Author: Chris Lee

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Chris Lee

National Day of Remembrance

Guest Column

The National Day of Remembrance (AbortionMemorials.com) is an effort of prayer and education focused on the approximately 35 locations throughout the United States in which the bodies of children killed by abortion are buried.

By telling the stories of these burials and having memorial services at each of these sites, the public is brought to a deeper awareness of the humanity of the unborn and the inhumanity of abortion. Moreover, this occasion can lead those who have lost children to abortion to a greater measure of healing.

This initiative is sponsored by three national pro-life groups: Priests for Life, Pro-life Action League, and Citizens for a Pro-life Society.

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Chris Lee

Negotiating peace before the trains collide

Making a Difference column logo

“The Israelis and Palestinians are like two trains on the same track heading towards each other,” said Maryknoll Father Jack Sullivan.

Focusing on the issue of peace in Israel/Palestine for the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Father Sullivan added that the Palestinians are extremely frustrated living under Israeli occupation, and that their growing sense of hopelessness is “a disaster waiting to happen.”

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Chris Lee

Catholic schools educate the whole person

Our Catholic Schools, by Michael Lancaster

As we begin September, we prepare to engage in the wonderful task of teaching and learning in Catholic schools.

Some may wonder and question why this task is any different than similar tasks undertaken by tens of millions of students and hundreds of thousands of teachers at public schools?

After all, aren’t all schools in the business of teaching and learning? Don’t all parents want basically the same things for our children — to educate them so they gain the knowledge and confidence necessary to succeed economically and socially, to instill traits that will ensure that they understand and fulfill their social responsibilities and perform well the duties of national and global citizenship?

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Pope Francis calls for day of prayer and fasting on September 7

pope francis waves
Pope Francis waves as he leads the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican September 1. (CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters)

MADISON — At his Angelus address on Sunday, Sept. 1, Pope Francis called upon the faithful worldwide to join in a day of prayer and fasting on Saturday, Sept. 7, for peace, particularly in Syria, but also in the Middle East and throughout the world.

The pope also announced that the day of prayer and fasting will conclude with a vigil in St. Peter’s Square in Rome from 7 p.m. until midnight, local time. He asked local dioceses to arrange similar gatherings. The pope also called on fellow Christians, followers of other religions, and all men of good will to participate in whatever way they can in this initiative.

Bishop Robert C. Morlino has asked clergy in the Diocese of Madison to arrange for parish Holy Hours of Eucharistic Adoration for the particular intention of the Holy Father for this coming Saturday, Sept. 7, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., concluding appropriately a half hour before the typical anticipatory Mass at 5 p.m. (with applicable time modifications based on local parish Mass and Confession schedules).

“You are welcome to do additional items in conjunction with the Holy Father’s request, but this coordinated effort throughout parishes in the diocese at the direction of Bishop Morlino will show our solidarity with Pope Francis during the same time of the pope’s vigil prayer in Rome,” said Msgr. James Bartylla, vicar general of the Diocese of Madison, in notifying priests of the diocese about the day of prayer and fasting.

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Chris Lee

Sister Barbara Tilkens, OP, dies

SINSINAWA — Sister Barbara Tilkens, OP (Adella), died Aug. 30, 2013, at St. Dominic Villa. The funeral Mass was held in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa Sept. 6, 2013, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.

Sister Barbara made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican Feb. 4, 1953, and her final profession Aug. 5, 1958. She taught for 19 years, served in administration for two years, and ministered as support staff for 16 years and as a chaplain for 13 years. Sister Barbara served in South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Illinois, Montana, Alabama, and Iowa.

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Chris Lee

Camp Gray 60 years ago was built on faith, fun, and dynamite

BARABOO — Parishioners at St. Joseph Parish in Baraboo helped Fr. Francis Xavier Gray — later Monsignor Gray — buy the land for a Reedsburg youth camp on Shady Lane in the early 1950s.

Not long after, they used dynamite to clear stumps from the athletic field and built cabins from wood they salvaged from crates of ordnance produced at the nearby Badger Army Ammunition Plant just outside of Baraboo.

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Chris Lee

MDCCW plans fall vicariate meetings

MADISON — The Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (MDCCW) announces its fall vicariate (formerly deanery) meetings. All women and parish priests are invited to attend. Dates and host parishes are:

• Sauk Vicariate — St. Luke Parish, Plain, Tuesday, Sept. 10, mid-afternoon/evening (see information following this listing).

 

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Chris Lee

Labor Day: Making our work a prayer

Seeing with Jesus' Eyes, a column by Fr. Donald Lange

In the 15th century in a village near Nuremberg, Germany, Albrecht Durer and his brother Albert dreamed of attending art school.

But Albrecht Sr., their father who supported 18 children, understandably couldn’t afford to send them. So the two brothers made an agreement. Albrecht would attend art school while Albert worked in the mines to pay his expenses. When Albrecht graduated, he would use his artistic talents to pay for Albert’s tuition and other expenses.

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