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	News Briefs: St. John Vianney jubilee event: Polka Mass, dinner, dance JANESVILLE -- The Saint John Vianney Parish Liturgy Committee is sponsoring a Polka Mass, dinner, and dance jubilee event on Saturday, May 13. The Bob Klinger Band will be playing for the 5 p.m. Mass and a dance will follow from 7 to 10 p.m. in the gym. They play a variety of polkas, two-steps, slow fox trots, Latin American, schottisches, country, and some rock. Also there will be plenty of available seating for those who would just enjoy watching. All you can eat barbecue sandwiches, potato chips, dill pickle slices, homemade desserts, root beer in the keg, coffee, and ice water will be served. There is no charge for this jubilee event and everyone is welcome. Great Green Plant Sale sponsored by St. Aloysius School SAUK CITY -- St. Aloysius School is hosting the "Rite of Spring" Great Green Plant Sale on Saturday, May 13, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at St. Aloysius School gym. This sale features the green thumbs of St. Aloysius School and Parish. Perennials, herbs, and wildflowers from Gloria's Gardens will be on sale as well as popular annuals and vegetable plants. Besides a variety of plants, Cocoa Bean Mulch will also be on sale. This is a way to control moisture and weed growth while adding a chocolate aroma to a garden. Proceeds will go to the St. Aloysius School Endowment Fund. For more information, call Marianne Rails at 608-643-5092. Support groups for separated, divorced 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. People attending do not need to be a member of the parishes. For information, call 608-824-0014. "Friends on a Journey" meets on the west side from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 18, at Our Lady Queen of Peace, 401 S. Owen Dr. "New Directions" meets on the east side from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 11 and May 25, at St. Dennis Parish Center, 413 Dempsey Rd. Recovery retreat offered at Sinsinawa Mound May 19-21 SINSINAWA -- A recovery retreat, "Search for Serenity: The 12 Steps and Beyond," will be held at the Sinsinawa Mound from 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 19, through 1 p.m. Sunday, May 21. The retreat will focus on seeing a spiritual solution to every problem. People who are in recovery and their loved ones are encouraged to attend. The retreat will be led by Steve Ellsworth. He is the editor of The Good Stuff, an e-mail missive targeting friends in recovery with motivational and spiritual thoughts for each week. Registration deadline is May 12 and there is a fee. For more information, contact guest services at 608-748-4411 or visit the Web site at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter Latin American Mission Program workshop scheduled May 13 MADISON -- The Latin American Mission Program (LAMP) Workshop will be held at the Multicultural Center, 1862 Beld St., Madison, on Saturday, May 13. The workshop will include a Spanish Mass, travel information, teaching ideas, arts and crafts ideas, experiences of former volunteers, slides, and an opportunity to meet the volunteers for this year. For further information write LAMP, P.O. Box 85, Madison, WI 53701-0085 or call 608-845-7028 or 608-868-7816. Nominate someone for "Profiles from the pew" To nominate someone to be featured in "Profiles from the pew," download a nomination form (PDF file, 269 KB). "Profiles from the pew" runs in the Catholic Herald print edition NOTE: The nomination form is a Portable Document Format file (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.

