In March, 2013, the British paper The Independent ran an article entitled, “Children in gay adoptions at no disadvantage: Research confirms same-sex couples are just as good at parenting as heterosexuals.”
The article, based on a study at Cambridge University, concluded there was “no evidence” to support the claim that children’s masculine or feminine tendencies were affected by having gay or lesbian parents, nor were the quality of their family relationships significantly different.
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| The kindergarten class at All Saints Catholic School in Berlin collected food items on Macaroni Monday during its Acts of Kindness Food Drive. (Contributed photo) |
BERLIN — The Community Health Network (CHN) wellness campaign “Read. Run. Reach.” is in full swing at All Saints Catholic School (ASCS) in Berlin.
This campaign began on February 28 as collaboration between the schools in Berlin and CHN as a way to increase awareness of the importance of literacy, physical activity, and being kind and thoughtful in actions.
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| 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,
This last weekend in Baraboo I ordained Scott Jablonski to the diaconate and I’m so very grateful to Scott and to Fr. Jay Poster and the faithful in Baraboo for their tremendous welcome and hard work in preparing for the Mass. Here I’d like to recount a few things I shared with our new deacon and the people there, but would address here to all the faithful:
The deacons and the priests of the diocese, in a special way, are all sons of the bishop. And although the ages don’t quite work out for all of the priests and deacons, it works fine with Deacon Scott.
And this is why it’s such a blessing to be a bishop, even with everything else that comes along with the office; it’s so wonderful because the bishop gets to call the deacon or the priest, “my son.”
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Just over 50 years ago, the earth as we know it came dangerously close to being engulfed in a nuclear fireball.
In October of 1962, the United States demanded that the Soviet Union’s nuclear missile sites in Cuba be dismantled and removed. After the Soviet Union refused, the U.S. established a Cuban naval blockade.
Fans of author J.R.R. Tolkien and Catholics alike gathered in the Bishop O’Connor Center auditorium Friday, April 8, for the latest in the St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture Series.
BARABOO — Scott Jablonski will be ordained to the Order of Deacons during a Mass celebrated on Sunday, April 14, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Church in Baraboo.
He will be ordained as a transitional deacon for the Diocese of Madison, meaning that he is expected to be ordained to the priesthood next year.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — “It’s quite an honor and a blessing to have this opportunity,” said Diocese of Madison seminarian Tyler Dickinson in talking about playing the lead role in a play about the last man sentenced to death by the guillotine in France.
Dickinson, a native of Edgerton, Wis., acted in productions at Edgerton High School and performed in community theater while he was a student at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. He is in his second year of theology studies at St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity.
SAUK CITY — Bill Liegel and his wife, Marcy, were one of the four couples on the founding committee for the Eucharistic Adoration program that began 10 years ago at St. Aloysius Church in Sauk City.
The program was started during Advent of 2003 under the direction of Fr. Kevin Holmes, who was pastor at the time (it is now Divine Mercy Parish).
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| 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. |
“Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous: The Prince of Life, who died, reigns immortal.”
“Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining. Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!”
(Easter Sequence – Roman Missal, 1964 translation).
I choose those two lines to focus upon in this Easter Season, because they are exactly reflective of the themes that our Holy Father, Pope Francis struck during many of the early days of Easter. He has asked the question and raised the issue from Scripture, “why do you seek the living among the dead (Lk 24:5)?”
“Death and life have contended,” and life won out, so, the Holy Father asks, echoing the message of the angel, “why do you seek the living among the dead?”
A second point that the Holy Father has focused upon is reassuring us, once again, that no one with a good and open heart is outside the bounds of the mercy of Jesus Christ, won by His death on the Cross, and confirmed by His Resurrection.
And so, we’ve got two words, or groups of words: “death and life,” and “mercy,” on which we should meditate in this Easter season.
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” Christ died that there might be mercy. Let’s calmly look at our world today, and let’s look around for mercy.
Diocese of Madison seminarian Tyler Dickinson has the lead role in a play called Saved by the Guillotine, which tells the story of Jacques Fesch, the last man sentenced to the guillotine in France. He was beheaded on October 1, 1957.
When I heard the year was 1957, I thought I misunderstood! Was this the right century? After all, the French Revolution happened from 1789 to 1799. We remember hearing about people yelling “off with their heads” during this time in history. Apparently it continued much longer.
The story of Jacques Fesch reminds us of why we should oppose the death penalty. Fesch did commit a murder, although it was not premeditated. His lawyer argued in court that no crime merits another crime.
