• Articles on St. Raphael Cathedral
	News Briefs: Lenten talks held at Oregon parish OREGON -- On Wednesday, Feb. 27, Sister of the Divine Savior Sister Mary Frost will present a talk on modern day slavery of women and children entitled "Wise As Serpents" at Holy Mother of Consolation Parish in Oregon as part of a Lenten series. The title of her talk is a quote from Jesus, who told his disciples to be as wise as serpents and as simple as doves. Sister Mary's talk will focus on recognizing those who are victims as well as warning signs to prevent victimization. The talk will be given twice: from 6 to 7 p.m. and again from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The free presentation is open to the public. It will be presented in the Holy Mother of Consolation Parish chapel on the main floor. All talks follow the same format. On Wednesday, March 5, Mary Kay Clark will present an invitation to share faith with others, called "How Will They Know?" Clark will give a talk on non-intrusive ways to share with others, including the story of her own journey. On Wednesday, March 12, Marilynn Rebman offers a look at the issues of global hunger that impact everyone in their local communities as well as those overseas. Her talk, "Are You Hungry?," will offer food for thought as people make their own choices. Baraboo mission features Fr. Kubicki BARABOO -- St. Joseph Parish, 304 East St., Baraboo, will be hosting a parish mission, Sunday, March 2, to Thursday, March 5, beginning at 7 p.m. each night, with Jesuit Father James Kubicki. Father Kubicki is the national director of the Apostleship of Prayer and can be heard regularly on Relevant Radio. Raised in Milwaukee he was ordained in 1983. He has served in vocations, formation, and retreat ministry. In 1995 he became the Wisconsin Province director of the Apostleship of Prayer and in 1997 became a member of the apostleship's national board of directors. He became national director in July of 2003. The theme of the mission is "Living Our Baptismal Call." Themes for each night are: Sunday - The Baptismal Change; Monday - The Baptismal Call to be Prophets; Tuesday - The Baptismal Call to be Priests; Wednesday - The Baptismal Call to Royalty; Thursday - communal reconciliation liturgy with individual confession. Lenten retreat at Sinsinawa Mound SINSINAWA -- A "Lenten Cup Retreat" will be held from 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 14, through 1 p.m. Sunday, March 16 at the Sinsinawa Mound. The retreat is based on the following question of Jesus to his disciples: "Can you drink the cup I drink from?" Facilitator Dominican Sister Theresa Byrne will lead participants through three movements of what it means to hold the Cup of Life, how we lift up the Cup of Life, and what it means for the disciple to drink the Cup of Life. Those planning to attend are asked to bring an ordinary cup they use in their daily lives. The registration deadline is March 7. The fee, which includes meals, is $174 for overnight guests and $109 for commuters. For more information, contact guest services at 608-748-4411, ext. 811, or visit www.sinsinawa.org St. Jude centennial mission BELOIT -- St. Jude Parish, 749 Hackett St., Beloit, commences its celebrations of "A Century of Catholic Faith and Service" since 1908 with a mission from Saturday, March 1, through Tuesday, March 4. As a faith community, it is most appropriate that its premier event for its centennial is spiritual. A mission is a series of talks and religious exercises usually conducted to renew the religious fervor of the faithful with the fundamentals of the Christian life. The theme chosen for this mission is: "The Discipleship of the Laity," with a different topic each day to expand the theme. Dominican Father Jim Marchionda and Dominican Sister Ann Willits, who have led many missions together, will conduct the mission at St. Jude. Using Scripture and music in the Lenten devotional season, the mission preaching at Mass will coincide with the readings for the day. The regular Mass schedule of 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1, and 9 a.m. Sunday, March 2, will be held. However, Mass on Monday and Tuesday, March 3 and 4, will be at 9 a.m. with discussion and fellowship to follow. There will also be special mission services each evening at 7 p.m. Sunday's topic will be "Family, Friends, and God"; Monday's, "Challenge of Change," which could bring some insight for the implementation for the cluster parishes of St. Jude, St. Thomas, and Our Lady of Assumption, Beloit, and St. Stephen, Clinton; and Tuesday evening's concluding topic will be "Contemporary Spirituality," emphasizing humility, mission, and prayer in concert. Fellowship and hospitality also follow the evenings' services. On Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. women of the cluster parishes are invited for a presentation of "Mary, Our Mother, Our Model." Everyone, not just parishioners of St. Jude Parish, is invited and encouraged to attend any or all of the sessions of the mission. Transportation can be arranged by calling 608-365-8210 or 608-362-3293. An offering of appreciation will be taken for Father Marchionda and Sister Ann. Eucharistic Day SUN PRAIRIE -- Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish, 221 Columbus St., Sun Prairie, will celebrate its annual Eucharistic Day on Sunday, March 2. