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News Briefs:
Marquette-Green Lake
GREEN LAKE -- Marquette-Green Lake Deanery will hold its spring meeting Wednesday, April 26, at Our Lady of the Lake Parish here. The theme is "Fabric of Council of Catholic Women." It will feature members of the deanery.
Registration is at 3:30 p.m. followed by the business meeting, concelebrated Mass, and dinner. Those attending are asked to bring crayons, scissors, pencils, white and colored rosaries, and small statues for children of the LAMP program.
Reservations are due April 14 to Bonnie Justman Chaon, N7899 Forest Ridge Rd., Berlin, WI 54923. The cost is $8.
Holy Week services
SINSINAWA -- The public is invited to pray and worship with the Sinsinawa Mound community during Holy Week services in Queen of the Rosary Chapel.
Palm Sunday Eucharist will begin with the palm procession at 10:15 a.m., April 9. Holy Week services will be: Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper at 6:15 p.m., April 13; Good Friday Service, 2 p.m., April 14, with meditative evening prayer at 7 p.m.; Holy Saturday Paschal Vigil at 7 p.m., April 15; Easter Sunday Eucharist at 10:30 a.m., April 16; Solemn Easter Vespers at 4:45 p.m.
Living Stations
SINSINAWA -- The Living Stations of the Cross will be presented in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa Mound from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 12. The actors, the Young Christian Players, originated in Dickeyville, but now open their group to interested youth from area parishes. The director/manager, Diane Kieler, can be reached at 608-748-4411, ext. 804.
There is no cost for admission, but donations to help offset costs are appreciated. All are welcome.
Adult Spirit Club
JANESVILLE -- On Wednesday, April 12, the Adult Catholic Spirit Club will view the Vatican Art Exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum. The bus will leave at 7:30 a.m. from St. John Vianney Parish in Janesville. There will not be a potluck meeting in April.
Bereavement ministry series: Held at
Queen of Peace
MADISON -- A Bereavement Ministry Series will be offered at Queen of Peace Parish, 401 S. Owen Dr., Madison, beginning Tuesday, April 18, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the parish center. The series will run six consecutive Tuesdays, ending May 23.
Those people grieving the loss of a loved one are invited to attend this series to learn more about the grief process, to experience prayer and support in a spiritual setting, and to grow in faith and hope for the future. The session will be facilitated by two members of the bereavement ministry team at Queen of Peace Parish.
Members of the local west side parishes are invited to attend, though anyone needing support in their bereavement is welcome, no matter how recent or long ago the loss. There is no fee to attend, but advance registration is required.
To register for the entire series, contact the Queen of Peace Parish Pastoral Care Office at 608-231-4617 before Friday, April 14. Leave a message with name, address, and phone number. Confirmation of registration will be sent.
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Strategic planning: Results of in-pew survey released
By Kathleen Bushman and Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
(See also sidebar: Planning for the future: what next?.)
MADISON -- Three strategic planning sessions were held recently around the diocese to discuss the results of the in-pew survey, conducted in November 2005. The evenings were for priests and their invitees to be introduced to the results that indicate some of the needs of parishioners around the diocese.
The sessions were held at St. Mary Parish, Platteville; St. John the Baptist Parish, Montello; and the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison. At the sessions, the parish representatives were given handouts that explained the template of the summary of findings, as well as parish reports, deanery reports, and diocesan reports to take back to their parishes.
In Madison, Msgr. Paul J. Swain, vicar general, thanked those attending for their cooperation with the in-pew survey. He prayed that people in the diocese be good stewards and pass on a "vibrant church" to people in the future. "As we plan for the future, we do so with hope," he said. "We pray that we will be open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit."
Kevin Phelan, chancellor, noted that Bishop William H. Bullock, now bishop emeritus, had invited the Center for applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University to do an analysis and projection of active priests. Those projections have proven to be accurate.
In March of 2005, CARA completed a demographic analysis of the diocese. This included census data, population growth and decline, migration statistics, and information on parish locations and buildings.
In September of 2005 priests of the diocese were surveyed and in November the in-pew survey was conducted.
Survey results
The in-pew survey, conducted on three Sundays in November in all parishes in the diocese, was filled out by 46,343 respondents aged 18 and over. There are about 68,000 households in the Diocese of Madison with a Catholic population of 272,853 people of all ages.
