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News Briefs:
'Doctrine and Dinner'
with Bishop Morlino
MADISON -- All are invited to join Bishop Robert C. Morlino on Sunday, April 23, at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, 702 S. High Point Rd., for dinner and a reflection on "Resurrection, Mercy, and Jesus Christ, Risen from the Dead," sponsored by the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.
The talk begins at 6 p.m. and the dinner follows at 7 p.m. Taking place on the Feast of Divine Mercy, this Easter celebration promises to fan the fire of your love for God.
Cost for the meal is $20 per person and seats are limited. Register by calling Jen Gad at 608-821-3160, e-mailing her at jgad@straphael.org, or sending a check with contact information to OEC - attn: Doctrine, 702 S. High Point Rd., Madison WI, 53719. The event is wheelchair accessible and assisted listening devices are available.
Divine Savior book fair
PORTAGE -- The Partners of Divine Savior Healthcare announce their first book fair of the year. The public is welcome to attend.
The book fair will be held at two locations: Divine Savior Healthcare, 2817 New Pinery Rd., Portage, on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 18 and 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Café classroom A and B; and Divine Savior Healthcare Extended Care, 715 W. Pleasant St., Portage, Wednesday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Extended Care lobby.
Marriage retreat weekend
MADISON -- A Marriage Encounter retreat weekend will be held Friday through Sunday, April 21 to 23, at the Bishop O'Connor Center, 702 S. High Point Rd.
This weekend retreat, away from the daily distractions and tensions of life, is to enhance a marriage or make a good marriage great. The focus will be on one another only. All faiths are welcome.
To register or for more information, call 608-821-3175 or visit www.marriageencountermadison.org
East Dane Deanery
CAMBRIDGE -- St. Pius X Parish here will host the East Dane Deanery spring meeting Tuesday, April 25. Theme is "Little Things Growing Big."
Registration is at 5 p.m. followed by rosary at 5:40 p.m. A Mass will be offered at 6 p.m. with Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt, Sun Prairie, diocesan moderator, as homilist. New officers will be installed. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. followed by the guest speaker, Peggy Duemling, at 7:30 p.m. on "Doing Little Things with Great Love - Mother Teresa's Spirituality."
Reservations are due April 17 to Donna Hutter, 507 Madison St., Cambridge, WI 53523. Cost is $7. Monetary donations will be collected for the Elizabeth House with the East Dane Deanery matching the funds raised.
Jefferson Deanery
WATERTOWN -- Thursday, April 27, is the Jefferson Deanery spring meeting. St. Henry Parish here will host the event. Theme is "Bringing Hope to Families in Poverty."
Registration is at 4:45 p.m. followed by rosary at 5:10 p.m. Mass will be offered at 5:30 p.m. with Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt, Sun Prairie, diocesan moderator, as homilist. New officers will be installed. Dinner will be served a 6:30 p.m. The program at 7:30 p.m. will feature Dr. and Mrs. Robert Liners, missionaries providing free services to poor families. A free will offering will be taken for the Liners' work.
Reservations are due April 18 to Barbara Agasie, 419 Dewey Ave., Watertown, WI 53094. Cost is $10.
West Dane Deanery
The date for the West Dane Deanery spring meeting was listed incorrectly in the April 6 issue of the Catholic Herald. The correct date is Tuesday, May 2. Further information will be published.
Labyrinth at parish
MADISON -- The labyrinth is coming to Our Lady Queen of Peace Church during Holy Week, April 13, 14, and 15. All are invited to share in this early Christian experience, rediscovered as a spiritual tool for walking prayer and meditation.
Schedule in the Our Lady Queen of Peace Auditorium: Thursday, April 13 - introductory program at 8:30 a.m., with labyrinth open until 6:30 p.m.; Friday, April 14 - 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon and after the Good Friday Service until 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 15 - 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Senior moving series
MADISON -- All Saints retirement neighborhood is hosting a series on downsizing and preparing to make a move. Those planning to move into a retirement living community are invited to attend this free series.
The next presentation will be on Wednesday, April 19, at 1 p.m. and will address, "What Do I Do with All of This Stuff?" The final presentation will be on Wednesday, May 24, at 1 p.m. on space planning.
The series will take place at Cottages at All Saints Neighborhood model home at 8201 Highview Dr. Call 608-827-2627 to make reservations.
Speaker on angels
MADISON -- The National Catholic Society of Foresters will host "An Afternoon with Angels" featuring author and lecturer Joan Wester Anderson on Thursday, April 20, at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center. All are welcome.
Brunch begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by lecture at 12:30 p.m. Cost for brunch and speaker is $10, lecture alone, $5. For reservations, contact Barbara Gunderson at 800-344-6273, ext. 204, or write to her at: National Catholic Society of Foresters, 320 S. School St., Mt. Prospect, IL 60056.
