Month: May 2014

On
Margarete Schels, For the Catholic Herald

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.

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On
Fr. Donald Lange

Mothers leave indelible mark of love on our hearts

A man felt that he was too busy to visit his mother on Mother’s Day, so he stopped at a florist to wire her some carnations.

A little girl came in and tried to buy a rose for her mom for 75 cents. The clerk told her that a rose costs two dollars. Tears revealed her pain.

The man generously paid for the girl’s rose and then ordered carnations for his mother.

As he drove thoughtfully away, he saw the little girl in the nearby cemetery. He stopped and saw her tearfully placing the rose on her mother’s grave.

The man canceled his wire order of carnations. He personally delivered them to his mother. He decided to enjoy her presence while she was still alive.

The ‘mother’ of Mother’s Day

Anna Jarvis (1864-1948) was so proud of her mother that she worked to establish a day when she and others could honor their mother and all mothers. She is known as the “mother” of Mother’s Day.

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On
George Weigel

The difference Easter made

One of the striking things about the Easter and post-Easter narratives in the New Testament is that they are largely about incomprehension: which is to say that, in the canonical Gospels, the early Church admitted that it took some time for the first Christian believers to understand what had happened in the Resurrection and how what had happened changed everything.

In Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches (Basic Books), I draw on insights from Anglican biblical scholar N.T. Wright and Pope Benedict XVI to explore the first Christians’ unfolding comprehension of Easter and how it exploded their ideas of history and their place in history.

So, what changed after Easter?

Understanding of history

The disciples’ understanding of history changed. The first Jesus community lived in expectation of the “last days,” even while Jesus walked among them in his public ministry, but they thought the “last days” involved a history-ending cataclysm.

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On
Chris Lee

Sister Jeannine Spuehler, OP, dies

SINSINAWA — Sr. Jeannine Spuehler, OP, died April 30, 2014, at St. Dominic Villa. The funeral Mass was held in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa May 6, 2014, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.

Sister Jeannine made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican Aug. 5, 1951, and her final profession Aug. 5, 1954. She ministered as a teacher for 34 years, pastoral assistant for four years, and secretary for 12 years. Sister Jeannine served in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Illinois, Wisconsin, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

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On
Dick Jones, For the Catholic Herald

Choir presents final O’Connor Center concert

diocesan choir

The Madison Diocesan Choir will bid farewell to the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison when it presents its final spring concert in the center’s chapel on Friday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. Here they sing at the 2013 Lessons and Carols with Dr. Patrick Gorman directing and Glenn Schuster accompanying the choir along with guest musicians.(Catholic Herald file photo)

MADISON — On Friday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m., the Madison Diocesan Choir will present its final concert at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, and under the direction of Dr. Patrick Gorman, members will bid farewell to their principal venue for many years with a spring concert to remember, featuring an orchestra, guest soloists, and two seldom-heard, but stunning and inspiring pieces.

Only a year ago, it was in the O’Connor Center chapel that the choir celebrated 40 years of music ministry. Its more than 70 active members from parishes throughout the diocese swelled to over 100, as former members returned. Together, they performed a spring concert as an anniversary choir.

Leaving the center

Since then, the Diocese of Madison announced its decision to leave the center, located at 702 S. High Point Rd., and lease it to a developer. Under the tentative agreement announced last fall, the former seminary will become an apartment complex with up to 150 rental units.

“I think everybody’s sad in their own way, but it seems to be a practical move,” said Gorman, choir director for 22 years in addition to being director of the diocesan Office of Worship.

“I trust that that’s what needs to be done. But as I’ve said before, my favorite place to sing in the diocese always had been St. Raphael Cathedral. It was such a lovely cathedral. I was very sad when that burned, and there’s a similar sadness here in that we have a nice home, it’s convenient, it’s a good acoustic. People like to come here. Good parking. That’s all going to have to change.”

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On
Jane Lepeska Grinde, For the Catholic Herald

Women of diocese celebrate 60 years of council

BARABOO — With the theme of “Finding Grace through Faith, Trust, and Patience,” the Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (MDCCW) will celebrate its 60th birthday at its annual gathering Tuesday and Wednesday, May 20 and 21, at the Clarion Hotel here.

MDCCW calls women of the diocese together to share their faith through service, leadership, learning, prayer, and socializing.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Summer skills workshop at St. Ambrose Academy

MADISON — Students in Catholic schools devote much effort to mastering the subjects they study, like math, history, and literature, but also worthy of attention is how those students study, according to St. Ambrose Academy history and science teacher Michael Kwas.

“Good students aren’t usually the smartest ones,” Kwas said. “Instead, they are the ones who have learned how to study and have developed the best work habits.”

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On
George Weigel

John XXIII and John Paul II: Canonizing the bookends

Pope Francis’ bold decisions to canonize Blessed John XXIII without the normal post-beatification miracle and to link good Pope John’s canonization ceremony to that of Blessed John Paul II just may help re-orient Catholic thinking about modern Catholic history.

For what Francis is suggesting, I think, is that John XXIII and John Paul II are the twin bookends of the Second Vatican Council — and thus should be canonized together.

Summoning an ecumenical council

On January 25, 1959, less than three months after his election, John XXIII surprised the Catholic world by announcing that he would summon the 21st ecumenical council in history.

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