The survey provided an opportunity for every adult in the diocese to weigh in on the issues and concerns that the local church faces.
Many areas, such as religious education programs, youth ministry, parish efforts to foster spiritual growth, accessibility for people with disabilities, management of parish finances, and Masses and liturgies were given high marks. The survey showed that several areas, such as
evangelization and outreach to certain groups, might need more attention.
Overall, respondents were pleased with the diocese and their individual parishes. Ninety-two percent of the respondents rated their overall satisfaction with their parish as at least good, and 55 percent rated it as excellent.
Parishioners also said they trusted in the leadership of the bishop, with 86 percent saying they somewhat or strongly agreed with this statement. Eighty-nine percent said they believe the bishop fulfills the responsibilities of his office and 88 percent said he is concerned about the people of the diocese and their needs.
Future concerns
One of the reasons why this survey is so important is the decreasing number of active priests in the diocese. Projections show that by 2015, there will be only 53 active priests - one priest for every 5,500 Catholics, Phelan said at the session.
This concern is reflected in the survey. Of the respondents, 89 percent said promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life was somewhat to very important.
Respondents also indicated that coordinating Mass schedules among neighboring parishes; merging parishes to better meet ministry needs; and appointing deacons, religious sisters or brothers, or a lay person to administer a parish, with a priest serving as a sacramental minister only, were preferable to closing parishes in a time of fewer priests.
Understanding vision
Jerry Duhn, a chairperson for the parish council at St. Francis Xavier Parish, Cross Plains, said that the survey would help parishes make decisions based on data. "I think this is going to be a good communication tool to help parishes understand a vision and the future."
Bev Herriges, of St. Mary Parish, Pine Bluff, said that the results should serve to make parishes more aware. "After we sit down and just absorb this," she said, "we'll find out where we're failing, and hopefully we'll find our good points."
"I think it will be somewhat helpful," said Fr. Jim Uppena, pastor at St. Mary Parish in Milton. His parish had conducted their own strategic planning three to four years ago. "I'm anxious to see if this confirms what we learned from our own strategic planning process," he said.
Planning for the future: what next?
With the completion of the parish feedback meetings, Chancellor Kevin Phelan said the parish planning process can get under way at full steam. "The datasheets for the parishes are now in the hands of the pastors and parish leadership and very shortly there should be discussions around the future focus of parish education, outreach, and priorities," he said.
The diocesan process is still in the beginning stages, however. "While each parish can now determine with the help of parishioners where it needs to go, the diocese will need time just to sort through the mountains of data collected and organized by this effort," said Phelan.
He noted that since over 46,000 adults participated in the survey process, not surprisingly there were a diversity of opinions, directions, and priorities. And that just reflects the "in-pew" survey process. "We still need to consider the Presbyteral Survey results and the data gathered as part of the Diocesan Demographic Study as well. There is no shortage of viable data, now it's a question of weighing our options and making the best decisions we can for the near and long term future," said the chancellor.
Phelan noted that a critical issue of Bishop Robert C. Morlino is the health and well-being of his priests. "While intense efforts are underway to increase the number of priests in the diocese (we currently have 18 men studying for the priesthood), we still need to deal with the decline in ordained priests in the next five to 10 years. The Bishop is very aware that his men are being worn down by managing multiple parishes both in terms of sacramental care and administrators. A 'must have' element of the diocesan planning process from the Bishop's perspective will be making the job more manageable for his priests."
"We are seeing a strong interest in vocations to the priesthood and religious life coming from all across our diocese. Wonderful young people are coming forward to discern their role in our church for the new millennium. The prayers offered by the faithful people of our diocese are being heard and we can see and feel the response," Bishop Morlino said.
"For now we must be patient and do the spade work that will position the diocese for our new priests and religious Brothers and Sisters when they have completed their formation and are ready to serve. We have needs for new parishes in some areas and our schools should be available to as many of our young people as possible. We have a particular need for high schools where parents can be assured that their children will receive faith formation as well
as learning English and math. There is always a need for more to be done with the poor and the disadvantaged," Bishop Morlino said.