Wisconsin Catholic Conference: Issues action alert on death penalty -- Posted: 5/11/2006, 5:58 a.m. Central Time By the Wisconsin Catholic Conference Background On May 4, the State Assembly on a vote of 47-45 approved an amended version of Senate Joint Resolution 5, which calls for a November 2006 advisory referendum on reinstatement of the death penalty in Wisconsin. As amended, SJR5 proposes the following question be put before the voters: "Should the death penalty be enacted in the State of Wisconsin for cases involving a person who is convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, if the conviction is supported by DNA evidence?" Because the Assembly amended SJR 5, the resolution will return to the Senate for concurrence on May 16. If the Senate concurs in the Assembly amendment, the question will be put to the voters on the November ballot. Action Needed • Phone or email your state senator (look up your legislator at www.legis.state.wi.us/waml) and urge him/her to oppose SJR 5. You may reach them by calling the legislative hotline at 1-800-362-9472 (the hotline will provide you with a toll free number to call their office directly). • Although at this time the resolution is expected to pass in the Senate, it is important that Catholics make their voice heard on this issue and that they signal that this is just the beginning of a determined campaign to oppose the referendum. Talking Points On the merits of an advisory referendum • Unnecessary. An advisory referendum is unnecessary. Legislators know where their constituents stand on this issue. • Raises Expectations. While some legislators argue that SJR 5 is merely advisory and therefore not binding, the concern is that public expectations will be raised if it does pass in November and legislators may be pressed to pass legislation to restore the death penalty. • Restrictions Will Be Loosened. As originally drafted, SJR 5 proposed reinstating the death penalty for multiple, vicious, first-degree homicides supported by DNA evidence. Over the past two months the question has changed and legislators are now proposing an advisory referendum on reinstatement of the death penalty for a first-degree homicide supported by DNA evidence. The nature of the crime deserving of the ultimate penalty has shifted without much reason or debate, which reveals one of the flaws and dangers of reintroducing a discussion of the death penalty: there is a continuous temptation to further loosen its restrictive application. • Heated Debate = Lost Opportunity. The advisory referendum has no binding effect, but an emotional debate over the referendum in an election season will deflect discussion from other vital issues. On the merits of reinstating the death penalty in Wisconsin • Move Forward Not Backward. Wisconsin has been without the death penalty since 1854. Increasingly, both nationally and internationally, governments have outlawed, considered outlawing, or declared moratoria on executions because they recognize the judicial system is highly compromised. In 2002, the US Supreme Court ruled that criminals with mental retardation could not be executed, and in 2005 the Court ruled similarly that juvenile offenders must also be spared. The human community is moving away from capital punishment, not toward it. • Consistent Ethic of Life. Catholics embrace a consistent ethic of life, which tells us that all threats to human life are interrelated. All human life must be protected, however repugnant some lives may seem. For Catholics being "pro-life" means protecting life from conception to natural death. This reverence for life is rooted in Scripture. Genesis teaches that all human beings "are made in the image and likeness of God" (Gn. 1:27). God's response to the first murder was to protect Cain from the vengeance of others (Gn. 4:15). The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "If bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons, public authority should limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person." (# 2267) • Public Safety. Our state's rejection of the death penalty has not compromised public safety. Wisconsin's homicide rate is far lower than many states that have the death penalty, so our pro-life approach to crime and punishment serves us well. • Retribution. As the Bishops wrote in their 1995 statement, Capital Punishment in Wisconsin, "we honor the dead more eloquently by rejecting the barbarism that caused their deaths in favor of the mercy and gentleness by which decent people live their lives ... Instead of extending the 'culture of death' further across our society, we urge our fellow citizens to embrace the example of God's response to Cain and to heed the words of Jesus, who ordered his follower to return his sword to his sheath (Jn. 18:12)." • Proportionate Justice. Some defend the death penalty on the grounds of proportionate justice: the ultimate crime deserves the ultimate punishment. But proportionality requires fairness as well. Our judicial system cannot ensure that only the guilty are executed and that capital punishment is imposed equally on all who are convicted. Other Resources The US Bishops launched a campaign in 2005 urging all Catholics to work for an end to the death penalty in this country. Their Web site contains additional resources to help you in articulating your opposition. Go to http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/deathpenalty/ Questions? Additional resources on the death penalty may be found on the WCC Web site: www.wisconsincatholic.org. Contact the Wisconsin Catholic Conference at 608-257-0004 if you have any questions.

Diocesan Choir:
Offers preview of first CD
at spring concert May 13

By Richard Jones
FOR THE CATHOLIC HERALD

MADISON -- With perhaps its best blend of voices in years, the Madison Diocesan Choir will perform a free, spring concert this Saturday evening, May 13, offering a preview of its first professional CD recording due for release in the fall.

"I think this is going to be the finest spring concert we've given in my memory," said Dr. Patrick Gorman, director of the choir for 14 years. "I do think it has the potential to be the finest spring concert we've given in quite a while. That's one of the reasons I wanted to do the recording this year. We've really just found a nice sound that I want to capture."

Concert selections, CD

The Mother's Day weekend concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the chapel of the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center. Under Gorman's direction, the more than 60 members, representing parishes throughout the diocese, will sing 16 sacred choral selections, from an Italian Renaissance piece by Palestrina to one a composer from the Madison area wrote three years ago.

Chosen by Gorman a year ago, the selections will be featured on the CD, although the concert will not be recorded live. The recording session will occur on another day at St. James Church in Madison, which was selected because of its fine organ and good acoustics, plus being in a relatively quiet neighborhood, according to Gorman.

In addition, the CD will feature organist Glenn Schuster and harpist Mary Ann Harr, as accompanists and soloists. Schuster has been the choir's accompanist for 10 years. Harr was special guest at the choir's concert in December.

Besides being a fundraising effort, Gorman said of the CD, "I thought this could be a way for us to show appreciation when we go to parishes, maybe a gift. A lot of people just seem to enjoy what the Diocesan Choir does and this is another way to kind of help them in their own musical enjoyment and prayer life."

