Month: August 2013

On
Obispo Robert C. Morlino

Invitar a otros a conocer a Cristo de modo que la vida se transforme

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.

Queridos amigos:

Supongo (luego de toda la cobertura aquí, así como con el buen y justo artículo de Doug Erickson en el State Journal) que no es una sorpresa para ustedes que he cumplido 10 años como Obispo de Madison.

Estoy muy agradecido a Dios por haberme dado la bendición de estos 10 años de servicio en esta Iglesia local y estoy muy agradecido a todos ustedes. Gracias por sus oraciones, su fe, su aliento y, sí, su crítica constructiva durante estos años. Dios mediante, estaré otros diez años más con ustedes y espero que podemos seguir haciendo grandes cosas juntos: siempre con Su gracia y Su ayuda.

Comunicarse con la gente de la diócesis

En los últimos diez años muchas buenas personas –ya sea a través de cartas o en persona, en Misas o eventos en la diócesis– me han dicho, “Obispo, queremos ayudar, pero no estamos seguros de hacia dónde va usted. ¿Qué está tratando de hacer?”

Parece, veo al hablarles a ellos, que mucha de la confusión viene de mi forma de hablar distinta a aquella a la que estaban acostumbrados: hablo en voz alta y de manera directa, en una cultura que se ha obsesionado con la idea de la “tolerancia” (que significa nunca decir la Verdad) y nunca decir nada que haga que la gente se sienta incómoda.

Entonces, eso es algo que golpea a la gente. Además, creo, las tensiones en nuestro país han creado tal división que muchos buscan leer los comentarios o las declaraciones a través de un lente político. Creo que este es el caso en un Madison políticamente cargado. Combinado todo esto con nuestros medios de comunicación condicionados, con mis propias faltas y mi tendencia a hablar como el maestro de filosofía que vive en mí, y veo que ciertamente existe la confusión.

 

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Bishop Morlino grateful for God’s blessings after 10 years in Madison

Encouraging vocations to the priesthood has been one of Bishop Robert C. Morlino’s priorities in his 10 years as Bishop of Madison. Here he greets Fr. David Johannes after ordaining him to the priesthood in 2012.  Bishop Morlino has ordained 20 priests for the Diocese of Madison. (Catholic Herald photo/Kat Wagner)

MADISON — Bishop Robert C. Morlino is “grateful to God” for the many blessings he has experienced in his 10 years as Bishop of Madison.

In an interview, Bishop Morlino said “the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit get the credit” for whatever growth the Diocese of Madison has experienced in the past 10 years.

“I have invited people to grow in faith,” he said, pointing to an increase in such things as Eucharistic Adoration throughout the diocese.

Prayer, he said, is the “key” to more Church vocations. “We’re richly blessed with vocations — and with quality vocations — but we still need more.”

Encouraging more vocations to the priesthood — and to consecrated life and sacramental marriage — was one of his three priorities as Bishop of Madison. The others are strengthening liturgy and catechesis.

Increasing vocations
Bishop Morlino comments about his 10 years in Madison in his column this week. He calls on Catholics to invite others to know Christ in a life-changing way.

Since he came to Madison in 2003, Bishop Morlino has been doing everything he can to increase the number of seminarians studying to become priests.

When he came here, there were six seminarians. His goal was to grow the number to 30.

In 2012, the diocese hit that mark with 32 seminarians. This fall there will be 34, with three men ordained to the priesthood in 2013.

Bishop Morlino considers the seminarians and priests he ordains “his spiritual sons.” With his past experiences living with college students, he feels he has a greater rapport with young men.

“They really are like my sons,” he said. “Our efforts are bearing fruit. The quality of our men is very evident.”

Having a full-time vocation director has also helped bring more attention to the efforts to recruit more seminarians.

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Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

24-hour confessional, app attracts penitents, worldwide attention

PINE BLUFF — On Sunday, Aug. 4, Catholics around the world celebrated the feast day of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of priests and tireless confessor. In Pine Bluff, just west of Madison, the day took on some extra meaning.

