Author: Chris Lee

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Chris Lee

René Girard, Church Father

René Girard, one of the most influential Catholic philosophers in the world, died recently at the age of 91.

Born in Avignon and a member of the illustrious Academie Francaise, Girard nevertheless made his academic reputation in the United States as a professor at Indiana University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University.

New social theory

There are some thinkers that offer intriguing ideas and proposals, and there is a tiny handful of thinkers that manage to shake your world. Girard was in this second camp. In a series of books and articles, written across several decades, he proposed a social theory of extraordinary explanatory power.

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Chris Lee

Finding my dignity in self-giving love

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Morgan Smith

I am reflecting now about how I felt on a weekend when I was facilitating a retreat that I had crafted from scratch (if you could imagine the stress this might cause). I feel like what happened to me sounds a bit crazy, the opposite of what “should” have happened.

I left the weekend at a physical deficit after ­­I put in countless hours of work. What’s crazy is that I am more spiritually fulfilled than ever before­­. I left the weekend a changed person.

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Chris Lee

These days we are heeding wrong ‘golden rule’

When he spoke to Congress last month, Pope Francis quietly urged his listeners to heed the Golden Rule of “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

But there is another golden rule. The late Wisconsin Governor Lee Dreyfus liked to refer to it from time to time. Commenting (with disfavor) on the nature of “old school politics,” Dreyfus observed that the golden rule of such politics is “He who has the gold makes the rules.”

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Chris Lee

John Huebscher to retire as WCC executive director

MADISON — The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) announced that Executive Director John Huebscher will retire in January and Associate Director Kim Wadas will succeed him.

The WCC was organized by the state’s Catholic bishops in 1969 for the purpose of coordinating various interdiocesan activities and public affairs interests of the five Roman Catholic dioceses in Wisconsin on a statewide level.

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Chris Lee

Could return to past model help small Catholic schools remain vital today?

At this time each year, the Office of Catholic Schools collects data detailing the state of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Madison.

When looking at data from the past few years, we have seen some exciting trends, such as the addition of grades six to eight at three different schools, the addition of three-year-old pre-school programs at several schools, and marked enrollment increases at several Catholic schools in Dane County.

These positive signs indicate growing enrollment and a focus on continuous improvement and development. While growth comes with certain challenges, it is a reason for great hope for the future of Catholic schools.

While this growth is exciting and encouraging, many Catholic schools, especially those in rural communities, are facing a different set of challenges: how to remain vital and vibrant in communities where the general population is shrinking, leaving an ever smaller pool of students from which to draw.

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Chris Lee

St. Ambrose Academy annual Benefit Dinner

MADISON — On Saturday, Dec. 12, St. Ambrose Academy will host its annual Benefit Dinner, gathering hundreds from around the Diocese of Madison to celebrate Catholic education.

St. Ambrose Academy has hosted the annual dinner for nine consecutive years. As in years past, joining the evening’s festivities are Bishop Robert C. Morlino, as well as representatives from several local Catholic apostolates and organizations.

 

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Chris Lee

Helping a veteran: It’s about having a home

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Monica Rose Quinones

Last year I heard an amazing Relevant Radio interview given by the president/CEO of Military Outreach USA.

Retired Army Major General James Mukoyama was talking about his inspiration to found an organization to help veterans.

“We bring programs and resources to churches and organizations to create awareness of issues affecting our veterans and then teach how help can be provided at the community level,” said Joe Palmer, executive director. If we all do a little, we can accomplish a lot as a community, he said.

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Chris Lee

Daniel and the great unveiling

Toward the end of the liturgical year, we Catholics hear at Mass from the mysterious, often confounding, and utterly fascinating Book of Daniel.

Recent scholarship has demonstrated that the Book of Daniel had an extraordinarily powerful influence on the first Christians, providing them a most important template for understanding the significance of Jesus.

Daniel is, of course, an example of apocalyptic literature, which in the common understanding means that it has to do with the end of the world.

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Chris Lee

Rolling cookies for pfefferneusse sale at St. James Church

MADISON — Last November, all of the nearly 3,000 bags of pfefferneusse were sold out by mid-morning at the Good Shepherd Parish family festival at St. James Church, located off of Regent St.

Disappointed prospective buyers were told they could guarantee getting pfefferneusse next year if they helped make the traditional German cookie. Rolling cookies is done Monday and Wednesday evenings and Tuesday afternoons from August through October in the St. James Church basement, and all are welcome to help.

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