Month: January 2014

On
Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

‘The Famous Violinist Problem’: Author sets up experiment to justify abortion in cases of rape

Making Sense out of Bioethics column by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

In her still-widely-read 1971 article, “A Defense of Abortion,” Judith Jarvis Thomson sets up a thought experiment known as “The Famous Violinist Problem” to argue that abortion ought to be morally justified when a pregnancy arises out of sexual assault:

“You wake up in the morning and find yourself back to back in bed with a . . . famous unconscious violinist. He has been found to have a fatal kidney ailment, and the Society of Music Lovers has canvassed all the available medical records and found that you alone have the right blood type to help.

“They have therefore kidnapped you, and last night the violinist’s circulatory system was plugged into yours, so that your kidneys can be used to extract poisons from his blood as well as your own . . . To unplug you would be to kill him. But never mind, it’s only for nine months. By then he will have recovered from his ailment, and can safely be unplugged from you.”

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On
Kevin Wondrash

St. Rose church buddies plan Mass

CUBA CITY — Recently, the fifth grade class at St. Rose School in Cuba City, along with their kindergarten church buddies, were in charge of the school Mass on a Friday.

They were able to plan the liturgy and also act out the Gospel story for that day.

The story they acted out was from Luke 19:45-48, the story of how Jesus cleanses the temple.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Natural Family Planning classes offered

MADISON — The Couple to Couple League (CCL) will offer classes on the sympto-thermal method of Natural Family Planning (NFP) at several locations this winter and spring.

Each course is taught by a married couple who are certified NFP instructors. The main NFP course is offered in a three-part series.

CCL now offers on-the-go mobile fertility tracking which allows couples to chart electronically, record fertility symptoms, and determine the fertile and infertile times of the cycle. All those who register for a CCL course will receive a free 90-day trial of fertility tracking with CycleProGo.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Beloit Lessons and Carols rescheduled

BELOIT — Lessons and Carols at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 2222 Shopiere Rd., has been rescheduled for Saturday, Jan. 18, at 3 p.m. in the church.

Come and enjoy a welcome extension to the Christmas Season with proclamation of the Advent/Christmas Scriptures and musical responses by the choir and congregation. The service will last around one hour and is guaranteed to be joyful and uplifting.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

St. Ambrose Faculty Lecture on Dante

MADISON — “All Hope Abandon, Ye Who Enter Here” is the title of a St. Ambrose Faculty Lecture to be given by Abby Nowakowski.

The Divine Comedy follows the poet-as-pilgrim, Dante Alighieri, through a salvific journey through hell, purgatory, and paradise. Written from 1308 to 1321 in northern Italy, the epic has influenced art, cultures, and faith the world over for the past seven centuries.

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On
Chris Lee

Sister Jo Wear, OP, dies

SINSINAWA — Sister Jo Wear, OP, died Jan. 14, 2014, at St. Dominic Villa. Her religious name was Sister Flavian. The funeral Mass was held in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa Jan. 17, 2014, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.

Sister Jo made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican Jan. 26, 1937, and her final profession Aug. 5, 1940. She taught for 14 years and served as principal for 15 years, coordinator of student sisters for three years, guidance counselor for four years, social worker for 17 years and pastoral caregiver for 11 years. Sister Jo served in Illinois; Washington, D.C.; Alabama; Wisconsin; Minnesota; California; and Florida.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Winter farmer’s markets feature brunches held at churches

Schedule at Madison
area churches
• Saturday, Jan. 11, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Our Lady Queen of Peace/Blessed Sacrament Parishes, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 401 S. Owen Dr., Madison
• Sunday, Jan. 19, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 5700 Pheasant Hill Rd., Monona
• Saturday, Jan. 25, 9 a.m. to 12 noon — St. Albert the Great Church, 2420 St. Albert Dr., Sun Prairie
• Saturday, Feb. 1, 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon — Holy Mother of Consolation Church, 651 Main St., Oregon
• Sunday, Feb. 9, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Bethel Lutheran Church, 312 Wisconsin Ave., Madison
• Saturday, Feb. 15, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ, 1501 Gilbert Rd., Madison
• Saturday, Feb. 22, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — First Unitarian Society, 900 University Bay Dr., Madison

MADISON — The Churches’ Center for Land and People (CCLP) is sponsoring winter farmer’s markets in church halls featuring brunches using local food.

The “Markets and Meals for Hope” program, coordinated by the CCLP, has scheduled seven farmer’s markets and brunches in the Madison area from January 11 through February 22.

The brunches include local food prepared by people in the churches under the direction of professional chefs.

These markets provide small-scale farmers the chance to sell their products in the off-season. The farmers supply the ingredients for the brunches and are able to sell products directly to those attending the meals.

Products for sale at the markets include woolen goods, farmstead soaps, cheese, produce, preserves, honey, and meats.

Farmers help each other by donating 10 percent of the sales to the Harvest of Hope emergency fund with 100 percent of donations given to farmers in need.

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On
Stacey Eslinger, For the Catholic Herald

St. Francis students focus on true meaning of Christmas

CROSS PLAINS — Students at St. Francis Xavier School focused on the true meaning of Christmas through prayer, service projects, and spreading holiday cheer.

During Advent, the entire school came together on Monday mornings for a prayer service. Surrounding a large Advent wreath, the students looked on as candles were lit. Students then took turns leading the school in prayer and singing.

Students in kindergarten, first, and fourth grade classes spread holiday cheer by caroling at local nursing homes.

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On
Barbara Wills, For the Catholic Herald

St. Joseph School reaches out to those in need at Christmas time

HAZEL GREEN — Students and staff from St. Joseph School recently completed another successful Christmas outreach activity.

Part of our Catholic faith and identity is to help others in need, so the students and staff decided to live out their faith by helping people they may never meet. But we know that when we help our brothers and sisters, we are living the way Jesus wants us to live.

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