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News Briefs:
St. Vincent de Paul book sale
MADISON -- The Society of St. Vincent de Paul's thrift store at 1309 Williamson St. will conduct the sale of the children's books it has accumulated and saved for the event Thursday, Feb. 23, through Saturday, Feb. 25. On each day, the annual Collectible Children's Book Sale will take place during the Williamson St. store's regular hours, 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
The sale will feature a broad selection of children's book titles in various categories. Many Golden, Oz, picture, and comic books will be available, as will a wide range of specialty items. The sale event will also mark the opening of a remodeled and expanded book section at the St. Vincent de Paul Williamson St. store.
Proceeds help support the local charitable work of the society.
Lenten retreat: Bishop Morlino leads men's retreat
MADISON -- A Men's Lenten Retreat, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, will be held Friday, March 24, through Saturday, March 25, at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center here.
The retreat master is Bishop Robert C. Morlino. In celebration of Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, God is Love, Catholic men of all ages are invited to gather with Bishop Morlino to pray and reflect on love in its various dimensions, from the love between man and woman to love expressed in charity.
Cost is $80 for overnight with Friday dinner and Saturday meals, $65 for overnight with Saturday meals, or $45 for commuters with Saturday lunch. Copies of the retreat brochure may be downloaded at www.madisoncatholic.org/oec or contact Jen at 608-821-3160 or e-mail jgad@straphael.org Registration deadline is Friday, March 17, and space is limited.
Support groups
MADISON -- Two local parishes offer peer support groups that provide support to those hurting from separation, divorce, or loss of a significant relationship. The groups are open to all ages and faiths. For information, call 608-821-3170.
"Friends on a Journey" meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 2 and 16, at Our Lady Queen of Peace, 401 S. Owen Dr. "New Directions" meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, March 9, and March 23, at St. Dennis Parish Center, 413 Dempsey Rd.
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Operation Rice Bowl:
Lenten solidarity program supports new mobile food pantry
By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
(See also front-page logo.)
MADISON -- This Lent, Catholics in the Diocese of Madison will be joining millions of other Catholics throughout the United States in participating in Operation Rice Bowl.
Operation Rice Bowl is the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Lenten solidarity program. Through the program, Catholics reach out to assist their brothers and sisters around the world through traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and giving alms while learning about global issues affecting people.
Seventy-five percent of the money collected by Operation Rice Bowl goes to CRS development projects overseas and education activities in the U.S. Twenty-five percent remains in the local dioceses to fund local hunger and poverty alleviation programs.
In the Diocese of Madison, the Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach is coordinating Operation Rice Bowl efforts.
Needed more than ever
Susanna Herro, director of the office, said Operation Rice Bowl is more necessary now than in many years. "Not only are the people affected by the tsunami in greater need, but less publicized areas of the world, such as the Sudan and Darfour, are facing extreme hunger," she noted.
"What we learn, during Lent, as we fast and pray for others, is that we are all connected. When we suffer the pangs of hunger, just for a few hours, it is so much easier to take a little from our plenty to make sure others have just a little," said Herro.
"As a parent, I really love the information from Operation Rice Bowl! We used the calendar during Lent to open our children's eyes (and ours!) to the great advantages we have.
Learning lessons
"One lesson is embedded in my memory. We were challenged to only use one faucet for water for cooking and drinking and that one should be the one farthest away. Ours was in the basement and we hauled water up the steps. It was inconvenient. It made us think," she recalled.
"But most of all, it gave us a deeper look into what it means to draw water from a village well and carry it home, one bucket at a time. Water is heavy and you need a lot of it.
We all learned respect for our wonderful access to abundant, clean water."
Herro observed that Operation Rice Bowl projects help provide food, clean water, and education so farmers can learn skills to increase food production.
Mobile food pantry
She also explained how Operation Rice Bowl donations benefit people in the Diocese of Madison.
"This year, to make sure all areas of the diocese benefit from the donations received, the Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach is partnering with Catholic Charities' mobile food pantry to locate parishes throughout the diocese to establish food distribution sites," said
Herro.
This food pantry is a truck filled with food that parishioners volunteer to distribute.
This saves the parish from having to fundraise, shop, or store the food. In just a short time, hundreds of pounds of food are distributed to those in need.
"Sometimes we are tempted, in this land of plenty, to forget that we have neighbors who do not have enough to eat," said Herro.
"Reports say that especially in our rural areas, we have people in need. So for every $4
received, $1 stays here in the diocese. With the partnership with Catholic Charities and their ability to access food banks and other providers, each dollar given for local efforts will supply one person with an entire day's needs of nutritious food."
Parishes participate
Brian Cain, executive director of Catholic Charities, noted that his agency has collaborated with Second Harvest Foodbank on the mobile food pantry project. "They load the truck and bring it to the parish. There volunteers assist people who come to pick up the food," he explained.
