Q What exactly does Medicare cover? My father is in his late 70’s and in failing health.
He has told me when the time comes he would agree to go to a “home,” (my mother died many years ago).
He seems to think Medicare will cover the cost of a nursing home. I don’t think it does. Who is right? (From a son in Beloit).
To the editor:
Recent media reports from the Middle East and beyond indicate that many Christians of various denominations and rites in Syria are quite nervous, some going so far as to question whether the Arab Spring will wind up being the Christian Winter; this is also a concern for Alawite, Druze, and Shi’ite communities in Syria and Lebanon.
There is no question that what is going on inside Syria cannot be justified as far as implementation goes — unquestionably, the current regime is despotic and shooting at civilians with artillery and all the rest is simply beyond defense. However, seeing what has happened in Iraq and Egypt so far shows that perhaps helping the regime change is vastly preferable to changing the regime.
To the editor:
In the Saturday March 10 is of The New York Times, writer Samuel G. Freedman highlights the support that various clergy and congregations have shown to their parishioners and local communities in the midst of the mortgage crisis in “Mortgage Crisis Inspires Churches to Send Lenten Season Message to Banks.”
In the spirit of Lent, churches are calling for a moratorium on foreclosures, moving church monies out of the major banks involved in widespread foreclosures to local banks, even supporting families at meetings with their bank.
Thirty-some years ago, I spent a fair amount of time on religious freedom issues: which meant, in those simpler days, trying to pry Lithuanian priests and nuns out of Perm Camp 36 and other GULAG islands.
Had you told me in 1982 that one of my “clients,” the Jesuit Sigitas Tamkevicius, would be archbishop of Kaunas in a free Lithuania in 2012, I would have thought you a bit optimistic.
If you had also told me, back then, that there would eventually be serious religious freedom problems in the United States, I would have thought you a bit mad.
“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days” (Galatians 1:18).
In my previous two-part preparatory article, I outlined the historical context and current format and content of the ad limina apostolorum pilgrimage, literally, “to the threshold of the apostles,” by bishops to Rome on a quinquennial basis, i.e., five-year basis.
Bishop Robert C. Morlino and the bishops of Region VII, comprising Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, recently completed their pilgrimage and I’ll offer a brief reflection in thanksgiving as a privileged pilgrim accompanying Bishop Morlino on the ad limina pilgrimage.
I extend my deepest thanks to Bishop Morlino for the opportunity to assist him and accompany him on the ad limina pilgrimage.
MADISON — Diocesan winners in the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest were selected recently by the diocesan CCHD Committee chaired by Trudi Jenny. There were 16 diocesan entries in the contest.
The contest engages young people in grades seven to 12 in learning about poverty in the U.S., its root causes, and faith-inspired efforts to address it, especially through the CCHD.
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Queridos amigos:
Como muchos de ustedes deben saber, en las semanas pasadas tuve mi retiro anual. No doy por descontada la bendición que fue haber tenido ese tiempo de oración, silencio y escucha del Señor.
Sé bien que las exigencias cotidianas de la vida hacen casi imposible para la mayoría de nosotros, especialmente en estos días y en esta época, tomarse un tiempo para un retiro espiritual. Sin embargo los aliento a tratar de encontrar el tiempo necesario para esta experiencia. (Aquí en nuestro centro diocesano acabamos de ofrecer un retiro de fin de semana y hay muchas oportunidades en diversos lugares y en distintos momentos del año).
To the editor:
At a recent gathering at our parish, I overheard a group of people discussing the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate. The consensus of their conversation could be summed up as follows: “The bishops are getting way too riled up over this issue. It is an election year after all and the president will back down on this.”
As Archbishop Chaput stated, “The current administration prides itself on being measured and deliberate. The current HHS mandate needs to be understood as exactly that.”
MADISON — More than 400 people filled St. Joseph Church, 1905 W. Beltline Hwy., Madison, for the March 3 Mass celebrating the merger of St. Joseph and St. James Parishes into Good Shepherd Parish.
MADISON — Their children say that Rosemary and Joseph Grout are a wonderful role model for their family and everyone they meet.
“Their faith is incredibly strong. They’re full of love and life,” said their daughter, Donna Hildebrand of Verona.
