I want to thank you for your interest
in the Catholic Worker being formed here in Madison, Wisconsin.
Currently we are in the very beginning
stages of a process of prayer, discernment and dialogue that we hope
will lead to the formation of a Catholic Worker presences here in
Wisconsin's capital city. To our knowledge there has not been a CW
group in this city, so we are essentially building from scratch.
Here is a brief history of how we
arrived at a place where we felt confident enough to launch a website
and begin to invite others to join us.
About 2 years ago, Adam Lewandowski and
I began volunteering weekly at our local Dane County Jail to serve as
Catholic lay ministers for the men and women of the maximum security
section of this jail. Our presences there is limited to providing a liturgy and small group sharing time weekly to a group of about 20 men and 10
women. Soon, through talking with the inmates who came to our
chapel service, we began to learn of the challenges that this
population faced after their release. We began to consider other
ways to accompany them.
We were moved to act by another
group as well. While waiting each week in the lobby of the City
County Builder which houses the jail, we met with several members of
the homeless community who rest and often sleep in and around this
public facility. Our awareness of these people's temporal and
spiritual needs influenced in no small way our desire to search for a
way engage ourselves in the Catholic Works of Mercy. Soon enough,
we were considering Dorothy and Peter's model as way to respond to
the Spirit-guided urgings of our consciousnesses.
Our current group of organizers remains
under 10 members. We are planning to meet after Easter to begin a
more formal process of facilitated conversations. I am happy to
report that the small group possesses a strong “can-do” spirit
and a deep commitment to Catholic prayer and social values. At this
writing we have not yet formalized our vision, but have built an
initial sense of trust that together we can contribute a collective
portion toward the building of the reign of God.
So, if you are interested in what we
have built or what we dream of building, we invite you to keep in
touch. If you are looking for an established Catholic Worker
community that you can join in the near future, we can't currently
offer you anything. Madison, however, possesses many options for
community and alternative living, so please check out the city for
other options. We will certainly be forming an extended community of
Catholic Workers very soon and will welcome you into this circle of
prayer and community.
In the meantime, I invite you to read
over the Means and Purpose of Catholic Worker . This is a general
description, one we hope to use as a guiding voice as we walk
together in the spirit of Dorothy and Peter.
Please contact us if you are in town
and would like to meet with us over a cup of coffee or tea.
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