• Articles on St. Raphael Cathedral
	L e n t
	• Lenten regulations (from 2/23 edition) • Beloit Lenten music program • 'Awakening to self' retreat to be held at Sinsinawa • Passion showing on Palm Sunday • Bishop's Letter: The Evangelical Catholic • Letter --     Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent • Living the Scriptures • Faith Alive! • This week's readings Lent articles from previous issues: • March 23, 2006 edition • March 16, 2006 edition • March 9, 2006 edition • March 2, 2006 edition • Feb. 23, 2006 edition • Operation Rice Bowl (from 2/23 edition)
	News Briefs: Wisconsin Right to Life: Actress to keynote dinner MILWAUKEE -- The Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee will be the site for Wisconsin Right to Life's annual Milwaukee Gala Dinner and Auction on Thursday, April 6. This black-tie-optional event is held each spring to support the work of the Wisconsin Right to Life Education Fund. The event's keynote speaker will be actress Jennifer O'Neill. Internationally acclaimed actress, film and television star, director, spokeswoman, author, and artist, O'Neill became a household name with her starring role in the classic film Summer of 42 as well as being spokeswoman for Cover Girl Cosmetics for 30 years. Radio host and author, Charlie Sykes, will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. The event begins at 5 p.m. with the silent auction and hors d'oeuvres, followed by the dinner. Reservations can be made by contacting Shelly Dooyema at 414-778-5780 or toll free at 877-855-5007. Beloit Lenten music program BELOIT -- A Lenten Inspirational Journey Through Music and Meditation program will be held at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, 2222 Shopiere Rd., on Sunday, April 2, at 2 p.m. Swing Productions will present a repertoire including a cappella blending, jazz styling, classical adaptations, and contemporary arrangements with meditative readings. A free-will offering will be taken. For more information, call 815-963-2089. 'Awakening to self' retreat to be held at Sinsinawa SINSINAWA -- A retreat, "Awakening to Self," will offer participants the opportunity to take time to contemplate and get reacquainted - or newly acquainted - with their selves. Participants will have time to journal, practice movement, commune with nature, and be introduced to other healing modalities. The retreat will run from 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 7, through 1 p.m. Sunday, April 9. Cynthia Cupps, previous director of the Center for Holistic Health in Dubuque, will lead the retreat. Cupps has been embracing spiritual growth and healing since 1989. Through that process, Cupps has discovered many healing tools and spiritual gifts. The registration deadline is March 31 and there is a fee. For more information on these and other activities at the Mound, contact guest services at 608-748-4411 or visit the Web site www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter Social ministry internship program MADISON -- Applications for the Social Ministry Internship are now being accepted for the 2006 summer program. The Social Ministry Internship program, administered through the Diocese of Madison Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach and co-sponsored by partnering Catholic organizations, is an opportunity for college-aged persons at least 18 years of age from a parish or an educational institution within the Diocese of Madison to learn about Catholic social teaching. The internship is 30 hours per week for 10 weeks; participants will receive a stipend of $2,600 for the summer. A number of experiences are available, including positions dealing with legislative issues, communications, direct-client services, and research. For more information, or to receive an application packet, contact the Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach at 608-821-3086 or at justiceandpeace@straphael.org Passion showing on Palm Sunday MADISON -- A special showing of Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ with Bishop Robert C. Morlino will be held for young adults on Sunday, April 9, at 2:30 p.m. at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, 702 S. High Point Rd. Before the film, starting at 1:30 p.m., will be a Stations of the Cross. After the film Bishop Morlino will hold a reflection and discussion session. The event is targeted to young adults, but any interested person may attend. Admission is by ticket only. Free tickets can be obtained by contacting Ben Weisse at bweisse@straphael.org or at 608-821-3164.
	Nominate someone for "Profiles from the pew" To nominate someone to be featured in "Profiles from the pew," download a nomination form (PDF file). "Profiles from the pew" runs in the Catholic Herald print edition NOTE: The nomination form is 269 KB in size and may take a long time to download on a dial-up Internet connection. It is a Portable Document Format file, also called a PDF, which can be viewed using the freely available Adobe® Reader® software. Many computers already have this software and will automatically open the document when you click the nomination form link, above. Adobe Reader is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

Evangelical Catholic: Seeks to invigorate faith in diocese

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

(See also front-page photo and sidebar: What is Evangelical Catholic ministry?.)

