“Holiness, whether ascribed to popes well-known to history or to humble lay and religious figures, from one continent to another of the globe, has emerged more clearly as the dimension which expresses best the mystery of the Church. Holiness, a message that convinces without the need for words, is the living reflection of the face of Christ.” (Pope John Paul II)
The quote speaks for itself, eh? Holiness, as John Paul II reflected, is the way in which we bring the living Christ to the world.
When I do presentations on in vitro fertilization, audience members sometimes ask whether test tube babies experience psychological problems as they grow up.
Although they clearly face elevated health risks for a number of diseases and physical disorders, the psychological effects on these children have not been thoroughly studied.
If you have ever experienced your children at play and shuddered when their speech sounds like a close imitation of your own, you will understand my story. (e.g. “Don’t make me tell you again!”) All parents recognize this as a red flag, warning them that “little pitchers have big ears.”
But what happens when they grow up and write books based on the family, and you are forced to come face to face with the imperfect parent-in-training that you were?
In a recent article entitled “How We Created the First Synthetic Cell,” Dr. J. Craig Venter waxes broadly about how his research team succeeded in constructing a bacterial cell out of its component parts.
The story, which has captured the imagination of the media, appears to be a jaw-dropping breakthrough: “Scientists have created artificial life in a laboratory!” Such headlines evoke images of a Frankenstein creation, a Jurassic Park monster, or an alien life form. But in the final analysis, the scientific achievement of Venter and his team, although notable, is considerably less dramatic.
If anyone were to evaluate our parish by the attendance at daily Mass, they might get the impression that ours was an “old timers’ religion.” It’s mostly a collection of gray heads with a few colors sprinkled in.
In my lifetime, I have witnessed that the biggest population change in our parish, however, is in committee members. This struck me most recently while attending our parish library committee meeting.
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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. |
Editor’s note: The following is an adapted reflection given by Bishop Robert C. Morlino on Friday, June 25, at the ordination of Fr. Gregory Ihm and Fr. David Carrano.
The ritual book tells the bishop to address the candidates for priesthood as my sons. And what an unbelievable gift and privilege it was for me to call Gregory and David, in light of the bond of priesthood, my sons.
Lest anyone be disappointed, I have three points that have to do with Rome, because this was the first time I have had the ordination of two men who have come back from Rome. And I thought it good to remind all of us what these new priests got out of Rome.
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The Catholic Herald, official newspaper of the Diocese of Madison, won four awards in the 2010 Catholic Press Awards competition sponsored by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada.
As we age, we try not to focus on all of the “unfinished” projects and all of the “unrealized” dreams we are leaving behind. When we have children, however, they just might finish some of those projects and achieve some of those dreams. If we are lucky, it may even happen in our lifetime.
My husband, Bob, dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but when the babies were in such a hurry to arrive, he had to give up that dream. Before he died, however, he had the thrill of seeing our grandson, Craig, graduate with honors from a top law school.
While it may cost an arm and a leg to live in the state of New York these days, it may soon cost a liver or kidney to die there.
Residents of the state have been debating a legislative measure put forward by a state lawmaker that would automatically enroll all residents as organ donors. The law would rely on what is termed
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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,
We live in a time of great hope for our diocese. This week we will see two men ordained to the transitional diaconate, next month two will be ordained to the ministerial priesthood, and we have the Holy Spirit to thank for His continued guidance of our diocese and answered prayers, through rather difficult times.
As each of you has experienced first hand, the Diocese of Madison has been undertaking the very serious, difficult, and much needed task of diocesan, parish, and school planning for the past four (plus) years. It began with the Guided by the Spirit process, gathering input from everyone in the diocese who wished to participate. An overall plan was adopted by the diocese, and specific plans were developed by parishes and parish clusters throughout the diocese, affecting every parish and each one of us in some way.
