Category: Around the Diocese

News from around the 11 counties of the Diocese of Madison.

On
Chris Lee

Parish mission on forgiveness, mercy

PORTAGE — For the first time in a decade, the parishes of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Portage and St. Mary Help of Christians in Briggsville will be hosting a parish mission the evenings of March 5 to 8 in Portage.

Presented by native son, Fr. John Meoska, OSB, the theme for the mission is “Mercy and Faithfulness Have Met” based on Psalm 85:10. Father Meoska’s presentations will focus on the mercy and faithfulness which God shows His people and our call to answer Him in the same way.

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Deacon Jim Hoegemeier, For the Catholic Herald

Berlin audience hears about impact of human trafficking

BERLIN — On the evening of February 7, over 125 people filled the hall at All Saints Parish in Berlin to learn more about the impact of human trafficking at the local level.

Sr. Carol Haanen of 5-stones, an organization based in the Fox Valley that raises awareness about the dangers and magnitude of human trafficking in Wisconsin, shared startling statistics with the crowd.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Conference on end of life issues to be held March 4

FITCHBURG — The Pro-life Healthcare Alliance (a program of the Human Life Alliance) and the Wisconsin Catholic Medical Guilds are sponsoring a conference on “Dignity at the End of Life, from Suffering to Hope” to be held on Saturday, March 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Wyndham Garden Hotel, 2969 Cahill Main in Fitchburg.

The conference will feature six presentations:

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Kevin Wondrash

Bishop grants dispensation from abstinence on St. Patrick’s Day

MADISON — The bishops of Wisconsin determined together that since St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday this year (March 17), it would be appropriate to dispense the faithful from the obligation of abstinence from eating meat that day.

Since this must be done by each bishop in his own diocese, Bishop Robert C. Morlino has issued a “Rescript Granting Dispensation” for the “faithful who reside in the Diocese of Madison, as well as anyone actually present in the Diocese of Madison” on March 17, 2017.

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Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Teacher celebrates 40 years in Catholic education

margie schels
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.”

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