MADISON -- When Catholics hear the words "evangelize" or "evangelical," we often think of our Protestant brothers and sisters.

Of course, followers of Christ have been evangelists since the early church. The 12 Apostles were certainly evangelists.

But what does it mean to be evangelical? "The word evangelical means 'of the Gospel.' All Catholics are essentially evangelical," explained Marcella Colbert. She is assistant director of The Evangelical Catholic (EC), which was started about nine years ago at St. Paul's University Catholic Center in Madison by Tim and Sandy Kruse.

EC has been actively promoting an evangelical Catholic spirituality and ministry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. One of its efforts is an annual EC Institute, a weekend conference aimed at introducing Catholics from all walks of life to the principles and model of evangelical Catholic ministry. This year's institute will be held March 31 to April 1 at St. Paul's.

Collaboration with diocese

The Diocese of Madison's Office of Evangelization and Catechesis has recently begun a close collaboration with The Evangelical Catholic. EC is now renting office space at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison.

"In the coming months, the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis will be working closely with The Evangelical Catholic to explore ways that their wealth of experience on university campuses across the country can best be applied to parishes in the Diocese of Madison," said Eric Schiedermayer, executive secretary of the diocesan office.

"We have high hopes that this work will be helpful in fostering in the Diocese of Madison the renewal envisioned by John Paul the Great," he said.

	• Bishop's Letter: The Evangelical Catholic

In a letter to all the faithful in the diocese endorsing this collaboration, Bishop Robert C. Morlino commented, "The Evangelical Catholic, invigorated by the Second Vatican Council's vision of the Church as a vibrant evangelical movement, seeks to help parishes and campus ministries implement practical strategies for fostering and renewing the evangelical life and ministry within their communities."

What is The Evangelical Catholic?

What is The Evangelical Catholic? Its vision is the renewal of individuals and church communities through an emphasis on interior conversion, devotion to the Scriptures, formation in the habits of discipleship, intense Christian community, and a joyful commitment to the work of evangelization.

Marcella Colbert, who started working in Madison on February 1, said EC is not a program. "Being evangelical is more than what we do," she said. "It is who we are. The EC seeks to help individuals and parishes participate in a vibrant relationship with Christ through prayer, the Word, sacraments, and the action of their daily lives. This ministry is focused on people more than programs."

Colbert herself was working with a nonprofit consulting company in North Carolina. "I was looking for a job that combined my experience in nonprofit work with my faith," she said. The Evangelical Catholic seemed to be a perfect fit.

On college campuses

The Evangelical Catholic has an excellent track record in campus ministry. For example, David Zeamer, associate director of the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Community at the University of Las Vegas, attended an EC Institute. He said it "opened my eyes to the reality that as Christians we are called to invite others to an interior conversion to our Lord. The best way to do so is to preach the Gospel and to live the Gospel."

He said the EC's Handbook of Evangelical Ministry "is the best investment our Newman Center has ever made. It is easy to use and follow. Even if you have absolutely no experience with evangelical ministry, this book takes you step by step on the path to building your own evangelical ministry."

Maury Redman from St. Paul's Newman Center at Wichita State University in Kansas commented, "I sincerely believe that evangelical Catholicism will be the next revolution in our Catholic parishes. Its focus on the Word will help cure the apathy within our Church and form 'laborers for the harvest,' who will be willing and ready to take part in 'the essential mission of the Church' (Evangelii Nuntiandi, page 8), which is to evangelize others and win souls for Christ."

