The issue of abortion has been in the news this year, as some states are attempting to expand abortion rights and other states are attempting to restrict them.
Wisconsin citizens might wonder where our state stands on the issue of abortion.
Author: Mary C. Uhler
Renewal begins with prayer
Renewal of the Catholic Church in the wake of the sexual abuse scandals must start with prayer.
That’s what the leaders of the Knights of Columbus said in promoting a “Novena for Repentance, Renewal, and Rebuilding” in response to the recent Vatican summit on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis.
Why I give to the Annual Catholic Appeal
Why do I continue to give to the Annual Catholic Appeal in the Diocese of Madison?
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Here are just some of the reasons.
• Our priests — All Catholics in the Diocese of Madison have priests who celebrate Mass, preside at sacraments, and provide counseling to parishioners and those in hospitals and nursing homes. These priests received their education before ordination as seminarians through the support of the diocese. And even after ordination, our priests receive continuing education through our diocese.
• Our schools and religious education programs — Many parents in the Diocese of Madison like me have children who attended or are attending Catholic schools or religious education programs. These children have principals, teachers, and catechists who received training and support through our diocesan offices.
• Camp Gray — My children attended Camp Gray for summer camp and for Confirmation retreats. The camp receives support from the ACA.
• Marriage and family programs — My husband and I participated in a Marriage Encounter weekend, and for many years we’ve been a FOCCUS Marriage Preparation couple. Training and support for these programs are offered through the ACA.
‘In the Light of Faith’
The theme of this year’s ACA is “In the Light of Faith.” It emphasizes how we all get to know, love, and serve God better through our diocesan services.
This year’s goal is $3.5 million. Here is how the goal is divided into various areas:
Dane County Jail Apostolate team reaches out to share the love of God with inmates
“I ask myself, if I had been raised by a poor single mother, by illegal immigrants living in the shadows, or abused as a child, would I be in prison today?”
Remember the imprisoned
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When Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the thieves being executed with him named Dismas — often called the good thief — turned to Jesus for mercy and asked, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
Jesus turned to him and said, “This day you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Dismas Ministry
We have a national Catholic outreach among prisoners and those affected by crime named Dismas Ministry, which is headquartered in Milwaukee. Their logo represents the cross of Christ and the cross of the repentant criminal side of side.Dismas MinistryJesus turned to him and said, “This day you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). When Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the thieves being executed with him named Dismas — often called the good thief — turned to Jesus for mercy and asked, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
Why we need Catholic press more than ever
It’s interesting to look back on the history of the United States and the role of the Catholic press. It turns out that many of the same issues facing our country today were also impacting society in the early days of our country.
The Catholic Press Association (CPA) of the United States & Canada discusses the history of the Catholic press on its website (www.catholicpress.org). It says, “As the United States was forming, nativism, or opposition to immigration, was strong. This lack of social standing placed pressure on immigrants and created a need to unite and educate, to bring news from home, and to fight for civil and religious rights in a new country. The immigrants accomplished this by forming societies and associations, and creating Catholic journals and newspapers.”
Work together to keep government open
President Donald Trump announced on Friday, Jan. 25, that he would grant a temporary, three-week reopening of the federal government, even without a deal for border wall funding.
He signed a bill to reopen the government until February 15 and promised that federal employees would receive their backpay “very quickly.”
I was happy to hear that the federal government was reopening, but this doesn’t mean we won’t face a shut-down again in the future. We have to do something to get our government back on track permanently.
Catholic schools are a gift to our nation
My 12 years of education at Blessed Sacrament Elementary School and Aquinas High School in La Crosse prepared me well for life.
I received an excellent academic education, but more importantly, I learned about my Catholic faith and how to put it into practice in serving others.
Gift to our nation
But while my education was good for me personally, I didn’t realize at the time that our Catholic schools are also a gift to our country.
Science supports pro-life cause
Being pro-life is not in opposition to science, as some people may think. It is quite the opposite, in fact.
That’s what organizers of the annual March for Life being held in Washington, D.C., assert on their website (https://marchforlife.org) in discussing the theme of this year’s event, “Unique from Day One.”
Immigrants have positive effect on U.S. economy
Contrary to some of the anti-immigrant rhetoric we’ve been hearing these days, immigrants actually have a positive effect on the U.S. economy and society.
I checked a number of studies about the effects of immigration, and nearly all of them gave statistics showing that immigration is good for our country.