News Briefs: Diocesan choir to sing in Green Lake GREEN LAKE -- The Madison Diocesan Choir will sing for the 5 p.m. Mass at Our Lady of the Lake Parish, 530 Ruth St., on Saturday, Oct. 8. Immediately following Mass, the choir will present a concert of sacred choral music (no admission charge). All are invited to Mass and the concert. For more information, call 920-294-6440. Our Lady of the Lake Church is wheelchair accessible. Adult series on end of life issues MADISON -- A two-part adult education series on end of life issues will be presented at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, 401 S. Owen Dr. People are invited to attend either or both sessions to be held in the church gathering space. There is no registration required. On Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. Fr. Pat Norris will discuss "Catholic Perspective: End of Life Conversations." He will talk about death, dying, and advance directives. In addition to being pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Madison, Father Norris is the bishop's coordinator of health care for the Diocese of Madison. On Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m., staff from the church, funeral home, and cemetery will talk about "Planning a Funeral." This program offers an opportunity to plan ahead on matters related to death and dying. Rosary retreat in Sinsinawa SINSINAWA -- A retreat to learn how to add movement to the praying of the rosary will be offered at Sinsinawa Mound from 7:30 p.m. October 21 to 1 p.m. October 23. "Moving through the Rosary" will allow people to experience the relevance of traditional meditative prayer to the contemporary life journey. Rosaries will be provided, and, if weather permits, some sessions may take place outdoors. To register, call Guest Services at 608-748-4411 or register online at www.sinsinawa.org. The registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 7. Deanery meeting DE FOREST -- St. Olaf Parish here will host the fall meeting of the East Dane Deanery Council of Catholic Women on Thursday, Oct. 20. The theme is "Journey of Hope." Registration is at 5 p.m. followed by recitation of the rosary at 5:40. A concelebrated Mass will be offered at 6 with Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt, Sun Prairie, diocesan moderator, as homilist. Dinner will be served at 6:45. Ben Weisse, diocesan coordinator of the Global Solidarity Partnership, will be the guest speaker at 7:30. A business meeting will follow. Reservations are due October 10 to Joanne Meinholz, 7502 Patton Rd., De Forest, WI 53532. The cost is $7. Monetary donations will be taken for the Donkey Program. Mammograms offered BARABOO -- Coupons for breast cancer screening will be on sale at St. Clare Hospital at a cost of $50 from Monday, Oct. 10, through Friday, Oct. 21. With the coupon, women over age 35 will receive a mammogram with radiologist interpretation and information on breast self-examination. The coupon is valuable to those who do not have health insurance, have high deductibles for mammogram, or insurance that does not cover mammograms. The coupons can be purchased at the hospital's 14th St. information desk. They can be redeemed up to six months after the date of purchase. For more information, call St. Clare Hospital at 608-356-1434. Adult Catholic Spirit Club JANESVILLE -- The Adult Catholic Spirit Club will have a 12 noon potluck luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at St. John Vianney's Marian Hall. The program at 1 p.m. will feature magician Jerry Cox. All area men and women are invited. There are no membership dues.
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Strategic planning:
In-pew survey to be taken
in all parishes

MADISON -- As part of its pastoral strategic planning process, the Diocese of Madison is asking every parish to conduct in-pew parishioner surveys during the month of November to gain important information and insights from the faithful.

Regional meetings are being held to provide information to parish pastors, staff, and leadership on the survey.

Survey all adults

The surveys will provide an opportunity for every adult in every Catholic parish in the diocese to weigh in on issues and concerns that they face as a local church. Parishioners from outside of Dane County will have an equal opportunity to participate in this process.

	Related articles: From August 25, 2005 edition: • Planning for the future: Diocese undertakes new process • Sidebar: Did you know? From June 9, 2005 edition: • Kate Wiskus: Named director of diocesan Office of Planning From April 21, 2005 edition: • Strategic plan: Demographic report, survey will provide foundation

The kick-off weekend is November 5 and 6. Most parishes will conduct the survey that weekend in conjunction with their weekend liturgies. Those parishes that have a conflict with that date because of parish functions or celebrations such as Confirmation will select another weekend in November to launch the survey.

On the kick-off weekend, individuals 18 years or older will be asked to complete the survey while at Mass. The surveys will provide information to the diocese and the parishes as to the level of support for ways of providing for ministry and worship with fewer priests.

Survey takers will also indicate their level of support for the ministries of the diocesan church and their level of satisfaction with various aspects of parish life and parish programs. Finally, the surveys will help in providing important demographic information about Catholics of the diocese.

Parishes receive data

Parishes will receive the data collected from the surveys completed in their pews. This information will help the parish pastor and leadership to begin strategizing for the parish's future.

The data will give indications as to which programs are working well and which need improvement. The demographic information will help the parishes to better understand the needs of their membership based on age, ethnicity, education, and income.

Regional meetings

Regional meetings for pastors and parish leadership delegates as named by the pastor will be held the week of October 10 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.: Monday, Oct. 10, at St. John the Baptist Parish in Montello; Tuesday, Oct. 11, at St. William Parish in Janesville; Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison; Thursday, Oct. 13, at St. Mary Parish in Platteville.

