Diocese of La Crosse P. O. Box 4004 La Crosse, WI 54602-4004 Tel: 608-788-7700 FAX: 608-788-8413 E-Mail: chancery@dioceseoflacrosse.com CHANCERY BULLETIN March 25, 2013 EASTER GREETING FROM BISHOP WILLIAM CALLAHAN. Dear Brother Priests, Deacons, and Valued Colleagues in Ministry:...if Christ has not been raised, then is our preaching in vain, and your faith in vain...(1 Corinthians 15:14) Saint Paul certainly pulled no punches when it came to telling people about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! We must go forward with the same sense of faith and conviction. Death and sin breed fear. Life and grace in the Risen Christ lead to freedom the glorious liberty of the children of God. In these days when the Risen Christ rides roughshod over cowardly cynicism and faded vanities, remember: it is your joy to announce this Good News and allow it to transform your heart and, through you, to transform the world! Easter Joy! Bishop Callahan MASS INAUGURATING THE CAUSE OF FATHER JOSEPH WALIJEWSKI MAY 1. On the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the Workman we will be offering a Mass inaugurating the Cause of Fr. Joseph Walijewski. As you may know, the Cause was opened on March 19 th with a ceremony attended by more than 100 people. The Mass inaugurating the Cause will be held at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph the Workman on May 1 st at 12:10pm. All are encouraged to attend. SO NOW FINISH THE WORK AND LET THE RESULTS BY WORTH. (2 Cor. 8:11) The We Belong to Christ Campaign is concluding and has been highly successful. However, there remains $4 million outstanding. To successfully close out the campaign we must resolve all outstanding pledges. The Campaign office will contact your parish to conduct a follow up mailing when your parish s pledge period is over. The Campaign office will produce the letters, including a return envelope, and will pay for postage.
Your cooperation in this final stage is appreciated. Working together benefits both the parishes and the Diocese. Please respond as soon as you can so we may efficiently wrap up this campaign. Should you have any questions please call Brian Logue, Director at 608-791-2685 or Margot Lorraine at 608-791-2695. REMINDER: 50 TH JUBILEE WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS. The Diocese of La Crosse will again be sponsoring 50 th Jubilee Wedding Anniversary Celebrations in La Crosse (June 30), Altoona (August 4), and Plover (August 25). The dates are set aside to honor those couples who will celebrate fifty years of marriage during the 2013 calendar year. Each year we ask for your help in securing the names, addresses, phone numbers, and wedding dates of those couples in your parish who will celebrate their 50 th Wedding Anniversary any time during this calendar year of 2013. I ask that you would forward this information to the Office of Marriage & Family Life no later than Monday April 22 th, 2013. You may forward the information by mail to: Office of Marriage & Family Life c/o Mary Lou Berg P.O. Box 4004 La Crosse, WI 54602-4004 OR email: mberg@dioceseoflacrosse.com CLERY ANNOUNCEMENT. Priest Unity Days June 3 to June 5, 2013 Holy Cross Diocesan Center, La Crosse Schedule and registration to be sent at a later date. CONTACT FOR ADDRESS CHANGES. If you are moving or have a new telephone number, please contact Therese Boisvert, Vicar for Clergy Office, at 608-791-2679 or you may e-mail her at tboisvert@dioceseoflacrosse.com. This is particularly important for our senior priests so that we always current contact information. Therese will forward these changes to all staff at the Diocesan Center. NOTE ON SACRAMENTAL RECORDS FOR CANDIDATES AND CATECHUMENS. Keeping up-to-date and accurate sacramental records is an important and sometimes confusing role of pastors and those who might assist them in the preparation and celebration of the sacraments. Reference to these records may be made in the future if, for example, one were asked to be a godparent, to apply for the seminary and later for ordination, or to be married. If questions arise in the future about the proper recording of the sacraments, please contact the Chancery Office or the Office of Sacred Worship. Another useful resource in this regard is The Catechumenate and the Law, by John M. Huels, available from the Office of Sacred Worship.
