Category: Bishop

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino

The Blessed Mother and the Holy Spirit

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

We are right in the middle of the month of May and this past Sunday we celebrated the great Feast of Pentecost, so what better time to say something about the Blessed Mother and the Holy Spirit?

The Blessed Mother’s relationship with the Holy Spirit is powerful and unique.

This is made very clear by some of the most pivotal moments in Scripture and in all of human history.

In the first place, we know that the Holy Spirit overshadowed Our Lady when Jesus was conceived.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Proclaiming the truth about the Ascension

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

Why did Christ ascend to heaven? Wouldn’t it have been nice if He had just stayed here on earth and appeared regularly for the rest of history? Wouldn’t it be nice if every so often we could go to a certain place and He would appear? Wouldn’t it be nice if the whole world simply knew the truth and would not have to seek after faith, since they would have regular audiences with Christ, our God? Wouldn’t it be nice!

What was so important that Christ, with His Father and the Holy Spirit, decided not to do it that way? What could be so important? Two things:

Christ is Eternal High Priest

First of all, the Eternal High Priesthood of Christ had to be definitively accomplished, completed, and revealed. And that Eternal High Priesthood was definitively completed and revealed only when Jesus ascended and took His place at the Father’s right hand.

It says in the Hebrew Scriptures, the one who takes his place at the Father’s right hand is, in fact, the Eternal High Priest. “The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies your footstool . . . You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek (Psalms 110: 1, 4)’.”

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On
Chris Lee

Appointments (May 7-8, 2016)

Msgr. James Bartylla, Vicar General, announces the following priest appointments made by Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, effective Saturday, July 9, 2016, unless otherwise specifically stated, and announced at weekend Masses of Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and May 8, 2016.

• Rev. Msgr. Terrence Connors, resignation from pastor, St. Albert the Great Parish, Sun Prairie, in accordance with canon 538 §1, to pastor emeritus.

• Rev. Fr. Sanctus Ibe, resignation from pastor, St. Patrick Parish, Janesville, in accordance with canon 538 §1.

• Rev. Fr. Alex Navarro Saenz, SJS, to parochial vicar, St. Mary Parish, Platteville, St. Augustine Parish, Platteville, Queen of All Saints Parish, Fennimore, per canon 545, from parochial vicar, Divine Mercy Parish, Sauk City, Holy Cross Parish, Mazomanie, and St. Norbert Parish, Roxbury, effective July 30, 2016.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

God holds us in His hands at all times

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

The readings of this past weekend speak a much-needed word of consolation, hope, and joy to each of us, in the here and now.

I don’t know about each of you (though I’ve heard from a number of you), but in my opinion there are a good number of reasons for concern in our times, and there’s good reason to wonder where things are going — especially in terms of our national political scene.

But in such moments of uncertainty, the followers of Jesus Christ have always been able to consider the ultimate realities and to reflect back upon readings like those of this past weekend.

In the first place, we can consider the context of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:14, 43-52) as they have begun to go out and preach the Good News far and wide.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Some initial comments on Amoris Laetitia

Dear Friends,

There is a great deal to consider and to speak of this week. However, I want first to comment on the readings of this past weekend and specifically upon the Second Reading (Rev 5:11-14), which provide us with a beautiful image of heaven.

In that reading we hear of the vision that St. John had of all creation singing eternally: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever!” A beautiful, glorious hymn of praise for all eternity is one very reliable picture of what heaven is like.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Have faith in the invisible realities

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

This past weekend we celebrated our Second Sunday of Easter — Divine Mercy Sunday — and the readings point in a particular way to the way we as a Christian people are called to respond, when acting simply in faith.

In the Gospel, we saw our Lord appear in His resurrected body, and we heard him speak to Thomas and the Apostles saying, “Blessed are they who have not seen but have believed (Jn 20:29).” These are words which are terribly important for our country and for our culture and for our day and age.

Some say truth found only in science

Our country and our culture and our day and age have tried to convince us that the only truth is to be found in science, that is, seeing what is visible by some method of physical observation, by some scientific method. If there is some kind of physical seeing possible, then we have truth. I see it with my own eyes!

Our strides in science are wonderful and our knowledge impressive, but what does Jesus say to us? “Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Gospel tells us that knowledge by grace, knowledge from God’s point of view, gives us far more certainty than science, which is limited to picturing how things go in the physical world. We continue to have a greater and greater understanding of how things work in our physical world, but there is far more to understand.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Recognizing the ‘glance’ of Jesus

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

As I write down a few thoughts here, we are entering — with heavy hearts — into the great and holy week during which we accompany Jesus in His terrible suffering and death.

As we go through Holy Week we shall hear a great many words — from the beautiful language of the sacred liturgies, to the readings themselves — including the telling of the Passion story, and of course, the many readings of the Easter Vigil.

From “Hosanna” to “Alleluia,” we will hear told, and even witness represented, the story of our own salvation.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

How to face anger and show mercy like Jesus

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

The Gospel reading of this past weekend (Jn 8:1-11) provides a portrait of Jesus in the face of intense anger and hatred and it leaves us with two key points: 1) how we might react to diffuse such situations, and 2) the importance and the inseparable nature of mercy and repentance.

Out to get Jesus

Now, the Gospel really shows us the Pharisees and the Scribes at their worst. They are out to get Jesus.

Let’s recall the story — some people have begun to question whether Jesus is the Messiah and He has therefore begun to get the Scribes and the Pharisees pretty upset.

They are ready to be done with Him, but first they need to trip Him up so as either to give them an airtight case against Him, or to arouse the ire of the people, or both.

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