Facing challenges

The last pastoral strategic planning process for the diocese was conducted in 1996 and provided a 10-year plan. Since 1996, 43 additional parishes have entered into "shared pastor" status. Currently 88 of the 134 parishes of the diocese share a pastor with at least one other parish. The number of Catholics in the diocese has grown from 256,000 in 1996 to over 271,000 in 2005.

During that same period of time, the number of diocesan priests has declined from 127 to 91. It is anticipated that with the retirement of the largest ordination classes of the diocese in the near future, that number may be reduced by an additional 37. The diocese is blessed with 20 seminarians in formation at this time. However, the next ordinations will not be until 2008. Currently there are four men in that class.

Kate Wiskus, director of the Office of Planning, said, "It is paramount that we do this pastoral strategic planning at this time. We are compelled to do it in order to ensure the future of Christ's Church in the Diocese of Madison.

"We are facing very real challenges as the number of faithful increase, the centers of population shift, and the number of priests in active ministry decline. The planning process is intended to identify how we can best serve the people of the Diocese of Madison and at the same time ensure quality of life and ministry for the priests of the diocese," she said.

State Senate: Passes pro-life legislative proposals

MADISON -- The State Senate passed various bills regarding pro-life issues September 28 and 29.

"Wisconsin has not seen such a day when so many vulnerable individuals received protection through the courageous votes of a majority of State Senators," said Susan Armacost, legislative director for Wisconsin Right to Life.

"Whether it was saving cloned human embryos from creation and destruction, providing women seeking abortions with critical information, expanding conscience rights within the medical community, or facilitating the donation of infant cord blood, it was a monumental day for pro-life public policy," she said.

The State Senate approved:

• Assembly Bill (AB) 499 by a vote of 21-12 - This ban on all human cloning would include reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning (in which embryos are created and killed for stem cell research). An amendment to outlaw reproductive cloning but permit therapeutic cloning was narrowly defeated in a 17-16 vote.

In affirming the passage of AB 499, Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) Executive Director John Huebscher said, "The Senate's action clearly establishes that the public has a role, indeed a responsibility, to set boundaries for ethical research. AB 499 draws a line that will not stop the advancement of scientific knowledge and the discovery of cures, but instead points the way toward ethical means of achieving those shared goals."

Governor Jim Doyle stated his intentions to veto the legislation, stating that a prohibition on human cloning will prevent Wisconsin scientists from finding cures that save lives. Huebscher argued, "The issue is not whether or not one supports cures, but whether or not one supports unlimited means to arrive at those cures."

Related articles: Sept. 15, 2005 edition: • Eye on the Capitol -- With budget enacted: Legislature turns to other concerns June 30, 2005 edition: • Editorial -- Cloning ban: Support effort to protect all human life June 9, 2005 edition: • Editorial -- Plea to Legislature: Please don't destroy life May 19, 2005 edition: • Editorial -- As abortions drop: It's time to take a second look March 17, 2005 edition: • Guest Commentary -- Pharmacist: Punished for beliefs November 25, 2004 edition: • Eye on the Capitol -- Debate over biotechnology: Raises ethical and moral questions April 29, 2004 edition: • Editorial -- Pharmacists: Protect their conscience rights

"We commend the Wisconsin State Senate for placing a total ban on the destructive and dehumanizing practice of human cloning," said Peggy Hamill, state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin.

"Pro-Life Wisconsin wants to see research move forward in the hopes of discovering treatments for disease and we can move forward ethically so long as we do not create life simply to kill it for the benefit of others," she said. "Wisconsinites deserve the assurance that their state can build on its lead in biotechnology without compromising its bioethics."

• Senate Bill (SB) 138 by a vote of 21-12 - The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act requires that a woman seeking an abortion after 20 weeks gestation or later be informed that her unborn child is capable of experiencing substantial pain from the abortion procedure. SB 138 now moves to the State Assembly for consideration.

• AB 207 by a vote of 21-12 - The Conscience Protection Act allows medical professionals and health care facilities and students to refuse to participate for conscience reasons in eight specific activities which deal with the deliberate destruction of human life.

"Even as the state seeks to balance individual rights in a way that best secures the freedom of all, the state must protect any person from compulsion to act in ways that contradict his or her religious and moral values," Huebscher said.

The governor vetoed similar legislation last session and has signaled his intentions to do so again.

• AB 270 by a 33-0 vote - The Cord Blood Bill requires that a pregnant woman be informed that she can donate her newborn infant's umbilical cord blood to cord blood banks. The bill enhances the availability of adult stem cells for research and treatment.

"Ethically unproblematic, clinically proven cord blood stem cells are adult-type stem cells that do not require the destruction of human embryos and that have successfully treated many life-threatening diseases," said Matt Sande, director of legislative affairs for Pro-Life Wisconsin.

The bill received bi-partisan support and according to WCC, the governor will likely sign this measure.