TRUMAN - Even in times of hardship, farmers must be patient and maintain their hope, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Madison said Oct. 20 at a rural-life event in Lafayette County.

Bishop Robert Morlino led a celebration of farming and rural life at the Diocesan Rural Life Day at Immaculate Conception Parish. Morlino presided over a Mass and then blessed animals and farm machinery in the church parking lot.

The event was the third annual rural-life day organized by diocesan officials.

Morlino referred to the scripture reading during his Mass message that encouraged people to have patience in times of hardship.

"If there were no hardship, there would be no need for patience," Morlino said. "In recent years there have been more than enough hardships to go around for those who farm so the rest of us can eat. We've had floods in different parts of the diocese and then very harsh weather here in July, which made it very difficult for the corn and soybean crops. I know that and I care about it deeply."

A wide band of hail wiped out thousands of acres of corn and soybean crops this summer in Lafayette and Grant counties.

Morlino said sometimes rural Catholics think that all the bishop and diocesan officials care about is Madison, but he said nothing could be further from the truth.

"You know how they say the squeaking wheel gets the most attention," he said. "Madison squeaks. You have your challenges and your hardship, but you don't squeak. You stay with it."

Morlino said farmers are fortunate their lives are tied so directly to God.

"God is the one who determines your schedule," he said. "Your lives revolve around the way God allows things to happen in the weather, with storms, unseasonable weather, whatever. You and God really have to work together, and you can never forget about God."

Morlino said farmers have to be patient during hard times, because "you really have no other choice."

"You have to be patient with what comes your way so you can have peace in your hearts with God," he said.

"I'm sure many of you were saying in July and are maybe still saying now, 'I hope that with God's help, next July will be better,' " Morlino said. "We hope because our world and our lives and our crops and our livelihood on the farm are all in God's hands. And he makes everything work together for the good."

Father Monte Robinson, pastor at Immaculate Conception in Truman, St. Philomena in Belmont, and St. Michael in Calamine, said the small Lafayette County church symbolizes what rural life is all about.

"There aren't too many other jobs in this area," Robinson said. "Everybody is rural. It was a great day for rural people to sort of renew their energy. After the hail this past July and low milk prices, it was sort of a chance to pick themselves up and go on."

Robinson said the bishop's message about hope and perseverance "was a good message to take to heart."

"It was a day to thank God for the harvest and the rural way of life," he said.

About 50 families belong to Immaculate Conception, Robinson said, making it one of the smallest parishes in the Diocese of Madison. But the church was nearly full for the rural-life day celebration, with about 200 people participating.

Tom Nelson, rural-life coordinator for Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Madison, is wrapping up "All Shall Eat" listening sessions in each of the diocese's 11 counties. The last listening session is Nov. 3 in Highland.

Nelson said during the listening sessions, which are designed to get a feel for the concerns of rural Catholics, he discovered there is "a lot of sadness and despair" in southern Wisconsin rural communities.

Among the biggest concerns are the lack of affordable health care and depressed farm prices.

"There is a concern for dairy farmers who are more productive than at any time in their history but yet we are still losing farms in record numbers," Nelson said. "That's a big concern. But we have to remain, like the bishop said, people of hope, centered in our faith life."

Nelson said he's been telling rural people that even if their small churches close, they can still be active within their faith communities.

"They can celebrate the sacraments in the church down the road but they can still do the social justice work of the church within their own communities," Nelson said.

He said the listening sessions and the rural-life day were good ways to let rural people know that the church is "awake to their problems."

"As I tell people in the urban areas, without the farmers, we're on a very short timeline for survival," Nelson said. "So we'd better hope for their success."

Jim Massey can be reached at 608-574-8011 or jimmassey@mhtc.net.