Month: December 2015

On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Diocesan Choir presents Lessons and Carols

madison diocesan choir
The Madison Diocesan Choir, under the direction of Dr. Patrick Gorman, presented a Festival of Lessons and Carols at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center in Madison on December 20. Bishop Robert C. Morlino presided at the Advent service. Joining the choir this year was the St. Raphael Brass Quintet and timpani. (Contributed photo by Ken Halfmann)

MADISON — The Madison Diocesan Choir gives a special gift to the Diocese of Madison each year during the holiday season.

The choir presented its annual Festival of Lessons and Carols on Sunday, Dec. 20, in the chapel of the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center.

Bishop Robert C. Morlino presided at the service, which includes Scripture readings and hymns and songs celebrating the season.

Dr. Patrick Gorman directed the 66-voice choir composed of singers from throughout the diocese.

Enhancing Lessons and Carols this year was the stirring music provided by the St. Raphael Brass Quintet and timpani. Members of the quintet include Robert Rohlfing and Jessica Jensen, trumpet; Matthew Beecher, horn; Brian Whitty, trombone; and David Spies, tuba. Joe Bernstein performed on the timpani.

Glenn Schuster, assistant director of the choir, provided piano accompaniment.

Read More
On
Bishop Robert Barron

Pope Francis wants you to read Dante

This year marks the 750th anniversary of the birth of the great Catholic poet Dante Alighieri. Michelangelo reverenced Dante, as did Longfellow, Dorothy Sayers, and T.S. Eliot. In fact, it was Eliot who commented, “Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them. There is no third.”

One of Bob Dylan’s finest songs, “Tangled Up in Blue,” contains a reference to Dante: “She opened up a book of poems, handed it to me/It was written by an Italian poet from the 13th century/And every one of those words rang true and glowed like burning coal/Pouring off of every page like it was written in my soul.”

Read More
On
Beth Ulaszek

Theme eight: A Home for the Wounded Heart

Guest Column logo
Beth Ulaszek

In conjunction with the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia this past September, the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis of the Diocese of Madison is providing a monthly series on a particular theme on marriage and family. Each theme is a chapter in the preparatory catechesis developed for the event entitled Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive, available in paperback from www.osvparish.com or for free online at www.worldmeeting2015.org

Read More
On
Fr. Donald Lange

New Year’s: A time to make and keep resolutions

A small business manager asked employees, who wished, to write out their New Year’s resolutions. He promised to post them by lunchtime on the bulletin board. It sounded like fun.

When the resolutions were posted, the employees gathered eagerly around the bulletin board. Suddenly one employee began to complain angrily to everyone there that her resolution wasn’t posted. She griped that she felt left out again.

Read More
On
Dick Ginkowski

People gave warmth to St. Paul’s building

To the editor:

The December 3 story on the forthcoming new facility for St. Paul’s University Catholic Center is bittersweet. Though perennially cramped and austere, St. Paul’s was a beacon for thousands of UW Catholics and our ecumenical friends.

I was struck by the comments about how “dark” the present building seemed. The first time I walked in 37 years ago, the stark structure seemed so cold, but it was the people who made it warm, inviting, inclusive, and relevant.

Read More
On
Bill Dagnon

Follow pope’s example in caring for creation

To the editor:

Pope Francis was prophetic when he wrote his encyclical on climate change and care of creation, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Pope Francis released the encyclical on June 18, 2015.

This encyclical cannot be summarized in a letter, so I urge you to read it, but here is Pope Francis’ appeal: “I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.”[14]

Read More
On
Michael Schultz

Why play on Sundays? Because we have to

To the editor:

Why does the Madison Area Independent Sports League (MAISL) play on Sundays? First and foremost it is due to Diocese of Madison Policy: DBA 6420 (the A in DBA stands for “All” so it governs school and religious education programs): Section I. Travel to games must be kept to a reasonable distance especially on days preceding a school day. Therefore, games after supper are discouraged prior to school days. The player’s education and health must be safeguarded by the coach.

This means we can’t play on weeknights after approximately 5:30 p.m. unless it is a reschedule, and most of our coaches can’t make games prior to that time due to work schedules.

Read More