As we move closer and closer to Thanksgiving and then to the graced season of Advent, we are reminded to be grateful and to keep our relationship with Jesus Christ and our family, parish, and community as primary priorities.
Our Catholic Social Teaching principle of Call to Family, Community, and Participation is a helpful reminder in this regard.
The principle states, “The person is not only sacred but also social.
“How we organize our society — in economics and politics, in law and policy — directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community.
“Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined.
“We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.” (From the USCCB’s “Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching.)
The principle acknowledges the importance of the human being and of developing a supportive community in every way so that everyone can live a fulfilling and holy life.
Special attention must definitely be given to the least of our sisters and brothers.
Certainly, being thankful for our blessings, for even our crosses, and to live for Christ contributes greatly to integrating this principle into our daily lives.
Answering the call
Ecumenical (between Christians) and interreligious (between Christians and non-Christians) outreach certainly answers a Call to Family, Community, and Participation by bringing people of all faiths and backgrounds together.
The Diocese of Madison is reaching out and collaborating with Protestants, Orthodox, Evangelicals, and non-Christian groups as much as possible.
Our Second Vatican Council addressed ecumenical and interreligious relationships in several documents, including the “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church” (Lumen Gentium), the “Decree on Ecumenism” (Unitatis Redintegratio), and the “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions” (Nostra aetate).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church also includes ecumenical and interreligious teaching.
The Catechism quotes from Lumen Gentium “The sole Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, . . . subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him. Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines” (LG 8).
Special event
I want to highlight and invite everyone to a very special ecumenical event that is calling all of us to enrich our family and community, and to participate in both.
An Ecumenical Thanksgiving Prayer Service followed by refreshments and fellowship is on Monday, Nov. 21, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, 401 S. Owen Dr., Madison, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Nonperishable items and cash contributions will be accepted to help the poor and vulnerable in our community.
John Schmitz, from Blessed Sacrament Parish in Madison, is the visionary behind this ecumenical prayer service.
Planning started in June. The planning team of Schmitz; Deacon Mark Zwolski from Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish; Deacon Jerome Buhman from St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Madison; and other Catholics have been working with leaders from Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical, and African American communities — 14 communities in all.
According to Schmitz, the planning team’s purpose is to bring Madison Christian churches together to thank God for our many blessings and to be a light, a stronger witness, and an encouragement to our community and world.
The team also wants the prayer service to be a reminder of all the blessings we have and where they come from.
The planning team believes that what we share in common in Christ (His teachings, death, and resurrection) is greater than our differences, significant as they are; that we need each other for support and to better witness to our community; and that Thanksgiving seems to be the right time to come together.
Highlights shared by Schmitz include:
• The Diocese of Madison and five Catholic parishes (Blessed Sacrament Parish; Good Shepherd Parish, Madison; Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish; St. Thomas Aquinas Parish; and St. Bernard Parish, Middleton) are among the 26 co-sponsors of the event.
• Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison will be giving the reflection.
• Part of the service will be in Spanish.
• Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish is hosting the inaugural gathering. The hope is that the location of the ecumenical prayer service will rotate among Madison area churches, with Lighthouse Church offering to host in 2023.
Fr. Rick Ginther, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Indianapolis, also serves as the director of ecumenism and interreligious affairs in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
In their archdiocesan newspaper, The Criterion, Father Ginther wrote in his May 20, 2022, column “When can Catholics and other denominations pray together?”, “When Christians gather for prayer, we pray together. We have a common belief in the Trinity, in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We share sacred Scripture. Thankfully, Christians pray together from time to time.”
Our Ecumenical Thanksgiving Prayer Service on November 21 is a wonderful opportunity to pray with other Christians “from time to time” and in doing so will help answer the Call to Family, Community, and Participation in our Diocese of Madison and beyond.
We hope to see you there!
Dr. Chris McAtee is the director of human life and dignity for the Diocese of Madison. You can email him at [email protected]