Each Thanksgiving, Stoughton’s […]
Day: December 3, 2014
Meet the ‘Belles of St. Mary’ Parish in Milton
MILTON — “And so my beloved . . . when red leaves are falling . . . the love bells shall ring out, ring out for you and me.”
With the holiness of Bing Crosby’s Father O’Malley and the grace of Ingrid Bergman’s Sister Benedict, St. Mary Parish in Milton’s “Belles of St. Mary” are witnesses of faith for their parish and surrounding community.
Keeping our focus on the reason for the season
We have begun the season of Advent, the time when we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
The religious dimensions of the holiday season seem to be getting diminished more each year. I think all of us need to step back and look at what we’re doing at this time of year.
Bishop Morlino to celebrate Pontifical Mass at the Throne
MADISON — On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Monday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m., Bishop Robert C. Morlino will celebrate a Pontifical Mass at the Throne at the Bishop O’Connor Pastoral Center, 702 S. High Point Rd., in Madison.
The Feast, or Solemnity, of the Immaculate Conception, which this year falls on a Monday, is a holy day of obligation in the United States because Mary, under the title of Immaculate Conception, is patroness of the nation.
‘It doesn’t matter what you believe . . .’
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A team of sociologists, led by Catholic University professor William D’Antonio, published a survey a few years ago that received quite a bit of media attention, for it showed that many Catholics disagree with core doctrines of the Church and still consider themselves “good Catholics.”
Forty percent of the respondents said that belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is not essential to being a faithful Catholic. Perhaps the most startling statistic is this: 88 percent of those surveyed said “how a person lives is more important than whether he or she is a Catholic.”
New column links the spiritual with the psychological
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QUESTION: What does mental health have to do with our faith?
RESPONSE: By William McKenna, M.S., clinical extern at the IPS Center for Psychological Services
For years, psychology and theology were like two squabbling siblings. Always ready to fight, but actually always seeking the same end.
It’s time for a new Holy League
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Man crisis
According to Matthew Christoff, “There is a serious ‘man-crisis’ in the Catholic Church. It is widespread and serious. Unless the Church, including its bishops, priests, and lay men begin to take notice and make the evangelization of Catholic men a priority, the Catholic Church in the West will decay, as more and more men abandon the Church. Unchecked, the exodus of Catholic men from the faith is likely to continue as men become increasingly casual about Catholicism.”
Recognizing this crisis, Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “In vast areas of the earth the faith risks being extinguished, like a flame without fuel. We are facing a profound crisis of faith, a loss of a religious sense which represents one of the greatest challenges for the Church today . . . The renewal of faith must, then, be a priority for the entire Church in our time.”
Time to de-fund Planned Parenthood in Wisconsin
To the editor:
The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism recently published an excellent article about the inspector general for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services conducting a much-needed audit of the multi-million dollar family planning industry in our state.
The recent article highlighted that clinics “overbilled Medicaid by $3.5 million.”
Lessons and Carols in Baraboo
BARABOO — An Advent Festival of Seven Lessons and Carols will be held on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph Church 304 East St., Baraboo
The Advent Festival is an ecumenical celebration of the season of Advent. It is an opportunity to help prepare for the coming of our Lord and Savior on Christmas.