Author: Chris Lee

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Chris Lee

Christian apologists, wake up! (part two)

Second in a two-part series on a Pew Study about why young people are leaving the active practice of Christianity. Part one looked at, first, the relationship between religion and science and, second, the dismissive “psychologizing” of beliefs. In this second part, Bishop Barron examines two more reasons young people offered in the study for “walking away from Christianity.” His analysis of the source of the problem, included in part one, is reprinted here in the first two paragraphs.

For the past 50 years or so, Christian thinkers have largely abandoned the art of apologetics and have failed (here I offer a j’accuse to many in the Catholic universities) to resource the riches of the Catholic intellectual tradition in order to hold off critics of the faith. I don’t blame the avatars of secularism for actively attempting to debunk Christianity; that’s their job, after all.

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Chris Lee

Feeding the hungry in downtown Madison

MADISON — On June 4 of this year, volunteers with Pro Labore Dei (PLD)-Madison chapter served their 100,000th meal to homeless people in downtown Madison. As of September 17, the number of meals served passed 103,000, according to Jim Flad, local PLD coordinator.

“In this Year of Mercy, we are grateful and thankful to God for choosing us to be His hands and legs here in Madison,” said Flad.

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Chris Lee

Remembering an encounter with a living saint

Allow me to share with you one of the high points of my life — a short, yet deeply enriching encounter with a saint.

Nearly 30 years ago, I worked at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington’s emergency food warehouse. Missionaries of Charity Sisters caring for HIV/AIDS patients at their Gift of Peace House in Washington, D.C., used to regularly stop by for food assistance.

Since I helped with food distribution, I got to know the Sisters. One day while picking up food, one of the Sisters said to me, “Mother is coming.”

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Chris Lee

Catholic Charities to operate new homeless day resource center

catholic charities press conference
Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison talks at a September 7 press conference at Holy Name Heights in Madison announcing a partnership between Dane County and Catholic Charities Madison for a new homeless day resource center in Madison that will open next year. Also pictured with the bishop are Derrick Smith, director of strategic planning and special projects, Catholic Charities Madison (seated far left), and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi (seated second from left). (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash)

MADISON — Bishop Robert C. Morlino called it a way to “deepen our effort to be good neighbors, one to another in these days.”

On September 7, the bishop, along with city and county leaders, leaders with Catholic Charities Madison, and other organizations that help the area homeless announced and praised a new partnership during a press conference at Holy Name Heights in Madison.

The partnership is between Catholic Charities and Dane County to operate a homeless day resource center to be housed at 615 East Washington Ave. in Madison, near the downtown area.

Solving challenges

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said the county has been committed to solving the challenge of helping the homeless in the area.

Parisi called it the “ideal location to help our homeless friends in need” and decided to partner with Catholic Charities because “we want to do this right and we want to do this right the first time.”

Catholic Charities Madison was selected as the center operator of the new facility by Dane County through a request for proposals submission process.

The goals for the new partnership include support for those suffering from poverty; refuge from the elements; offering referrals to appropriate services as needed by each individual; providing direct services such as a computer lab, laundry, showers, and storage; and building trusting relationships.

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Chris Lee

Reflections on the life, work, and canonization of St. Teresa

Lindsay Becher

“God thirsts that we may thirst for him.” — Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 2560

I thirst.

These words spoken from Jesus on the cross were also imprinted on the heart of St. Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) on September 10, 1946, and every day forward.

These words, and what Jesus revealed to her about them on a train ride that “Inspiration Day,” changed her life. Through the Church’s newest saint, they have also changed mine.

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Chris Lee

Theologians and catechists: wake up!

First in a two-part series on a Pew Study about why young people are leaving the active practice of Christianity.

After perusing the latest Pew Study on why young people are leaving the active practice of Christianity, I confess that I just sighed in exasperation. I don’t doubt for a moment the sincerity of those who responded to the survey, but the reasons they offer for abandoning Christianity are just so uncompelling.

That is to say, any theologian, apologist, or evangelist worth his salt should be able easily to answer them. And this led me (hence the sigh) to the conclusion that “we have met the enemy and it is us.”

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Chris Lee

Showing respect for others despite their ‘age’

Q I am an “older woman” who has worked hard, raised a family, and valued my education. I feel I have lived a good life.

My issue is that when I am out tending to my own business, some individuals will call me “honey,” “dear,” or “sweetie.”

They may hold a door open for me, they may pick up something that I have dropped, or perhaps offer some other gesture they consider to be helpful.

It is not that I don’t appreciate kindness as I think they are trying to be helpful, but I find this somewhat demeaning. They don’t know my capabilities or how I prefer to be addressed.

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Chris Lee

Remember the elderly in the autumn of their lives

October 1 is International Day of Older Persons as declared by the United Nations.

It is appropriate to celebrate this day during the fall of the year in order to focus upon the elderly’s autumn blessings and needs. An elderly Italian couple reminded me of this recently.

Visiting the elderly

On August 9, 2016, in Rome, Italy, four policemen visited the home of Michele, a 94-year-old man and Jole, his 89-year-old wife.

After 70 years of marriage, they still loved each other, but they were suffering from the cross of loneliness, partially because their neighbors were vacationing and also because of upsetting TV reports about terrorists’ attacks and abused children.

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