The life of Christ

The concert title is, "Word of God, Come Down! Choral Reflections on the Life of Christ." Gorman chose it after reviewing the music the choir has performed throughout the year at concerts and liturgical services, from parish visits to such diocesan events as the Rite of Election and Chrism Mass.

"A lot of the music we've done this year kind of follows along this pattern of Christ's presence in the world," said Gorman, also director of the diocesan Office of Worship. "So I thought it would be nice to group it in some fashion to reflect upon the life of Christ and how we are tied up in that life."

The opening line of what has become a favorite for Gorman and choir members captures that spirit, especially in today's world. Composed by William Beckstrand, Prayer of Saint Francis begins with these words, "Lord, make us an instrument of your peace."

"I've really been a fan of the 'Prayer of Saint Francis'," Gorman said. "That's a text that so many people are familiar with, and I think it's hard to find a really good choral setting of it. So I've really enjoyed getting to know that better."

Prayer of Saint Francis

Schuster told Gorman about the piece, composed by Beckstrand, a friend of Schuster. Beckstrand grew up in Stoughton and earned a degree in music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

How Prayer of Saint Francis came about is a story itself. So is its source of inspiration. Beckstrand wrote it in one sitting, as he explained when reached by phone in Hovland, Minn., where he is pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church.

In 2003, Beckstrand was a visiting professor at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. The college's longtime artist in residence, Paul Granlund, internationally known for his bronze sculptures, was terminally ill.

"In his dying days, he always asked to have the 'Prayer of Saint Francis' read, recited at his bedside," Beckstrand said. "At some point, he asked if it was possible for the choir to do that during his funeral."

When Granlund died, the choir director searched in vain for a good arrangement. "The choir director was a little bit frantic. I thought, well, I'll just sit down and see what happens one night. I ended up not going to bed that night and gave them that setting the next morning."

Francis sculpture

One of Granlund's best known sculptures is "Dancing Francis," commissioned in 1989 for Viterbo University in La Crosse. Saint Francis is dancing, as Granlund once explained, "for his love of God, his marveling at the universe God made." One cannot help but think Granlund is dancing with Saint Francis in the heavens.

In 2000, the university presented a casting of "Dancing Francis" as a gift to the Franciscan Sisters of Atonement in Assisi. Two years ago in Assisi Gorman first performed Beckstrand's Prayer of Saint Francis, directing a small schola of singers on a diocesan pilgrimage.

"Prayer of Saint Francis is somewhat of a challenge because some of the chords are very tight," Gorman said. The Cantique de Jean Racine also has been challenging, but he said the audience will delight in hearing the choir sing both and other selections, such as Mendelsshon's How Lovely Are the Messengers.

A reception will follow the concert at the center, which is wheelchair accessible. A free will offering is appreciated.

Women's convention:
Bishop Morneau to keynote

By Dorothy Lepeska
FOR THE CATHOLIC HERALD

LODI -- The 52nd annual Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (MDCCW) convention will be held Tuesday, June 6, at St. Patrick Parish in Lodi.

The theme is "As You Sow, So Shall You Reap." Keynote speaker will be the Auxiliary Bishop Robert F. Morneau of the Green Bay Diocese.

Registration is from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. followed by the annual MDCCW meeting at 8:45. The keynote address will be given at 10:15 followed by a concelebrated Mass at 11:15. Newly elected officers will be installed at that time. Luncheon will be served at 12:30 p.m. with commission share shops to follow:

• Community and Family Concerns - There will be community resources available for families in need.

• Church and Organization - Looking at leadership through the eyes of the church. This share shop will begin and end with Scripture, which is the real reason for the Council of Catholic Women and what makes the organization different from other organizations. All in attendance will address the questions: How does the church see us? How do others see us? Do we have a positive image?

• International Concerns and Legislation - "Human Trafficking in the United States" will be presented by Sisters of the Divine Savior Marion Etzel and Mary Frost. Sister Mary will present aspects of trafficking in this country. Sister Marion will speak from the perspective of the trafficked victim.

Registration deadline is Saturday, May 20. Cost is $25. Checks are to be made payable to Columbia Deanery and sent to Ann Zimmernan, N3303 State Rd. 22, Poynette, WI 53955.

Diocese to visit Ghana this summer

MADISON -- People from the Diocese of Madison are invited to apply to be part of a Diocese of Madison delegation that will visit Ghana July 23 to August 4.

The visit is part of the Global Solidarity Partnership between the Diocese of Madison and the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga in Ghana. The partnership began in 2002, when the first delegation from Madison traveled to northern Ghana to discuss details of the partnership. An agreement was solidified during a second delegation visit from Madison to Ghana in 2004. In early fall of 2005, 12 delegates from Ghana visited the Diocese of Madison.

