• Articles on St. Raphael Cathedral
	News Briefs: Oregon parish offers JustFaith program again OREGON -- JustFaith provides a lively and challenging format to read, view, discuss, pray, experience, and be formed by the justice tradition that changes lives, inspires faithful witness, and transforms the world through love and service. In a nutshell, JustFaith teaches us as Christians to live what Jesus tells us in Scripture, namely, how to make our Christian faith work in our daily lives to bring about justice in our broken world. Holy Mother of Consolation Parish in Oregon brought the JustFaith Program to its parishioners last year, and will again be offering it this coming year. JustFaith is a 30-week adult educational and formational process. The starting date will be Tuesday, Sept. 18, and it will be held at Holy Mother of Consolation Church, 651 N. Main St., Oregon. Each weekly session will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The cost, which includes 12 to 13 books, is approximately $145 and can be paid in installments. However, other arrangements can be taken into consideration if purchasing the books would cause financial difficulty. The JustFaith Ministries works in partnership with Catholic Charities, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Relief Services, and Bread for the World. For more information, call Marilynn Rebman at 608-835-5518 or Mary Kay Clark at 608-575-2344. Adult Catholic Spirit Club plans trip to shrine in La Crosse JANESVILLE -- The Adult Catholic Spirit Club is planning a trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse on Wednesday, Oct. 24. The visit will include Mass at the Shrine Chapel, Rosary in the chapel after Mass, lunch in Mary's Kitchen, exploring the shrine complex, outside Stations of the Cross, orientation video, votive chapel, gift shop and bakery. For more information, call Rose Sterk at 608-754-9307. Cost of the trip, including lunch, is $50 per person. Sauk Deanery fall meeting SPRING GREEN -- "Angels Among Us" is the theme of the Sauk Deanery fall meeting to be held at St. John Parish here Thursday, Oct. 4. Registration is at 8:45 a.m., followed by business meeting and guest speaker Jessica Ritschke, who is with Hope House in Baraboo along with Joanne Vogt, volunteer. A concelebrated Mass will be offered at 11 with Fr. Lorin Bowens, Lime Ridge, diocesan moderator, as homilist. Luncheon will be served followed by closing at 1:30 p.m. Reservations are due September 28 to Bernie Limmex, 4950 Cty. Rd. C, Spring Green, WI 53588. Cost is $9. Those attending are asked to bring household or food items for Hope House. East Dane Deanery fall meeting EAST BRISTOL -- St. Joseph Parish here will host the East Dane Deanery fall meeting Thursday, Oct. 4. Registration is at 5:15 p.m. followed by recitation of the Rosary at 5:40. A concelebrated Mass will be offered at 6 with Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt, Sun Prairie, diocesan moderator, as homilist. After dinner guest speaker will be a representative from PAVE (People Against a Violent Environment). Reservations are due September 21 to JoAnne Kessenich, W2415 Bristol Rd., Columbus, WI 53925. Cost is $7. Monetary donations will be collected for PAVE. St. Vincent volunteers MADISON -- Volunteers at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Madison help meet the nutritional needs of between 60 and 100 families a day at Dane County's busiest pantry. Hosts - who guide clients through this customer-choice food pantry - are needed, as are receptionists. Shifts are available five days each week, including Saturday mornings and Thursday evenings. If interested, attend a one-hour volunteer training session at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20, at the pantry, 1309 Culmen St. in Madison - a half-mile north of the Beltline. Call Volunteer Coordinator Margie Welsh at 608-442-9878, ext. 2, with questions or to reserve a spot for the training session. Centering Prayer MADISON -- St. Maria Goretti Parish, 5313 Flad Ave., in conjunction with Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. is hosting "Centering Prayer - An Introductory Workshop," Saturday, Sept. 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parish center. This will be followed by six weekly formation and prayer sessions on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. beginning October 4. Centering Prayer is a prayer of silence, a prayer of consenting to God's presence and action within oneself. The program will consist of lectures, videos, discussions, question and answers, and the experience of Centering Prayer. A donation of $30 may be offered at the door on Saturday, Sept. 29, to defray costs of the Saturday workshop (includes a continental breakfast and beverages for brown bag lunch) and the follow up sessions. Make checks payable to: St. Maria Goretti Parish. Registration deadline is Thursday, Sept. 20. For information and registration, call Kate at 608-271-7884 or Vicky at 608-843-4411. Support groups MADISON -- Two parishes offer peer support groups for those hurting from separation, divorce, or loss of a significant relationship. For information, call 608-663-5011. Friends on a Journey meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, Oct. 4, and Oct. 18, at Our Lady Queen of Peace, 401 S. Owen Dr. New Directions meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, Oct. 11, and Oct. 25, at St. Dennis Parish Center, 413 Dempsey Rd. Adoption orientation MADISON -- Interested in adopting? Learn about Catholic Charities' domestic and international adoption services at the Adoption Orientation, Monday, Sept. 24, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., at Catholic Charities, 426 S. Yellowstone Dr., Suite 100, in Madison. To register, call 608-833-4800. For more information, contact Jerilyn Robinson at 608-833-4800, ext. 104, or jrobinson2@tds.net Cavins Bible series OREGON -- Holy Mother of Consolation Parish will host two sessions of Adventures in Revelation from Jeff Cavins. One session will meet on Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and the other on Wednesday mornings from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sessions are open to the public. Call Sr. Mary Frost (608-835-5763) for further information. Compassionate Friends MADISON -- The Compassionate Friends was founded in Coventry, England, in 1969, following the deaths of two young boys. The Madison Area Chapter was chartered in 1982 and will commemorate its 25th anniversary Saturday, Sept. 22, at St. Dennis Parish Hall, 413 Dempsey Rd., Madison. The event will begin at 3:30 p.m. with a displayed quilt which was created from more than 140 quilt squares of remembered children. Buffet dinner will be provided by Glenn's Catering starting at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are $15 per person. If your family or someone you know is grieving the death of a child, call Darlene at 608-222-2125 or Sharon at 608-835-7493 for reservation details or information on the chapter programs.