Fr. Rick Heilman, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Pine Bluff, dedicated a 24-hour confessional and related smartphone app, asking for intercessory prayers from the saint.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Inviting others to know Christ in a life-changing way

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

I suppose (after all the coverage here, as well as a very fair and good piece by Doug Erickson in the State Journal) it will come as no surprise to you that this past week I marked 10 years as Bishop of Madison.

I’m so grateful to God for having given me the blessing of these 10 years of service to this local Church and I’m so very grateful to you all. Thank you for your prayers, your faith, your encouragement, and, yes, your constructive criticism through the past years. God willing, I’ll have almost 10 more with you, and I hope we can continue to do great things together — always with His grace and help.

Communicating with the people of the diocese

Over the past 10 years I’ve had many a good person come to me — whether through letters or in person, at Masses and events around the diocese — to say basically, “Bishop we want to help, but we’re not really sure where you’re going. What are you trying to do?”

It seems, from speaking to them, that much of the confusion comes from my taking a different style than that to which they may be accustomed — I speak rather loudly and in a straightforward manner, in a culture which has become obsessed with an idea of “tolerance” (which equates to never making Truth claims,) and never saying anything that may make people uncomfortable.

 

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

BLT still on the menu: Bishop Morlino continues to badger us lovingly with the truth

On August 1, 2003, Bishop Robert C. Morlino was installed as the fourth Bishop of Madison during a Mass at St. Raphael Cathedral.

During his homily at that Mass, Bishop Morlino focused on the image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. He called that image “one of the richest in the Gospel.”

Just as a shepherd feeds his flock, he noted that priests and bishops nourish people with spiritual food, most notably Christ himself in the Eucharist.

“To enter into that full communion, we have to listen to the word of truth and respond with a profession of faith that we are ready to be nourished by his Body and Blood in the Eucharist,” said Bishop Morlino in that 2003 homily.

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Lindsay Becher, For the Catholic Herald

Local youth return from World Youth Day 2013

After a long, 25-hour adventure of traveling that got us to Rio de Janeiro for the beginning of World Youth Day, the Madison pilgrims, having joined with our new friends from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, were finally en route to the church we would be able to call home for the week.

On the bus, we travelled across the entire city all the way to a far west suburb, Recreio dos Bandeirantes. As we passed through famous areas of Rio, Copacabana, and Ipanema, I craned my neck to try to find the statue of Christ the Redeemer towering above the city, welcoming us to town.

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Kevin Wondrash

St. John the Baptist students raise funds for tornado victims

JEFFERSON — First graders at St. John the Baptist School in Jefferson recently helped to raise funds to help the victims of the devastating spring tornadoes in Oklahoma.

The 20 students in Lisa Kotz’s class were very concerned with the people who were injured, lost their homes, or had to deal with the tragic deaths of family and friends.

Adding to their daily prayers, the first graders decided that they had a responsibility to be the “hands and feet of Christ” in reaching out to their brothers and sisters in need.

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Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

EWTN personality concerned about modern education

WAUNAKEE — The air-conditioned parish hall at St. John the Baptist Parish in Waunakee was a welcome break from the heat one recent Sunday afternoon.

A crowd of families and supporters from Madison’s St. Ambrose Academy, as well as varying degrees of literary fans, gathered to hear about Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton.

Chesterton has become one of the most quoted writers in the English language. Scholars and fans of the author say he foresaw and wrote about the issues Catholics struggle with today, such as social injustice, the culture of death, the decline of the arts, assaults on religion, and attacks on the family and on the dignity of the human person.

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Trisha Hebert, For the Catholic Herald

Cottage Grove parish welcomes priest from India

COTTAGE GROVE — St. Patrick Parish in Cottage Grove welcomes a new priest from India to the Diocese of Madison.

Please join the congregation of St. Patrick’s for a “meet and greet” reception with Fr. Michael Tarigopula at St. Patrick Church, 424 N. Main St., on Sunday, Aug. 11, following the 10 a.m. Mass.

Father Michael is from Pannur, a village in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He is the eighth of 10 children born to his father, a farmer, and his mother, a housewife.

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