NOTE: The first Rural Life Listening Session scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, in Highland has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No decisions have been made yet on other scheduled sessions in November. A session in Iowa County will be rescheduled sometime after January 1.
The Diocese of Madison Rural Life Ministry is coordinating listening sessions in all 11 counties, so that Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison and diocesan leaders can better understand the blessings and challenges of our rural communities.
We watch with great concern the crises our farmers face, especially the loss of family farms, financial failure, plunging dairy and meat prices, and increasing costs of production, all the while being more productive than ever-before.
Obviously, something is not right across the heartland of our nation, and the first step towards relief seems to be taking the time and energy to listen and gather the stories, concerns and potential remedies of those who perform the most basic and necessary vocation to our world as providers of our “daily bread”.
This process of gathering and assessing local needs will help us to assess current services and explore opportunities to provide a more compassionate response to struggling individuals and families across our rural landscape.
The first Rural Life Listening Session will be Thursday, Nov. 12, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and will be hosted by Ss. Anthony and Philip Parish of Highland, in Iowa County; 726 Main St., Highland, 53543.
A second Rural Life Listening Session will be Monday, Nov. 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and will be hosted by St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Green County; 1760 14th St., Monroe, 53566.
A third Rural Life Listening Session will be Thursday, Nov. 19, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at St. Lawrence Church in Jefferson County; W4926 Hwy. 18, 53549.
Interested attendees are reminded of the pandemic protocol for masks at each parish session.
Bishop Hying is planning on attending these first three scheduled listening sessions
Additional Rural Life Listening Sessions’ locations and times will be featured in the Catholic Herald and local parish bulletins as well as the Diocese of Madison website or by contacting the Rural Life Office coordinator Tom Nelson at 608-438-7154 or by email at tomnelson.art@gmail.com