At the reception of a non-baptized person into the Church, the following entries are to be made: 1. In the Baptismal Register: the name of the baptized, the minister, godparent(s), the place and date of the celebration, and the date and place of birth (canon 877 1). 2. In the Confirmation Register: the name of the baptized, the minister, the godparent(s), and the place and date of the confirmation (canon 895, Rite of Confirmation, 14). 3. In the Marriage Register (if applicable): the names of the spouses, the priest or deacon who officiated the wedding/convalidation (including any delegation of faculty Canon 1108 1), the witnesses, and the date and place of the celebration of the wedding/convalidation (canon 1121 1). If the wedding was a convalidation, this fact should also be indicated. When receiving a candidate (that is, one who had been baptized in a non-catholic ecclesial communion) into the full communion of the Catholic Church, the following entries are to be made: 1. In the Register of those Received into Full Communion: the full name of the individual; the date and place of the profession of reception; the name of the sponsor(s); the name of the officiating priest; and the date, place, and minister of baptism (see RCIA, 486; Diocese of La Crosse Parish Administration Manual, VI. page 2). If necessary, this same information may be registered in a special place in the Baptismal Register. 2. In the Confirmation Register: the name of the baptized, the minister, the godparent(s), and the place and date of the confirmation (canon 895, Rite of Confirmation, 14). 3. In the Marriage Register (if applicable): the names of the spouses, the priest or deacon who officiated the wedding/convalidation (including any delegation of faculty Canon 1108 1), the witnesses, and the date and place of the celebration of the wedding/convalidation (canon 1121 1). If the wedding was a convalidation, this fact should also be indicated. LITURGICAL CALENDAR DATES. April 8 (Monday): NB: Transferred from March 25. Sol. of the Annunciation. (Not a Holy Day of Obligation.) April 21 (Sunday): World Day of Prayer for Vocations. May 1 (Wednesday): Saint Joseph the Worker, principal patron of the Diocese. The proper Mass for this solemnity, with its proper orations & readings, the Gloria, Creed, & the Preface of St. Joseph, is to be celebrated throughout the Diocese on this day. In the Liturgy of the Hours, the Te Deum is said in the Office of Readings. Proper psalms and readings are taken, where lacking, from the Office for the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, on March 19. May 7 (Tuesday): Feast of the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral, observed throughout the Diocese outside of the Cathedral as a feast (See General Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar, Table of Liturgical Days, II.8.b). The orations and readings for the Mass are taken from the Common of the Dedication of a Church. The Gloria is recited and the Te Deum is said in the Office of Readings. White vestments are worn. May 12 (Sunday): Solemnity of the Ascension. The bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Milwaukee have transferred the Solemnity of the Ascension to the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Consequently, the Solemnity of the Ascension will be celebrated this year on Sunday, May 12, using the liturgical texts proper to the Ascension; Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter (May 9) is celebrated as an Easter weekday.
The Office of Marriage and Family Life is now providing an electronic newsletter for parish families. To see the latest edition click here. We encourage parishes to post this link on their websites and if you would like to use the logo above, please let us know and we can send it to you. For more information OR the logo call the office at 608-791-2673, email; jheinzen@dioceseoflacrosse.com OR direct your parishioners to go to the website www.dioceseoflacrosse.com/marriage and they can sign up there for a copy to be emailed directly to them. OFFICE OF VOCATIONS. Hosting a Seminarian at your Parish. If you are open to having a seminarian stay at your parish this summer please contact Father Wierzba at awierzba@dioceseoflacrosse.com Ordination to Transitional Diaconate. Ordination to the transitional diaconate for four of our seminarians, Nate Kuhn, Mark Miller, Clayton Elmhorst and Matthew Marshall, will take place on Saturday, April 6 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral. Invitations and RSVP cards will be forthcoming. Ordination to the Priesthood. Rev. Mr. Alan Guanella will be ordained to the priesthood on June 22. Retreat Opportunities For post-college men: Mundelein Seminary will host an Exploring Priesthood Weekend April 12-14, 2013. This is for men who have completed their college studies. Please contact Fr. Alan Wierzba at awierzba@dioceseoflacrosse.comfor registration materials. Save the Date: Dare to Follow Days for grades 6-10 will be held June 28-29 Threshold Retreat for grades 11,12 and older will be held July 12-14. REVISIONS TO MASTER OF CEREMONIES LETTERS OF ANTICIPATION. With the Confirmation season upon us it is important that all preparations are made to ensure that the Rite of Confirmation is celebrated in full magnificence with the people of God. As part of the planning phase pastors/parochial administrators are reminded that when the Master of Ceremonies Letter of Anticipation is received via email that they, along with their liturgical team, read thoroughly the letter and all attachments as revisions have been made once again this year. Some of the revisions include the following + the proper text used when presenting the candidates to the Bishop by the Pastor/Parochial Administrator + the Bishop bringing his own chalice for the Celebration of the Eucharist + encouragement of the singing of the Litany of the Saints prior to the start of the Liturgy + recommendation of the newly confirmed to fully participate in the stewardship of the parish during the Offertory
The Ceremonial Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation have also been revised to encourage a better participation of the clergy, candidates, and the faithful. Please take the time to review the documents with your planning team and return all necessary forms completed in full. The Office of Ceremonies is available to answer any questions to ensure the Rite of Confirmation is a joyful celebration with those in your parish community. Contact us at 608.791.2697 or email mhaight@dioceseoflacrosse.com. DIOCESE OF LA CROSSE GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING INSTANCES OF CHILD ABUSE The Diocese of La Crosse, through its policies and procedures, seeks to provide a prompt, appropriate and compassionate response to reporters of sexual abuse of a child by a priest or deacon. Anyone wishing to make a report of an allegation of sexual abuse should send that report to Bishop William P. Callahan at the Diocese of La Crosse, P.O. Box 4004, La Crosse, WI 54602-4004. The form is available through the Diocese of La Crosse, Office for Clergy; or on the diocesan website at: www.dioceseoflacrosse.com. Individuals are also encouraged to take their reports directly to civil authorities. Copies of the diocesan policy are available through your local parish and on the diocesan website. If you have any questions about the Diocese of La Crosse and the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Monsignor David Kunz, Vicar for Clergy, Diocese of La Crosse, at (608) 791-2679; or dkunz@dioceseoflacrosse.com