Year: 2009

On
Kat Wagner, Catholic Herald Staff

Apostolate summer outing brings friends together

Barbara Nelson, left, from the Wisconsin Veterans Home, and Marcella Canniff from Hustisford share a laugh together. (Catholic Herald photo/Kat Wagner)

WISCONSIN DELLS — From his smile to the story of persistence despite the struggles, it’s easy to see why Zachary Reetz is a champion.

In March 2007, at 14 years old, Reetz became infected with meningococcemia, a rare disease caused by a type of bacterial meningitis. He spent 161 days in the hospital and due to the infection lost both legs, all of his right hand, and a good portion of his left hand and suffered hearing loss.

But Reetz survived and became an example to others — those with and without disabilities. With prosthetic limbs, he rides a specially made bike, walks, hunts with his grandfather, goes camping, and attends school.

He was named by the Children’s Miracle Network as the 2009 Champion of Wisconsin and traveled to Walt Disney World and met President Barack Obama in March. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he was able to travel to Las Vegas and ride with his favorite NASCAR driver, Jeff Gordon.

 

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Sun Prairie woman sponsors children in developing countries

SUN PRAIRIE — For over three years, Karen Greiber asked St. Raphael the Archangel to ask God on her behalf to bring her “someone to love.”

Greiber had been a sponsor of several children with the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA), a Catholic lay organization that sponsors children and elderly in developing countries throughout the world.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald staff

New program for kids, by kids on Relevant Radio

MADISON — How many times do you hear teenagers talking about monstrances on the radio?

I don’t think this topic would come up on most radio shows for young people. But it was one of the topics discussed on an episode of USA Young Catholic, a brand new show airing on Relevant Radio 1240.

USA Young Catholic is a program for Catholic kids, by Catholic kids being produced at the Madison Catholic radio station. It’s a 30-minute show, airing Saturday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. It’s also currently playing in several other Wisconsin markets.

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On
Peggy Hamill, Milwaukee

Renewed interest in pro-life public witness, prayer

To the editor:

I can’t tell you how many times lately people have approached me expressing a desire to become more actively involved in defending life. Many are new to Pro-Life Wisconsin and even more have been supporters for years but now feel compelled to get out and do more hands-on work.

Our True to Life Media Campaign — combined with recent rallies, prayer vigils, and numerous reports of babies saved — has sparked renewed interest in public witness, prayer, and sidewalk counseling at local abortion mills. For this reason, Pro-Life Wisconsin will host the third of three sidewalk counseling workshops on October 10 in Oshkosh at A Place 2 B. This is a critical training opportunity for all sidewalk counselors and prayer warriors.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, editor

A play you’ve got to see

editor's view

A one-man play on the life of St. John Vianney will be performed in the Madison and Milwaukee areas by actor Leonardo Defilippis. VIANNEY will be staged at St. John Vianney Parish in Janesville on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. and at four other locations (see details below).

This play has been in the works for over two years, but coincidentally (or by divine inspiration), Pope Benedict XVI declared the Year for Priests in June under the patronage of St. John Vianney. So this play became even more appropriate for viewing.

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On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino

God’s mercy and Senator Edward Kennedy

Dear Friends,

As I complete my time of rest and recuperation, I found myself unpredictably (at least had I been able to predict six months ago) with time available to me to watch on the television most of the events surrounding the funeral and burial of Senator Edward Moore Kennedy. For myself, the time was prayerful and well spent because I knew a lot about Senator Kennedy when he was still fairly young and, of course, I was younger still.

Senator Kennedy and I, many years ago, were, according to the common understanding, not quite ready to get in line to go and meet our Judge. There was plenty of time available, we presumed, to prepare ourselves to take our place in that line, and to welcome that part of our humanity which is experiencing the mystery of suffering and death.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino

La Misericordia de Dios y el Senador Edward Kennedy

Queridos amigos:

Mientras termino este tiempo de reposo y recuperación, me encuentro impredeciblemente (al menos no habría sido capaz de predecir esto hace seis meses) con tiempo disponible para ver por televisión muchos de los eventos alrededor del funeral y entierro del Senador Edward Moore Kennedy. Para mí, este tiempo ha sido de oración y ha sido bien invertido porque conocía bastante del Senador Kennedy cuando era todavía bastante joven y yo también lo era todavía.

El Senador Kennedy y yo, hace muchos años, estábamos, según el entendimiento común, no muy listos para dar el paso y conocer a nuestro Juez. Había mucho tiempo disponible, asumíamos, para prepararnos para el día en que tuviéramos que estar de pie en esa línea, y abrazar esa parte de nuestra humanidad que consiste en la experiencia del misterio del sufrimiento y la muerte

 

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