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will begin at the conclusion of the 11 a.m. Mass. There will be opportunity for private prayer before the Blessed Sacrament until 3 p.m. when Evening Prayer will be celebrated, followed by a reflection and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The reflection will be given by Sr. Ellen Marie Baranek of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, on "Mary and the Eucharist." The church is handicapped accessible; all are welcome. For information, call Naomi Matthees at 608-837-2488. Birth Parent Group MADISON -- A Birth Parent Support Group will meet Tuesday, March 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 5 Odana Ct. Sponsors are Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Services. This ongoing support group, held the second Tuesday of every month, is for people who have placed their child/ren for adoption. It is free, safe, and confidential. For registration, contact Alice at 608-270-6635 or apearson@lsswis.org or Trish at 608-833-4800, ext. 109, or pregnancy@tds.net Sacred Hearts School, Sun Prairie, Mardi Gras Gala SUN PRAIRIE -- Saturday March 8, is the date for the ninth annual Mardi Gras Gala to benefit Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary School. The benefit auction is open to the public and is the school's single largest fundraiser. The gala begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Crown Plaza Hotel and includes four rooms of silent auction items, including items hand-made by students along with a live auction, an elegant dinner buffet, and cocktails. This year's live auction includes some new items, including a United States flag flown on an Iraq mission, a UW-Madison Badger hockey suite for 12, and two tickets to the Masters' practice round in April 2008, including hotel accommodations. Tickets for the Mardi Gras Gala Benefit Auction are $60 per person and are available now. To purchase tickets or sponsor a table, contact Jill Conaway, Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary School, at 608-837-8508. If individuals are unable to attend, but would still like to support Sacred Hearts, Live Auction raffle tickets are available for $50 each until March 6. Contact Jill Conaway for more details. Natural Family Planning talks, classes MADISON -- Informational talks and classes on Natural Family Planning (NFP) will be offered over the coming months in the Madison area. For classes outside of the Madison area, contact Jessica Smith, diocesan family planning coordinator. An informational talk on NFP will be sponsored by the UW-Madison Life Society at Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St., on Wednesday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m. Creighton Method (based on the Billings Ovulation Method) introduction classes are held the first Monday and third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Bishop O'Connor Center, 702 S. High Point Rd. Follow-up sessions are private and scheduled with the instructor. Next classes are Monday, March 3; Tuesday, March 18; and Monday, April 7. Cost is $30 for the class only and $55 for the class with materials. Follow-up sessions are $30. Northwest Family Services (a sympto-thermal method) will be offering a three-part class at St. Paul University Parish, 723 State St., Saturdays, in Kutchera Library. Classes will be held March 15, 9 to 11 a.m.; April 5, 1 to 3 p.m.; and April 26, 9 to 11 a.m. The cost of $120 is all-inclusive. For information on the Marquette Model, contact Jessica Smith. There will hopefully be another class mid-spring. There are also two options for internet/home studies available. To register for any of these classes or for more information, contact Jessica Smith at 608-821-3035 or nfp@straphael.org or visit www.madisondiocese.org/nfp Pro-life retreat DURWARD'S GLEN -- The Servants of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Vigil for Life organizations are inviting all pro-lifers to a Lenten retreat before Holy Week begins. The retreat will run from Friday evening, March 14, to Saturday afternoon, March 15, at the Durward's Glen Retreat Center in Merrimac. Fr. Rick Heilman, Diocese of Madison, will be the retreat-master. The purpose of the retreat is to draw closer to Jesus Christ so as to love God and neighbor more perfectly. The retreat is open to anyone who works in any way to promote respect for human life. There will be time for silent, individual prayer and social time. Meals and prayer materials will be provided. Cost (food and lodging) will be $40. For more information or to register, call Will Goodman at 608-698-7443 or e-mail Amy Hying at VigilForLife@gmail.com Nominate someone for a profile Do you know a person to nominate for a profile? This could be someone in a paid or volunteer position in the Catholic Church. It could be someone working outside the Church who lives his or her faith in ordinary or extraordinary ways in daily life. Send nominations with information about the nominee to: Catholic Herald, 702 S. High Point Rd., Madison, WI 53719, or e-mail info@madisoncatholicherald.org

