you not to turn deaf ears on this subject. A basic moral test for our society is how we treat the most vulnerable among us. The unborn child and the woman carrying that child are extremely vulnerable. The woman often does not know where to turn for refuge, for safety.

I say to you that we, as the Diocese of Madison, the people of God, we can wipe away the tears, we can provide the places of rest, refuge, and safety.

Throughout our Diocese we have pro-life counseling groups for women, and men, when they are confused, hopeless, and casting about for an answer, fearful because of their pregnancy. You and I can help these women and men CHOOSE LIFE! We can build the Culture of Life by strongly supporting these many outreach efforts.

Let me highlight three of these groups, inspired by St. Elizabeth.

More on Elizabeth House: from Oct. 6, 2005 edition: • Editorial -- Maternity home: Help Elizabeth House reach goal from May 5, 2005 edition: • Editorial -- Vision becomes reality: For new maternity home Apr. 21, 2005 edition: • Elizabeth House to break ground May 1 Mar. 3, 2005 edition: • Elizabeth House: Campaign passes half-way mark Dec. 30, 2004 edition: • Elizabeth House: Diocese donates $75,000 to maternity home Oct. 28, 2004 edition: • Bishop's Letter: Collection for Elizabeth House Oct. 21, 2004 edition: • Elizabeth House: Bishop authorizes diocesan collection • Editorial: Elizabeth House: Ecumenical effort helps mothers, babies Oct. 14, 2004 edition: • Bishop's column: Respect Life Month: Elizabeth House; making election decisions Mar. 25, 2004 edition: • Editorial: Elizabeth House: Caring for both babies and their mothers Oct. 16, 2003 print edition: • Elizabeth House: Provides help and hope for mothers, newborns in need Feb. 20, 2003 edition: • Open house at new maternity home

First, I want to update you on last year's collection for Elizabeth House, run by CareNet, and supported by many denominations. Elizabeth House is nearly a reality, in the final stages of construction of a home with 10 rooms for pregnant women. Beginning in January, it will provide a safe haven, counseling, parenting instruction, and other vital services for women who choose life for their child.

Elizabeth Ministry is a program within the Diocese to train parishioners in loving response to women who experience difficulties, such as a miscarriage or post-partum depression. From women, to women, it strengthens the bonds of families and communities.

Elizabeth Ann Seton House is a St. Vincent de Paul program that provides transitional housing for women and their children, helping them stabilize their lives, find jobs, and move into good situations to raise their children.

In addition to these compassionate efforts, there are many other places throughout the Diocese where women and men can learn their baby has a beating heart, brain waves, can feel pain, and is, in fact, what the term "fetus" means - a young one. The staff and trained volunteers of these groups also refer to hundreds of agencies that can offer further medical, legal, emotional, and economic assistance so that Choosing Life is no longer a slogan, but a reality.

These caring volunteers and staff are there to wipe away the tears and provide what is needed before, during, and after birth.

It is on behalf of our Diocesan efforts to promote life-saving programs that transform the lives of women and save the lives of babies, that I ask you to not just give generously, as you are always generous. But I ask you to imagine, because our minds are filled with the images of recent natural disasters, if you could have offered one person safety and refuge, what would you have given? Then, imagine if we can build a network of safety and refuge so that every woman in the Diocese of Madison would know of our care and concern, how much would you give? Life is a gift from God. Life is precious beyond measure. My blessings on you and your families. May you always have a place of safety and refuge and may your hearts always be open to those in need.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino
Bishop of Madison

Bishop named to committee

MADISON -- Bishop Robert C. Morlino has agreed to serve as a member of the 2005-2006 Bioethics Advisory Committee for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School.

The charge to this committee is to advise the dean of the graduate school on ethical, legal, and social issues related to research conducted at UW-Madison. These issues will be identified by the dean of the graduate school and at the suggestion of the chair of the committee.

Members of the advisory committee include: Alta Charo, law school; Elizabeth Craig, biochemistry; Jim Dahlberg, biomolecular chemistry; Norman Fost, pediatrics; Dan Hausman, chair, philosophy; Robert Morlino, public member; John Pirsch, medical school; Robert Radwin, biomedical engineering; Robert Streiffer, philosophy. Ex officio members are William Mellon, graduate school/pharmacy, and Kathleen Irwin, legal services.