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The Catholic Herald: Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Madison
NOTE:
There will be no Catholic Herald issue published on August 11, 2005. The next issue will be August 18, 2005.
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August 4, 2005 Edition   •   Volume 135, No. 27   •   Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

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The Catholic Herald
Mission Statement:


The Catholic Herald is the official newspaper of the Diocese of Madison. Its purpose is to inform and educate people of the Diocese through communications that proclaim Gospel values, report the news, and comment on issues as they pertain to the mission of the Catholic Church, which is to bring all in Jesus Christ to the Father.
map showing Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin in gold-orange

Awards:

• Web edition: Catholic Press Association Best Web Site: Third Place, 2005.

Award of Distinction, The Communicator Awards 2002 Print Media competition.

• Print edition: Award winner, Catholic Press Association 2005 awards competition.

New since the print edition ...

FOX Sports: To feature seminarian, football player

-- Posted: 8/9/2005

MADISON -- Ben Kessler, a seminarian from the Diocese of Madison and an all-conference senior defensive lineman at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., will be featured on FOX Sports NCAA On Campus show. The show will air on FOX Sports North at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, and replayed Friday, Aug. 26, at 1 p.m.

Kessler is a Janesville Craig High School graduate who plans to become a Catholic priest. He has a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while majoring in philosophy and business. Kessler is about to start his fourth year at the St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul and is one of 20 seminarians studying to be a priest in the Diocese of Madison, said vocations director Fr. Jim Bartylla.

In ESPN The Magazine, Kessler was named one of 25 players in NCAA Division II and III and NAIA on its College Division Football Academic All-America team in late 2004. He also repeated as a first-team Academic All-District selection.


Breaking News ...

Jury dismisses priest's suit; Bishop Morlino addresses background on case

-- Posted: 8/9/2005

JANESVILLE/MADISON -- On Aug. 4, a jury in Janesville decided against Fr. Gerald Vosen, a priest of the Diocese of Madison on administrative leave who claimed he was falsely accused of sexual abuse by a former altar boy.

After two hours of deliberation, the jury rejected claims that the now 26-year-old man had defamed Father Vosen. Father Vosen, 71, had sued the man in 2004 claiming the allegations were false. The jury concluded the allegations were substantially true.

Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison had placed Father Vosen on administrative leave in February of 2004. He said an investigation by the Diocesan Review Board had confirmed that at least one of three victims' allegations was credible. The diocese referred the case to the Vatican.

Because Father Vosen faces a canonical trial in the Diocese of Madison in the future, Bishop Morlino said that he cannot comment on the specifics of the verdict in the civil trial in Janesville. He did address the background on the case.

"With the advice of the Diocesan Review Board, I placed Father Vosen on administrative leave and reported the matter to the Holy See in accord with church law," said Bishop Morlino. "The Holy See has instructed that a canonical trial take place to determine Father Vosen's guilt or innocence. Thus any personal judgment in this matter is of no consequence because the matter will be resolved by a canonical tribunal of which I am not a member.

"All individuals have a right to a good name and to resort to the civil courts to protect their good name. While I would hope, that in general, Catholic priests would not resort to our civil court system, I cannot curtail their rights as citizens under the laws of the United States. It is our tradition in the United States that one is considered innocent until proven guilty.

"Since the canonical procedures ordered by the Holy See have begun, the whole matter is subject to pontifical secrecy and the penalties for any violation of this secrecy are very grave indeed," said Bishop Morlino. "So, as we continue to pray for all victims and for all priests, no one should be surprised at the lack of comment from the Bishop's Office or elsewhere."


Only in the print edition ...
News & Features:

Stem-cell:
Bush urged to veto legislation

Special section: Vacation guide

St. Vincent de Paul: Relocates food pantry, service center

Hospice House: Offers home-like atmosphere for patients, families

Columns:

• Guest column
by Douglas W. Kmiec --
Same-sex marriage:
Where will the high court go?

