Religious organizations in Madison are hoping and praying for the safety of coalition troops and for a quick end to the war in Iraq.
However, some campus-area places of worship do not currently have anything planned in terms of special services or money drives.
Father Randy Timmerman, head pastor of St. Paul's University Catholic Center on 723 State St., has not received any directives from the U.S. bishops to set up a relief fund yet.
\At this particular point in the effort it's really about unity and coming together as a people,"" he said.
St. Paul's has an opportunity during mass in which participants can share their prayers with the congregation. Recently, many of those pertained to the war.
""It was just one prayer after another, from the soldiers who have died in the war and their families to praying for the president,"" Father Timmerman remarked.
Father Timmerman has not specifically preached about the war in his sermons, but he plans to do so as the conflict continues to grow larger.
Services at Hillel, 611 Langdon St., will probably touch very little on the war in Iraq, according to Joel Bennett, a UW-Madison junior and a member of Hillel.
""We try to keep politics out of the services so we can create a safe atmosphere for anyone who wants to participate,"" he said.
Jeffrey Schmidt, a student member of The Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel and Student Group, stressed that WELS is primarily focused on the Madison community, rather than world affairs.
WELS is praying for the well- being of the American nation, its troops and the president, according to Schmidt. Members of WELS have been especially praying for a UW-Madison graduate student who enlisted in the Army Reserves and is now stationed in Kuwait.
Many students did not have the opportunity to attend services this weekend because they were gone for spring break, so it remains to be seen if there will be an increase in attendance at services, or if the war will affect people's faith.
Schmidt and Father Timmerman were uncertain the part the war would play in increasing the number of people coming to services.
Bennett expressed doubt that the war in Iraq will severely affect attendance at services in Hillel any more than past happenings in the Middle East have affected it.
""Any kind of conflict that goes on in the Middle East is going to bring more attention, positive or negative, to the situation in Israel,"" he said.
