Author: Chris Lee

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Chris Lee

Wisconsin bishops respond to termination of DACA

MADISON — The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin have issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s announced termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program six months from now:

“The bishops of Wisconsin affirm their support for the continued protection of youth under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Most of the nearly 8,000 DACA Wisconsinites, who are among almost 800,000 DACA young adults nationwide, know no other home than the U.S., having been brought here in their youth through no choice of their own.

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Chris Lee

Farmers called to a unique vocation

DODGEVILLE — “Farmers are called to a unique vocation,” said Jim Ennis, executive director of Catholic Rural Life, the Catholic non-profit organization serving the rural Church in the United States for over 93 years.

Ennis discussed the role of farmers in an interview about a recent document called The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader: Integrating Faith with Agriculture and the Environment.

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Chris Lee

Thoughts on Mass before and after Vatican II

To the editor:

While not yet Catholic, I attended many Latin Masses before Vatican II. The formal beauty and solemnity of the processions, the cross, the priest’s vestments — all inspired reverence.

I followed the spoken Latin, although not all of it was audible. Many parishioners not understanding Latin prayed the Rosary, following which they received Communion on the tongue, kneeling at a rail.

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Chris Lee

Catholic groups helping after Harvey

texas flooding
A Texas National Guard soldier carries a woman during rescue operations in flooded areas around Houston, Texas. (CNS photo/courtesy Texas Military Department)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNS) — Catholic dioceses and charities are quickly organizing to help in the aftermath of a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall with heavy rains and winds of 130 miles per hour late August 25 into the Rockport, Texas, area, northeast of Corpus Christi.

The hurricane, named Harvey, is said to be the strongest one to hit the United States in more than a decade and perhaps the strongest one to make landfall in Texas.

Mobilizing to help
Bishop Robert C. Morlino has authorized a mandatory special collection at the parish level for flood victims in Texas. Here is the link for more information: www.madisondiocese.org/donate

Catholic Charities USA, as well as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Disaster Services, announced early on August 26 that they’re mobilizing to help an as-yet-unknown number of persons affected by the hurricane. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has a list of charities helping with the disaster listed on its website at https://tx catholic.org/harvey

Authorities reported at least five casualties as of August 27, but because of safety issues, not many emergency teams have been yet able to respond to the aftermath and much of the damage is unknown. Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared the state a disaster area, which will allow federal money to help in reconstruction. Catholic groups said they want to help with the immediate needs of the communities affected.

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Chris Lee

Fr. Donald Calloway to speak in Pine Bluff

PINE BLUFF — I’ve come to know Fr. Donald Calloway over the course of the past few years. His conversion story is amazing, and not unlike many of us priests today, in that our worldly lives were, by the grace of God, completely transformed into a life totally dedicated to God.

The similarities come, especially, as his mother never gave up on him; trusting in Our Lord and Our Lady that her son would turn his life around some day. Now, Fr. Donald Calloway and I serve on the Board of the Holy League together, with Cardinal Raymond Burke as our spiritual adviser.

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Chris Lee

The mysterious church on the edge of the world

Even though I lived in France for three years while doing my doctoral studies, I never managed a visit to Mont Saint-Michel, the mysterious, mystical, and hauntingly photogenic abbey situated on a promontory just off the Normandy coast between Caen and St. Malo.

But last week, in connection with the filming for my Pivotal Players series, my team and I made the pilgrimage.

I first spied the mount from the backseat of the van, when we were still many miles away. It looked like a great ship, moored on the line of the horizon. As we got closer, the place became increasingly impressive, sometimes looming like a fortress, other times seeming to float on the sea.

When we entered the gates this morning to commence our work, we stepped out of our world and into the Middle Ages. Our climb to the top —arduous and steep — mimicked that of thousands of pilgrims and monks and spiritual seekers over the centuries.

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Chris Lee

Catholic therapists incorporate ‘human’ touch

Ask DMU

Q .I keep hearing how a Catholic therapist makes a world of difference, but I’m not sure how a therapist with a Catholic-Christian worldview would operate differently from a secular therapist. Can you help me understand the difference?

A. Excellent question. Since the answer to this inquiry is very complex, I will only present three ways in which a Catholic therapist’s approach is different from their secular colleagues.

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