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The Catholic Herald: Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Madison
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February 1, 2007 Edition   •   Volume 137, No. 4   •   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, 2006 awards competition:

• First place for best editorial on a local issue

• First place for best news writing on a local/regional event

• First place for best general news photo

• Third place for best editorial page or editorial section

• Honorable mention for best single ad - black and white

Breaking News ...

Jack McBride dies:
Served on diocesan, national levels

-- Posted: 2/5/2007, 4:14 p.m. Central Time

photo of Jack J. McBride
Jack J. McBride

MADISON -- Jack J. McBride, associate director of the Diocese of Madison's Office of Evangelization and Catechesis and a national leader in adult religious education, died on Thursday, Feb. 1, at age 53 after a long battle with cancer.

Bishop Robert C. Morlino will preside at McBride's Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Madison. Bishop Morlino commented about him, "Jack was a very faithful co-worker of the truth. Even when he was quite sick, Jack was determined to work hard so that people could receive the truth of Christ. His fidelity to the truth was a sign that he drew his strength from the truth.

Full story ...


Parish catechetical leaders: Gather with Bishop Morlino

MADISON -- All priests, school principals, parish directors, and coordinators of religious education, and youth ministers have been asked to join Bishop Robert C. Morlino for a gathering of catechetical leaders at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison on Friday, Feb. 16.

The goal of the gathering is to begin to lay out a path for diocesan evangelical and catechetical efforts in the coming years. Attendees will share ideas, concerns, and hopes for the work of giving catechists and parents the formation and resources needed to teach the faith.

The bishop has asked that those invited be present at the gathering if possible. A parish or school may choose to invite a few key catechetical personnel who are not specifically included among those listed.

To register or get more information on the events of the day, as well as a letter from Bishop Morlino, go to www.madisoncatholic.org/
oec/catechists.asp


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

From coast to coast:
Masses, marches deliver pro-life message to Americans

Twenty-five bishops:
Could retire in 2007

Columns:

• TV Eye by Mark Pattison --
Children's TV habits: Survey says parents show little concern

• Question Corner
by Fr. John Dietzen --
Questions: Creed of Pius IV; history of the town of Fatima

• The Pope Speaks
by Pope Benedict XVI --
Christian Unity Week: Remarkable growth in ecumenical relations

Subscribe to print edition

Future special sections:

Retirement Living: Feb. 8, 2007

Lent/Senior Focus: Feb. 15, 2007

Weddings: Mar. 1, 2007

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Silent No More: Women reveal abortion's hidden legacy

MADISON -- "No one told me."

It was a phrase repeated often by the many women who took the microphone at the Silent No More Awareness gathering at the state Capitol building January 16 to tell their stories of abortion.

But with each story, these women were hoping that their words would reach another woman who might be considering abortion, that she might not have to say the same thing.

Destructive legacy

In the weeks surrounding the 34th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, which legalized abortion in the United States, hundreds of post-abortive women at Silent No More Awareness Campaign events around the country gave testimony, whether vocal or silent, to the destructive legacy of the practice.

Here in Wisconsin, the local branch of the national project backed by Priests for Life arranged a day of activities at the Capitol building and later outside the University of Wisconsin Hospital.

Women and men stood outside the Capitol as well as inside the rotunda bearing signs reading "I regret my abortion," and "Women need love, not abortion." And before ascending to a committee room to give their testimonies, they prayed in the Capitol rotunda, holding hands as lawmakers and other people walked past.

Full story ...


Guided by the Spirit: Cluster planning and parish models

Last week we talked about the groupings of parishes, known as clusters, which are beginning to meet around the diocese to prepare their first recommendation to the Planning Commission due March 9.

Previous articles:

Each parish brings to their cluster a unique set of activities, strengths, concerns, and history that the cluster needs to take into account by open discussion. Each parish's self-evaluation, presented in their completed Long or Short Criteria Evaluation Form, should be an honest and accurate picture of life in the parish that the members of the cluster core team will consider.

Looking at 'big' picture

It is expected that the cluster core team will combine each parish picture into a larger picture of the entire cluster. This cluster "big" picture is the starting point for the cluster core team, the present reality that exists in the form of the sacramental life, the programs - catechetical, educational, and outreach, and the administration - resources and persons, of the cluster, all set against the backdrop of the current diocesan priest shortage.

This step alone will take some time but it is very important, as, with any process, the end results will be directly impacted by the integrity of the starting assumptions. Once this "big" picture is acquired, the cluster needs to ask itself, "What stands out in this picture, good, bad, or indifferent?"

Full story ...


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Diocese of Madison, The Catholic Herald
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