News from around the 11 counties of the Diocese of Madison.
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Questions often raised during these weeks of social isolation and pandemic are: What am I learning from this experience? How will my life be different going forward? How will society change as a result?
I have heard from many people who are feeling a greater need for God in their lives. When we confront suffering, fear, loneliness, and privation, we gain greater insight into the essential nature of life’s meaning.
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| Volunteers at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Madison take donations for the Catholic Multicultural Center in Madison out of the back of a vehicle. (Contributed photo) |
MADISON — Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish (QP) saw an overflow of generosity at its first Drive-Thru Food Drive to benefit the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) on the morning of Sunday, April 19.
“Many of you are asking for ways to help as COVID-19 continues to affect our community on a daily basis, so QP’s Social Action and Community Enrichment Board teamed up with the St. Vincent de Paul conference to find a creative way to help our neighbors in need!” read the Facebook event page that was posted just six days before the event.
“We need your help to feed the hundreds of families that are continuing to suffer by filling the Catholic Multicultural Center’s food pantry!”
MADISON — “Hey, J. Gregory!” said a teen over the video conferencing platform Zoom. “Don’t you own a pair of scissors?”
Jaymes Gregory Curran, the youth director of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Madison, certainly wouldn’t have envisioned sitting in his parish’s empty youth room talking over Zoom a few months ago.
“I’d heard of Zoom before the pandemic hit,” he said. “But I have never been a fan of FaceTime, Skype, or other similar apps.”
Following is information on some of the livestreaming Masses and Rosaries offered by parishes in the Diocese of Madison.
Cathedral Parish, Madison: The Cathedral Parish invites people to join them in prayer online. Each weekday, Monday through Friday, Msgr. Kevin Holmes, rector, leads the Rosary in a livestream from the rectory at 12:15 p.m. Sunday Mass at 11 a.m. is also livestreamed from the Cathedral Parish at St. Raphael Church. Visit the cathedral Facebook page to join in these moments of prayer (@CathedralParishMadison). Note people can view the public posts on the page even if they don’t have a Facebook account.
MADISON — Ordinations, whether to the priesthood or the diaconate, are usually very busy events filled with making sure everyone is in their right seats; lining up the men to be ordained, priests, and others in the processional before the Mass; and dozens of people doing their parts during the Mass to make sure the sacred rites are done correctly and reverently.
However, on April 15, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, as Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison said during his homily, “It’s not the ordination that any of us would have anticipated.”
He added, “By being winnowed down to its essence, we see with greater clarity the beauty of what is about to happen.
MADISON — St. Thomas Aquinas Parish on Madison’s westside has recently installed a 72-panel solar array on its roof.
The 335-watt panels were installed in February and became fully operational on March 4 after being commissioned by Madison Gas and Electric.
The installation launched Phase 1 of the parish’s Make Disciples Capital Campaign. The new installation is expected to lower the parish’s carbon footprint by six percent and provide 10 percent of the electricity needed to power the church.Following is information on some of the livestreaming Masses and Rosaries offered by parishes in the Diocese of Madison.
Cathedral Parish, Madison: The Cathedral Parish invites people to join them in prayer online. Each weekday, Monday through Friday, Msgr. Kevin Holmes, rector, leads the Rosary in a livestream from the rectory at 12:15 p.m. Sunday Mass at 11 a.m. is also livestreamed from the Cathedral Parish at St. Raphael Church. Visit the cathedral Facebook page to join in these moments of prayer (@CathedralParishMadison). Note people can view the public posts on the page even if they don’t have a Facebook account.
In the Diocese of Madison, the Chrism Mass is typically celebrated on the Tuesday before Easter.
As another week of stay-at-home learning under Wisconsin’s “Safer at Home” directive draws to a close, some families might be feeling anxious and discouraged as they grapple with a mode of education they did not freely choose.
MADISON — The Board of Trustees of Edgewood College announced that Dr. Andrew Manion will serve as the ninth president of Edgewood College.
Dr. Manion most recently served as president of Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wis.
He will replace Sr. Mary Ellen Gevelinger, OP, Ed. D, who has served in the role of interim president since September 1, 2019.