Category: Bishop

On
Bishop Donald J. Hying

Importance of reading and studying the Bible

Recently, Pope Francis designated the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, which falls on January 26 this year, as the Word of God Sunday, to honor the Scriptures and to lift up the importance of Divine Revelation given to us through the Bible.

St. Jerome, who dedicated his life to translating the entire Bible into Latin, famously said that “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” As Christians, we are grounded in the Word, confident that the Holy Spirit inspired the biblical authors to write what they did as the definitive and inerrant expression of God’s communication to His people.

Read More
On
Bishop Donald J. Hying

The power of Baptism

This Sunday, we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, the closing of the Christmas season and an opportune moment to thank God for the remarkable grace of our own Baptism.

Jesus receives the Baptism of repentance from John, not because He needs it, but to sanctify the waters of Baptism and to identify with us in our sinful, fallen state, without ever having sinned Himself.

This compassionate identification with our weakness and death reaches its ultimate saving conclusion in the mystery of the crucifixion and resurrection.

Read More
On
Kevin Wondrash

Appointments (12-3-2019)

Msgr. James Bartylla, Vicar General, announces the following priest appointments made by Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison, effective as specifically stated below.

The following nine priests are reappointed to the office of vicar forane, per canons 553 and 554, effective December 3, 2019, for a term ending October 2, 2022, in the vicariates forane listed below:

• Very Rev. Fr. David Greenfield, V.F., vicar forane of the Columbia North Vicariate Forane

• Rev. Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt, V.F., vicar forane of the East Dane Vicariate Forane

Read More
On
Bishop Donald J. Hying

May Holy Family bless, strengthen, and heal us

This Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, honoring the beautiful truth that God entered into the world through a family, an extraordinary one at that, but a human family.

Pondering this remarkable truth for 2000 years, the Catholic Church has a highly developed theology of marriage and family, seeing each Christian home as a domestic church, a sacred place where children are conceived, born, nurtured, and raised to know, love, and serve God.

Read More
On
Kevin Wondrash

Going forth as missionary disciples

Bishop Donald J. Hying's column

The fourth part of the Kerygma is giving witness to the saving love of the Lord to others, to go forth as missionary disciples.

Too often as Catholics, we have quietly and individually lived out our faith, but seldom have we equipped believers to share that faith with those around them.

Missionary discipleship

Believers focus on their relationship with God; missionary disciples help others grow their own spirituality. Believers embrace a deep prayer life which is seldom shared with other people; missionary disciples boldly and joyously pray with others out loud and speak of their love for Christ.

Any pastoral renewal seeks to help our leaders and people grow in their understanding and practice of missionary discipleship. We can look at missionary discipleship through the lens of Jesus’ two commands, “Follow me” and “Go forth.”

Read More
On
Bishop Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison

This Advent, invite the Lord to enter in

In my columns during the season of Advent, I am reflecting on the Kerygma, the basic proclamation of the Gospel in its essence.

Last week, I pondered the first part of this Good News, which is the radical, unconditional, and eternal love of God for us, a love that we cannot even begin to grasp! Our experience of the Lord’s saving mercy is the basis of our spiritual response to God’s remarkable initiative, as Jesus breaks into our lives in all joy and promise.

Read More
On
Bishop Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison

If you had five minutes to speak about your love of Christ, what would you say about your belief?

Bishop Donald J. Hying's column

The kerygma also reminds us of other key Scriptural figures — Peter standing up in the streets of Jerusalem on the feast of Pentecost to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus for the first time; Paul preaching the meaning of faith in Jesus as Lord and Messiah, and his letters as thoughtfully theological follow-ups to the kerygma.

Proclaiming the Gospel

The task of every vocation in the Church, from those in Holy Orders to the Religious to the lay faithful, is to proclaim the Gospel. This mission is the fundamental purpose of the Body of Christ.

Advent is a significant moment for us to go back to the basics of our faith. Who is Jesus for us? How have we experienced him? How do I grow in my relationship with the Lord? How do I better proclaim the love, mercy, and forgiveness that I have experienced flowing from his merciful heart?

Read More
On
Bishop Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison

Thanksgiving: A reminder that all received is a gift meant to be cherished, celebrated, and shared

Thanksgiving Day has remained a simple holiday. No gifts, candy, decorations, or seasons are attached to it. Family and friends simply gather for a meal on the fourth Thursday of November to give thanks to God and one another, rejoicing in the many graces and blessings that we have received from the hands of the provident and loving Lord of the feast.

For us, as Christians, thanksgiving is not simply a day on the calendar but rather a whole way of life.

Read More
On
Bishop Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison

Time is ticking away: thoughts on life and death

Bishop Donald J. Hying's column

If you knew the date of your death, how would you live differently?

Such a question may seem strange, but it is one I think about once in a while. Perhaps, I would live fearlessly; knowing how much time I have left would enable me to take risks and face danger more boldly.

If I was facing a premature death, would that knowledge painfully shadow my thoughts and feelings every day? If I was blessed with a long life, maybe I would be tempted to put off conversion, foolishly thinking I have so much time to pull things together.

Obviously, all of these questions and thoughts are moot, since we know neither the day nor the hour of our passing from this life.

Read More