Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
to be observed in Madison

People from the Diocese of Madison gather each year at St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison for a special Mass honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. Above, dressed in outfits celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe are Thomas Jefry Gonzalez and Javier Salazar of Sauk City. (Patrick Scullion photo)

MADISON -- "How beautiful is the morning when I come to greet you," people will sing in Spanish as they gather with candles and flowers at 5 a.m. at Centro Guadalupano at 2326 S. Park St., Suite 100, in Madison for a traditional serenade to Our Lady of Guadalupe on her Dec. 12 feast day.

"All of us come with joy and pleasure to greet you," continues the Maņanitas, the traditional morning song which means "little morning." "On the day you were born, all the flowers were born. In the baptismal font, the nightingales sing. Already the sun is rising and the day gives us light. Get up, little Virgin. Look, the sun already rose."

This morning gathering will be new this year for Centro Guadalupano, but it's an old tradition, said Sr. Teresa Ann Wolf, director of the Diocese of Madison's Office of Hispanic Ministry. She explained that the Mañanitas is usually sung to the person being honored during special days such as Mother's Day or birthdays.   Full Story ...

Collection for retired religious:

Aided by Catholic actor

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The yearly Catholic collection for retired religious is getting an added boost this year with Catholic actor Martin Sheen doing public service ads on radio and television.

Sheen, star of the NBC drama "The West Wing," said he wanted to help the campaign out of his admiration and respect for the Notre Dame de Namur Sisters and Marianist Brothers who taught him as he grew up in Dayton, Ohio.

"They had a profound impact," he said. "I've been inspired and nourished by them. Their families were like our families; their fathers were immigrants and laborers.

"They understood that if you went to school without meeting a certain standard of 'clean,' it might be because you had no hot water," he added. "They never made a big deal of their charity. If you didn't have money for a lunch ticket, they just gave you one. No big deal."

Collection for retired

His comments were in an announcement released recently by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to promote this year's collection, which is to be taken up in most U.S. parishes Dec. 8 and 9. The collection has raised $351 million for retired religious priests, brothers, and sisters since it was begun in 1988.   Full Story ...