Singing the season: Lourdes Academy’s Madrigal Matinee shares faith through music
News brief and photos by Michael Cooney | For On Mission
OSHKOSH, WI — At Lourdes Academy, Christmas is not just marked on the calendar — it is sung, shared, and lived. “The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Madrigal Matinee” is a cherished Advent tradition that blends music, faith, and community, drawing students and families into a centuries-old expression of joy and anticipation. For more than 50 years, Lourdes students have used their voices and instruments to help prepare hearts for Christmas.
Band Director Michelle Sorenson sees the event as a natural extension of the school’s Catholic identity. “For our students, Advent and Christmas really hold a special place,” she said. “They feel called to use their gifts and talents to spread that joy while we’re waiting for Christmas.”
The music reflects that balance. Sacred carols rooted in Christian tradition are paired with more secular pieces from the Renaissance and Medieval periods, honoring the historical origins of the madrigal while keeping the focus on the season’s deeper meaning.
Though the performance includes moments of humor and celebration, the preparation is disciplined and prayerful. Students begin rehearsing in September, committing themselves to weeks of practice that culminate in a shared meal and performance that feels almost sacramental in its sense of community.
Principal David Mikesell described the matinee as more than a concert. “It’s a family gathering,” he said. “The performance unfolds within the meal itself, just as it would have in medieval times. Music, storytelling, and fellowship all happen together.”
Families fill the room, joined by alumni returning to a tradition they once helped carry forward. The setting — a transformed cafeteria turned into a medieval dining hall — serves as a reminder that sacred moments often happen in ordinary places.
Students range from singers to instrumentalists, many participating outside of regular class schedules simply because music matters to them. Some hope to pursue music or performance beyond high school; others see it as a way to serve.
“It’s not Taylor Swift,” Sorenson said with a smile. “But it speaks to something deeper. Sharing this music helps our students experience joy — and give it away.”
In a season often crowded with noise and distraction, Lourdes Academy’s Madrigal Matinee offers something quieter and more enduring: a reminder that faith, tradition, and community are best expressed together — one song at a time.
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St. Francis Xavier Cathedral holds annual Advent Lessons and Carols event
GREEN BAY, WI — In collaboration with the diocesan Office of Divine Worship, the Cathedral Choir at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral and the Diocesan Youth Choir presented the Advent Lessons and Carols program on Sunday, December 14, 2025.
The liturgy began with a candlelight procession followed by a pattern of readings and musical responses telling the story of the coming of Christ. The annual event seeks to deepen the faithful’s understanding of God’s message of love and redemption.
St. Jude the Apostle Parish invited community seniors for the ‘Senior Young at Heart Potluck’
News brief and photos by Michael Cooney | For On Mission
OSHKOSH, WI — Community came first at the Senior Young at Heart Potluck at St. Jude the Apostle Parish — community built around shared food, familiar faces, and, this month, the gift of song and a message about hope.
More than 80 people gathered in Leannah Hall at the parish’s Sacred Heart location during the Advent season. The monthly potluck, centered primarily on seniors but open to all, filled the room with conversation, laughter, and the quiet comfort of being together during the darker days of the year.
This month’s gathering included a musical visit from Franki Jo Moscato, a nationally known singer and mental health advocate. Moscato shared a short concert and spoke about kindness, anti-bullying, and the importance of talking openly about mental health — especially for teens.
“We all need hope right now,” she said. “The days are getting darker faster, and that can be hard for people of all ages.”
She also raised funds for the Franki Moscato Foundation, which works to prevent teen suicide in Wisconsin by encouraging conversations, education, and early support.
“We want kids talking about mental health and finding solutions,” she said. “If we can save lives, that’s what matters.”
The potluck is organized by Cindy Stahowiak, chair of the committee that puts the event together each month.
“We usually have between 50 and 80 people,” she said. “It’s mainly seniors, but we welcome all ages.” This month, the invitation was opened more widely to the public. “Because of Franki,” she noted.
For many who attend, the gathering meets a deeper need. Stahowiak shared that one guest spoke with her about being in the early stages of dementia and how important it is to stay connected.
“There are people who are so alone,” she said. “Winters are long, and being shut in can be really hard. Being able to come together once a month makes a difference.”
With music, shared tables, and an honest conversation about caring for one another across generations, the afternoon reflected a parish living its mission — creating community, offering hope, and reminding everyone that lives, young and old, matter.
God wants all people to be saved, pope says at Jubilee of Prisoners
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Even in difficult situations and harsh places, like prisons, when people focus on caring for one another, respecting each other and offering forgiveness, “beautiful flowers spring forth from the ‘hard ground’ of sin and suffering,” Pope Leo XIV said.
Dressed in rose vestments for Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, the pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica December 15 for the Jubilee of Prisoners.
Inmates and former inmates — both adults and juveniles — from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malta and Chile, accompanied by guards and chaplains, participated, as well as representatives from 85 other countries. It was the last of the major Jubilee events before Christmas and the closing of the Holy Year January 6.
Read the whole article here: onmiss.io/prisonersjubilee