Author: Kevin Wondrash

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Kevin Wondrash

Everyone can do something

Living and Learning column by Msgr. Daniel T. Ganshert

No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. This is the intent behind the new Annual Catholic Appeal in our diocese.

Just as it takes many peoples’ involvement, commitment, sacrifice, perseverance, and more when it comes to maintaining the vitality of our respective parishes, the same is true for our family of parishes, our diocese. When it was founded in 1946 in the 11 counties of southwest Wisconsin covering over 8,000 square miles, the diocese had 82,000 Catholics. Now it has 277,000. It had 122 active priests; now there are 96.

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Kevin Wondrash

Making truthful choices of conscience

Making Sense out of Bioethics column by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

One recurrent theme in bioethical discussions is the idea that each of us possesses a basic awareness of the moral law. This distinctly human faculty, which Western culture has referred to as “conscience,” helps us to choose correctly when confronted with basic moral decisions.

Even children, when taught about right and wrong, instinctively seem to recognize a law higher than themselves. Deep within his conscience man discovers that law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Conscience has been aptly described as man’s most secret core and his sanctuary.

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Kevin Wondrash

A blessed Easter

Dear Friends,

morlino column logoThis last week, on Palm Sunday, we were presented with the “icon,” the image, of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem on a donkey, to hear the praises of the people, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!”

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the personal representative of our Holy Father, in his first address to the bishops of the United States, said to us, “Always remember that you are nothing but a donkey. But, it was the donkey who carried the Messiah toward his destiny.” This was reminiscent of the words of St. Josemaria. As we enter into Easter, through the very special celebrations of Holy Week, let us commit ourselves to be nothing but donkeys, bearing on our shoulders the Messiah of the Lord — not only at Easter time, but every blessed day.

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Kevin Wondrash

Our oneness in the Eucharist

Living and Learning column by Msgr. Daniel T. Ganshert

What a great learning experience was provided as we watched the events in Rome surrounding the death of Pope John Paul II, April 2, 2005, and the subsequent election of Pope Benedict XVI.

Who would have thought that we would come to know and appreciate so much more about our Catholic faith? We joined with millions of people around the world to reflect on the truths of Christianity and the lives of Jesus’ outstanding disciples both past and present. Those were grace-filled days that we will not soon forget.

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Kevin Wondrash

Responding, like Mary, to God’s will for us

bishop's column logoDear Friends,

Each year on March 25th, we celebrate the great Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. We celebrate that day when the Archangel Gabriel came and said to Mary, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you . . .Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus,” to which Mary replied, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word.” Mary was presented with God’s will for her, and she offered her profound “yes!”

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Kevin Wondrash

With a song in my heart

Grand Mom by Audrey Mettel Fixmer

Recently, a young man on American Idol sang a “modern” song, one of those all-beat-and-no-sense. I used to complain that I couldn’t understand the words, but now that my TV has the words printed on the bottom of the screen and I can actually understand them, I know I wasn’t missing much. And nothing rhymes. How can they memorize them? Oh, yes, they just repeat one phrase a hundred times.

In a recent interview, one of these guys whose voice seemed spectacular despite the song said that his vocal music training had come primarily from church choirs. Two thoughts came to my mind: He should have stuck with the church music and where have I heard that before?

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Kevin Wondrash

Addressing the ‘credibility crisis’

bishop's column logo

Dear friends,

As we come to the midpoint of Lent, it is a good time for us to remember to look ahead and to mark down in our calendars the many celebrations and commemorations of Holy Week, and especially the great Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night — the most important liturgy of the Church year.

We continue to pray for those women and men, and boys and girls, who will enter our Church at Easter, that they might continue to have a grace-filled time of preparation.

Let us all look forward to the Easter Vigil, that we might celebrate with joy, and faith, and a good deal of enthusiasm!

It is a temptation for us, during Lent and even otherwise, to fall short in that enthusiasm which should be ours as Catholics. There is a temptation to get caught up in the comings and goings of our everyday lives, and to get caught up in the politics of our day and age and to forget that which is really most important, that is Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead.

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