Growing in faith:
Diocesan Institute for Lay and Diaconate Formation

By Julianne Nornberg
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

Upcoming courses: Still open MADISON -- The monthly Diocesan Institute for Lay and Diaconate Formation held at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center offers continuing education opportunities in the areas of doctrine, scripture, spirituality, sacraments and liturgy, and ministry. Upcoming courses open for registration include: • "Ecclesiology," Saturday, June 15, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., given by Fr. Johann Roten, director of the International Marian Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio. Cost is $20. • "Mariology," Saturday, July 13, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., given by Sr. M. Marcia Vinje, associate director of the Diocesan Institute for Lay and Diaconate Formation. Cost is $20. • "Hispanic Church Today," Saturday, June 15, and Saturday, July 13, 7 to 9:30 p.m., given by Rev. Mr. Michael Moon, diocesan clergy. The June session is on the sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders. The July session is on Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. Cost is $10 per session. Instruction is in Spanish only. • "Pastoral Care of the Sick," Sunday, June 16, noon to 3:30 p.m., given by Paula McKenzie, chaplain of St. Marys Hospital Medical Center, Madison. Cost is $10 per session. • "Reflections on Liturgy," Sunday, July 14, noon to 3:30 p.m., given by Bishop William H. Bullock, bishop of Madison. Cost is $10 per session. To register or for more information, contact the Diocese of Madison's Office of Pastoral Services at 608-821-3083 or pastoral@straphael.org.

MADISON -- Seeing the connections between scripture, Catholic teachings, and Catholic rites and liturgies. Challenging people to come to know Christ more personally and more deeply. Stressing the need for personal growth in faith.

These are just some of the lessons participants have learned in the monthly Diocesan Institute for Lay and Diaconate Formation, sponsored by the Diocese of Madison's Office of Pastoral Services.

The most recent institute weekend took place May 4-5 at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center here. It began with morning prayer on Saturday with Bishop William H. Bullock presiding.

Courses offered during the weekend included topics such as Christian anthropology and pastoral care of the sick.

Multicultural church

Sunday began with a Mass at which Fr. Johann Roten, director of the International Marian Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio, presided. Concelebrating priests included Fr. Eduardo Ortega, priest of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, and Frs. Peter Claver Anorue and Francis Xavier Ekwugha, priests of the Archdiocese of Owerri, Nigeria.

Kate Wiskus, director of the Diocesan Institute for Lay and Diaconate Formation, pointed out the importance of the diversity of the church, portrayed by the celebration of Mass by the Swiss priest, Hispanic priest, and Nigerian priests.

Marian spirituality

Marian spirituality was one of the topics Roten addressed in a course during the weekend.

"When we talk of Marian prayer, there are three types: memory prayers in and through which we remember the mysteries of Jesus; prayers oriented to praising God; and invocation," said Roten.

In prayers of remembering, Mary helps us to remember what our Christian tradition means: Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection, he said. "In that prayer, we pray with Mary."

That is what is primary in the praying of the rosary, he said. "Mary walks us through that prayer."

In prayers of praise, we pray through Mary, said Roten. "We look at Mary and through her we see God."

In prayers of invocation, we pray to Mary to formulate the prayer for God, the ultimate recipient, he said. "She guides us to a better understanding of God's will and the mysteries of Jesus. It is a way of saying, 'Yes, I want a certain favor, but let me be guided so that I can understand the will of God.'"

