Author: Chris Lee

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Chris Lee

Annual priets’ assembly offers special grace

A special grace of my priesthood is the privilege of participating in the annual Diocesan Presbyteral Assembly held at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells from September 21 to 24.

The Presbyteral Assembly grew out of the landmark Madison Diocese Emmaus retreat in 1980, which was intended to bolster the spiritual lives of us priests. It did.

Since I was in high school work at Beloit Catholic High, I rarely was able to attend diocesan functions, but I was free during summers. During summer school, I learned that this was also true of priests who taught high school in other dioceses. I was happy that Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell asked all active priests to attend.

Emmaus experience

Msgr. Frank Bognanno of the Diocese of Des Moines was chosen to lead the Emmaus retreat. The bishop of Des Moines was Bishop Bullock, who later became our bishop. Father Frank returned to Madison for Bishop Bullock’s anniversary celebration. He also led an inspiring priests’ retreat in 2002.

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Chris Lee

The Gospel according to The Hobbit

Like Star Wars, The Divine Comedy, and Moby Dick, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is the story of a hero’s journey. This helps to explain, of course, why, like those other narratives, it has proved so perennially compelling.

The hero’s tale follows a classical pattern: a person is wrenched out of complacency and self-absorption and called to a great adventure, during which he (or she), through struggle, comes to maturity and vision.

Summoned to adventure

The Hobbit begins, humbly enough, with this line: “in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” Tolkien is quick to clarify that this is not a nasty or unkempt hole, but rather a cozy place, filled with fine furniture, doilies, and a well-stocked kitchen. This is the homey space from which Bilbo Baggins (the hobbit) will be summoned to adventure.

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Chris Lee

Living independently involves many aspects

Q My dad is in his early 90s and fortunately has enjoyed really good health.

He lives alone since my mother died and is doing a great job of caring for himself.

I visit twice a week and have lunch with him and check up on things, but he is really a good role model for maintaining independence.

As his only child, I want to make sure I am not missing anything related to his health and well-being.

Are there things that need to be in place to assure he can stay in his home?

I guess what I am asking is what is out there for older individuals to help them stay safe?

(From a daughter in Columbus)

A You bring up a great point, and fortunately, there is a great deal of information and support in this area.

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Chris Lee

Sister Dorothy Doolan, OP, dies

SINSINAWA — Sr. Dorothy Doolan, OP, died Sept. 4, 2014, at St. Dominic Villa. Her religious name was Sister Damian. The funeral Mass was held in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa Sept. 12, 2014, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.

Sister Dorothy made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican Aug. 6, 1940, and her final profession Aug. 6, 1943. She taught for 53 years and served as pastoral minister for 13 years. Sister Dorothy served in Iowa, Montana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

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Chris Lee

Corregirnos unos a otros de manera ‘amorosa’

Esta columna es la comunicación del Obispo con los fieles de la Diócesis de Madison. Cualquier circulación más amplia va más allá de la intención del Obispo.

Queridos amigos:

Rezo para que todos hayan tenido un verano de descanso . . . como parece ser, tristemente, ¡estamos llegando a los últimos días! En mi caso, tengo la esperanza de que el invierno sea no muy fuerte. Sé que puede ser una esperanza tonta, pero ¡soy un hombre de esperanza!

Considerando las lecturas del domingo pasado, creo que es muy importante que reflexionemos juntos, nuevamente, sobre el tema de la corrección fraterna, que es sobre lo que la primera (Ez 33:7-9) y la tercera (Mt 18:15-20) lecturas nos hablaron.

La corrección fraterna es la manera en que nos corregimos unos a otros como hermanos y hermanas en Cristo. Lo hacemos no con arrogancia, ni con desprecio, sino con amor. La corrección fraterna en la Iglesia es un servicio de amor.

En nuestros días y en esta época, nadie quiere corregir a nadie (a menos que sea anónimamente, alguien que no conocemos y en un foro en línea, que ciertamente no es corrección caritativa). Corregir a alguien directamente, alguien a quien conocemos, requiere que expliquemos lo que está bien y lo que está mal, lo que es bueno y lo que es malo. Nadie quiere hacer eso porque “tú tienes tu propia verdad y yo tengo mi propia verdad y podemos coexistir pacíficamente y ¡todo es maravilloso!”. . . excepto que no es así. Es un mundo confundido.

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Chris Lee

When life gives you lemonade . . . you give back to others

Phil Fabian raised over $160 for the Catholic Multicultural Center at his lemonade stand at his Madison home. (Photo/Andrea Fabian)

MADISON — When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. So what if life gives you lemonade?

If you asked this question to Phil Fabian, he would probably respond that you can use it to help others. Phil is a 10-year-old lemonade stand entrepreneur whose goal is to have fun while helping out the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison.

Not a typical lemonade stand

One afternoon in August, Phil’s lemonade stand was open for business, catering to customers looking for a cool treat on a warm summer day. However, this wasn’t your typical lemonade stand.

“People tell me that my lemonade stand is different from other stands because everything I offer is free,” said Phil.

All passing by were welcome to take ice-cold lemonade and choose from an assortment of home-baked goods for free, no strings attached.

Instead of paying for a sweet treat, customers were invited to “pay it forward” and contribute to a free-will donation collection for the CMC.

Lots of visitors

Patrons stopped by the stand all afternoon, many of whom were Our Lady Queen of Peace School teachers and parish staff. A Facebook post by the CMC advertised the event.

Phil and his family were very happy with the turnout, though just running the lemonade stand was an enjoyable experience regardless of how many came.

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Chris Lee

Christian themes in The Giver

Lois Lowry’s 1993 novel The Giver has garnered a wide audience over the past two decades, since it has become a standard text in middle schools and high schools across the English-speaking world.

With the enormous success of the Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games films, Hollywood has been busy adapting books written for the young adult audience. The most recent is the movie version of The Giver, produced by Jeff Bridges and starring Bridges and Meryl Streep.

Having never heard of the novel, I came at the film with no expectations, and I confess I was surprised both by the power of its societal critique and its implicit Christian themes.

Seemingly perfect city

The story is set in a seemingly utopian city, where there is no conflict, no inequality, and no stress. The streets are laid out in a perfectly symmetrical grid, the buildings are clean, and people dress in matching outfits and ride bicycles so as not to pollute the environment.

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