It's been 10 years since death of Fr. Alfred Kunz
Sheriff still hopeful case will be solved

MADISON -- After almost 10 years, the Dane County Sheriff's Office is still actively investigating the murder of Fr. Alfred J. Kunz.

	How to help If you have information on the death of Fr. Alfred Kunz, call the Dane County Sheriff's Office at 608-284-6871 and ask for Detective Kevin Hughes.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Father Kunz, who was found murdered on March 4, 1998, at St. Michael Church in Dane. The diocesan priest had been pastor of St. Michael Parish in the small village of Dane for 31 years.

His body was discovered by a teacher who came to open the school. Father Kunz had living quarters adjoining the school.

The Dane County Coroner's Office reported that Father Kunz died as the result of loss of blood after his throat was cut.

Case still open

Current Dane County Sheriff David J. Mahoney was a detective on the Kunz murder case in 1998. In an interview, Mahoney said there is still a full-time investigator assigned to the case, Detective Kevin Hughes. "He keeps revisiting the case and consulting with the District Attorney's Office," said Mahoney.

The sheriff is hopeful that his office "can bring the case to a resolution soon." The office has leads and Mahoney said they need to "find the next piece of information."

"Our hope is that someone will come forth. It has weighed on their heart. We're hoping that someone has the additional information that can bring this case to conclusion," said the sheriff.

Mahoney urged people with information on the case to call the Sheriff's Office.

Memorial Mass

Msgr. Delbert L. Schmelzer, a seminary classmate of Father Kunz, will offer a memorial Mass on Tuesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. at Holy Redeemer Church in downtown Madison.

As area dean in 1998, Monsignor Schmelzer was appointed as the acting administrator of St. Michael Parish. "He was totally dedicated to his parish and school," he said of Father Kunz.

Father Kunz would have celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest in 2006.

Priest's influence

Matthew Arias, a seminarian studying for the Diocese of Madison, said Father Kunz was one of the priests who influenced his decision to become a priest.

Arias is currently a freshman at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, Neb. He was an altar server as a boy at St. Michael Parish in Dane with Father Kunz.

Reaching out
to the mobile Catholic
Catholic CDs offer a way to learn faith on the go

MADISON -- In several churches around the Diocese of Madison (and several thousand around the country) large stands offering Catholic teaching on compact discs have been popping up.

In a twist on the pamphlet rack that for many years has been a staple in most churches, Lighthouse Catholic Media has since 2005 been offering a way for Catholics to learn more about their own faith in as simple a way as sliding a disc into a car's CD player.

Various topics

The hour-long audios range from talks on understanding the Eucharist or the Mass to conversion stories to Catholic parenting or family advice. Speakers on the discs include Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Fr. Larry Richards, and others.

"It reaches out to many of the people - and I'm one of those - who weren't properly catechized growing up," said Kim Neumaier, the Lighthouse representative in the Diocese of Madison. "It reaches people in a way they can understand; it reaches them where they are, in practical, day-to-day language."

Neumaier, who does office work for her husband's company and homeschools their children, got involved with Lighthouse Catholic Media because, for the past year or so, she had felt God calling her to do something more. When she heard an advertisement on Relevant Radio looking for people to help with Lighthouse's effort, she knew what God wanted her to do.

Since becoming the account manager and division manager for the Diocese of Madison and LaCrosse, she has already brought the Lighthouse kiosks to nearly a dozen parishes in this diocese, in addition to several that already had displays set up, and serves as volunteer coordinator for the kiosk at her home parish, St. Bernard, Middleton. Volunteers are used to bring attention to the kiosks after Mass and invite people to learn more about their faith.

"This is a great way to do it," Neumaier said, "because it meets people wherever they are, when they are. So many people have a CD player in their car and can pop a CD in on their way to work and be inspired in that time."

Supplemental instruction

But as instructive as the Lighthouse materials are, they shouldn't be thought of as an alternative to adult formation classes, Neumaier said. "What it is, is a supplement."

There are so many people who feel too busy to sign up for Bible studies or small groups, she said, "but maybe they'll be walking by a kiosk and a title catches their eye, and they say, 'I can listen to that on my way to work.' And they'll listen to it . . . and become interested, and then want to sign up for those classes, and maybe go to their parish library."

Eric Schiedermayer, executive secretary of the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, agreed. "It's something that fits into the parish as an invitation. It's that gentle and loving invitation that Bishop (Robert C.) Morlino is always talking about," he said, referring to the bishop of Madison's oft-repeated teaching to invite people lovingly to meet Jesus Christ.

Schiedermayer, who had a display put up at the diocesan offices at Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison, added that the kiosks can actually help other parish catechesis efforts: "Most pastors find that, not only does it pay for itself, but it also provides some revenue to support other faith formation programs," he said.

And it doesn't take very much to get the kiosk in a parish and keep it going.

Catechesis tool

Fr. Rick Heilman has had the displays up in both of his parishes, St. Ignatius in Mount Horeb and St. Mary in Pine Bluff, for about two years now.

When he first heard about the program, his reaction was "Where has this been all my life?" he said. "The idea that people can take these home and listen to them in the car and then pass them around - I see them as a great catechesis tool."

It won't necessarily get to everyone, he said. But for those who are thirsty for more of the faith, these are "top-quality" tools, and ones that might be habit-forming.

"I know that - among the parishioners who are really hungry for more - some of them have jokingly said 'I'm addicted to them,'" Father Heilman laughed.

