Author: Mary C. Uhler

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Mary C. Uhler

Keeping faith alive: In the places where Jesus walked

editor's view by Mary C. Uhler

Many people in the United States are facing challenges because of unemployment and economic difficulties. Budgets are tight.

However, the worldwide downturn in the economy is also affecting the people living in the land where Jesus lived and walked, where he suffered, died, and rose from the dead.

As we observe Holy Week and Easter, we especially hear about places such as the Sea of Galilee, Bethelehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem. In all those places today, Christians are struggling to keep their faith alive and to live in dignity.

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Mary C. Uhler

A voice for peace: Let’s join the Holy Father in praying for peace

editor's view by Mary C. Uhler

Recently I traveled by air outside of Madison. I experienced more thorough airport screening than I had previously, reminding me that our world is a dangerous place.

Violence can be found in almost every corner of the globe. We know there are legitimate reasons for people to fight against tyranny and oppression or to defend themselves against aggression.

However, it seems that people and nations often resort to violence as the first rather than the last resort. The “shoot first, ask questions later” mentality seems to be prevailing throughout the world.

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Mary C. Uhler

Make your voice heard to protect the poor and vulnerable at state, federal levels

editor's view by Mary C. Uhler

We have been hearing so much about the fiscal challenges facing our state and national governments. Sometimes we may feel so frustrated that we don’t do anything.

But now is not the time to stand back. It is time to make your voice heard with your elected representatives at the state and federal levels. In this week’s Catholic Herald, we have published some suggestions on how to contact your legislators effectively. Many of these suggestions come from the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), the public policy arm of our state’s Catholic bishops.

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Mary C. Uhler

Victory for freedom of speech, religion: Supreme Court lets ruling stand on funding of Catholic student group

editor's view by Mary C. Uhler

As a graduate student in the 1970s, I attended Mass and was involved in activities at St. Paul University Catholic Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

For many Catholic students like me, St. Paul’s was a “home away from home” in the spiritual sense. It kept students tethered to their faith amid the challenges of life on campus.

St. Paul’s is the oldest Newman Center established on a secular university in the United States. The first chapel was completed in 1909 on State St. in the heart of the UW campus. Over the years, St. Paul’s has continued to provide Catholic students — who number over 25 percent of the student body by some estimates — with the opportunity for growth in their faith in an increasingly secular culture.

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Mary C. Uhler

Pray, fast, learn, give: Operation Rice Bowl provides focus for Lent

editor's view by Mary C. Uhler

The 2010 movie Eat, Pray, Love starring Julia Roberts told the story of a woman’s search for enlightenment and self-fulfillment.

I never saw the movie, partly because a Catholic reviewer called it “spiritually barren.” This story — like so many in our culture today — seems to emphasize that we will find happiness by fulfilling our own needs, rather than by reaching out to others.

Pope’s Lenten message

In his 2011 Lenten message, Pope Benedict XVI alludes to that problem in our culture. He encourages people to let go of all traces of selfishness and self-centeredness by embracing the traditional Lenten practices of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer.

The Holy Father says, “For Christians, fasting, far from being depressing, opens us ever more to God and to the needs of others, thus allowing love of God to become also love of our neighbor.”

Operation Rice Bowl

One way to carry out his message is by participating in Operation Rice Bowl, the annual Lenten program sponsored by Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

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Mary C. Uhler

One way to save taxpayer dollars: Stop government funding of Planned Parenthood

editor's view by Mary C. Uhler

We’ve been hearing a great deal about our state and national budget woes and mounting deficits. I think if we encouraged all of us to come up with some concrete solutions, we could save money and still provide necessary services for our citizens.

In my opinion, one way we could save taxpayer dollars is to stop government funding of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). I’m not sure everyone is aware that PPFA is a billion dollar industry which annually receives over $360 million from federal and state funds in the form of grants and contracts.

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Mary C. Uhler

We can’t lose our hearts: We need compassion in dealing with severe budget restraints

editor's view by Mary C. Uhler

On my visits to Rome in previous years, I can remember seeing gypsies sitting on street corners in colorful but ragged clothes. Often women and children with sad faces would beg for us to put some coins in their cups.

I know the Roma or gypsies have been the subject of controversy. I’m sure they are considered nuisances by the citizens of Rome, who have tried to deport them to their countries of origin.

But whatever the situation, we should have compassion for them, especially for the children who have no control over who their parents are or where they are born. That’s why I was particularly disturbed to learn that four gypsy children burned to death on February 6 while sleeping in a makeshift shack on the outskirts of Rome.

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