News Briefs: Dickeyville Grotto to mark 75th anniversary DICKEYVILLE -- Holy Ghost Parish here is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the dedication of the Dickeyville Grotto on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 3 p.m. An outdoor Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated by Bishop William H. Bullock, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Madison. The Dedication Mass took place on September 14, 1930 in the presence of over 10,000 people. Governor Walter Kohler was present, calling the grotto a "sermon in stone." Following the Mass there will be a procession to the grave of Fr. Mathias H. Wernerus, the builder of the grotto. He died of double pneumonia on February 10, 1931. A dinner will be served in the Holy Ghost School gym. A slide presentation of the history of the grotto will be shown. A display of items concerning the grotto and its history will be on display. For five years Father Wernerus and helpers from his parish worked tirelessly, fulfilling his dream of "Religion in stone . . . Patriotism in stone" in honor of God and country. As he said so often, "We built better than we knew." Father Wernerus dedicated the entire grotto to Jesus Christ King and to His Mother Mary. Since then, thousands of tourists from all over the world have visited the Dickeyville Grotto, leaving in great awe at the work and inspired by the vast amount of symbolism in the shrines. In recent years the School of Art Institute in Chicago has recognized the Dickeyville Grotto as a great example of "folk art" in the Upper Midwest. Theology-on-Tap MADISON -- Theology-On-Tap (TOT) - a speaker series for those in their 20s and 30s - has four sites this fall. Information on Madison, Beloit, and Cambridge were included in the September 1 issue of the Catholic Herald. Platteville's TOT will be held at Pizzeria Uno, 115 W. Business Hwy. 151, on Thursday nights beginning at 7 p.m. Dates, topics, and speakers include: Sept. 22: "Why We Do the Things We Do (Open Questions)," Fr. Bart Timmerman, Bloomington; Sept. 29: "Love, Sex, and Dating," Kate Wiskus, director of planning, Diocese of Madison; Oct. 6: "Catholics and Other Christians," Fr. O. Charles Schluter, Platteville; Oct. 13: "Faithful Citizenship," Fr. Jim Murphy, Portage. A finale with Bishop Robert C. Morlino will be held Friday evening, Oct. 7, at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison. For information go to www.madisonfaithandfamily.org/ young_adults.htm or call 608-821-3164. Lafayette Deanery BLANCHARDVILLE -- Immaculate Conception Parish here will host the fall meeting of the Lafayette Deanery Council of Catholic Women Thursday, Sept. 29. Theme is "The Eucharist: A Gift Given for Us." Registration is at 5 p.m. followed by business meeting at 5:30, concelebrated Mass at 6:15, and dinner at 7. Featured speaker will be Fr. David Wanish, Argyle. Reservations are due September 19 by phoning Agnes Ryser at 608-523-4718 or Mary Hendrickson at 608-523-4922. Cost is $6. Bring food for the Lafayette County food pantries. Support groups MADISON -- Peer support groups for those hurting from separation, divorce, or loss of a significant relationship will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, 401 S. Owen Dr., and from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at St. Dennis Parish Center, 413 Dempsey Rd., top floor. For information, call 608-821-3170. Mothers of Preschoolers STOUGHTON -- Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) at Night will meet Thursday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. in the gathering area of St. Ann Parish, 323 N. Van Buren St. Ann Garvin will speak on "Me Time." Childcare is not provided; however babies birth through three months are welcome. There is a $2 fee and scholarships are available. Call Susan Cook at 608-877-4039 or St. Ann Parish office at 608-873-7633. Silent No More retreats MADISON/BELOIT/MILWAUKEE -- Wisconsin Silent No More Awareness Campaign is sponsoring a series of discernment mini-retreats entitled "Telling Others About my Experience with Abortion." Retreats will be held in Madison on Thursday, Sept. 15; in Beloit on Saturday, Oct.15; and in Milwaukee on Saturday, Nov. 19. For information and registration materials, contact Leslie Graves at LBGraves@aol.com or 608-279-6239.
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African delegation:
To visit Madison

By Ben Weisse
OFFICE OF JUSTICE AND PASTORAL OUTREACH

(See also front-page sidebar: New fair trade program launched.)

MADISON -- Twelve delegates from the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, located in northern Ghana, will visit the Diocese of Madison as part of the Global Solidarity Partnership between the two dioceses.

	Related articles: July 28, 2005 edition: • Donkey Project fundraiser in Janesville June 30, 2005 edition: • Madison Diocese answers global justice, solidarity, and peace call January 27, 2005 edition: • Thomas Awiapo: Catholic Relief Services changed his life July 29, 2004 edition: • Walking together: Bishop from Ghana shares his perspective

Through living with families, the Ghanaian delegates will experience U.S. culture and share the stories of their lives.

Visiting delegation

Delegates will arrive via Chicago O'Hare on September 22 and depart on October 5. While in Madison, delegates will participate in many activities, including visiting many of the parishes in the 11-county Diocese of Madison, visiting local school and medical facilities, touring farms in southern Wisconsin, touring the Capitol, and participating in the launch of the Fair Trade Divine Chocolate. The delegates hope to meet many people in the Diocese of Madison, learn about the people and church of the diocese, and tell about the people and church from their diocese.