Divorced, widowed
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. -- The Diocese of Joliet, in conjunction with the Center for Family Ministry, is offering "Losing A Spouse, Building a Life: The Seven Levels of Intimacy" conference with author and speaker Matthew Kelly for divorced and widowed persons on Saturday, April 22, at the St. Charles Pastoral Center, Romeoville, Ill. Contact Gloria Brockman at 608-821-3175 or gbrockman@straphael.org for a copy of the brochure.
Retrouvaille: Help
for struggling marriages
MADISON -- Retrouvaille is designed for couples struggling in their marriages. Retrouvaille begins with a weekend experience in which husbands and wives are helped to rediscover each other and to examine their life together in a new and positive way.
Room is available for the April 28 to 30 Retrouvaille retreat to be held at the Bishop O'Connor Pastoral Center in Madison. Copies of the registration brochure are available by contacting Gloria Brockman at the Diocesan Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach/Family Ministry Office at 608-821-3175 or by e-mail: gbrockman@straphael.org For more information on Retrouvaille call 608-249-2377 or 800-470-2230, or visit www.madisonarearetrouvaille.org
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Diocesan pilgrimage:
A 'relevant journey'
to Vatican Exhibit
By Sr. M. Marcia Vinje
FOR THE CATHOLIC HERALD
MADISON -- Our life is a pilgrimage returning home to the Father from whom we came. This reality is symbolized in every pilgrimage to a holy destination that we make.
It was no different for the faithful who participated in the diocesan pilgrimage to the exhibit of Saint Peter and the Vatican at the Milwaukee Public Museum March 23.
On a pilgrimage
Over 100 persons met at Schoenstatt Heights in Madison for Mass to open this pilgrimage. Msgr. Delbert Schmelzer presided at the liturgy, which set the tone of asking God's blessing on our travels.
In his homily he spoke about the covenant of love between God and us that gives us the impetus to constantly seek God's presence. He asked a special blessing on the pilgrims before the buses were boarded.
The pilgrimage was led by a team from Relevant Journeys, Juan Landa and Brian Kelly, and a team from the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, Eric Schiedermayer and Sr. M. Marcia Vinje. Each team had a little program of prayer and teaching, so that the trip truly took on a religious atmosphere.
Besides learning about other pilgrimage opportunities through Relevant Journeys and Mater Dei Tours, we learned about the spirituality of pilgrimage as an encounter with God, a personal transformation, and the desire to witness to the experience and share its fruits with other people.
Vatican Exhibit
Upon arriving at the museum in Milwaukee we had time for lunch and then began the "encounter" with the divine and the church in the exhibit itself. The exhibit is truly a sacramental, using tangible items and events of history to lead us to a deeper understanding of church, an appreciation of our heritage, but most importantly an opportunity for prayer and reflection.
To see how generations have given their best to glorify God, how people have sacrificed wealth and offered talent, is to get a taste of how devoted these people were to their Creator and Redeemer.
Besides giving ample food for meditation, at times the displays called for an examination of conscience. Do we today appreciate God's love and power, his wisdom and mercy? Would we give our whole life to build a church for future generations, never enjoying the fruits of our labors personally? Can we comprehend that a simple glass cup and a golden chalice encrusted with a thousand diamonds are equally valuable because both held the Precious Blood of our Savior?
Touching pope's hand
At the very end of the display one has the opportunity to place one's hand into the bronze cast of the hand of Pope John Paul the Great. It is an offer to pledge our loyalty to the Holy Father and the church that he leads. It is a chance to experience the unity of the Body of Christ across continents and across time, and even into eternity.
As we boarded the buses, the atmosphere was one of recollection and pondering as one might imagine Mary did when she experienced the great events of salvation history.
Our next stop was the International Schoenstatt Center outside of Waukesha, where the Sisters served a delicious meal. Slow traffic robbed us of the time to pray in the Marian shrine there, but before we left everyone was invited to pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the retreat house chapel.
Bishop joins group
Bishop Robert C. Morlino joined us for supper and had a chance to share his impressions of the exhibit, which he had seen earlier. He personally greeted almost everyone and then spoke of his delight that so many people had taken advantage of this opportunity to make the pilgrimage. The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary presented the bishop with a miniature replica of
the Schoenstatt Shrine as a remembrance of his visit.
On the way home the prayers continued with a rosary, a prayer of pilgrimage through the life of Jesus and Mary. Finally, a number of door prizes were awarded, including rosaries blessed by Pope John Paul the Great at his last audience, posters of the painting by Fr. Gary Wankerl of the rescue of the Blessed Sacrament from the burning cathedral, a picture of Our Lady of Schoenstatt, a shirt, and books.
The journey was indeed "relevant." We experienced the unity and joy that comes from gathering in the name of Jesus and Mary to encounter God and his church. May our lives witness to this reality as the pilgrimage continues.
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