To the editor:
In the Declaration of Independence, it states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
In the 14th amendment it states: “nor shall any State deprive any person of life . . . nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
To the editor:
One of the readings this week (Jeremiah 1:5) said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”
Moral decisions on life are not between a woman and her doctors, for doctors are not God.
MADISON — People in Ghana are very grateful for the assistance they have received from people in the Diocese of Madison through the Global Solidarity Partnership, said the priest who coordinates the partnership in Ghana.
This column offers some reflections on Pope Paul VI’s document Humanae Vitae, which addresses the problems of all the various attacks on human life in the modern world. Paul VI identified contraception as the root cause of the “culture of death,” the twin evil of abortion.
One of the main objections to Humanae Vitae is that following its teaching (that is, practicing abstinence when avoiding pregnancy) impedes couples from expressing their love for one another. But of what “love” are we speaking: authentic conjugal love that images God, or its perennial counterfeit — lust?
MADISON — Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, archbishop of Milwaukee, spoke at a public hearing held January 12 at the State Capitol against a bill that would, if passed, repeal the statute of limitations for all civil suits filed by childhood sexual abuse victims.
Senate Bill 319 and its counterpart AB-453, currently in committee in the State Assembly, would also create a window for suits previously barred by the statute of limitations. The current statute, amended in 2003, allows child sexual abuse victims 17 years past their 18th birthday to bring a case to civil court against their perpetrator or the perpetrator’s employer if the assault occurred due in part to the employer’s negligence.
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| Beloit nurse Pam Charles ministers to a child at the orphanage in Haiti where she was working as a volunteer when the earthquake struck. (Contributed photo) |
BELOIT — A call for action comes through in Pam Charles’ voice as she describes the urgent need for donations of money for an orphanage in Haiti where she was a volunteer when the January 12 earthquake hit the island nation.
Charles, a nurse, mother of four children, and member of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Beloit, was in Haiti with a group of six women serving as volunteers for Health Ministries for Haiti (HMH). The team was providing medical care at a mobile clinic and at an orphanage at Croix de Bouquet, a town near the capital city of Port-au-Prince and the international airport.
| For updated information on the Diocese of Madison’s collection for Catholic Relief Services aid to Haiti, click here | |
Charles is making a determined effort for donations. “Our work now is to raise funds. I’ve seen the need in Haiti. I’m trying to help get the message out the best I can that money is needed so the children in the orphanage can have a better life.”
HMH is a non-profit Christian group founded by Madison nurse Jennifer Weitzel Blahnik. Her sister, Sarah Weitzel Cain, an imaging technician at Beloit Memorial Hospital, assists with the ministry. Both are Beloit natives. Also with the group was Mary Parry, Beloit, serving as a support person, and two nurses from Madison.
Every year beginning with the last Sunday in January Catholic schools across the nation celebrate Catholic Schools Week.
The week is a celebration of the work of Catholic schools and of their tremendous contribution to our communities, our Church, and our country. Unlike public or secular schools that educate children primarily to succeed in secular life, live as contributing citizens, participate in the democratic process, and prepare for college and work, Catholic schools educate the whole person, body, mind, and soul. Catholic schools prepare students not only for success in the secular world, but also to live as Christians who not only succeed in life, but who through their lives make the world a better place.
It would be difficult to forget the huge contribution Sisters have made to the Catholic education in schools across the globe. In a similar way, many who have attended Catholic schools can also recall the priests who were present for catechesis classes or daily Mass, or perhaps for their First Communion or First Reconciliation.
Catholic Schools Week is the annual national celebration of the important role of Catholic grade and high schools which emphasize not only academics but also spiritual, moral, and social values. This year Catholic Schools Week is observed from January 31 to February 6.
Its theme is “Dividends for Life.” Parents, teachers, administrators, students, and others invest valuable time, talent, and resources in Catholic schools. The dividends of their investment last for a lifetime and into eternity. According to Karen Ristau, National Catholic Educators Association president, there is no better way to invest in a child’s future or the future of the world.
To the editor:
The Senate version of Obamacare, despite rhetoric to the contrary,would greatly expand the federal government’s role in abortion coverage and even direct payment for abortions at taxpayer expense.
The House version which includes the Stupak/Pitts language would negate all of the following problems in the Senate version:
