News Briefs: Discussions on justice and peace MADISON -- The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 and the U.S. response call for renewed reflection on justice and peace in light of Catholic social teaching. J. Mark Brinkmoeller, director of the Diocese of Madison's Office for Justice and Peace, will lead a presentation and discussion on Catholic teaching on war and peace in light of the events of Sept. 11 and beyond. The schedule of future presentations is as follows: • Monday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m., at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, 307 W. Cook St., Portage; • Tuesday, Dec. 11, 5:30 p.m., at St. Raphael Cathedral, 222 W. Main St., Madison; • Wednesday, Jan. 9, 7 p.m., at Holy Mother of Consolation Parish, 651 N. Main St., Oregon; • Thursday, Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. presentation, at St. John the Baptist Parish, 214 N. Sanborn Ave., Jefferson; • Wednesday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m., at St. Patrick Parish (senior high), 305 Lincoln St., Janesville; • Thursday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m., at Christ the King Parish, 5306 Main St., McFarland. Additional presentations will be announced. For more information call the Office for Justice and Peace, 608-821-3086. World Youth Day registrations open MADISON -- The Diocese of Madison is still accepting registrations for World Youth Day, an international gathering of young adults ages 16-35, which will take place in Toronto, Canada, in July 2002. The delegation from the Diocese of Madison will depart from the Madison area July 22, 2002 and return July 29, 2002. Bishop William H. Bullock and Auxiliary Bishop George O. Wirz will join the group in Toronto. Currently, 115 people from the Diocese of Madison are registered for the trip, but there are still about 25 spaces left on the buses. These spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. General questions may be answered by visiting www.wyd2002.org. To register or for more information, contact Ben Weisse, Office of Religious Education, 608-821-3164 or bweisse@straphael.org. Seminarians plan caroling tour MADISON -- Diocese of Madison seminarians studying at Mundelein Seminary are planning their 39th annual caroling tour. The group will be caroling at 10 sites across the diocese during the weekend of Dec. 14 through 16. The group is sustained by financial support from clergy of the Diocese of Madison. Parish mission in Belleville BELLEVILLE -- Fr. Michael Crosby, a Capuchin, will guide the communities of St. Mary and St. James Parishes through a parish mission on Dec. 9 through 13. Theme of the mission-retreat will be Compassion: The Core of our Spiritual Life. Crosby will be offering presentations at 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Monday through Thursday mornings and evening presentations 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday evenings. Each session is unique. The public is welcome to attend. Prayer service for healing SINSINAWA -- The Sinsinawa Dominicans extend an invitation for people to join them for a prayer service calling for healing in the church, society, and world at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, at the gathering place at Sinsinawa Mound. People may also join the Dominicans in silent contemplation at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 on Dec. 7 at the Mound.

Feast of Our Lady
of Guadalupe to be observed in Madison

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."

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)

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.

"It indicates that this is a special woman on a very special day," she said.

Patroness of the Americas

When asked why the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is so important to Hispanic people, Wolf quoted Fr. Virgil Elizondo, expert on Our Lady of Guadalupe: "There has been no happening since the event of Pentecost that has had an impact as great, revolutionary, profound, permanent, healing, and liberating as the happening of the apparition of Our Lady to Juan Diego."

"Our Lady came to offer consolation when people were being decimated and had no hope at all," said Wolf. "As a result of her appearance, it was an opportunity for the birth of faith rooted in the culture of the people. Nine million people were converted in 10 years.

"It's a very emotional feast," said Wolf, pointing out that Our Lady of Guadalupe has moved beyond being the Mexican virgin and has been declared patroness of the Americas.

Special Mass

A Mass will be celebrated in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Raphael Cathedral, 222 W. Main St.

Those attending are invited to wear traditional costumes and/or bring flowers for Our Lady of Guadalupe or the flag of their native country.

Beginning at 11 a.m. will be a procession including a statue of Our Lady and children from religious education classes at Centro Guadalupano. People are welcome to bring up flowers to place before the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The entrance procession for Mass will begin at 11:30 a.m. Bishop George O. Wirz will preside and preach at the Mass. Concelebrating priests will include Msgrs. Daniel Ganshert, Larry Kieffer, Joseph Higgins; Frs. Lawrence Bakke, George Fox, Bart Timmerman, Leo Petrimoulx, Douglas Dushack, and Kevin Holmes.

The Mass will mark the first public performance of "Estudiantina," a new Hispanic musical group under the direction of Toni Kellor. Before the recessional, a short dramatic presentation will be presented by the sixth grade religious education class from Centro Guadalupano.

All are invited to enjoy hot chocolate and Mexican sweetbread in the church hall afterward.

Everyone is welcome. For more information, contact the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry at 608-821-3092 or Centro Guadalupano at 608-255-8471.

Collection for retired religious:

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.

Area grants to religious orders Women religious in orders located in the Diocese of Madison that received grants from the Retirement Fund for Religious in 2000 include: Cistercian Nuns, Prairie Du Sac, $4,180.90; and Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, Sinsinawa, $738,712.24. Other orders providing service in the Diocese of Madison that received grants include: School Sisters of Notre Dame, Elm Grove, $238,104.55; School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee, $944,060.83; Sisters of the Divine Savior, Milwaukee, $91,391.44; Society of the Divine Savior, Milwaukee, $44,572.88; Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis, $274,325.93; and Sisters of St. Joseph, TOSF, Stevens Point, $314,910.45.

There are an estimated 35,000 retired sisters and 5,000 retired priests and brothers in U.S. religious orders. Total cost of care for them in independent, assisted living, and nursing homes last year was an estimated $718 million.

The unfunded retirement liability of religious orders is estimated at $6.1 billion. Women religious are especially hard hit for two reasons: The stipends they received for most of their working lives were even smaller than those given religious priests and brothers, and a higher percentage of their members are retired. About 35 percent of religious priests and brothers are over 70 years old, but 53 percent of women religious are over 70.

The average Social Security income of a retired religious is less than $4,000 -- about one-fifth the average cost of care per person.

Helping religious orders

The collection is administered by the National Religious Retirement Office at the bishops' national headquarters in Washington. It distributes 96 percent of donations directly to religious orders in the form of basic grants or, in some cases of particular need, special or supplemental assistance. It also helps orders develop or improve their retirement planning services.

Of $32.6 million contributed last year, $32.2 million was distributed in basic or supplemental grants.

"The religious work in everything from schools, houses of prayer and parishes to soup kitchens, AIDS hospices and day care centers," said Sr. Andree Fries, a Sister of the Precious Blood who is executive director of the retirement office. "They continue to respond to the physical and spiritual needs all about them and are grateful that the entire church is willing to help them care for their elderly members."

Fr. Lambert Marx: Died Dec. 1

Death Notices

Sinsinawa Dominicans

Fr. Gene Gilles