PINE BLUFF — […]
Category: Around the Diocese
News from around the 11 counties of the Diocese of Madison.
Teacher celebrates 40 years in Catholic education
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| St. John the Baptist School in Jefferson teacher Margie Schels, middle, stands with eighth graders Josie Peterson, left, and Karsen Powell, right, during a recent celebration honoring Schels’ 40 years as a Catholic school teacher and more than 20 years teaching at St. John the Baptist. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
JEFFERSON — As the annual observance of Catholic Schools Week came to a close at St. John the Baptist School in Jefferson, Principal Susan Loof made a bold, but appropriate statement to a teacher sitting in the front row of church.
“You are Catholic education . . . Today is your day to be appreciated in a very public way.”
The teacher was Margie Schels, who was being recognized in that public way for her 40 years as a Catholic school teacher.
Schels teaches religion and math to seventh and eighth graders and is the eighth grade homeroom teacher.
“She touched so many lives,” said eighth grader Josie Peterson. “She cares for other students and she’s very kind and she helps people grow a lot in their faith.”
“She has so many amazing features about herself and she’s just a really amazing person,” said eighth grader Karsen Powell. “I look up to her — she’s just a great teacher.”
State Catholic Conference urges action on refugees
MADISON — The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops, issued an action alert on February 3 calling on concerned citizens to take action in solidarity with refugees.
The WCC said that President Donald Trump has issued an Executive Order with “devastating impacts on refugee resettlement in the United States.”
Blessed Sacrament Parish Diaper Drive
MADISON — Fr. Andy McAlpin, OP, pastor at Blessed Sacrament Parish, challenged parishioners to donate a month’s supply of diapers to Pregnancy Helpline.
The parishioners blew past the goal of 6,000 diapers and collected a total of 8,942, nearly a month and a half of diapers.
Diocese offers ‘Protecting God’s Children for Parents’
MADISON — The Diocese of Madison’s Office of Safe Environment is offering a special session of “Protecting God’s Children for Parents.” This session will be held Tuesday, March 21, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bishop O’Connor Center Auditorium Conference Room.
While this session is geared toward parents/guardians, it also satisfies the compliance requirement for employees and volunteers.
Lenten retreat for Latino families
“To become saints only one thing is necessary: to accept the grace that the Father gives us in Jesus Christ. There, this grace changes our heart.” — Pope Francis, The Church of Mercy
MADISON — St. Thomas Aquinas Parish is hosting a Lenten retreat for Latino families, “Encounter Jesus,” on Sunday, March 5, from 1 to 7:30 p.m.
Parish mission features Jon Leonetti
MONONA — Immaculate […]
Educators attend adaptive catechesis presentation
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| Members of MDREO (Madison Diocese Religious Educators’ Organization) participate in a videoconference with Michele Chronister, the co-chair of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability’s Council on Intellectual and Development Disabilities, during a recent session at Holy Name Heights in Madison. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — “The only real disability is rejecting the Holy Spirit.”
Those powerful and profound words were some of many heard at a recent session of MDREO — the Madison Diocese Religious Educators’ Organization.
Their January 26 session at Holy Name Heights was all about the importance of adaptive catechesis — catechesis for those with disabilities, especially intellectual and developmental.
The presenter was Michele Chronister, the co-chair of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability’s Council on Intellectual and Development Disabilities.
Chronister has written books and articles on adaptive catechesis.
She was originally scheduled to travel to Madison for the program, but was unable to, and instead pre-recorded some videos, specially for the Madison audience. She also participated in a live videoconference later in the day.
The program was made possible with help from a grant from the Diocese of Madison Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities.
The theology of vocation
Chronister’s first pre-recorded talk was on the theology of vocation.
She said when one hears “vocation,” they usually think of marriage, the priesthood, or the Religious Life and added there are people with disabilities who are living out all of those vocations.
Middlecamp elected national SVDP president
MADISON — Ralph Middlecamp, CEO and executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) council in Dane County, has been elected to a six-year term as the society’s national president.
The result of the national election was announced by the SVDP National Council of the United States. Middlecamp’s six-year term as national president, an unpaid volunteer position, is slated to begin October 1.
Presentation on Jesuit retreats
MADISON — A […]