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News Briefs:
Montello parish to mark 150th anniversary
MONTELLO -- St. John the Baptist Parish is celebrating its sesquicentennial with a Mass and other events on Sunday, June 25.
According to parish history, the first church was built on a hill above the local granite quarry in 1856 and served by Father Gray who was stationed in Ripon. Prior to that, Catholic services for the parish were held in various homes of the congregation and in a log building about one mile north of Montello.
In 1871 a new church was built near the original church. Then in 1903 the present church was built about four blocks east of the original site. Since then the church has been remodeled a number of times including the most recent redecoration in 1985.
In 2001 the parish's former gymnasium was transformed into the Father Marquette Center, which offers a place for religious formation, parish celebrations, and meeting and banquet space for the entire Montello community.
Today the parish consists of 283 families of 600 individuals.
In its 150-year history, the parish has nurtured the vocations of 11 priests and 15 Sisters. Two men from the parish, Lance Schneider and Mitch Knutson, are currently in the diocese's seminarian program. Fr. Michael J. Doro is the current pastor.
On Sunday, June 25, the parish will celebrate with a special liturgy at 3 p.m. Former pastors and priest-friends of the parish have been invited to concelebrate. A social will follow the liturgy and will include the preparation of a time capsule and the drawing of the winning tickets in the parish's anniversary raffle.
Our Lady
of Guadalupe conference
LA CROSSE -- The Queen of the Americas Guild, along with the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, announces a conference at the shrine in La Crosse on August 4 to 6.
The theme of this year's conference is "Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization."
Highlights of the conference will include Mass and dinner with honored guests Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis, Mo., and founder of the shrine, and Bishop Joseph J. Madera, retired auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services.
In addition, speakers will include Dr. Arthur Hippler, director of the La Crosse Diocese Office of Justice and Peace; other noted Marian authorities; and representatives of the Queen of the Americas Guild.
In addition to informational speakers, the schedule will include Mass each day, holy hour, group rosary prayer, and time for personal reflection.
A bus trip package will be offered from Madison. Space will be limited and area hotel rooms will be in short supply so interested persons are encouraged to make their reservations now.
For further information, call the Queen of the Americas Guild at 630-584-1822 or Sr. Christa Marie Halligan, director of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, at 608-788-8601.
Sr. Carmen Mulcahy, Yellowstone parish celebrate anniversaries
YELLOWSTONE -- Sr. Carmen Mulcahy (Mary) is celebrating 60 years of vowed life as a Benedictine Sister and member of St. Benedict Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn.
Sister Carmen was baptized into the faith community of St. Michael Parish, Yellowstone. Among the Sisters who taught catechism during the summers were the Benedictines from St. Joseph, Minn., who were there about eight summers.
She will celebrate with St. Michael Parish, Yellowstone, in their 135th year. Bishop Robert C. Morlino will celebrate the Eucharist there at 12 noon on Sunday, June 25. She looks forward to celebrating with her family, friends, and parishioners.
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Sisters of Nazareth: After 43 years say their farewell to Stoughton
By Kathleen Bushman
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
STOUGHTON -- The Sisters of Nazareth have been a part of the community here for over 40 years, but as on all journeys, their time has come to continue on.
When Sr. Philomena Murphy and Sr. M. Gertrude Hennessey leave at the end of August, Stoughton will bid farewell to the last two in a long line of Sisters here at Nazareth House and St. Ann School who have supported the community with generosity and care.
Sister Philomena said that she was very sad to be leaving, but "our sojourn in Stoughton is up now, and we have to go."
The Sisters of Nazareth have been in Stoughton since July 26, 1963, when the first four Irish nuns arrived. The motherhouse of the order is in Hammersmith, London, but there are communities around the world, though this was the only one in the Midwest.
They opened Nazareth House Nursing Home and St. Ann School in 1965 and have dedicated much time, resources, and love to the projects. When the school added kindergarten, the Sisters held classes for the new grade in the basement of their chapel, before the addition was built to the school. And a new science lab was added to the school in 1986.
In several events recently for the Sisters, the St. Ann community has come together to say their good-byes.
"I remember all of the excitement," said Msgr. Gerard M. Healy, pastor at St. Ann Parish, recalling when the news first spread that the Sisters were coming in 1963. One of the best memories he has of the Sisters "just was the realization they were first coming," he said. But there have been so many great memories since, that it would be difficult to say what was the very best.
Virginia Carrano, the secretary at St. Ann School for 18 years, has worked with four principals and several teachers who were Sisters of Nazareth.
She remembers many of the times the Sisters would offer their expertise and their facilities for dinners, for the yearly festival, and other events. One Sister would make cream puffs to sell at the festival every year.
"They were extremely dedicated," she said. "Very giving and wonderful, not only to the school but the parish, as well.
"It's going to be difficult to say good-bye, since they've been a big presence in our society for so long," Carrano said.
But both she and Monsignor Healy said that the parish, school, and community will press on.
