One of the most commonly-used words during the Advent season, as everyone looks ahead to Christmas, is “tradition.”
Author: Kevin Wondrash
Making the holidays meaningful for everyone
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Q This may have been asked before, but I need some advice on how to manage holiday gatherings with someone who has dementia.
My mother lives with my sister. Mom has Alzheimer’s disease and my sister wants the entire family, all 25 of us, to gather at her home for Christmas.
I think it will be too hard for mom to be around all of us at the same time. My sister thinks we might not have another Christmas with mom so I don’t know how far to push.
(From a son in Sun Prairie).
Scouting awards given to adult leaders
MADISON — Each year, Catholic committees on scouting, including those on the diocesan level, take time to honor and recognize adult leaders and committee members who give large amounts of time, effort, and faith to promote scouting for boys and girls.
On November 9, two leaders in the Diocese of Madison were given special recognition for their work with Boy Scouts in the diocese.
Richard Ley, member of St. Dennis Parish in Madison, and Gregory Bergenske, member of St. Patrick Parish in Janesville, were honored at the annual Diocese of Madison Catholic Committee on Scouting (DMCCS) 2014 Annual Adult Recognition Dinner at St. Dennis Church in Madison.
Radiothon benefits Catholic Multicultural Center
MADISON — Help the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) help the community.
On Friday, Dec. 12, from 12 noon to 6 p.m., all are invited to participate in the third annual Radiothon fundraiser on La Movida Spanish radio to benefit the CMC food pantry, personal essentials pantry, and employment search assistance program.
Christmas concert in Sun Prairie
SUN PRAIRIE — Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish will host a Christmas Concert on Friday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. at the church, 221 Columbus St. The concert will feature the Adult Choir, Folk Choir, and Grace Notes (young people’s choir).
St. Peter Catholic School plans Christmas program
MIDDLETON — St. Peter Catholic School’s Christmas Program will take place on Monday, Dec. 15, at 6:30 pm.
This year’s program will feature the musical Miracle at Midnight performed by pre-K to fifth grade students. The moving story includes Bethlehem’s mayor preparing for a decree by Caesar Augustus, angels in heaven anticipating an important announcement, and a young couple from Nazareth getting ready for the birth of their first child.
Service of Remembrance in Evansville
EVANSVILLE — All are invited to attend a Service of Remembrance for people of all faiths to remember, honor, and celebrate their loved ones who have passed away and to find comfort for their grief during this Christmas season.
The service will be held on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. at St. Paul Catholic Church, 39 Garfield Ave., Evansville.
Reclaim the gift of Fear of the Lord
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| This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop. |
Dear Friends,
Last week I joined with a group of faithful men for their monthly time of prayer and spiritual reflection. With them I focused upon the seventh gift of the Holy Spirit, and I’d like to do the same with you here.
Hopefully you recall the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So many of us older folks have them memorized while unfortunately, some of the middle-aged and younger don’t even know that they have access to such gifts.
The gifts are: wisdom, understanding, council, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and Fear of the Lord. All of these gifts belong to the Christian first by way of their Baptism, and especially by the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation.
If we use them and count upon them, these gifts help to perfect virtues in us and aid us in living the moral life and in obeying divine inspiration in our life.
Fear of the Lord
While it’s likely that all of us could use a refresher on every one of these tremendous gifts, I want to focus on that seventh gift at the moment: Fear of the Lord. Perhaps the timing will seem odd, because we’re getting ready to commemorate the coming of God into the world as a tiny baby, but Fear of the Lord properly understood, dovetails perfectly with God’s plan for our salvation, and I hope to help you understand why.
All Saints Parish, Berlin, Christmas musical
BERLIN — For the second year in a row, everyone is welcome to attend the All Saints Parish, Berlin, Christmas musical called Twas the Night Before.
It takes place on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 3 p.m. at the Berlin High School Auditorium. All seats are reserved and tickets are $3.50.
All proceeds from the musical will be donated to the Berlin Food Pantry.
A Christmas gift for suffering South Sudan
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The world’s newest nation is in big trouble. After more than 20 years of civil war between the southern and northern areas of Sudan, the southern part of that country on July 9, 2011, became the independent nation of the Republic of South Sudan.
But the situation on the ground soon looked like South Sudan had not been born, but instead was still suffering intense labor pains.
The many years of war brought not only much death but also drained South Sudan of valuable resources, leaving it an extremely poor nation.