Winneconne parish buries blessed artifacts beneath future gathering space
WINNECONNE, WI — In the midst of the construction of a future gathering space at St. Mary Parish, Winneconne, a traditional Catholic ritual took place last Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
According to tradition, parishioners bring religious artifacts, such as medals, small crosses, or bits of broken rosaries, to be buried in the foundation of a new parish building as a symbolic act of consecration and devotion.
It is a way of embedding the faith of each family of the parish into the structure, asking for divine protection and blessing over the building and all who will gather there.
Deacon Paul Vidmar led the blessing of the artifacts. Miron Construction workers then carefully placed all artifacts on the ground and gently covered them with sand using heavy machinery.
WCC testifies in support of parental choice in education
MADISON, WI — On November 5, 2025, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), the public policy voice of Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops, testified in support of two bills supporting parental choice in education.
WCC Associate Director for Education and Religious Liberty David Earleywine testified in support of Assembly Bill 602, which requires the state of Wisconsin to opt in to the federal tax credit scholarship program. In testimony, he explained that the bill aligns with Catholic teaching, benefits all students, provides tax relief to individuals, and costs the state nothing.
Earleywine said, “Students at any school — public, private, independent charter, or even home school — will have the opportunity to receive scholarship money to enhance their K-12 education. Individual taxpayers can receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on their federal tax return for donations (up to $1,700 per year) made to qualifying K-12 scholarship-granting organizations.”
The WCC also testified in support of Assembly Bill 460, which allows parents with one child in the parental choice program to be automatically eligible to have their other children participate in the program the following year. Earleywine said, “The parental choice programs already have a so-called ‘once in, always in’ provision, meaning that students keep the voucher even if family income rises above the threshold, so long as the student does not voluntarily leave the program. This bill extends this provision to siblings or other children in the family.
“Wisconsin was the first state to affirm parental choice, and the movement has been a great success across the country. This bill furthers the empowerment of parents and the academic achievements of their children. It helps keep siblings together and lessens the fiscal and transportation burdens on parents. It helps give parents real choice and is a vital step in helping Wisconsin families thrive.”