JEFFERSON — On the feast day of SS. Isidore and Maria, Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison will honor farmers and food producers as he celebrates Mass on Saturday, May 15, at 11 a.m. at St. Lawrence O’Toole Church in rural Jefferson.
Following the Mass, Bishop Hying will bless farm implements and seeds brought to the church.
In many parishes, pastors will visit farms and bless the animals, implements, soils, and seeds during this spring planting season.
Honoring farmers
While no diocesan rural life event was held last year because of the pandemic, the diocese has long honored farmers who make up a large part of the diocese.
The bishop, who is from the greater Milwaukee area, takes a personal interest in the farming community.
“My father grew up on farms in Iowa and Grant Counties, and some of my fondest memories are visiting my grandparents’ farm near Highland when I was a child,” said Bishop Hying.
Having many relatives who still farm in the diocese, Bishop Hying knows “the personal struggle and stress they face. Economically, farming is a challenging business, and many young people who grow up on farms feel they have no choice but to move off the farms to seek opportunities elsewhere.”
Renewed rural ministry
With those concerns in mind, Bishop Hying resurrected the rural life ministry in the diocese last summer and appointed Tom Nelson diocesan rural life coordinator.
Nelson has been working on rural life issues and projects for farming communities and rural parishes and their pastors for the last 16 years.
“Tom is doing some very creative things to pull together a rural life ministry throughout our 11 counties,” said Bishop Hying.
Last fall, Nelson organized listening sessions that were postponed because of the pandemic.
The Rural Life Day now becomes the first specific event of the renewed ministry.
Due to the pandemic, said Nelson, “this will be a more abbreviated rural event this year. We will work at growing events once this pandemic is more understood.”
Nelson is working with Fr. Bernie Rott, pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Dickeyville and Immaculate Conception Parish in Kieler, as well as diocesan rural life director; and Fr. Jim Murphy, pastor of SS. Anthony and Philip Parish in Highland and St. Thomas Parish in Montfort.
Since the Rural Life Mass is at 11 a.m., Nelson hopes a good representation of the clergy will attend to concelebrate with the bishop and still have time to return to their own parishes for their Saturday afternoon liturgies.
For questions, contact Nelson at 608-438-7154.
St. Lawrence O’Toole Church is part of St. Francis of Assisi Parish and served by Pastor Fr. Tom Coyle.
The parish also includes St. John the Baptist Church in Jefferson.