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Spoiler Alert! This column reveals details of a newly released film.
The film Birdbox, based on a British novel of the same name, started streaming on Netflix around Christmas time. Starring Sandra Bullock and John Malkovich, it is a taut thriller that manages, perhaps despite itself, to shed considerable light on the parlous spiritual condition of contemporary culture.
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In 1974, Catholic Schools Week was established as the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. This year it occurs from January 27 to February 2. Its theme is “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.”
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While I was in Chicago for the Christmas break, I had a wonderful meeting with around 30 young Jesuits, all in their “pre-tertianship” period of formation. This means that these men had already passed through their lengthy education in philosophy and theology and had been involved for some time in a ministry of the Jesuit order.
The group I addressed included high school teachers, university professors, journal editors, and doctoral students — and almost all of them were ordained priests. After a simple lunch of soup and sandwiches, we plunged into conversation.
Happy Catholic Schools Week! This coming Sunday marks the beginning of a national, week-long celebration of Catholic schools.
In the Diocese of Madison, each one of the 43 Catholic elementary and high schools will be celebrating their students, teachers, parents, and all of the incredible success and achievements of their students as they learn and grow academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
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During this Christmas holiday, I’ve been reading Anthony Gottlieb’s breezy and enjoyable history of modern philosophy, entitled The Dream of Enlightenment.
Throughout his treatment of such figures as Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, and Voltaire, Gottlieb reveals his own rather strong bias in favor of the rationalism and anti-supernaturalism advocated by these avatars of modern thought.
HUBERTUS, Wis. — The relic of the Incorruptible Heart of St. Jean (John) Vianney will be available for veneration at the Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill in Hubertus on Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 23 and 24.
A six-month tour is taking the holy relic of the saint — popularly known as the Cure d’Ars — across the United States. The heart relic of St. Jean Vianney will visit cathedrals, churches, chapels, and seminaries.
To the editor:
The Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children is observed on January 22. How appropriate, as on this day 46 years ago, our Supreme Court justices passed Roe v. Wade.
At a National Prayer Breakfast attended by President Bill and Hillary Clinton, Mother Teresa said: “What is taking place in America is a war against the child. If we accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?”
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Following is the homily at the Cathedral Parish of St. Raphael in Madison given at Christmas Midnight Mass by Msgr. James Bartylla, diocesan administrator.
There is often an accusation made against Christianity that is called the “Scandal of Particularity”. In its essence, it emphasizes the difficulty of believing a single man (Jesus) could be the Savior of all mankind and the only way to the Father.
It argues that it is “unreasonable” or “fanciful” to believe in this salvific universality of Jesus Christ. After all, he was born in Bethlehem, during a census by Caesar Augustus, under the governorship of Quirinius, and raised in Nazareth? How could the Savior of the whole world, including Rome, Greece, Persia, and Africa, and for all time, be from little Bethlehem?
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| Msgr. James Bartylla |
MADISON — “The general rule is that a diocesan administrator can do whatever a diocesan bishop can do, but with some important limitations, and of course, a priest elected as the diocesan administrator isn’t a consecrated bishop, and therefore doesn’t possess the sacramental grace and character of the episcopacy,” said Msgr. James Bartylla in discussing his role as diocesan administrator of the Diocese of Madison.
On November 26, two days after the death of Bishop Robert C. Morlino, the College of Consultors — a body of nine diocesan priests — elected Monsignor Bartylla as diocesan administrator. He had been the vicar general for Bishop Morlino.
“Upon the death of a bishop, all vicars general and episcopal vicars lose their offices,” noted Monsignor Bartylla. “The College of Consultors assumes governance of the diocese upon the death of the bishop.”
However, all of the diocesan departments continue in full operation since the work of the diocese continues unabated through its parishes, entities, and diocesan curial offices in the multifaceted work of catechesis, evangelization, spreading the Gospel, and strengthening the faithful.
MADISON — Pornography is not a topic most adults are comfortable speaking about. This is especially the case when it comes to parents addressing it with their children.
Regrettably, it’s the topic that’s becoming more and more necessary to address in our digital age. Too many parents, grandparents, and guardians think that internet-based pornography is beyond the interest of their children. We need to be informed on this matter. Statistics tell us another story.
