The Diocese of Madison Rural Life is coordinating an 11 county-wide Rural Life listening session campaign beginning August 31, 2021. They write,
“These are opportunities for rural parishes representing each county of the diocese to allow Bishop Hying and the Diocesan offices to assess current services and explore opportunities to provide a more compassionate response to struggling individuals and families across our rural landscape.
This includes new possibilities for greater partnerships with other faith communities and agencies of relief. The information gathered will also help to remind all of the danger of losing our farmers and what we as consumers can actively do to promote and support local farm production by our greater commitment to purchase local food. Put quite simply, without farmers, we don’t eat.
With an ever increasing worldwide need for food, it is alarming to watch the continuous eroding of our agricultural base across the bread/corn basket of our nation. While farmers face plunging dairy and meat prices, they also face ever-increasing costs of production leading too many to financial failure; all the while being more productive than ever before.
It seems to be something is not right across the heartland of our nation, and the first step towards relief seems to be taking the time and energy to listen and gather the stories, concerns and potential remedies of those who perform the most basic and necessary vocation to our world as providers of our ‘daily bread’.”
- The first Rural Life Listening Session will be Tuesday, August 31st from 7:00-9:30 PM
Hosted by: St. Clare of Assisi Parish community, Monroe (GreenCounty) - The second Rural Listening Session will be Thursday, September 2nd from 7:00-9:30 PM
Hosted by: Holy Family Church community, La Valle (Sauk County) - The third Rural Listening Session will be Thursday, September 23rd from 7:00-9:30 PM
Hosted by: St. Bernard Parish community, Watertown (Jefferson County) - The fourth Rural Life Listening Session will be Thursday, November 4th from 7:00-9:30 PM
Hosted by: Our Lady of Fatima Parish community, Darlington (Lafayette County) - The fifth Rural Listening Session will be Thursday, November 11th from 6:30-9:00 PM
Hosted by: St. Stephen Parish community, Clinton (Rock County)
Bishop Hying is planning on attending all five listening sessions and additional Rural Life Listening Sessions’ locations and times will be featured in the Diocese of Madison newspaper, Catholic Herald, and local parish bulletins as well as the Diocese of Madison website or by contacting the Rural Life Office coordinator Tom Nelson at tomnelson.art@gmail.com.
