Day: December 17, 2009

On
Bill Boyce, Catholic Herald Correspondent

Celebrating with the Apostolate to the Handicapped

Apostolate to the Handicapped program
Caregiver Terri Huchison, center, poses for a photo with Joni Prough and Mary Fischer, all from Stoughton, during the Apostolate to the Handicapped’s Christmas Party at Monroe High School December 5. (Catholic Herald photo/Jo Boyce) For more pictures of the Apostolate Christmas Party click here.

MONROE — The annual Apostolate to the Handicapped Christmas Party, held this year December 5 at Monroe High School, is always a joyous event.

It is anticipated by many for what it is on a fundamental level: a party — a chance for hundreds of people from the Madison Diocese, both handicapped and those who assist them, to re-connect personally with others they may see only two or three times a year.

Friendships are formed, renewed, and enjoyed. The holiday spirit is augmented by a decorated space and tables, with music and even dancing for the uninhibited, and the sharing of a hot meal and beverages served by cheerful volunteers.

However, these obvious signs are actually just trimmings to what is truly the heart of the “party”: the Mass, with its Scripture readings and related message delivered personally by the bishop in his homily. Added to that is the physical presence and personal greetings offered by Msgr. Thomas Campion following Mass, which complements the bishop’s words.

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On
Fr. Donald Lange

Twenty Christmas Eves in jail

Seeing with Jesus' Eyes by Fr. Donald Lange

I spent 20 Christmas Eves in jail. My first such Christmas Eve was in 1971. The Rock County Jail Chaplaincy Committee invited me to help to plan and participate in an ecumenical service at the jail in Janesville. I accepted.

But I waited nervously for Christmas Eve because I had no previous experience with prisoners.

Nervous anticipation

Christmas Eve finally came and I drove anxiously to the Rock County Jail. The beautiful Christmas snowflakes that danced gracefully across my car’s windshield failed to calm the nervous butterflies in my stomach.

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On
George Weigel

Can’t ignore jihadism’s religious roots

The Catholic Difference by George Weigel

Dan Henninger, whose Wall Street Journal column is aptly titled “Wonder Land,” put it best: “The only good news about the Fort Hood massacre is that U.S. electronic surveillance technology was able to pick up Major Hasan’s phone calls to an al Qaeda-loving imam in Yemen. The bad news is that the people and agencies listening to Hasan didn’t know what to do about it. Other than nothing.”

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On
Judy Winter, Platteville

Scientific studies prove authenticity of shroud

To the editor:

The recent claim by the Italian Committee for Checking Claims of the Paranormal that they have debunked the Shroud of Turin is hysterically funny. Obviously they don’t know the first thing about the shroud nor about authentic scientific method.

Number one, the much-vaunted 1988 radiocarbon sample was taken from an area of the shroud known to have been repaired after the December 4, 1532, fire. The linen thread used in the repair is a reverse twist from that of the shroud proper.

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On
Glenn Grothman, State Senator

Action needed to stop proposed sex education bill

To the editor:

People sometimes wonder how we arrived at the state of moral decay we are currently at in America and what we can do to fight it. One primary example exacerbating current problems in Wisconsin is Senate Bill 324/Assembly Bill 458, which dramatically changes the sex education curriculum in our state.

This bill, which is a top legislative priority for Planned Parenthood, will require districts to use curriculum approved by a traditionally liberal Department of Public Instruction relying on information determined to be accurate by liberal national groups. Bizarrely, public school teachers will not be able to say anything that will promote bias against sexually active children. Apparently, we don’t want to hurt their feelings.

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On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

The Immaculate Conception and politics

Following the feast that we celebrated this past week, I’d like you to consider the question, “What does the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary have to do with politics?” The answer: Quite a lot actually.

In the Gospel reading for our Assumption Mass (Luke 1:26-38), we see Mary towards the end, not understanding the vocation to which she is called. How could she understand it? She was called to be a virgin and she was called to be a mother. She was called to be ever-virgin and mother — who could understand that?

That is why an angel had to explain more about it, because it would take a super-human intelligence to tell out that mystery in human words. Mary said, “How can this be?” that is, basically, I’ve never been married and I’ve been a good girl. And the angel responded, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

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