Month: December 2012

On
Msgr. James Bartylla, Vicar General, Diocese of Madison

Diocese comments on misleading Wisconsin State Journal article

“Morlino Cracks Down on Two Nuns” is a misleading headline to an article appearing in the Wisconsin State Journal newspaper of Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The headline provocatively attempts to sensationalize the ordinary operations of the Catholic Church. The real issue is about the permissibility of members of Wisdom’s Well to speak at parishes, not about religious sisters. Contrary to the impression of the article’s headline, the prohibited group at this specific time is Wisdom’s Well, which includes not only religious sisters, but also others, and the “group” not being corrected at this time is religious sisters in general in the Diocese of Madison, including the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. The Diocese of Madison is aware of and grateful for the charitable work of many religious sisters over the years.

The article also fails to address sufficiently the risk that materials and methods of the members of Wisdom’s Well may appear to promote opinions that are contrary to the Church faith. The Diocese of Madison pursued this matter with utmost confidentiality to protect the reputations of all parties. The specific limitation of this issue to members of Wisdom’s Well and the confidential documents sent to the priests were also communicated personally, confidentially, and directly by me to the Prioress of the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation at the time of the confidential communication to the priests in the Diocese of Madison.

Read More
On
Obispo Robert C. Morlino

La belleza nos ayuda a prepararnos para el Cielo

Esta columna es la comunicación del Obispo con los fieles de la Diócesis de Madison. Cualquier circulación más amplia va más allá de la intención del Obispo.

El verano pasado tuve el honor de ser parte de la Conferencia del Napa Institute respecto al liderazgo católico. Allí me referí a la relación entre libertad, belleza y sentimientos, en el contexto de la verdad en la que la democracia requiere una libertad auténtica de parte de quienes son bendecidos con vivir en esa forma de gobierno. He tocado brevemente algunos de esos temas aquí antes, pero me gustaría examinarlos nuevamente.

En mi ponencia dije que la democracia requiere la verdadera libertad, y la verdadera libertad se da sólo cuando los sentimientos son formados por la belleza de modo que los sentimientos pueden integrar a toda la persona, su cuerpo y alma, al realizar una acción que es verdaderamente representativa sobre quién es la persona. Así, para tener libertad, que es esa integridad personal, necesitamos sentimientos que son formados por la belleza.

Read More
On
Dick Jones, For the Catholic Herald

Diocesan Choir holds annual Lessons & Carols Dec. 16

MADISON — With Pope Benedict XVI’s declaration of the Year of Faith, the Madison Diocesan Choir’s Festival of Lessons and Carols on Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center takes on greater significance and solemnity.

More than the traditional Advent prayer service celebrating in Scripture and song the Christ Child’s birth, Lessons and Carols this year offers all an opportunity to witness and affirm the good works of others throughout the diocese, as well as rediscover and renew their own relationship with Christ and the Church.

Read More
On
Office of Stewardship and Development, For the Catholic Herald

Bless our Priests Collection

MADISON — God has granted us many gifts throughout our lives, including the important gift of faith.

Good and hard-working priests across our diocese have played a significant role in making the sacraments available to us throughout a lifetime. The Bless Our Priests collection is our chance to thank them for their tireless effort to serve our parishes and families.

 

Read More
On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Beauty helps prepare us for Heaven

Last summer, I was honored to be part of a Conference of the Napa Institute with regard to Catholic leadership. There I addressed the relationship between freedom, beauty, and feelings, in the context of the truth that democracy requires authentic freedom on the part of those who are blessed to live out that form of government. I’ve touched briefly on some of those themes here before, but would like to examine them anew.

Read More
On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Bless our Priests Collection

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Year of Faith, begun in October, offers each of us a challenge to rediscover our faith and share it with others. It offers us a unique opportunity to reflect on the gift of faith we have been given and grow in that faith.

In reflecting on those who have influenced our lives in faith, most of us have our parents, grandparents, other family members, and great friends to thank. We certainly have great catechists and Catholic school teachers to thank, as well. Those of us of a certain age owe a great debt to the religious sisters who taught in our schools. But every single one of us has a number of priests to thank for the faith we have been given by God.

 

Read More
On
Wayne Hunt

Catholics must be vigilant to protect religious freedom

To the editor:

As Thanksgiving Day passes into history, I was reminded this morning at Mass to give thanks to the Catholic martyrs who have died because of their resistance to anti-religious freedom laws. In particular this day, we remember Blessed Miguel Pro, a Jesuit priest in Mexico during the violent anti-Catholic persecutions in the 1920’s. On this day in 1927, he was taken to a police firing range and shot to death. His crime against the Mexican government was simply to minister to the Catholic people in their worship of Jesus Christ.

Mexico’s President Calles personally ordered Father Pro’s execution. Before the execution, Father Pro prayed, and then held out his arms in the form of a cross. As the police took aim with their rifles, he spoke the words, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (“Long live Christ the King!”).

Father Pro was not alone in his opposition to religious persecution. According to some sources, more than 200,000 Mexican people from every socio-economic background were killed or martyred by 1930. In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized 25 Catholic martyrs in Mexico, among them being Blessed Miguel Pro.

Read More
On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Peace in the Holy Land: Let’s pray and work for an end to conflict in the land of Christ’s birth

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

At this time of year, many of us put up our Nativity scenes as we prepare for Christmas. The scene from the stable in Bethlehem reminds us of that time long ago when Jesus was born.

The Holy Land of Jesus’ birth played such an important role in the development of our Christian faith. Jesus was raised in Nazareth and preached throughout the region. His passion, death, and resurrection happened in Jerusalem.

This area of the world is also sacred to people of the Jewish and Muslim faiths. For example, Jerusalem is mentioned 669 times in the Hebrew Bible. Many sites in the Holy Lane have been destinations for religious pilgrimages by people of these faiths for centuries.

Yet conflict and violence continue to plague this area of the world. It is always sad to hear about violence happening in the places where Jesus — the Prince of Peace — walked.

Read More