"We'll certainly miss their hospitality and caring ways, their legacy of serving and model of education," Monsignor Healy said. "They've set us on a great highway, and we hope it will be continued."
St. Dennis Parish: Begins year of golden
jubilee celebrations
By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
MADISON -- St. Dennis Parish declared a "Jubilee Year" when it kicked off the celebration of its 50th anniversary on the weekend of June 3 and 4.
Past and present parishioners filled St. Dennis Church for a special golden jubilee Mass on Saturday, June 3.
'Come in Jubilee Rejoicing'
"We welcome you to the beginning of our Jubilee Year," said Sr. Marcia Holthaus, parish director of music and liturgy, in welcoming people to the celebration.
She said that the parish wants to celebrate "the wonderful people who brought us to this point in history" and look ahead "to those who will be on our shoulders."
"It's a lot to rejoice about," she said, introducing the hymn, "Come in Jubilee Rejoicing," originally written by Sr. Dolores Duffner for the Diocese of Madison's golden jubilee in 1996 and rewritten by Sister Marcia for the St. Dennis jubilee.
The congregation joined the St. Dennis choir in singing the joyful hymn, with the refrain, "Come in jubilee rejoicing; tell of all our God has done. Come in song and celebration; tell of Christ, the Risen One."
Fifty wonderful years
Bishop Robert C. Morlino presided at the jubilee Mass. "We celebrate 50 wonderful years of living faith," said the bishop in greeting those attending the Mass.
"We thank God for all the gifts we received. We thank our mothers and fathers, all of those past and present, who used those gifts to create this parish," he said.
He thanked the priests and deacon in attendance. "We're grateful for the contribution you made here and elsewhere."
Gifts of Holy Spirit
In his homily, Bishop Morlino observed that St. Dennis is beginning its jubilee celebration at a "perfect time" - Pentecost.
As we celebrate the Holy Spirit, he said, "We give thanks for all the Holy Spirit has done."
What is the most important thing the Holy Spirit has given us? The bishop said the Holy Spirit teaches us how to pray.
Of course, noted the bishop, we know how to pray. "We do it all the time." But we often ask God for all kinds of things: for good health, to get a raise at work, to win the lottery.
It's fine to pray for these kinds of things, but Bishop Morlino said the "real deep prayer the Holy Spirit teaches us is to pray for trust in God, no matter what happens."
He said we must never be tempted to think God is absent when things don't go the way we want them to go. Instead, we must "face whatever comes with absolute trust. Only the Holy Spirit can teach us to be at peace in that prayer, confident, trusting" in God.
Bishop Morlino said that when we look back on the history of St. Dennis or any parish community, "We see the Holy Spirit at work." Jesus didn't tell us everything he wanted us to do, but when the Holy Spirit came to the upper room, the truth became clear despite all the different languages. "When the church was born (at Pentecost), your parish was born," said the bishop.
The bishop said we are "glued together" as the church "when the bishop is glued to the Holy Father and your pastor is glued to me."
The dynamic life of the Holy Spirit "is as real here and now as it was then with Mary and the apostles," emphasized the bishop. "The rest of the story has been told here for so many years and right now. We rejoice in all of you who receive the story and take it into the world where it makes a difference."
He asked the people to "protect marriage," which he said is a "message written on the human heart." He said every parish family has to "take that message out. It's not politics, it's a matter of reason."
Other jubilee events
St. Dennis Parish is planning activities every month throughout the year. Highlights are the 50th annual summer festival July 28 to 30 and a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Knights of Columbus October 9, the feast of St. Dennis.
The anniversary committee includes: Evelyn Arnold, Janice Collier, Fritz Hewuse, Mary Hewuse, Fr. Kent Schmitt, Patricia Wirtz, and Harry Wolf.
Diocesan Lay Institute offered
MADISON -- As a response to both the suggestions of pastors and the desire of adult Catholics to be nourished in their faith and to serve their parishes, the Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis is offering the Diocesan Lay Institute.
The Lay Institute is designed in multiple levels. Level One, which begins this fall, is an opportunity for any interested adult to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. For those desiring additional training, future levels will offer certification in particular skills for serving the parish community in areas such as: catechesis, parish finance, pastoral ministry, family ministry, and liturgy.
The Level One program will run from September 2006 to June 2007. Courses will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month. All sessions will be held at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison. Cost is $300, which includes tuition, materials, lunch, and refreshment breaks for 10 sessions.
Courses include: Catholic Theological Foundations, Foundations of Catholic Spirituality, Old Testament Scripture, New Testament Scripture, Catholic Core Theology, Sacramental Theology, Moral Theology, Canon Law, Catholic Social Teaching, and Vatican II - The Pastoral Council. Additionally, time will be allotted at each gathering for discussion and practices aimed at fostering an ever-deepening personal spiritual formation in the participants.
Participation will be limited to 80 students, and registration is due by August 1. Visit www.MadisonCatholic.org/OEC/DLI for details or to print out a brochure or register online.
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