In 1957, six Cistercian Sisters from Switzerland came to Wisconsin at the request of Bishop William P. O’Connor, bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Madison.
Month: October 2019
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd grows
MADISON — The room was filled with joyful expectation as catechists and invested partners celebrated the presence of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) in the Diocese of Madison at its third annual gathering.
CGS Diocesan Director Katie Haun warmly encouraged the catechists and directors of religious education (DRE) present to share the joys and challenges of starting and maintaining atrium, the space where children gather to encounter God in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd method.
We’re called to build civilization of love and life
We congratulate and rejoice with Deacons Timothy Mergen and Enan Zelinski, who were ordained last week in St. Peter’s Basilica and will be ordained priests here next June for the Diocese of Madison.
These men, so representative of all our seminarians, are prayerful, holy, committed, and zealous in living out the Gospel of Christ and shepherding His holy people. Our prayers and gratitude go to these inspiring servants of the Lord, as well as to their parents, families, and friends.
Cistercian Sisters need our help
Every time I’ve had the privilege of visiting Valley of Our Lady Monastery in Prairie du Sac I’ve been impressed by the joy shining on the faces of the Cistercian Sisters.
These cloistered Sisters — who live in silence quite a bit of the day — have very warm smiles and cheerful dispositions. They make me want to smile, too!
The Sisters do not take a vow of silence, but they speak only during specific times of recreation or as necessary to accomplish their work in the monastery.
Perhaps it’s because they don’t speak all the time that they appreciate the opportunity to talk when they can. Or more importantly, it’s because of the joy they experience in their times of communal and personal prayer that brings them such happiness.
Respect life! Challenge the culture of death!
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St. Pope John Paul II, in his powerful encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”), challengingly said, “How can we fail to consider the violence against life done to millions of human beings, especially children, who are forced into poverty, malnutrition, and hunger because of an unjust distribution of resources between peoples and between social classes?
“And what of violence inherent not only in wars as such, but in the scandalous arms trade, which spawns the many armed conflicts which stain our world with blood?
Box of Joy Christmas gift program in Ashton
ASHTON — St. Peter Catholic Parish and School in Ashton are spreading Christmas cheer early this year to children in need in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
They are mobilizing Catholic schools, parishes, and other groups and individuals across the Diocese of Madison by serving as a drop-off center for the Box of Joy program (https://crosscatholic.org/boxofjoy/), a ministry of Cross Catholic Outreach.October observed as Month of the Rosary
The month of October each year is dedicated to the Rosary. This is primarily due to the fact that the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7 in the Catholic Church.
Also, in 1917, three Portuguese children were visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal, over a period of six months. The final visit was on October 13, when about 70,000 people witnessed the dancing sun, performed by Our Lady.
As a result, many people were converted, while non-practicing Catholics returned to the faith. Hence, praying in a public arena has the potential of converting people and making Catholics stronger in their belief.Blessed Sacrament School raises money to feed hungry
MADISON — Brothers and sisters, parents and children, Big Buddies and Little Buddies — they all raised money for the hungry at Madison’s Blessed Sacrament School recently.
Students marched, jogged, and flat-out ran to raise money for various charitable causes related to hunger.
Annual Hunger March
Last year, the annual Hunger March raised more than $12,000 that was distributed to local, regional, and international organizations.Appointments (10-6-2019)
Msgr. James Bartylla, Vicar General, announces the following priest appointments made by Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison, effective Saturday, November 2, 2019, and announced at weekend Masses of Saturday and Sunday, October 5 and 6, 2019.
Spiritual hiking boots — don’t leave home without them
“Go on without me!” I cried dramatically, my mud-soaked tennis shoes sliding helplessly along the slippery forest trail. “I’ll catch up!”
My family was on a backpacking trip heading toward a rustic cabin in the Porcupine Mountains in northern Michigan. The six of us each carried a backpack full of equipment we needed to survive the wilderness for a few days.