Category: Bishop

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Let there be gratitude — and joy!

Dear Friends,

This past Sunday’s Gospel featured a story that we all know well. The minute the “Story of the Prodigal Son” begins, we can say, “Well, I know how this ends,” and instead of paying attention, our minds might wander to one of a thousand different things.

It’s an understandable temptation, but I hope you didn’t do that, because every time we hear that familiar reading, it should be something that hits us very concretely and powerfully, because it turns out to be about you and me. It turns out that the Lord wants to say something to you and me about that reading and through that reading each time, that He has never said before.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Reflecting upon Word of God and Natural Law

Dear Friends,

Prior to launching into a reflection upon our readings from this past Sunday, I find myself desiring to reflect for a moment upon the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, of our United States Supreme Court.

I only met Justice Scalia twice, very briefly, and so my reflections are not necessarily drawn from personal experience. But they are certainly from the reliable and personally related experience of his family and of friends, who were very close to the Justice.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison

In spite of our sinfulness, God rescues us

Dear Friends,

By the time that you read this, we’ll likely have jumped right into Lent. It’s one of those years in which the gap between the end of Christmas and the start of Lent is a bit abrupt. Nevertheless, in so many ways, the readings of this past Sunday end up being particularly fitting for a pre-Lenten exhortation — especially in this Year of Mercy!

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Chris Lee

Bishop Morlino issues statement on Holy Thursday washing of feet ritual

MADISON — On Thursday, Jan. 21, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship announced that Pope Francis had issued the declaration that “from now on, the people chosen for the washing of the feet in the Liturgy of Holy Thursday may be selected from all the People of God, and not only men . . . ,” thus changing the rule and allowing women to be among those chosen to have their feet washed during the Holy Thursday ritual for the first time.

As with every change in the ritual or law of the Church, the practices and permissions in the Diocese of Madison will be in full accord with those of the Universal Church.

Upon learning of the announcement, Bishop Robert C. Morlino offered the following statement:

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Rejoice during the Year of Mercy

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 Sunday — Gaudete or “Rejoice” Sunday — provided plenty of reason for rejoicing.

In addition to our celebration of the rapidly approaching Feast of Christmas (which celebrates not only the Incarnation of the Lord, but also our hope in the Second Coming) we marked, in a particular way, the beginning of the Year of Mercy in the Diocese of Madison.

Opening the Holy Doors

On this past Sunday we opened the Holy Doors, which are present at the two sites of the Cathedral Parish (St. Patrick Church and Holy Redeemer Church) and at the Schoenstatt Founder Shrine.

As I mentioned in my letter for the opening of the Year of Mercy, these doors should be a place of pilgrimage for us and they bear with them a plenary indulgence granted by Pope Francis.

It should be noted, however, that the indulgence does not simply come upon passing through the doors. There is spiritual conversion that is to be done. You need to grow in freedom from the attachment to sin.

A primary symbol of this Year of Mercy is the entrance through the Holy Doors. So, I encourage you to take the time and consider making several pilgrimages through one of the Holy Doors of Mercy.

In the second reading of this past Sunday (Phil 4:4-7) we have that wonderful admonition from the Lord. “Rejoice in the Lord always! Rejoice!”

Now, if you look around the world with all the violence, and at the collapse of the culture in our own country, and at the war against the Natural Law, against the law of human reason, which is being waged, there’s reason not to rejoice.

But St. Paul says to rejoice anyway — “Rejoice in the Lord always!” Nothing is so big that it can conquer the joy of Christ. Nothing.

Keeping Christ in the forefront

This Year of Mercy could also be called the “Big Picture Year,” where we keep the big picture in mind — Jesus Christ is still risen from the dead!

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