Summer outing:
Cloudy skies, sunny smiles

By Bill Boyce
CATHOLIC HERALD CORRESPONDENT

(See also front-page photo.)

WISCONSIN DELLS -- The Apostolate to the Handicapped held its annual summer outing in Wisconsin Dells Friday, Aug. 25, as guests of the Tommy Bartlett Water Show.

It has almost been a tradition over the years that sunny skies greet the approximately 1,400 guests for the annual outdoor event. However, this year cloudy skies yielded intermittent drizzle about noon.

Rain barely noticed

Not that it mattered much: with the covered grandstand for those without umbrellas and the joy and excitement of seeing the familiar faces of other "regulars" to the three annual gatherings of the Apostolate to the Handicapped, the rain was barely noticed.

In his welcoming remarks, Apostolate Director Msgr. Thomas Campion thanked the many caregivers and other volunteers who attended to the special needs of the guests at the event, which included a Mass, lunch, and the Bartlett Water Show.

He noted in addition to the usual medical personnel and the food preparation staff headed by long-time Monroe volunteer Mike Doyle, many of the orange-shirted Bartlett employee-volunteers would also later be putting on the water show, which they have done for the Apostolate on a gratis basis for many years.

Inspirational figure

For his message to the assembled group, Monsignor Campion drew upon the Mass readings and also a recent book by Jason Roberts (jasonroberts.net) which was a biography of Englishman James Holman (1786-1857).

Holman was the first blind person to travel around the world and was an inspirational figure in his day. His fame has faded over time and deserves to be rekindled, said Monsignor Campion.

He said Holman's biography contains many messages for us today. Holman's writing at the time emphasized the lessons learned from his adventure, especially dealing with the adversity of his handicap and the relative crudeness of travel at that time. (Holman made his trip unaccompanied by anyone, but hired help along the way as needed.)

The adventure of life

Monsignor Campion said Holman learned with endured hardships that there is discovery about the world and discovery about oneself. "In religious terms this means learning what God expects from us as we meet the challenges of life. Learning discipline is our greatest teacher," said Monsignor Campion.

"How about this adventure of life? Isn't it the same for us today as it was for the blind man traveling around the world? Ours isn't always an adventure of excitement or even of a success. Many times the adventure of life is a call to a hard life.

"When it comes to us, who are handicapped, let's face it: life can be hard," admitted Monsignor Campion. "But that doesn't mean we should be negative and get down on ourselves, or think we don't amount to much. It is instead a real call to our inner strength to carry on, to persevere. Any good athlete will tell you 'no pain-no gain.'"

Virtue of love

"People who can learn to accept the challenges of life and learn from them, and improve themselves in real character and improve their relationship with God and one another can also grow in the greatest virtue of all. That is, the virtue of love," emphasized Monsignor Campion.

"And that love can mature, and I don't mean just grow older. It is instead the maturity that comes with the ability to adjust to the reality of life and its problems."

A challenge

Monsignor Campion concluded with a challenge and a hopeful message to disabled persons: "You are at the core of what is the salvation of the world. Not just the journey into heaven, which may be a long way off.

"We can take on life as an adventure as individual human beings, even with our disabilities, and keep growing and learn for ourselves, exactly who we are and where we're headed. We can persevere in our growth, growing in our relationship with God and one-another, being true to ourselves, with the help of our loving God," he told them.

Diocesan workshops: Held for extraordinary ministers of Communion

By Dr. Patrick Gorman
DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF WORSHIP
DIOCESE OF MADISON

MADISON -- The Office of Worship of the Diocese of Madison is hosting numerous workshops for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (often called Eucharistic Ministers) throughout the 11 counties of the diocese beginning this September.

Newly promulgated norms

The workshops are called for by the newly promulgated Norms for the Use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, which Bishop Robert C. Morlino sent to all pastors this past summer on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.

At that time he also issued norms for the use of Communion under both species as well as norms for the purification of sacred vessels.

All three of these documents were composed at the request of the Holy See (the Vatican). The bishop is hopeful that the norms will be fully implemented in parishes over the course of the next 18 months.

Ministers commissioned

As part of the new norms, each Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is to be commissioned by the local pastor for a period of two years (these terms may be repeated). Prior to the initial commissioning, each minister is to attend a diocesan training session.

These sessions will include reflections on the spirituality of the ministry as well as practical material on the reverent manner of distributing Holy Communion. There will be information for those who take Communion to sick and homebound parishioners. There will also be time for questions and discussion.

In his letter to priests that accompanied the norms, Bishop Morlino said, "I want every person in our parishes to understand that when they come to church, they encounter the Risen Lord and they share in his life-giving sacrifice by eating and drinking his Body and Blood, truly present to us through the gift of the Eucharist."

Workshops throughout diocese

The workshops are free, although participants are requested to pre-register to make sure that enough materials are available at each location. A complete list of workshops is available at the Office of Worship Website at www.madisondiocese.org

More workshops will be scheduled for the late spring, summer, and fall of 2008. To schedule one at your parish, contact the Office of Worship's administrative assistant, Terry Mulvoy at 608-821-3080 or e-mail tmulvoy@straphael.org

If you would like to register or wish to receive more information, contact the Office of Worship at (608-821-3080 or e-mail worship@straphael.org

Prior to registering, ministers are encouraged to speak with their pastor or ministry coordinator to see if the parish is planning to host a session or to request ministers to attend a workshop at a particular location.