"The goal of our partnership is to help form relationships between the two dioceses so that we can better feel the connection we have through our faith and through being members of the human family," said Ben Weisse, partnership coordinator in the Diocese of Madison. "Through this trip and follow-up," he said, "we hope our partnership grows to new heights."

For this delegation, Weisse said they are looking for individuals that include: Catholic school teachers, directors of religious education/youth ministry, young adults (ages 18 to 25), and farmers. Other individuals not in these roles will also be considered.

Those chosen for the delegation will be expected to help build this partnership in the Diocese of Madison in the months and years following the trip.

The trip is expected to cost about $3,000 per person, not including individual expenses. Each participant is responsible for his or her own costs.

Applications need to be submitted by Tuesday, May 30. To request an application form contact the Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach, 608-821-3086 or e-mail: justiceandpeace@straphael.org

Stress disorder:
Many suffer from effects of abortion

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

SECOND IN A TWO-PART SERIES (read part one)

BARABOO -- Many women who have eating disorders have had an abortion, revealed Dr. Theresa Burke.

"Women who have had an abortion are often in great pain," she told those attending the recent Rachel's Ministries Conference held at the Ho-Chunk Convention Center in Baraboo.

	• For more information, see the Resources sidebar in the May 4, 2006 Web issue

Theresa is the founder of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries, which provides retreat weekends for women and men who have been involved in an abortion. Rachel's Vineyard support groups and retreats are now offered in 46 states and many foreign countries.

Theresa is a therapist whose counseling work has focused on women's issues, bereavement, pregnancy loss, sexual abuse, eating disorders, and anxiety management. She is the co-administrator and founder with her husband, Kevin Burke, of Covenant Family Resources, a children and youth agency supporting couples as they build families through adoption.

Stress disorder

At the Rachel's Ministries Conference, Theresa spoke about the epidemic of untreated Post Abortion Traumatic Stress Disorder (PATSD). Many people involved in abortion are suffering. "They want to talk about it, but they can't."

In 1986, Theresa started offered therapeutic healing for post-abortive women in her home. It spread by word of mouth.

"Abortion is a wound to the soul," she said. "There is a need for an integrated psychological-spiritual approach."

She said many women experience a "profound transformation" by finding meaning in service to other women, in being a witness, and taking action.

Theresa's most recent book is Forbidden Grief - The Unspoken Pain of Abortion (Acorn Books) written with David C. Reardon.

She said that PATSD has three categories of symptoms: hyper-arousal, which includes anxiety attacks, sleep difficulties, and aggressive behavior; intrusion, which includes flashbacks, nightmares, and suicidal impulses; and constriction, including withdrawal from relationships, numbing of emotions, and avoidance of children.

The effects of the abortion continue throughout women's lives, said Theresa, with parenting and marital difficulties, depression, and many other problems. She cited some celebrities who've suffered from post-abortion trauma, including Terry McGovern, daughter of Senator George McGovern; actresses Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe; and Princess Diana.

Effects on men

Her husband, Kevin Burke, is a licensed social worker who is also involved with Rachel's Vineyard Ministries. He has a special focus on men and abortion.

Kevin said that men "should take responsibility for the child," yet they often encourage and even coerce a woman to have an abortion. "In 95 percent of all abortions the male partner played a role," he said. "Women are routinely threatened and abused by men to have an abortion."

Men who attend Rachel's Vineyard retreats are "visibly changed" and able to grieve for and honor their child, he said.

There is a men's section with resources on the Web site at www.rachelsvineyard.org

Sidewalk counseling

A workshop on "Effective Sidewalk Counseling" featured Will Goodman and Amy Hying. Goodman helped found the Servants of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a pro-life apostolate working in the Diocese of La Crosse. Hying is a sidewalk counselor at the Madison abortion center.

Goodman stressed the importance of sidewalk counseling and praying at abortion centers. "Each one of you can do it," he said.

He noted that there are 4,000 surgical abortions performed every day in the United States. They involve not only the baby but women and men. "There are real people in real need today. We need to pray for them."

What is sidewalk counseling? Goodman explained that it is being present on the sidewalk outside the abortion clinic to provide information, assistance, and love. "Everyone is loved by God - no exceptions. It's God who wants the work of sidewalk counseling to be done. It's a ministry of reconciliation."

Goodman and Hying said they've talked with abortion center workers, as well as those entering and leaving the clinics. They gave examples of women who were convinced not to have an abortion and got help from pregnancy centers.