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Evangelical Catholics:
Bring faith, excitement to institute
By Kathleen Bushman
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
(See also front-page sidebar: More information, resources.)
MADISON -- College students, priests, seminarians, and parish leaders from around the country were drawn together March 31 and April 1 at St. Paul's University Catholic Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus for the Evangelical Catholic Institute, aimed at building the evangelical movement within the Catholic Church.
The institute is an annual part of The Evangelical Catholic's (EC) efforts to promote evangelical Catholic spirituality and ministries. Started about nine years ago at St. Paul's by directors Tim and Sandy Kruse, the organization builds off the Second Vatican Council's and the late Pope John Paul II's visions for evangelism, putting the theory into practice through evangelizing, establishing, equipping, and training disciples and leaders.
"Evangelical people engaged in ministry don't understand - how do you take this to the street?" said Tim Kruse, director of the EC. "Our shtick is to give us this practical methodology. You need to have disciples to have evangelization.
"What we're about is raising up leaders," he said. "A program can end, and it'll be over, but if you raise up leaders, they will evangelize the world."
The event, which drew about 270 people from as far away as Nevada, South Carolina, Louisiana, and New England, worked to give its attendees those skills through talks from Kruse, Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, and Dr. William Portier, the Mary Ann Spearin Chair of Catholic Theology in the Religious Studies Department at the University of Dayton in
Ohio and author of Here Come the Evangelical Catholics; workshops on practical applications of The Evangelical Catholic model; praise and worship; and Mass with Bishop Robert C. Morlino, bishop of the Diocese of Madison.
Love the church
Archbishop Dolan drew vigorous applause during his talk on the five characteristics of an Evangelical Catholic spirit - being Jesus centered, incarnation rooted, humble, joyful, and confident - when he said that, for an evangelical Catholic, the incarnation continues in the
church. "You claim to be evangelical Catholic, or want to be? Then you've got to know and love the church," he said.
"It ain't always easy to love the church," the archbishop said, mentioning the sexual abuse scandals. "But we embrace the church in its messiness.
"We gotta face it: the world hates our guts. The world will hate us because they hated Jesus Christ first."
But we return that hate with love. "Love is the essence of evangelical Catholicism," Archbishop Dolan said. "We celebrate the love that God has for us and the love that we return to one another."
Portier congratulated the attendees for being evangelical Catholics. "People always tell me that my experience (with evangelical Catholicism) is anecdotal," he said. "And until they study you, it will be."
He said that in this culture, where Christianity is no longer the dominant morality, if young people are going to come into the Catholic faith, they must come to that faith in new ways.
"An evangelism entails personal conversion, commitment to Jesus Christ, and a witness to this commitment in people's lives," Portier said. "We are called, as Mary did, to bring Christ into the world."
Disciples are made
Some of the institute's attendees were returning attendees, such as David Tiede Hottinger, director of the St. Mary's Center for Evangelical Catholicism, in Greenville, S.C., who this year held a workshop on his parish's own efforts in implementing an evangelical Catholic ministry.
His parish has been working on their evangelical Catholic vision for over three years after studying materials from the EC, the Catherine of Siena Institute, and official church documents and asking hard questions about their current efforts toward evangelization.
"Disciples are made, not born," he said. "If that is true, a lot of things in our parishes need to change."
Some of the lessons they have learned through their ministry are to start small to multiply; find and form leaders; bring existing ministries and groups into the evangelical Catholic vision; try to translate the EC model closely, but be flexible; and remember to be patient with the process.
"It's not about programs, not about pulling people through hoops, about how fancy our diagrams are," Hottinger said, "but helping people seek and contemplate the face of Christ."
Victory is assured
Bishop Morlino, the director of the Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, spoke during his homily about evangelization in today's world. The office has recently begun a close collaboration with The Evangelical Catholic.
"You are the ones, by and large born at the turn of the millennium," Bishop Morlino said to the young people gathered at the institute, "who want to preach Jesus in a new and exciting way that grasps your whole being.
"What you want to give in terms of your service is what the world most wants and what the world most needs, even if it doesn't know it," he said.
"We're doing something that is a cinch once people know what they're looking for - and that has to do with reason and with faith," the bishop said. "So let's do it with those that know that victory is assured."
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