Parishes adapt model

Some parishes have already begun using the EC model. One of them is St. Mary Parish in Greenville, S.C. David Tiede Hottinger, assistant to the pastor for discipleship and evangelization at the parish, has been using the EC model and materials in his parish. He has found the EC Web site (www.evangelicalcatholic.org) very helpful. He has come to Madison to meet with Sandy and Tim Kruse for feedback, advice, and encouragement on using the model in a traditional parish setting.

"I am grateful to report that the Lord has begun to do great things by way of a new Evangelical Catholic ministry at St. Mary's," said Hottinger. It is his hope that EC will "continue to plant the seeds of the New Evangelization in campuses, parishes, and other Catholic institutions around the world."

Hottinger will lead a workshop at this year's EC Institute on how his parish has adopted the EC model. His parish's Web site (www.stmarysgvl.org) also has information.

In the Diocese of Madison, Colbert said EC is looking for pilot parishes to use the model. She believes the EC model can be adapted for people of all ages at all levels of faith development.

Birth of a new Catholicism

"The EC seeks three things: bringing people into relationship with Christ through evangelization, establishing Catholics in the basic habits and attitudes of a follower or a disciple of Jesus, and equipping members of the church so that they might help others experience Christ," she said.

Cardinal Avery Dulles, who serves on the EC board, said, "In order to be Catholic one must be evangelical." He believes we are witnessing the "birth of a new Catholicism."

The Evangelical Catholic is helping Catholics experience a vibrant relationship with Christ as individuals, in small groups, and in larger gatherings. EC and the Diocese of Madison are working on developing a plan to invigorate the faith throughout the diocese.

For more information on The Evangelical Catholic, contact Marcella Colbert at 608-821-3163 or e-mail: mcolbert@evangelicalcatholic.org

Rachel's Vineyard: Hosts educational conference

BARABOO -- Rachel's Vineyard will be hosting a two-day conference to educate the public and clergy about post-abortion healing at Ho-Chunk Convention Center Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22.

The conference's Friday sessions are for clergy. A prayer service or Mass and a dinner held afterward are also open to the public. The Saturday sessions are open to the public.

The speakers are Fr. Frank Pavone, the national director of Priests for Life; Dr. Theresa Burke, the founder of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries; and Kevin Burke, the associate director of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries. Vicki Thorn, the founder, president, and executive director of the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing, Inc., will host the day and moderate the question-and-answer session.

Clergy Education Day

The Ecumenical Clergy Education Day for clergy to learn to heal those suffering from the after-effects of abortion, will be held Friday, April 21.

The day, beginning between 8 and 9 a.m. with registration, features speakers and an expert-panel question-and-answer session.

The day will be capped by a prayer service at the convention center or Mass at nearby St. Cecilia Parish, Wisconsin Dells, at 5 p.m. and dinner with the speakers and host at Chula Vista in Wisconsin Dells at 6:30 p.m. The prayer service, Mass, and dinner are open to both clergy and the public.

Public Education Day

The Public Education Session begins on Friday with a prayer service at the convention center or Mass at nearby St. Cecilia Parish, Wisconsin Dells, at 5 p.m. and a dinner with the speakers and host at Chula Vista at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday begins between 8 and 9 a.m. with registration and features the speakers and two sessions of a choice of four workshops.

The event will close at 4 p.m. Saturday with a prayer service at the convention center or Mass at the Knights of Columbus Convention at the Kalahari, Wisconsin Dells.

Registration, lodging

The registration deadline for the clergy day is March 31. The registration deadline for the public sessions is April 7.

The registration fee for the sessions is $25 each and dinner tickets are $50 each.

Room reservations can be made directly with Ho-Chunk for a conference rate of $85 ($65 for Thursday night) by calling 800-746-2486.

For more information, call 800-498-5756 or e-mail ronaldfaust@yahoo.com