Author: Chris Lee

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Chris Lee

Citizens with disabilities need our advocacy

To the editor:

The Department of Health Services (DHS) has filed an application with the federal government to extend Wisconsin’s Family Care program.
Early estimates project that more than 10,000 people with severe disabilities could be forced from prevocational programs (because of changes to the program). The consequences for both those employed by the work centers and the success of these centers are drastic.

Please contact the governor and members of the legislature listed below and tell them to stop the DHS’s attempt to eliminate the option for citizens with disabilities’ to choose employment and remain employed at work centers.

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Chris Lee

‘Neutral’ not good enough

To the editor:

I read with interest the bishops’ statement in the Catholic Herald on health care reform and also Kim Wadas’ “Amendment preserves long standing protection.”

What protection? The last time I read the Bible the Fifth Commandment was “You shall not kill.” So how could “the Catholic bishops pledge continued efforts to keep abortion neutral”?

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Chris Lee

Accept all of Church teaching, not just some parts

Guest Column

Editor’s note: Following is a response to George Weigel’s column, “Benedict and the truth about charity,” published in the September 17 issue of the Catholic Herald. Portions of this article have been edited.

For those of us who have read Pope Benedict XVI’s social encyclical Caritas in Veritate, George Weigel’s recent commentaries may seem off the mark. Did he really read the same encyclical as the rest of us?

Caritas in Veritate is a very lengthy discussion of how our works of charity must proceed from the essential truth we find in Christ. If not, then such works reflect a kind of momentary whim or sentimentality.

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Chris Lee

Esperando a Cristo y disfrutando la espera

Bajo el libro del evangelio por Obispo Robert C. Morlino
Esta columna está dirigida a los fieles de la Diócesis de Madison. Cualquier circulación más amplia transgrede la intención del Obispo.

Nota del editor: la siguiente columna es una adaptación de la homilía de Obispo Robert C. Morlino en la Misa que celebró en la iglesia St. Patrick en Madison en el primer Domingo de Adviento.

Queridos amigos:

Quiero comenzar saludando de manera especial a nuestros buenos amigos que están en la formación RCIA (rito de iniciación cristiana de adultos) y pronto serán recibidos en la plena comunión de la Iglesia: algunos a través del Bautismo y la Confirmación y otros a través de la Confirmación en la gran Vigilia Pascual. Su camino está claramente en marcha y espero que tengan la conciencia de lo cerca que están. ¡Ya casi lo han logrado! Los recibimos en nuestra familia de todo corazón y queremos caminar con ustedes en lo que falta del camino hasta la Pascua, así como muchos han caminado fielmente con ustedes en los días pasados.

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Chris Lee

Lighting the FLAME for Advent

Hailey and Linda Braunsky, members of St. Albert the Great Parish in Sun Prairie, play Advent Bingo at an intergenerational FLAME event at the church November 18. The program, which this month focused on the season of Advent, brings together people of all ages for fun and catechesis. (Catholic Herald photo/Kat Wagner)

SUN PRAIRIE — The choir at St Albert the Great Parish has been practicing since September for their upcoming Candles & Carols, a cantata that, with its accompanying narrative, tells the story of Christ from the prophets all the way to his birth in Bethlehem.

And that’s choir — as in, one choir, one parish, one Church.

They may have many weekend Masses to each sing at, but all of the choir members come together once a week to practice in just one of the ways that St. Albert the Great Parish is striving towards a greater sense of unity. The Candles & Carols event is another.

The choir, which will also be performing several of the songs a few days earlier at a choral fundraiser for the local food pantry and at the 9 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve, won’t be performing alone at the event December 6. Along with the instrumentalists, the choir will also be assisted by young people taking on roles to flesh out the narrative of the coming of Christ, telling the stories of the Bible to serve as a reminder of the reason for the Advent season. Throughout the performance, which features arrangements that often call to mind many familiar Christmastime carols, they will light candles to represent the coming of Christ.

“Children will love it — it’ll be really neat,” said Cecile Gregory, the director of liturgy and music at the parish.

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