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photo of some of the young people and group leaders from Diocese of Madison who will attend World Youth Day in Germany

WORLD YOUTH DAY (photo posted 8/9/2005) -- Young people from throughout the Diocese of Madison gather Tuesday, Aug. 9, with Bishop Robert C. Morlino for Mass at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison before embarking on their pilgrimage to World Youth Day (WYD) in Cologne, Germany. Bishop Morlino encouraged the young people to look for the special gifts God will bestow upon each of them on their pilgrimage. Pilgrims and leaders of the WYD pilgrimage groups include: Fr. Eric Nielsen, left, pastor of St. Mary Help of Christians Parish, Sullivan, and St. Mary Parish, Palmyra; Ben Weisse, back row, second from right, associate director for youth ministry in the diocesan Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach; and Fr. Jim Bartylla, back row, right, director of the diocesan Office of Vocations. (Catholic Herald photo by Julianne Nornberg)

Madison pilgrims: Excited about trip to World Youth Day

MADISON -- Several groups of pilgrims from the Diocese of Madison will be traveling to Germany to attend World Youth Day (WYD).

Group with Ben Weisse

According to Ben Weisse, associate director for youth ministry in the diocesan Office for Justice and Pastoral Outreach, he is in charge of a group of 38 people, including seven under 18 years of age, 19 under 30, and 12 over 30. They will leave on Aug. 14 and return on Aug. 25.

What is
World Youth Day?
World Youth Day 2005 logo

World Youth Day 2005 logo

World Youth Day (WYD) is an international gathering of young adults that brings together young Roman Catholics from over 150 countries to celebrate their faith.

Participants will meet other young people who share the same faith and take part in a week-long program that culminates with a papal Mass.

Activities include opportunities to: attend sessions about the Catholic faith, receive the Sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation, participate in service projects, and attend a wide range of entertainment that will include concerts, plays, and dances.

For many, WYD is an unforgettable experience. Impressed by the presence and preaching of Pope John Paul II, participants in past WYD events in Denver, Manila, Paris, Rome, and Toronto have been inspired to follow their faith generously.

Parishes are represented from Ashton, Boscobel, Dodgeville, Janesville, Madison, Mt. Horeb, Platteville, and Stoughton.

Priests traveling with this group: Frs. Paul Ugo Arinze, St. Joseph, Dodgeville; Rob Butz, Immaculate Conception, Boscobel; Randy Timmerman, St. Paul University Center, Madison; and Steve Umhoefer, Nativity of Mary, Janesville.

Weisse attended the last WYD in Toronto, Canada. "It's such an awesome experience to be with so many others with the same faith, particularly meeting people from other parts of the world and putting a face to the universal church."

Members of the Madison delegation will be hosted by St. Elisabeth Parish in Wuppertal, Germany. Some will stay with families and others in the parish hall. Besides WYD activities, this group will travel to Salzburg and also visit the former concentration camp at Dachau.   Full story ...


Spiritual Feast:
Scott Hahn will be featured speaker Sept. 10

MADISON -- This year's Spiritual Feast with the theme "Salvation comes from our God . . . and from the Lamb" will be held Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison.

The featured speaker, Dr. Scott Hahn, is a popular Catholic lecturer, apologist, and theologian. He will speak on the richness of the sacraments, the power of reconciliation, and the Mass as the heavenly liturgy described in the book of Revelation.

Hahn is a former Protestant minister and a convert to Catholicism. He currently is a professor of theology and Scripture at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, where he has taught since 1990. He is the founder and director of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.
Full story ...


Catholic Herald summer publication schedule

During the summer months, The Catholic Herald will continue to be published weekly except for four issues. The remaining issue to be skipped is Aug. 11. Below is the deadline for the issue prior to the week skipped.

Issue Weeks covered Deadline Issue skipped
Aug. 4 first two weeks of Aug. July 27 Aug. 11

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