News Briefs: Fr. William O'Neill's golden jubilee ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Fr. William O'Neill, a native of Janesville and a longtime faculty member at the University of St. Thomas, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination at a noon Mass Sunday, May 19, in the university's Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas. A reception will follow in the second-floor dining room of the Murray-Herrick Campus Center on the St. Thomas campus. All are welcome; for information or to make reservations, call Mary Margaret Hoden at 651-962-6981. O'Neill, 75, was ordained May 18, 1952, as a priest of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Coupons for breast screening available BARABOO -- Coupons for breast cancer screening will be on sale at St. Clare Hospital at a cost of $50 through Friday, May 17. With the coupon, women over age 35 will receive a mammogram with radiologist interpretation and information on breast self-examination. The coupon may be purchased between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. in outpatient registration located at the outpatient services entrance to the hospital. For more information, call St. Clare Hospital at 608-356-1434. Christian Leadership Institute MADISON -- Are you a high school student who wants to develop your leadership potential and wants to grow as a Catholic? If so, the Christian Leadership Institute (CLI) is an experience to consider. The institute will be held at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center from 2 p.m. Monday, June 10, through 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 14. The institute is for young people between ages 15 and 18 who are or will be in a parish, high school, or diocesan leadership role. A limited number of J.R. Eastman Memorial Scholarships are available. For more information, contact Ben Weisse, associate director of the Diocese of Madison's Office of Religious Education, at 608-821-3164 or bweisse@straphael.org. Registration and scholarship forms may be downloaded from www.madisonfaithandfamily.org. Registration and scholarship forms must be received by May 24. Dementia series in June BARABOO -- A free, three-part education series for families of persons in the later stages of dementia will begin on Wednesday, June 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Clare Hospital, 707 14th St. in Baraboo. "Facility Care: Making the Decision, Easing the Transition" is the topic of the first session, followed by "Care Needs and Medical Decision Making" on Wednesday, June 12, and "Grief, Guilt, and Spirituality" on Wednesday, June 19. Refreshments will be served. Participants are urged to attend all three workshops. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call the Alzheimer's Association at 608-232-3400 or 800-428-9280 or Cori Marsh at The Clarion Center, 608-355-1809.

In all these ways, we pray to God in order to better understand his will, said Roten.

Other presenters of courses during the weekend included: Bob Bright, professor emeritus, University of Wisconsin Extension; Ortega; and Paula McKenzie, chaplain of St. Marys Hospital Medical Center, Madison.

Importance of institute

"It's hard to overstate the importance of the Institute," said Jerome Buhman, parishioner at St. Maria Goretti Parish, Madison.

In preparing future deacons and lay ministers for service to people in the diocese, the institute plays several roles, he said.

"It offers a terrific educational experience for the participants, bringing scholars, educators, and professionals from a variety of fields to share their knowledge and expertise with us. The opportunities provided for prayer and reflection provide for spiritual enrichment.

"The staff of the institute provide a terrific example of service by their hard work and wonderful attitude.

"Finally, the institute provides its members with the opportunity to grow as community - we all pray, work and joke together, establishing bonds of support that will prove invaluable in our ministry."

The institute has helped Buhman grow, he said. "I've grown intellectually through the study of scripture, liturgy, music, church history, and myriad other topics which have enabled me to see the richness and depth of Catholicism (and how much more there is to learn!).

"I've grown spiritually through group prayer, retreats, and being touched by the lives of those in our community," he said.

In-depth dimension

Another diaconate program participant, Tom Hale of Sacred Heart Parish in Reedsburg, said, "The structure of the institute brings an in-depth and healthy dimension to the study of our Catholic faith by the interaction of those in the diaconate program, their wives, and those studying for certification as lay ministers.

"Our bishop as shepherd of the Madison Diocese has given us goals, directives, and education to more closely mirror our Catholic social teaching to the world in which we live. The Diaconate and Lay Institute is a tangible living expression of this evangelization.

"Our bishop through the working of the Holy Spirit has given permission for the existence of the institute. The institute is the vehicle by which the vocation of deacon will be brought to the Diocese of Madison," Hale said.

Growing together

"Through study, prayer, liturgy, and community we are immersed in an environment that promotes spiritual growth, faith formation, and service orientation," said lay participant Catherine Schneider of St. Andrew Parish, Verona.

"For me it has been a time for deep spiritual growth and an increasing awareness of the loving presence of God in my life."

She explained that orientation at the institute is toward preparing to be of service to the people of God in the Diocese of Madison.

"Both those preparing to become deacons and those in lay ministry have been training together which has enriched us all since we will be working together in parish life," she said. "We have developed a strong sense of community and share each other's joys and sorrows as well as draw mutual support from one another. We are church."