Columns – Page 156 – Madison Catholic Herald Archive (2001-2025)

Harmon Killebrew, the Hall of Fame former major league baseball player for the Minnesota Twins, admires his father. His dad spent hours playing baseball with Harmon on their big farmhouse lawn. As he taught Harmon how to play baseball, he also taught him how to be a good father. Harmon fondly remembers when his mother complained that this nonsense of playing baseball was ruining the lawn. What would the neighbors think?

His dad replied, “Dear, we are not raising grass. We are raising children.” His words reflect Pope John Paul II’s words, “Children are the hope of the future.”

Harmon Killebrew’s dad knew how to raise farm crops. Better yet, he knew how to raise children by sharing the gift of quality time.

Respect Life

On May 28, 2009

Susanna Herro

Justice in medical treatment for people with disabilities

Justice can be an elusive concept, changing from century to century. What was accepted in one era, like slavery, can be unthinkable in another.

The biblical test of a just society was based on how people treated the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. These people were the underdogs of society, having no immediate family to protect them.

Who are the underdogs in our era? Who are the people most deserving of protection?

One group is clearly people with disabilities. They frequently have less education, less opportunity for fruitful jobs, and they face a society that is ambivalent about them.

Living and Learning

On May 28, 2009May 19, 2021

Msgr. Daniel Ganshert

Calling on God’s power in the Holy Spirit

Pentecost. “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Those familiar words from the Mass accompany the action called the epiclesis, Greek for “to call forth.” The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says more about the understanding of these words, which, by the way, are spoken as the priest extends his hands over the bread and wine being offered.

Our Catholic Schools

On May 28, 2009

Michael Lancaster

Catholic schools: Challenges and opportunities

This is the third and final in a series of articles that answer questions about Catholic schools.

Over the past few weeks I have written about the purpose of Catholic schools and their function in Church and in society.

I have also discussed the work of our Core Teams in identifying the challenges we face, and must answer, if our schools are to thrive into the future.

Today I would like to give you a glimpse of our schools and the great diversity that exists across them as each day the teachers, staff, and principals strive to witness the Gospel Truth and place our children firmly on the path to heaven.

Guest column

On May 21, 2009

Brent King

Catholic vs. Catholic: Why are we fighting? Is it worth it?

Catholics are attacking our apostles and priests. Bishops, priests, and faithful lay people are challenging colleges, universities, hospitals, and other Catholic institutions to be just that — Catholic.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is formally assessing the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, on very important issues. Bishops have defined that Catholic institutions cannot perform new-age-energy-healing rituals.

And bishops, priests, and lay faithful are increasingly challenging prominent Catholic politicians, like the vice president, the speaker of the house, numerous governors and officials, at every level throughout the country, to be Catholic.

Grand Mom

On May 21, 2009May 20, 2021

Audrey Mettel Fixmer

Travel the Holy Land free and easy

Haven’t you always wanted to visit the Holy Land? To see for yourself where Jesus was born and died? And Cana where he turned water into wine? And the upper room where the apostles received the Holy Spirit in fiery tongues? And the Jordan where Jesus was baptized? And all of those places from Scripture?

Well, yes, you say, BUT: I am not wealthy enough to afford a trip like that, and, besides, I am too old and crippled up now to do all that walking.

Well, guess what! I am doing it now . . . every day!

Living and Learning

On May 14, 2009May 19, 2021

Msgr. Daniel Ganshert

Learning from parables about money

Money, money, money — it’s a rich man’s world. After the past year, let’s think again. Even the rich have been swept up in the chaos of the worldwide economic downturn.

Read all about it wherever you look. Read all about it in Sacred Scripture. Parables are a good source. Jesus uses them to instruct us. They are meant to turn us upside down, make us think in a new way; make us ask, what is Jesus talking about? Guess what?

Our Catholic Schools

On May 14, 2009

Michael Lancaster

Solutions for the future of Catholic schools

This is the second in a series of articles that answers questions about Catholic schools.

The primary mission of Catholic schools is to teach the faith through proclaiming, living, and witnessing the Gospel message. In this way they participate in the evangelical mission of the Church. A secondary mission of Catholic schools is to help parents fulfill the promise that all parents make when their children are baptized — to educate and raise their children in the faith.

These are the two main reasons that we have Catholic schools. Catholic schools are important to the life of the Church because they teach children about their faith and assist in the education of the next generation of Catholics.

Trusting in the Spirit

On May 14, 2009

Grant Emmel

Trusting in the Spirit — one year later

Well, it’s been a little over a year and a half since the bishop started Trusting in the Spirit with the publication of his directives to clusters.

Trusting in the Spirit is a program created to increase collaboration and connectedness among and between parishes and the Diocese of Madison. It’s based on the planning done in Guided by the Spirit as one response to the declining number of priests in our diocese.

An important moment when planning, and we should always be planning, is our look back in time to measure how we did in comparison to our original plan. Consequently, it’s the annual time for parishes and clusters to evaluate their ministry progress (reports due May 15th!) so everyone can see how we’re doing to build up the Church in the Diocese of Madison.

Eye on the Capitol

On May 14, 2009

John Huebscher

Budget woes and ripple effects

Last fall, I mentioned that the principle of solidarity is one theme of Catholic social teaching that has special relevance in tough economic times.

Solidarity is the recognition that all human life is social and that we are connected to each other. Solidarity reminds us, as Pope John Paul II once wrote, “all are responsible for all.”

Just as people are connected, so too are the issues and public policies that reflect our way of life. A number of issues currently being discussed at the State Capitol drive this reality home.