Cain has invited all parishes in the Diocese of Madison to participate. "We don't
want to compete with current programs, but we want to address needs," said Cain. "We could work with a cluster of parishes or local organizations."
The mobile food pantry has already been used at St. Mary Parish, Palmyra, and St. Joseph Parish, Fort Atkinson. Other parishes have expressed interest. So far a total of 1,011 people - including 443 children - have been served by the program.
"The neat thing is that it allows people in parishes to touch shoulders with people in need," said Cain. "It puts a face on them. They're our neighbors."
For more information on Operation Rice Bowl, call the Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach at 608-821-3086 or go to the Web site: www.crs.org/orb
Drumroll:
Diocesan Vocation Office announces new Web site
By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
MADISON -- Where do people go for information today? One of the important resources - especially for young people - is the Internet.
Many people may "surf the Net" for information on careers. It's important that church vocations be part of the mix available on the Web.
New Web site
That's why the Office of Vocations for the Diocese of Madison has launched a new Web site - www.madisonvocations.org - as one way to provide information on the priesthood and consecrated life and to promote church vocations.
"We think it's important to incorporate new media in promoting vocations," said Fr. Jim Bartylla, diocesan vocation director.
"We are very excited about rolling our new Web site out for the general public."
The new site was launched in January, but it has been "under construction" for over three years. Fr. Michael Radowicz - then a seminarian - started working on the site when Msgr. Daniel Ganshert was vocation director.
"He wanted to design a Web site for vocations," said Father Radowicz, who was ordained in 2005 and serves as parochial vicar at Sacred Hearts Parish in Sun Prairie. "We started the site but didn't do many updates on it."
Priest donates time
About seven months ago, he and Father Bartylla made plans to update and expand the Web site. "We changed the focus to a vocations promotion site," said Father Radowicz. "I've spent close to 600 hours on the site, working on and off."
"His work on the site is nothing short of extraordinary," said Father Bartylla. "We appreciate all he has done. He did this out of zeal for vocations and donated his time to the Diocese of Madison."
Father Radowicz says he wanted to "give something back" to the diocese for all it has done for him.
Combining his faith and Web work began when Father Radowicz attended St. Lawrence High School Seminary in Mt. Calvary, where he started the school's first Web site. He also helped develop a site for St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison and redeveloped the sites for Sacred Hearts Parish and School in Sun Prairie.
"It's been fun," he said. "It's one of the ways I relax. It's an opportunity to be creative."
He will continue to work with the vocation Web site and provide updates.
Site's highlights
The new Web site uses a variety of media. Some of the highlights include:
• An excellent vocation film entitled Fishers of Men produced by Grassroots Films for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
• A Fox Sports News profile of diocesan seminarian Ben Kessler.
• Vocation "vignettes" from Relevant Radio telling the story of diocesan seminarians.
The site includes information and pages on diocesan seminarians; the Catholic Herald Religious of the Month and photos of priests; deacons in the diocese; listing and description of seminaries where diocesan seminarians study; a page on consecrated life; and
discernment tools, including questions and answers on common vocation issues.
The page on consecrated life includes mini-profiles and pictures of women in the Diocese of Madison who are discerning a vocation. It also features pictures of a Cistercian nun taking her vows.
Another page provides information on promoting vocations for parishes and individuals.
The Web site features links to religious orders and other Web sites of interest.
There is also information on how to contact the Vocation Office and an opportunity to send a message to the office.
Bishop Morlino: To speak at national event
MADISON -- Bishop Robert C. Morlino will be the keynote speaker at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast to be held in Washington, D.C., on Friday, April 7.
Bishop Morlino's address is entitled "On the Dictatorship of Relativism." Catholic theologian Scott Hahn will also give a talk following the breakfast.
This is the third annual Catholic Prayer Breakfast. The event was created in 2004 in response to Pope John Paul II's appeal for a "New Evangelization."
Catholics from across the country are invited to gather together in worship and fellowship at the event, to reaffirm their faith, and to renew their dedication to the nation and to serving God. "The breakfast provides us with an opportunity to thank Our Lord for His abundant blessings and to commit our country to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, while helping those that are less fortunate," said Joseph J. Cella, president of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast organization.
The event actually begins on Thursday evening, April 6, with a 6:30 p.m. Mass at St. Matthew Cathedral with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington as principal celebrant and homilist. This will be followed by a reception at the Army Navy Club.
The breakfast will be held the following morning at the Hilton Washington Hotel.
"We were blessed with a tremendous success last year, with more than 700 people attending the Mass and more than 1,600 people in attendance at the breakfast," said Cella.
"In addition, we were pleased to host the President of the United States and a number of prominent leaders. Based on the growing interest, we hope to exceed those numbers in attendance this year."
Go to the event's Web site at www.catholicprayerbreakfast.com for more information and to order tickets.
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