Opportunities for the public to meet the delegates include:

• September 23 - Fair Trade Divine Chocolate Launch at 7 p.m. at the Catholic Multicultural Center, 1862 Beld St., Madison.

• September 30 - U.S. residents who came from Ghana and/or from that region of Africa are invited to a potluck dinner at St. Peter Parish, 5001 N. Sherman Ave., Madison. Those that come are asked to bring an African dish to pass.

• Each of the 18 parishes that will be hosting these delegates will have opportunities for the public to meet the delegates.

The partnership between these two dioceses began in 2002 when a delegation of seven members from the Diocese of Madison traveled to northern Ghana. The partnership was made formal by the signing of the partnership agreement in January 2004 when the second delegation from the Diocese of Madison traveled to the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga.

Participating parishes

Participating parishes include: St. Joseph, Baraboo; Our Lady of Assumption, St. Jude, and St. Thomas, Beloit; Nativity of Mary and St. John Vianney, Janesville; St. John the Baptist, Jefferson; St. Clement, Lancaster; Blessed Sacrament, St. James, St. Maria Goretti, and St. Peter, Madison; St. Barnabas, Mazomanie; Sacred Heart, Reedsburg; St. Norbert, Roxbury; St. Ann, Stoughton; St. Bernard and St. Henry, Watertown; and St. Andrew, Verona.

I saw the face of Christ on faces of thousands of young people

By Fr. Paul Ugo Arinze
ST. JOSEPH PARISH, DODGEVILLE

(See also front-page photo.)

As I reflect on my pilgrimage to Cologne for World Youth Day (WYD) 2005, I have to start by saying that Christ is fully alive in the Church.

	Related articles: Sept. 1, 2005 edition: • Bishop Morlino's comments on World Youth Day 2005 Aug. 18, 2005 edition: • World Youth Day: Pilgrims encouraged to look for God's gifts Aug. 4, 2005 edition: • Madison pilgrims: Excited about trip to World Youth Day • What is World Youth Day? July 25, 2002 edition: • Coverage of World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, Canada

I saw the face of Christ on the faces of the thousands of young people who made their way to Cologne for this pilgrimage. They came for one reason only: to worship together with other pilgrims the one true God. Like the three wise men, we all saw his star and "we have come to worship him."

Volunteers welcoming

Once again Christ was alive in the hands of the many young people who volunteered their time and talent to welcome all the pilgrims for this event. People like Julia Peters and her friends (all teenagers) who formed a core group of volunteers at St Elisabeth Parish in Wuppertal, where many pilgrims from the Diocese of Madison were hosted.

At every event, on the streets of Cologne, at the venue for reconciliation, at the venues for catechetical instructions, at the food stations, with every foreign group, we saw the faces of Christ in these young volunteers in their orange shirts extending a hand of welcome to us. As the Scriptures relates to us in the Book of James, "by their good works, they have shown their faith."

Miracle on the river

Again, Christ was alive on the banks of the River Rhine, where we were fed with the Word of God by the Vicar of Christ. I thought of the many times Christ taught people from a boat while they were standing by the banks of the river.

The voice of Christ was alive in the words of the Holy Father to all the young people of the world: "To all of you I appeal: Open your hearts to God! Let yourselves be surprised by Christ! Share your joys and pains with Christ, and let him enlighten your minds with his light and touch your hearts with his grace."

Wow! That exactly was my immediate reaction as I heard those words with well over 300,000 that were estimated to be on both banks of the river to welcome the Holy Father. I was deeply moved by these words, but more so by the pin-drop silence that descended on the whole place while he was addressing us.

Eucharist is answer

Again and again in his addresses, the Pope called for a greater participation in the Eucharist. It is in the Eucharist that we will find the answers for our longing for lasting happiness.

The Holy Father said it best: "My dear young people, the happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth, hidden in the Eucharist. Only he gives the fullness of life to humanity! With Mary, say your own 'yes' to God, for he wishes to give himself to you."

"Ecce Sacerdos Magnus, qui in diebus suis placuit Deo." Behold the high priest who pleased God during his days. This traditional Latin chant greeted the Holy Father as he stepped into the Cologne cathedral on the day of his arrival for the WYD.

Christ the true High Priest who pleased God the Father during his days is inviting us to do the same. What I bring home from this pilgrimage is the fact that our High Priest, Jesus Christ, is truly alive in the many hearts of all the young people who are seeking him with a sincere heart.

I left Madison airport among 37 others, some who were strangers to me then. I came back with 37 friends in the Lord who have helped me to see the living face of Christ.

Words or pictures cannot fully tell or capture the miracles that took place during WYD. The journey to WYD Sydney 2008 starts today. Let us welcome Christ into our lives and the doors of life will be opened for us. Christus Vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!