He added, "Anything we can do to make good-quality teachings available to our people, especially in this busy, busy culture . . . this is a great fit."

Pastors or parishioners interested in finding out how to set up a Lighthouse display in their church can contact Neumaier at 608-798-2208 or by e-mail at kim@ballwegconstruction.com

For more information on Lighthouse Catholic Media, including how to sign up for the Catholic CD of the Month club, which sends out copies of new CDs to individuals for $5 a month, go to www.lighthousecatholicmedia.com

Promoting an understanding of culture
Teacher from Japan brings 'sunshine'
to Watertown school

WATERTOWN -- Armed with a poster detailing the history of her country and masks from Setsubun, a February holiday in which handfuls of roasted soybeans are thrown to ward off demons, Nimiya Misako, the English teacher from Yokohama, Japan, made her way through the halls at St. Henry School to the sixth grade class to bring a foreign culture to central Wisconsin.

In the halls she was greeted with bows and "Misako sensei," and when she stood at the front of the classroom, ready to begin, the students rose to greet her in proper Japanese fashion.

The day the Catholic Herald visited she was teaching the sixth-grade students about Japanese New Year and nengajo (New Year's cards), St. Paul Miki and his companions, and Japan's history, including the dropping of the atomic bomb. The next class time was to be tea ceremony and traditional Japanese cooking.

Over the past year, through lessons, a lunchtime origami club, as well as simply her presence, she has in various ways brought to life the customs, language, and people of Japan. To the students and staff at St. Henry School, she is an ambassador from half a world away.

"They are eager to learn Japanese culture," Misako said. "For the students, I am the first Japanese person they meet . . . I have responsibility as a diplomat."

Greater understanding

Misako came to St. Henry School as a part of International Internship Programs' effort to promote international understanding through its Japanese School Teaching Assistant Program. St. Henry Principal Francine Butzine had requested, through the organization, to host an intern at St. Henry School, and the organization put her together with Misako.

Since arriving last April, she has lived with her host "sister" Donna Neeman, a St. Henry parishioner and parent of a St. Henry School alumna who has Japanese heritage herself. At the school she has taught Japanese culture to the students, gone on field trips with them, and sat in on many different activities.

"She's just a delightful person," said Butzine. "She's been a great delight to get to know as a person. She's shared so much about Japanese culture that we are so much clearer in our understanding of it.

"Every child in school loves her," she said. "And she has made friends in the entire community - and around the entire diocese."

Over the year, Misako visited several other schools in the area and around the diocese, both Catholic and public; attended Mass with the school, though not Catholic herself; and spent Saturdays volunteering at the local nursing home.

Ida Trimborn, the school secretary, said that Misako has a great rapport with the students and has a great memory for asking after siblings and parents.

"We've had so many fun times in the office; I just hate it when she doesn't come in in the mornings for some reason - the sunshine's not here," she said.

"It's going to be boring when she's gone . . . okay, maybe not that bad," she said with a laugh, "but different. We've learned a ton from her."

Learning from each other

The experience at St. Henry School has helped Misako learn as well. Some American customs have surprised her, but she definitely has her favorites: "I love the custom to be called by first name," Misako said, recalling being surprised when one of the secretaries called Principal Butzine by her first name. "I like the custom of hugs; we don't do that," she added.

She also learned a lot more about the language, especially what Trimborn called "Watertown-ese."

"Our English language is so loaded with idioms," Butzine said. Often someone would use a phrase and Misako's eyes would widen and she'd repeat it back, she said, and they'd realize how it sounded. "It's been such a source of good humor."

In addition to learning about the day-to-day experience in an American school, Misako has even taken the Watertown police's "Citizens Police Academy" course to learn more about her host country, which she said she has always wanted to visit. As a senior high school student, she had applied to a student exchange program to come to the United States, but had never been chosen, and said she wanted to visit ever since.

In the '80s, she traveled around the U.S. as part of a two-month tour with other teachers from Japan, encompassing Brown University in Rhode Island, a trip down Route 66 in a Greyhound bus, and Berkeley High School in California.

But even after that tour and her two-week stay with a host family in which she experienced what she called Americans' "very frank hospitality," she wanted to experience the U.S. in a more in-depth way. "I said I'd like to visit again," she recalls. "Not tours, but to know the American way of life and school life."

This experience has been good for that. When she leaves in mid-March, Misako will be taking back with her a better understanding of the U.S. and its people. She said she has sharpened her language skills, and so much admired the way American students incorporate the seasons (such as Christmas, Lent, or even Valentine's day) into their studies that she hopes to do so with her students when she returns to school in Japan, where the new year begins in April.

She said she doesn't have any homesickness, because all of the teachers and families and students have been so welcoming, but when she goes back home, she said jokingly, "maybe I will get 'culture shock' again."