• Articles on St. Raphael Cathedral
	News Briefs: Deanery meetings for women Jefferson Deanery PALMYRA -- On Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22, the Jefferson Deanery will meet at St. Mary Parish here. Theme is "Earth in Our Hands." Registration is at 4:45 p.m. followed by rosary, Mass with Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt as homilist, dinner, and program featuring John Kinsman, president, Family Farm Defenders, on the theme. Reservations are due April 10 to Kathy Manke, 245 Northwest St., Palmyra, WI 53156. Cost is $10. Bring food for the Palmyra pantry. Rock Deanery FOOTVILLE -- The Rock Deanery will meet Thursday, April 24, at St. Augustine Parish here. Theme is "Daughters of the Church - Privilege and Hope." Registration is at 3:30 p.m. followed by the business meeting, Mass with Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt as homilist, dinner, and program with Mother Marie Julie, St. Elizabeth's Home, Janesville, on the theme. Reservations are due April 15 to Meg Collins, 17 Highland Ave., Edgerton, WI 53534. Cost is $7. Curtis Martin to speak MADISON -- St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, 602 Everglade Dr., will host a brunch and speaker in St. Thomas Aquinas' gathering space on Friday, April 11, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Curtis Martin, founder and president of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), will speak on the New Evangelization and Pope John Paul II's call to re-evangelize the western world. This event is open to all who are interested. Free childcare is available on-site. Martin will also speak at St. Paul University Catholic Center's large group event (Alpha Omega) on Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. End of life panel MADISON -- A panel discussion on "Family Conversations on End of Life Decision Making" will be held on Wednesday, April 16, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish gathering space. Sponsored by the parish's Pastoral Care and Respect Life Ministries, the panel will feature Kathleen Ziemba, Rev. Bob Eagle, and Msgr. Ken Fiedler. Ziemba, a social work supervisor at Meriter Hospital and grief counselor at HospiceCare Inc., will speak on death as part of the life cycle; advance care planning; journeying together as family; palliative and hospice care. Reverend Eagle, staff chaplain at Meriter Hospital, will speak on spiritual and emotional issues; forgiveness; and saying good-byes. Monsignor Fiedler, pastor at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, will speak on what the Catholic Church teaches about end of life choices and moral decision-making; spiritual needs; and support of the faith community through prayers and sacraments. For information, call Heather Crade, 608-231-4600. Movie and dinner conclude celebration CROSS PLAINS -- St. Francis Xavier School wraps up its sesquicentennial celebration with a "dinner and movie" on Friday, April 18. The movie is Champions of Faith, in which professional baseball players speak frankly about family, sacrifice, leadership, humility, and spiritual lessons they have learned. Parish religious education coordinator Cindy Ballweg and others are preparing a meal of homemade pasta with chicken cream sauce and meatball marinara sauce. All are welcome. Cost for the meal is $9 for adults and $5 for children five to 12. There is no cost for the movie. Contact Ballweg at 608-798-4824 to reserve dinner tickets or stop at the Fellowship Hall to watch Champions of Faith. Life in Spirit series MT. HOREB -- A Life in the Spirit Series will be held Monday evenings from April 14 to May 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Ignatius Church, 109 S. 6th St., Mt. Horeb. For more details, contact Fr. Rick Heilman at 608-798-4644 or Marie Lins at marielins@hotmail.com Summer internships in diocese MADISON -- The Diocese of Madison offers paid summer internships for college-age men and women. Various partner agencies, such as St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, the diocesan Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach, and the Catholic Multicultural Center, offer a 30-hour a week placement with flexible hours. The internship will revolve around issues important to the Catholic Church. Interested students can request an application from the Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach: 608-821-3086 or justiceandpeace@straphael.org Applications are due by April 21. 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

Sisters of St. Agnes mark 150th anniversary
'Ordinary Sisters' have served in Diocese
of Madison since the 1860s

MADISON -- This year marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA). The congregation was founded in Barton, Wis., on August 12, 1858.

Serving in the Diocese of Madison Sisters of St. Agnes have served in many different parishes and institutions in the Madison Diocese. Listed below are places where they served and the starting year of service. Today members continue to serve in healthcare, education, spiritual direction, and volunteerism. Beloit Catholic High, Beloit - 1950 Brother Dutton School, Beloit - 1926 St. Andrew School, Potosi - 1891 St. Bernard School, Watertown - 1913 St. Charles Borromeo School, Cassville - 1896 St. John School, Jefferson - 1883 St. John School, Waunakee - 1881 St. Joseph School, Berlin - 1953 St. Joseph School, East Bristol - 1869 St. Joseph School, Sinsinawa - 1892 St. Mary School, Pine Bluff - 1873 St. Patrick School, Janesville - 1881 St. Thomas School, Beloit - 1873, 1950 St. Francis Xavier School, Cross Plains - 1860s St. Peter School, Ashton - 1870 St. Clare Hospital, Monroe - 1937

Fr. Caspar Rehrl, an Austrian missionary, established a sisterhood of young pioneer women under the patronage of St. Agnes of Rome to whom he had a special devotion.

