PINE BLUFF — The Knights of Divine Mercy and Ladies of Divine Mercy invite all men and women to an evening of reflection on Friday, Jan. 15, at St. Mary of Pine Bluff Church, 3673 Co. Hwy. P, Cross Plains.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. An hour of Adoration will be followed by a reflection by Msgr. James Bartylla, vicar general of the Diocese of Madison, on “Discernment of Spirits.”
MONONA — The Sisters of Mary, Morning Star, will hold a Sacred Concert of monastic chant on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Monona.
Different styles of music will be performed including pre-Gregorian chant, crusaders alleluia, Byzantine chant, Christian music from India, and modern monastic chant.
SINSINAWA — Sinsinawa […]
MADISON — The […]
People in the Diocese of Madison were recently given a “sneak peak” at the progress of the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center (BOC) redevelopment.
As we come upon Christmas, I’d like to take a moment to put on my old hat from my time as a philosophy professor — but I’ll try to do it in a way befitting this limited space and broad audience.
BELOIT — Will you be tired after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Need some time to refocus?
Our Lady of the Assumption (OLA) Parish will be celebrating Lessons and Carols on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, beginning at 7 p.m. in the church, 2222 Shopiere Rd.
The 25-voice OLA Parish choir, under the direction of Randy Gracyalny, will be joined by instrumentalists from the parish and area to provide an uplifting prayer and musical experience.
MADISON — The Respect Life Committee of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish will host a two-part series, “Every Life is Worth Living.”
On Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016, Fr. Pat Norris, OP, will present “Catholic Thought on End-of-Life Care.” Father Norris is priest chaplain and ethicist at St. Mary’s Hospital and the bishop’s coordinator for health care for the Diocese of Madison. He will explore Catholic ethical thought on assisted suicide/euthanasia and other end-of-life issues, including palliative care and hospice.
The second grade class at St. John the Baptist School in Waunakee wrote stories about the birth of Jesus. Here are a few selections sent by Principal Conni Stark.
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| This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop. |
Dear Friends,
This past Sunday — Gaudete or “Rejoice” Sunday — provided plenty of reason for rejoicing.
In addition to our celebration of the rapidly approaching Feast of Christmas (which celebrates not only the Incarnation of the Lord, but also our hope in the Second Coming) we marked, in a particular way, the beginning of the Year of Mercy in the Diocese of Madison.
On this past Sunday we opened the Holy Doors, which are present at the two sites of the Cathedral Parish (St. Patrick Church and Holy Redeemer Church) and at the Schoenstatt Founder Shrine.
As I mentioned in my letter for the opening of the Year of Mercy, these doors should be a place of pilgrimage for us and they bear with them a plenary indulgence granted by Pope Francis.
It should be noted, however, that the indulgence does not simply come upon passing through the doors. There is spiritual conversion that is to be done. You need to grow in freedom from the attachment to sin.
A primary symbol of this Year of Mercy is the entrance through the Holy Doors. So, I encourage you to take the time and consider making several pilgrimages through one of the Holy Doors of Mercy.
In the second reading of this past Sunday (Phil 4:4-7) we have that wonderful admonition from the Lord. “Rejoice in the Lord always! Rejoice!”
Now, if you look around the world with all the violence, and at the collapse of the culture in our own country, and at the war against the Natural Law, against the law of human reason, which is being waged, there’s reason not to rejoice.
But St. Paul says to rejoice anyway — “Rejoice in the Lord always!” Nothing is so big that it can conquer the joy of Christ. Nothing.
This Year of Mercy could also be called the “Big Picture Year,” where we keep the big picture in mind — Jesus Christ is still risen from the dead!
