Day: January 16, 2013

On
Jill Driscoll, For the Catholic Herald

An opportunity to reflect on the Year of Faith

MADISON— “Beauty: Ever Ancient, Ever New” the theme for the 2013 Annual Catholic Appeal, brings forth an opportunity for all Catholics in our diocese to find the beauty God has provided in their lives. As we explore the Year of Faith and learn more about being Catholic, it invites us to look at our own lives and determine how we can enhance our faith and in turn share it.

As we approach the opening weeks of this year’s Appeal, we are drawn to reflect on our personal participation in this Year of Faith with a heightened sense of our role as a Catholic in our families and communities. The ACA supports that role and its measurable impact. Some of the important ministries we support include Evangelization and Catechesis, Catholic Charities, Seminarian Education, and Catholic education. Please visit www.madisondiocese.org to read more about the benefits of the ACA and the vital support it provides.

The $3 million goal for the upcoming year fuels ministry reaching out to all areas and walks of life in our diocese. Here are just a few examples of why your gift is so important to the ACA.

  • Evangelization and Catechesis: Provides retreats, classes, lectures, educational materials for young adults, engaged couples seeking the sacrament of marriage, catechists and educators, married couples learning natural family planning methods, as well as anyone looking to learn more about their Catholic faith.
  • Catholic Charities: Catholic Charities has been entrusted with conducting the Corporal Works of Mercy for the Diocese of Madison. Their work includes more than 35 programs serving the aging, children, individuals, families, persons with developmental disabilities, and those addicted to alcohol and drugs. It provides financial assistance to the Catholic Multicultural Center offering help to the underprivileged in Madison and beyond.
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On
Jean Mueller

Discuss living arrangement options with parent

Ask Jean column by Jean MuellerQ: My mother is 88 and has lived independently all of her life. Now she is having some pretty serious health problems. She is in the hospital and will shortly be moved to a skilled facility for continued care. I know that Medicare does not cover the cost of such care for a long period of time. The problem is that I know she would like to go back home after the nursing home stay. I think it just might be time to think about living in the home permanently, as I know she cannot manage all of her care independently. I am not able to care for her and frankly, I don’t want to be her caregiver — I want to be her daughter. However, I feel bad that I am not offering to move her in with my family and me. Am I a bad daughter for not wanting to help? (Sun Prairie)

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On
Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB

Confirmation: Sacrament and challenge

Year of Faith column logo

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says about this sacrament: “By the Sacrament of Confirmation [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed” (#1285).

The sacrament of Baptism incorporates one into the Body of Christ and hence makes one a member of Christ’s Church. What the Catechism means when it says that the baptized “are more perfectly bound to the Church” is that Confirmation, in effect, completes the process begun in Baptism, and fulfills what Christian Initiation is all about. This is why the traditional order of the sacraments in the Church, from our earliest evidence, is generally: Baptism, then Confirmation, and then Holy Eucharist.

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On
Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

The Pill as health care?

Making Sense out of Bioethics column by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Physicians will sometimes prescribe a hormonal regimen (in the form of a hormonal contraceptive like the Pill) to treat certain gynecological problems like heavy menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea (painful periods), PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome), endometriosis, or other conditions like severe acne. In these cases, the Pill is used not as a contraceptive, but as a therapy for a medical condition.

This can be morally permissible under the principle of double effect, which allows for the treatment of a serious medical problem (the good effect), while tolerating its unintended consequences, when other less harmful treatments are not available. In this case, the unintended consequences would be the impeding of one’s fertility and the potential health risks and side effects of the Pill (the evil effect).

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On
Fr. Don Lange

Respect for Mary’s name

To the editor:

Your editorial about Mary reinforces my respect for Mary’s name. As a boy I thought that Mary was the most beautiful name a girl could receive. My admiration was magnified by our family’s love of Aunt Mary, who reflected Mary’s inner and outer beauty. She was kind, caring, and spoke with music in her voice. Her husband was Joseph.

The Venerable Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli once experienced a vision of Mary. He told Father Kinsella, his confessor-friend, that he never saw anyone as beautiful as Mary. Virtue is beautiful and Mary is queen of virtue. Because she was full of grace and open to God’s will, God chose her to be Jesus’ mother.

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On
Maureen Arcand

Keeping a promise to God upon receiving papal award

To the editor:

This letter is an attempt to keep a promise I made to God when I first heard that I was receiving the Benemerenti Medal. I felt totally unworthy of any recognition from the pope. When I prayed about it, I realized that God, who has given me so many opportunities to serve other people, expected me to see this as another opportunity. There was a strong sense that there was something I was to share.

That was when I made the promise. As the weeks went by, I began to see the award as a symbol of God’s forgiveness and mercy. Would there be an opportunity to share with others my confidence in God’s mercy?

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