Year: 2012

On
Obispo Robert C. Morlino

Cuidando el cuerpo – y el alma

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

Queridos amigos:

No sé si han tenido la experiencia, pero últimamente, me he dado cuenta de un marcado incremento en el número de personas que son muy obvias al mostrar su infelicidad. En varias ocasiones lo he podido constatar con completos desconocidos que, con su conducta ruda y su poca empatía con otros, muestran una verdadera falta de alegría en sus vidas.

Hay varios factores que pueden crear esta infelicidad general a nuestro alrededor, y ciertamente hay varias formas en las que podemos reaccionar a esta tendencia. Una de las cosas más importantes que podemos hacer, inmediatamente, es rezar. Necesitamos rezar por nuestro prójimo, especialmente por aquellos que permiten que su infelicidad quede manifiesta y nos agreda. Necesitamos rezar por el crecimiento en aquellas tres virtudes cristianas de la fe, la esperanza y el amor: en nuestras propias vidas y en las vidas de quienes nos rodean.

Pero también necesitamos actuar. Necesitamos ser testigos visibles de fe, de esperanza y de la caridad en nuestras propias vidas. Viviendo como hermosos testigos de la fe, de la esperanza que tenemos y de la caridad cristiana, no nos queda sino vivir vidas llena de alegría y, al hacerlo, darle a la gente una alternativa a la tristeza que experimentan ahora, un camino hacia la felicidad auténtica y duradera, una vida en Jesucristo.

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On
Peggy Rakow

God has gifted us with many, varied types of music

To the editor:

While I do enjoy music created by creative dead white Europeans, I also find that God has gifted us with many new and varied types of music for our time.

Nico Fassino writes that the Mass is not for “us” and I must agree with him.

BUT! I also know that the Mass is our most intimate experience with the living and active Christ. In the Mass not only do we worship God, but we find Him with us          . . . speaking to us in the Gospel and homily, praying with and for us, teaching us, comforting us, forgiving us, feeding us, and blessing us.

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On
Dan Berns

Misguided values should not control our lives

To the editor:

We are parents of 10 children (nine living), unplanned parenthood if you choose to call it that. We have never owned a new automobile nor have we relied on food stamps or unemployment compensation for which we may have qualified at times.

Our children were taught personal responsibility in the context of strong Catholic education. These children, with our 29 grandchildren, are welcome members in the communities where they reside. The eighth child is a Catholic priest. Collectively, our children hold five master’s degrees and speak 11 languages.

Family size should not be judged numerically, but rather on the ability to care for and guide the children. Two children can be too many, and five too few.

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On
Jeff Davis

Church gives guidance on how to choose a candidate

To the editor:

For whom to vote????

As the level of negativity, untruths, and confusion escalates, it becomes harder and harder to choose the proper candidate for whom to vote. Some people lack a moral compass and others a moral authority to help them with their decision. We who are Catholic have the compelling moral authority of our Church to give us direction.

The guide on Faithful Citizenship was first drafted from the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2000. Even though it is published every four years before our November elections, it is primarily meant to give us direction in forming our conscience on important issues.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Living in a swing state: It underlines our responsibilities as faithful citizens

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Living in a swing state isn’t much fun. We’ve been inundated with television advertising and campaign phone calls for many months.

It wasn’t a surprise to hear that Madison was among the top five cities in the country in the amount of spending for political advertising. Just imagine all the good we could do to help the poor and reduce the deficit with all that money!

It’s been a trying time

Of course, the reason we’re a swing state is that the presidential race and the U.S. Senate race are too close to call. The voters in Wisconsin are almost evenly divided between political parties at this point.

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On
Kate Ripple, For the Catholic Herald

Edgewood High students serve in the community

MADISON — They call it “Edgewood High School (EHS) in the Community.” On Wednesday, Oct. 3, over 700 volunteers from the high school worked at non-profit service organizations around the metropolitan area.

Classes were canceled while the students, teachers, staff, and some parent helpers filled needs in nearly 50 locations, providing 3,500 hours of service in one day.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Adult Day Center adds meaning, purpose to lives

MADISON — On a recent visit to the Catholic Charities Adults Day Center in Madison, I noticed that plenty of windows let in lots of light. People were busy doing art projects, working at the computer, talking together, or listening to a speaker.

The Adult Day Center, located at 2917 International Lane near the Dane County Airport in Madison, offers purpose and meaning to the many lives it touches, observed Cricket Hesselberg, the center’s program director. She has worked there for 14 years.

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