First members

The "Agnes Sisters," as they were first called, were founded to teach and catechize the children of the immigrant families that Father Rehrl served in his missionary travels between Milwaukee and Green Bay.

The first CSA members to serve in the Madison Diocese date back to the 1860s with Sisters teaching in Cross Plains at St. Francis Xavier School (which is also celebrating its 150th anniversary).

Currently there are nine Sisters who serve in the Madison Diocese and minister in pastoral care, hospice care, healthcare, and education.

Creating a community of caring

The Sisters live in various places but make an effort to meet monthly to pray together, share a meal, and create a community of caring.

On a recent afternoon, four CSA members came together to talk about what it means to them to be celebrating a legacy of service of 150 years.

Sr. Jovita Winkel, who works as a pastoral minister at St. Mary Parish in Briggsville, shared, "Many times I will be at a gathering and, when people realize I am a member of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, they will share that they were taught by our Sisters. The influence that our members have had on the lives of entire generations of families has been significant."

Sr. Georgeann Roudebush is director of Psych Social Spiritual Services at Hospice Care in Madison. She commented, "I admire and appreciate the women who were pioneers in the early beginnings of our congregation. They did not have it easy. They lived with a lack of food and basic creature comforts but they shared a deep commitment and desire to live the Gospel values and share it with others. Nothing was too much for them and I feel a part of that vibrant spirit and vision. I sometimes feel I am standing on the shoulders of these courageous women."

Sr. Marie Kees added, "For me, belonging to CSA is part of my family's heritage. Beginning in 1877, my parents, all of my siblings, uncles and aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews were all taught by the Sisters at St. John Parish in St. John. My ministry today reflects on the values of this heritage. I am now ministering at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison as a volunteer in pastoral care, Scripture study facilitating, and wherever help is needed."

Sesquicentennial events

Members of the congregation have planned several special events in honor of their sesquicentennial beginning with a Mass held in January to mark the opening of the year of celebration.

The public will be invited to celebrate with the community at an open house to be held at St. Agnes Convent, 320 Cty. Rd. K, in Fond du Lac on Sunday, May 25.

Sr. Margaret Lorimer, an historian and author, has published a book on the history of the congregation entitled, Ordinary Sisters. This book provides the history of the congregation from 1858 to 1990 and shares the story of the women who responded to the call to religious life as a Sister of St. Agnes.

The congregational Web site will have ongoing information of events planned throughout the anniversary year, photos of celebrations, and information on ordering the book, Ordinary Sisters. As part of the site, an opportunity for people to send a message to the Sisters will be provided. The Web site is www.csasisters.org

Creating a 'culture
of vocations'
in families, parishes

MADISON -- Do you know what a priest or Sister does? Have you thought about becoming a priest or Sister?

These are questions we should be asking children in our Catholic families, parishes, and schools. They were common questions in decades past, but we seem to have gotten away from discussions with our children, according to Sr. Marcia Vinje, associate director of the Diocese of Madison's Office of Vocations.

Building culture of vocations

She and the diocesan office want to change that. "We want to build a 'culture of vocations' throughout the diocese in our families, in parishes, and in schools," she said.

As the Catholic Church marks the World Day of Prayer for Vocations this Sunday, April 13, Sister Marcia discussed some efforts the diocesan office is taking to promote this culture of vocations.

"We want to encourage parents to talk about vocations, to put Church vocations before children as an option," she said.

In her visits to parishes and schools, she said, "I ask children to pray every day that God shows them their vocation. I ask them to pray three 'Hail Marys' a day."

Sister Marcia has been giving children a three-bead chaplet for their prayers. "They love them," she said. "They're available in different colors. They're a little introduction to the Rosary."

Collecting dolls

Sister Marcia is also gathering dolls of saints and Sisters from different communities to show children. "Dolls are very visual and tactile," she said. "They're a way to teach children about Church history."

The Vocation Office asked people to donate dolls through an ad in the Catholic Herald. They have received some and are looking for more. "Some people are willing to loan them to us. They're not willing to give them up. They're considered collectibles," she noted.

Those who have donated or lent dolls so far include Sr. Ana Luisa Cespedes and Annette Kiesow, Marshall; Betty Christianson, Anell Daniels, Pepper Hanuschewicz, Alica Hernandez, and St. Bernard Parish, all of Madison.

"Our long-range plan is to have a display at the Bishop O'Connor Center for visiting groups and take a traveling display when we give vocation talks in parishes," said Sister Marcia.

To donate dolls or make or provide doll clothes, contact the Office of Vocations, 608-821-3088 or e-mail vocations@straphael.org