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It’s that special time of the year again for kids in the northern hemisphere as they start heading back to school. And for those who have discovered the fun of learning, school is an adventure!
But for millions of working children worldwide, the adventures of a new school year remain but a dream. Sadly, these children will never learn to read or write. They will not acquire computer skills. They will not experience singing in chorus, going on field trips, or playing at recess.
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As another school year begins and we lament the rapid passage of summer, I ponder the gift and blessing of our children and young people — the greatest treasure of the Church and the world.
Our Diocese pours significant resources into the formation of our children and youth, through our schools, religious education programs, and youth ministry.
And rightfully so. We want each child to know, love, and serve God. We want each young person to be a zealous disciple of the Lord Jesus. We want each person to grow up, flourishing in the abundant life of the Gospel, becoming the saint that God has called them to be.
I have always been a big advocate of Catholic schools. Every study shows that graduates of parochial schools practice the Faith, support the Church, contribute to the poor, have a keener sense of social justice, and are more successful in their vocations than the average population.
A learning environment imbued in faith and love, permeated by prayer, and strong in Christian values becomes a blessed, formative experience that impacts the whole person — soul, body, mind, and heart.
MADISON — A group of young people from St. Peter Parish in Ashton and St. Martin Parish in Martinsville recently dedicated one of their last summer Saturday mornings to honoring the faithful departed buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Madison.
The group, mostly confirmandi, met bright and early on the Saturday morning. After visiting the crypt of Bishop Robert C. Morlino and praying for him together, they proceeded to weed flower beds and trim back turf that was encroaching onto the in-ground grave markers in the cemetery’s lawn crypt area.
MADISON — The Madison Catholic Woman’s Club (MCWC) will host its annual benefit dessert party and fashion show with the theme, “Celebrating Fall,” on Monday, Sept. 16.
All women of the Diocese of Madison and their guests are invited to join the club for dessert, fashions, raffle, and prizes at St. Peter Catholic Church Social Center, 5001 N. Sherman Ave., Madison.WAUNAKEE — Best selling Catholic author and radio personality Patrick Madrid will speak at St. John the Baptist Parish in Waunakee on Saturday, Sept. 14.
All men and women are invited and encouraged to attend. This event will begin at 9 a.m. and adjourn at 1 p.m.MADISON — This is not a documentary on human trafficking. i am still here is a full-length film, written and directed in 2017 by Mischa Marcus.
She will be in Madison on Thursday, Sept. 12, at Edgewood College, Anderson Auditorium, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. to introduce and facilitate discussion of this film. It explores the serious and growing issue of child sex trafficking in the U.S.On August 8, Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison visited The Beacon in Madison for the first time since becoming the bishop of Madison.
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Those of us who have grown up within the womb of a democratic society may not always recognize how radical the idea behind such a society actually is, nor how fragile its structure can be in the face of strident claims regarding individual freedoms.
Legalization of abortion, to focus on one of the most strident claims, corrodes the very pillars of our democratic society.
In my short time here in the Diocese, people have asked me how things are going, how I like it so far.
I always say that I feel like I have died and gone to heaven! Everyone has been so welcoming, kind, warm, generous, and faith-filled. I immediately felt at home here because of your remarkable goodness. Thank you for such a precious gift!
MADISON — Jesus has called us to do what he did, and that includes healing the sick. The Encounter School of Healing is a conference to teach and activate Catholics to be more effective ministers of Jesus’ love and healing in the world.
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Madison is hosting the Encounter School of Healing, a training conference to teach Catholics to boldly pray for Jesus’ healing power and love to be made manifest in their lives on Friday, Aug. 23, and Saturday, Aug. 24.
