Queridos amigos:
La semana pasada tuve la bendición de tomar parte de la maravillosa Misa de canonización y la Misa de acción de gracias por San Juan Pablo II y San Juan XXIII. Ciertamente la experiencia fue una de las más hermosas de toda mi vida.
Day: May 8, 2014
How saintly popes modeled virtue
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On April 27, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (Pope John XXIII) and Karol Jozef Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) were recognized as saints of the Catholic Church, and may God be praised for it!
No one with the slightest amount of historical sensibility would doubt that these men were figures of enormous significance and truly global impact.
But being a world historical personage is not the same as being a saint; otherwise neither Thérèse of Lisieux, nor John Vianney, nor Benedict Joseph Labré would be saints.
What is a saint?
So what is it that made these two men worthy particularly of canonization? Happily, the Church provides rather clear and objective criteria for answering this question. A saint is someone who lived a life of “heroic virtue” on earth and who is now living the fullness of God’s life in heaven.
Bishop Morlino calls canonizations a ‘special gift from God’
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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,
Last week I was blessed to take part in the wonderful Canonization ceremony and Mass of Thanksgiving for St. John Paul II and St. John XXIII. The experience certainly was one of the most precious of my entire life.
I was blessed to visit Rome for the first time in the mid-’70s and God’s providence has enabled me to return a good number of times. Yet, never once have I seen Rome so crowded as it was during those days leading up to the Canonizations. More so than the crowds that might gather at a secular event such as a World’s Fair, I was reminded of the crowds that fill the streets at World Youth Days.
‘Reverential joy’ in the air
There was not only a wonderful spirit of devotion, but also a tremendous number of energetic young people who moved around the city, even through the night, attending the numerous programs and opportunities for prayer in the various churches around Rome.
Knights of Columbus elect Ronald Faust as state deputy
APPLETON — The Wisconsin Knights of Columbus (KC), at their annual convention in Appleton, elected Ronald Faust as the new state deputy, the leader of their order.
Ron and his wife, Gail, live in Cross Plains. Prior to this, Ron has served as warden, advocate, and state treasurer.
Experiences as mom led Madison woman to make Rosaries
Why do I make Rosaries, and what does the Rosary mean to me?
The short answer is that I have discovered that the Rosary is one of the most powerful ways that we can tap into the power of God, and I look for ways to share this discovery with others.
Coverage of abortions under Affordable Care Act
To the editor:
A letter published in the Catholic Herald on April 24, 2014, claimed that the HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) mandate “demands that all hospitals and clinics providing health care must also do abortions on demand to all requests . . .”
Why observing Divine Mercy Sunday is so special
To the editor:
This is in response to your Editor’s View piece in the April 24 issue, in particular the paragraphs headlined “Observing Divine Mercy Sunday.” Thank you for writing about it.
The first paragraph seems to indicate that there is some choice on the part of Pope Francis to observe Divine Mercy Sunday. My understanding is that Pope John Paul II made it part of our faith through a papal bull and thus infallible. Pope Francis’ choosing to canonize both new saints on Divine Mercy Sunday is because both are involved in Christ’s request that it be so.
Remembering mothers: On Mother’s Day and throughout the year
Mother’s Day is set aside to remember and honor all mothers. It is important that we recognize mothers on this Sunday, May 11.
As a mother myself and now a grandmother, I appreciate spending time with my children and grandchildren. The gift of time is probably more important than cards and gifts, but most mothers like to receive a small token of love from their children.
Many of us keep those special homemade cards and drawings we got through the years. I found some of them when we moved from our house to a condo last year and enjoyed sharing them with our now grown children.
But while Mother’s Day should be observed in some way, we should also remember mothers throughout the year. This is especially vital for our aging mothers, mothers-in-law, and grandparents. They especially cherish the time we can spend with them, including those who live in senior housing, assisted living, or nursing homes.
St. Dennis students clean up surrounding neighborhoods
On the beautiful spring day of Wednesday, April 23, students at St. Dennis School in Madison excitedly put on their coats and hurriedly made their way to the doors while teachers and staff — also with smiles on their faces — did their best to keep all the kids from running outside at once.
Peace project at St. John the Baptist School in Jefferson
JEFFERSON — “Let Peace Begin With Me” is a song with a powerful message of personal responsibility in planting and nurturing the seeds of peace in one’s own world.
The fifth and sixth grade classes at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Jefferson, under the guidance of school counselor, Mrs. Joanna Becker, embraced the idea of working towards world peace by bringing it closer to home.
Sadako’s story
Mrs. Becker introduced the “Peace Project” by sharing the true story of a young Japanese girl, Sadako Sasaki, who was an innocent victim of war as she suffered the effects of deadly radiation after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. She was only two years old on the day of the bombing and died 10 years later as a result of leukemia.