By Julie A. Miller
Catholic Herald

Jubilee celebrations mark top local church news

SUPERIOR -- In the year 2000, jubilee celebrations made up an important part of the activities locally, as well as in the universal church. The Jubilee Mass on Sept. 24 was the high point of the diocesan celebration.

The Mass was preceded by a five-hour eucharistic vigil at the Cathedral of Christ the King the previous evening. Organizers estimated that over 2,000 people attended from parishes throughout the diocese. They came at various times during the evening, which included evening prayer, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and hourly prayers and petitions.

On the day of the Mass caravans of buses and streams of cars converged on Superior Senior High School from all corners of the diocese. A crowd of about 2,000 filled the gymnasium and overflowed into the adjacent arts center where the Mass was shown on television.

Bishop Raphael M. Fliss presided at the Mass, with the priests and deacons of the diocese in attendance. In honor of the historic celebration, Fliss carried a crosier belonging to the first bishop of the diocese and the chalice he used for the consecration belonged to Superior's seventh bishop.

In his homily, Fliss noted the sacrifices that built the church in the diocese and emphasized the unity of the faithful coming together to celebrate the Eucharist.

Hymns by the diocesan chorale and three parish choirs, and an intercultural offertory procession with Ojibwe blessings and dance were other special features of the Mass.

The Jubilee year was a time for parishes to review the ways they use their gifts to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. At the Chrism Mass in April, each parish received its holy oils in a wicker basket and was asked to fill the basket with symbols of parish outreach. At the Jubilee Mass the baskets were part of the offertory procession and were blessed by Fliss.

International jubilee days observed

Many days during the year were designated as international jubilee days to honor and bring attention to special groups of people. The faithful of the diocese marked these days in different ways. Deacons Daniel Smerz and David Bablick from St. Mary Parish in Tomahawk made a trip to Rome to celebrate Jubilee Day for Deacons, which was Feb. 20. They were accompanied by their wives and several St. Mary parishioners.

On March 25, Jubilee Day for Women, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, the National Catholic Society of Foresters and the Diocesan Sisters' Council held a gathering in Ladysmith -- a day of prayer, reflection, inspiration and celebration.

Another celebration was Jubilee day for Cinema, Theater and Entertainment Dec. 16-17. That weekend, parishioners throughout the diocese were asked to sign pledges to encourage good uses of media and discourage the bad.

Jubilee year ordinations

In this jubilee year there were also three ordinations, adding one priest and two permanent deacons to the diocesan ranks. In June, Fr. Ryan Erickson was ordained at St. Anne Church in Somerset. Erickson, the youngest priest in the diocese at age 27, is currently serving as associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Hudson. At his ordination Erickson said he sees his ministry as a chance to pass on the values he received as a child, that formed the foundation of his faith.

Joseph Roe became a deacon in the first ordination ever at Sacred Heart Church Stetsonville. Roe is a clinical psychologist practicing in Medford. The ordination was held on Feb. 20, the jubilee day day celebrating the permanent diaconate.

St. Joseph Church in Rhinelander was the site of the ordination of Deacon Richard J. Meier in August. Meier, who is employed by the USDA Forest Service, plans to focus on social concerns in his ministry.

Local milestones

In 2000 some milestones were reached in the diocese. The bishop turned 70 in October. Three parishes had important anniversaries.

In May, Holy Family Parish in Bayfield celebrated the centennial of the present church building, completed in 1900. The parish has an even longer history, dating to a mission established on Madeline Island by Fr. Frederic Baraga in 1835.

In October, St. Bridget Parish celebrated 125 years of serving the faithful in the little farming community of Stanton. It began as a mission parish in 1875. The church was built two years later.

A celebration in August marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of St. Anthony Parish in Lake Nebagamon. Despite the ups and downs of the lumber business and a congregation that at one point all but disappeared, the parish survived and now prospers.

Another important diocesan milestone was reached by the Knights of Columbus Council 499. The Superior council, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in June, was the first council chartered in Wisconsin. (A council in Milwaukee received its charter seven days later.)

Church dedications

The year also saw construction projects for two new church buildings. In September ground was broken for a new church for St. Joseph Parish in Amery. The building, expected to be completed in summer of 2001, has been in the planning stages for about seven years.

In July, after about 20 years of dreaming and planning, and eight months of construction, the new church for St. Peter Parish in Cameron was dedicated. Located in one of the fastest growing areas of Barron County, the parish outgrew the old church, built in 1908 as the Cameron schoolhouse.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2001