Author: Chris Lee

On
Chris Lee

Christ heals through Sacrament of the Sick

On August 4, 2013, a 19-year-old girl named Katie Lentz got in a serious accident along a Missouri highway.

She was barely clinging to life, and her vital signs were fading when she asked rescue workers to pray with her. Suddenly a priest appeared from nowhere. A rescue worker welcomed him with the words, “Father, we need all the help we can get now!”

The priest prayed, anointed the girl, and gave her absolution. Fire Chief Raymond Reed said that after the anointing, a peaceful calmness seemed to come over the girl and rescue workers. When he turned to thank the priest, he was gone.

The unknown priest became known as the angel or mystery priest. Eventually his identity was discovered. His name is Fr. Patrick Dowling. He told ABC News, “I have no doubt the Most High answered the prayers of Katie and the rescue workers. I was part of God’s answer, but only part.” Katie survived and is in the long process of recovering.

Read More
On
Chris Lee

Message for November 4: Vote

Eye on the Capitol by John Huebscher

In Wisconsin, voting is a basic right enshrined in our state constitution. Voting is also a solemn obligation of all faithful citizens charged with a responsibility for the affairs of the community.

There are several powerful reasons for all of us to take the trouble to vote in the coming election.

Many don’t bother to vote

For one thing, the vote is a powerful weapon for those who use it, and too many of us don’t bother to vote.

Read More
On
Chris Lee

Surprising lessons from YouTube viewers

Just last month, my media ministry Word on Fire marked a milestone: 10,000,000 views on our YouTube channel.

This achievement fills me with gratitude both to God and to the many people who watched one or more of the videos I’ve produced. It also provides the occasion for me to reflect a bit on both the pitfalls and advantages of evangelizing through the new media.

An experiment

When we commenced our outreach through YouTube seven years ago, we did so in the manner of an experiment. YouTube had just come into being at that time, and it largely featured crude, homemade videos of cats jumping off the roof and babies gurgling for their mother’s camcorder.

I thought we should try to invade this space with the Gospel, and so I resolved to make short video commentaries on movies, music, current affairs, cultural happenings, etc.

Read More
On
Chris Lee

Sister Mariel Blanche Bronson, OP, dies

SINSINAWA — Sr. Mariel Blanche Bronson, OP, died Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, at St. Dominic Villa. Her religious name was Sister Ethelwin. The funeral Mass will be held in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa on Friday, Oct. 30, 2014, followed by burial of the cremains in the Motherhouse Cemetery.

Sister Mariel Blanche made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican August 5, 1947, and her final profession August 5, 1950. She taught for 36 years, served as support staff for one year, ministered in social work for seven years, and served as volunteer music teacher for nine years. Sister Mariel Blanche was a talented cello player who played with the War Production Board Orchestra, Washington, D.C.; Sedalia Symphony and Sedalia Trio, both Sedalia, MO.; D.C. Community Orchestra, Washington, D.C., where she was soloist for the Saint-Saen’s “Cello Concerto”; Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Dubuque, Iowa; and Sinsinawa Strings Orchestra, Sinsinawa, Wis. She served in Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Missouri, and the District of Columbia.

Read More
On
Chris Lee

God is a family of three eternal persons in Trinity

To the editor:

In his article in the October 16 issue, Father Barron writes that unbelieving scientists don’t seem to know what we mean by “God.” He states that a universe of contingent entities requires a non-contingent source.

Some unbelievers assert that our universe and others derived from space time fluctuations that always existed. This debate, which has been raging for several years, is partly our fault because we leave the impression that God is a solitary individual who arbitrarily created the universe from nothing.

Read More
On
Chris Lee

Arguments for God’s existence

One of the unintended but happy consequences of the emergence of the new atheism is a renewed interest in classical arguments for God’s existence.

Eager to defend the faith that is so vigorously attacked today, Catholic apologists and evangelists have been recovering these rational demonstrations of the truth of God; and the atheists, just as eager to defend their position, have entered into the fray.

In the process, these ancient arguments, long thought by many to be obsolete, have found a new relevance and have been brought to greater clarity through the give and take of both critics and advocates.

Read More
On
Chris Lee

Respecting life outside our comfort zone

True respect for life requires us to get out of our comfort zone. Oh, we might say, “I respect life, I vote for ‘pro-life’ politicians who claim they will work to end abortion.” However, in a democracy voting is usually easy and comfortable.

But are we willing to regularly stand outside of an abortion mill on a freezing winter morning or hot summer afternoon praying and witnessing to the humanity of our unborn brothers and sisters? That’s harder and somewhat uncomfortable.

War kills life

Now for those who are willing to get uncomfortable in support of the Catholic Church’s efforts to protect unborn human life, try to move into an even more uncomfortable zone: acknowledge the truth that war does much to disrespect life. War kills life — mostly innocent life.

Read More