Month: March 2012

On
Kathy Wehrle

Consider investments, how they impact community

To the editor:

In the Saturday March 10 is of The New York Times, writer Samuel G. Freedman highlights the support that various clergy and congregations have shown to their parishioners and local communities in the midst of the mortgage crisis in “Mortgage Crisis Inspires Churches to Send Lenten Season Message to Banks.”

In the spirit of Lent, churches are calling for a moratorium on foreclosures, moving church monies out of the major banks involved in widespread foreclosures to local banks, even supporting families at meetings with their bank.

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On
Philip J.F. Schumacher

Helping the regime change might be better in Syria

To the editor:

Recent media reports from the Middle East and beyond indicate that many Christians of various denominations and rites in Syria are quite nervous, some going so far as to question whether the Arab Spring will wind up being the Christian Winter; this is also a concern for Alawite, Druze, and Shi’ite communities in Syria and Lebanon.

There is no question that what is going on inside Syria cannot be justified as far as implementation goes — unquestionably, the current regime is despotic and shooting at civilians with artillery and all the rest is simply beyond defense. However, seeing what has happened in Iraq and Egypt so far shows that perhaps helping the regime change is vastly preferable to changing the regime.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

United for religious freedom: Let’s join our bishops in standing up and praying for religious liberty

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

The Catholic bishops of the United States have called on all Catholics to unite in opposition to various threats to religious freedom in our country.

At a meeting of the bishops’ leaders in Washington, D.C., the bishops issued a statement on March 14 called “United for Religious Freedom.” The bishops said they are concerned not only with protecting the Church’s own institutions, but also with the care of individuals and the common good.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Diocesan CCHD art contest winners

MADISON — Diocesan winners in the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest were selected recently by the diocesan CCHD Committee chaired by Trudi Jenny. There were 16 diocesan entries in the contest.

The contest engages young people in grades seven to 12 in learning about poverty in the U.S., its root causes, and faith-inspired efforts to address it, especially through the CCHD.

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On
Obispo Robert C. Morlino

Unidad en la Iglesia a través del Papa

Queridos amigos:

Como muchos de ustedes deben saber, en las semanas pasadas tuve mi retiro anual. No doy por descontada la bendición que fue haber tenido ese tiempo de oración, silencio y escucha del Señor.

Sé bien que las exigencias cotidianas de la vida hacen casi imposible para la mayoría de nosotros, especialmente en estos días y en esta época, tomarse un tiempo para un retiro espiritual. Sin embargo los aliento a tratar de encontrar el tiempo necesario para esta experiencia. (Aquí en nuestro centro diocesano acabamos de ofrecer un retiro de fin de semana y hay muchas oportunidades en diversos lugares y en distintos momentos del año).

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