Author: Kevin Wondrash

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Kevin Wondrash

Fr. Donald Lange publishes book

PLATTEVILLE — “I think it was in the late 1970s that I submitted a few articles to the Catholic Herald,” said Fr. Donald Lange, speaking about how his column — “Seeing with Jesus’ Eyes” — got started. His new book Seeing with Jesus’ Eyes — A Seasonal Reader was just published in December of 2020. “At first, I wondered in the Catholic Herald would accept my articles, but gradually, they did.”

What began as an occasional guest column eventually became something more regularly published in the paper.

“After I retired, Pam Payne asked me if I would offer a name for the column,” he said, speaking of the Herald’s now retired associate editor. “That was about 14 years ago.”

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Kevin Wondrash

Don’t ‘give up’ during Lent

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By the time you’re reading this, we’ll be in the season of Lent — the annual 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that leads us to Easter.

Being blessed with the COVID-19 pandemic a year ago, it might seem like we never really left the last Lent we had.

With how we’ve been living the past almost 12 months, we might not feel we have to give up anything for Lent this year. We might feel like we’ve been giving things up this whole time.

Here’s my uneducated, unscientific, un-everything else thought: Don’t. Don’t “give up” anything this Lent.

Add, don’t take away

OK, truth be told, I am still giving up some things this Lent. I’m giving up soda and desserts (I’m sweet enough already?).

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Kevin Wondrash

Diocese of Madison meets needs through a variety of ministries and services

Sixth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison

Since the Diocese of Madison was established in 1946, it has strived to meet the needs of members of the Church as well as all those in society through a variety of ministries.

As times have changed, programs and services have been added, dropped, or adapted to make the best use of time, faith, and resources.

Charitable programs

One of the most important programs begun by the new Diocese of Madison in 1946 was its charitable efforts conducted by the Catholic Welfare Bureau, later known as Catholic Social Service and then as Catholic Charities.

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Kevin Wondrash

Support your Church through the Annual Catholic Appeal

ACA artwork

In one way or another, every Catholic in the Diocese of Madison benefits from the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA).

From your Baptism into the Catholic faith, through childhood, adulthood, and beyond, many of the things that have helped form you were enhanced or made possible because of someone’s generosity to the ACA.

In this special edition of the Catholic Herald, we highlight some of the ways the ACA has impacted lives.

Please take a moment to read these stories.

Then make a gift to ensure that these ministries will continue throughout these uncertain times.

Enclosed in this issue is an envelope; we invite you to fill it out and make a gift.

If you prefer, you can go to www.MadisonDiocese.org/acagive and donate online.

We also invite you to follow @madisondiocese on Facebook and Twitter.

There you will see updates on the impact of your donation — who it is helping, and the good it is doing.

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Kevin Wondrash

Jesus’ desire to be in relationship with you

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Because this issue of the Catholic Herald is going to every registered household in the diocese, I want to speak especially to our brothers and sisters who may have been away from Mass and the sacraments for a while and are seeking a renewed connection with God and the parish.

I am happy you are reading this and know that I am praying for you, that the Lord touch your heart with love, peace, and grace, that you feel in the depths of your spirit, Jesus’ great desire to be in relationship with you and that you be inspired to reach out to the Church.

The question of faith

The most fundamental decision every baptized Catholic must face is the question of faith.

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2021 MDCCW convention to be virtual

WAUNAKEE — Women of the diocese are asked to save the date of Saturday, June 12, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for an abbreviated virtual convention of the Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (MDCCW).

In announcing the shortened virtual event to replace the annual convention, the planning committee said, “The West Dane Vicariate is looking forward to welcoming you to our 2021 conference this summer. We missed seeing you last June, but promise to make 2021 a conference to remember as we celebrate 100 years (actually 101 by now), safe from COVID-19, and thanking God for who we are and what we do.”

Online event

The online event “is geared to be uplifting and encouraging while celebrating all that women have done in the Madison diocese to make our world a better place,” said Rosa Ropers, president of the West Dane Vicariate CCW (Council of Catholic Women), this year’s host.

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Kevin Wondrash

Priest Appointments (2-15-2021)

Msgr. James Bartylla, Vicar General, announces the following priest appointments made by Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison:

Rev. Fr. Alex Navarro, resignation from pastor, Queen of All Saints Parish, Fennimore, per canon 538, effective Monday, February 15, 2021, awaiting further pastoral assignment.

Rev. Fr. Faustino Ruiz, SJS, to parochial administrator, Queen of All Saints Parish, Fennimore, per canon 539, effective Monday, February 15, 2021, remaining as Local Superior of the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest.

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The need for a renewed unity in Christ

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The attacks, accusations, and demands fly in from every side. “You supported Trump in the election and are complicit in the attack on the Capitol.” “You are in the back pocket of the Democratic Party.” “You made abortion the only issue in the election.” “You were not vocal enough in defense of life.” “You need to help stop the steal.” “I demand that you publicly affirm that Biden is the legitimate president.” “I am leaving the Church because you are too (take your pick) . . . conservative, liberal, silent, vocal, weak, strong.”

These are all messages I and probably every bishop in the country have been inundated with these past months and it is actually getting worse.

The anger and vitriol is palpably toxic.

Our cultural, political, and social divisions, exacerbated by COVID; the elections; and the violence in our streets and cities have unfortunately entered into the Church and are seriously wounding our unity in Christ.

We now seem to have Biden Catholics and Trump Catholics, perhaps just the latest incarnation of traditional and progressive Catholics, but a division that is louder, angrier, and far less compromising than all the previous rifts in the Body of Christ.

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Kevin Wondrash

A look back: Bishop O’Connor chooses leaders to help run new Diocese of Madison

Fourth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison

The Diocese of Madison grew rapidly after its founding in 1946.

To help Bishop William P. O’Connor run the new diocese, Msgr. Jerome J. Hastrich was named vicar general, chancellor, and director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Bishop Hastrich became auxiliary bishop of the diocese in 1963.

In 1969, he was named the bishop of Gallup, N.M.

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Kevin Wondrash

Letter to the editor 2-4-2021

A Godless Nation

“If you don’t behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave.” — Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

In my humble mind of seeing how the citizens of the United States are on “the slippery slope” of not believing in God and thus they believe in “nothing”.

The fatal decision by the United States Supreme Court on June 25, 1962, which declared school-sponsored prayers unconstitutional in the landmark case of Engel v. Vitale.

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