Category: Editorial

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

A real hero: New York boy’s actions inspire all of us to help others

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Many of us are watching the Winter Olympics these days, and we’re inspired by the years of dedication and hard work it takes for athletes to compete on the world stage. Those who win medals often return home to their respective countries as heroes.

While we can applaud these athletes for their accomplishments, the recent story of an eight-year-old boy from upstate New York captured my attention as a real hero.

Boy saves relatives while losing his own life

Tyler Doohan was visiting his grandfather in his mobile home in Penfield, N.Y., on January 20 because his school was off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Reportedly, Tyler woke up at about 4:45 a.m. when the blanket covering his sleeping four-year-old cousin caught fire, according to Chris Ebmeyer, chief of the volunteer fire company in Penfield.

Tyler then woke up six of his relatives and helped them escape from the enflamed mobile home. He then ran back into the home where his 57-year-old grandfather was sleeping. His grandfather used a wheelchair and crutches after having a leg amputated due to complications of diabetes. The firefighters found Tyler’s body just a few feet from his grandfather’s. The boy’s uncle was also found dead in another part of the trailer.

Tyler saved the lives of six people. “They all would have died if he hadn’t woken up,” said Ebmeyer. All six survivors suffered minor injuries, including Tyler’s grandmother, two children, two other women, and a man.

I can’t image many other eight-year-olds having the courage to do what Tyler did. It was truly an act of caring and heroism.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Up to the challenge: Catholic schools instill love of service in their students

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Back in 1993, my husband suffered from a herniated disc and had difficulty walking. Our son, then age 15, spent most of the summer taking care of his dad.

Looking back, I realize our son probably didn’t have as much time for fun activities with his friends that summer. He also had a part-time job, so much of his time was spent taking care of his dad or working. Yet I don’t remember hearing any complaints. Our son did it all cheerfully.

Service part of Catholic school education

I think part of the reason for our son’s acceptance of these responsibilities was due to his Catholic school education, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Elementary School and at Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart (EHS), both in Madison. Service was part and parcel of Catholic education.

For example, Edgewood requires 100 hours of service as a graduation requirement. According to the school, the majority of EHS students more than double this requirement, with some giving more than 1,000 hours of service during their high school years.

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week January 26 to February 1, Catholic schools are being challenged to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this observance by pledging 40 hours of service to their local communities. The challenge has been issued by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Teaching about life: Perhaps it happens best without words
Pope Francis embraces Vinicio Riva, 53, during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican November 6, 2013. (CNS photo/Claudio Peri, EPA)

There have been many pictures of Pope Francis embracing people. Perhaps the most poignant image I’ve seen was when the Holy Father hugged a severely disfigured man during a general audience at the Vatican on November 6 (that picture is included here).

The man, Vinicio Riva, suffers from neurofibromatosis, a disease which results in painful benign tumors. In a Catholic News Service (CNS) article, Riva said Pope Francis didn’t hesitate at all in embracing him. He said, “I’m not contagious, but (the pope) didn’t know that. But he did it, period: He caressed my whole face and while he was doing it, I felt only love,” he said.

Preach without words

Some people have criticized Pope Francis for not mentioning pro-life issues such as abortion specifically enough in his public speeches. The pope has been very clear that he is committed to the defense of human life at all stages. He has frequently denounced what he calls a “throwaway culture,” which is more concerned about profit and greed than the value of human life.

Rather than using words, I think Pope Francis has been following his namesake, St. Francis, who was purported to say, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” Obviously we often do need words to preach the Gospel and to teach the pro-life message, but perhaps we teach best without words by the example of our own lives.

Pope Francis teaches about the value of human life by how he embraces people of all ages and conditions. He especially singles out babies and disabled persons whom he meets, giving them a big hug and often stopping to talk with them. His actions speak much louder than any words.

Following the Holy Father’s example

We can certainly follow his example in our own lives by showing our love and concern for all people we encounter, especially the sick, disabled, elderly, pregnant women, and families in need in our families and communities.
We can provide our volunteer and financial support to organizations that assist those in need and support the pro-life cause, include Catholic Charities, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the  Catholic Multicultural Center, the Women’s Care Center, Pregnancy Helpline, Care Net Pregnancy Center, Pro-Life Wisconsin, Wisconsin Right to Life, and Vigil for Life.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Freedom of religion: It should mean more than worshipping freely

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Many of our ancestors came to the United States to enjoy freedom of religion. They lived in countries where they were not able to worship freely and some may have been persecuted for their beliefs.

For many of the early settlers of our country, freedom of religion didn’t just mean being able to attend the church of their choice, for example, Catholics going to Mass on Sunday at a Catholic church.

It also meant being able to wear religious symbols such as crucifixes in public, praying at public gatherings, talking about one’s faith in public, sending children to Catholic schools, and receiving health care at Catholic hospitals.

Being good Catholic employers

Many Catholics started their lives in this country as farmers and workers in factories or other businesses. But eventually many of them became owners of farms and businesses. As owners, they wanted to put their Catholic teaching into action by providing just wages and good benefits to their employees.

The Catholic Church itself became an employer in its institutions. At first, priests and members of religious orders primarily worked for the Church. But increasingly, especially in the 20th Century, more lay people were hired by Church institutions, including schools, colleges, hospitals and other health care facilities, and social service agencies. Not all of those employees were Catholic, but they realized that they were working for the Church and would have to adhere to the Church’s policies and procedures.

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Mary C. Uhler

Peace on earth: It’s possible if we see each other as brothers and sisters

Although we all seem to long for peace on earth and in our own lives, peace seems to be an elusive commodity. Is peace on earth really possible?

Some would say we may have to wait until our earthly life is over to experience real peace. However, Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” He has sent his apostles and all of his disciples — including us — to establish peace on earth.

Treating each other as sisters and brothers

But how do we achieve that peace? In his message for the World Day of Peace, observed on January 1, Pope Francis says that peace will happen if we treat each other as sisters and brothers, remembering that God is the father of all.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

The Memorare: A special prayer to our Mother Mary

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

One of my favorite prayers has always been the Memorare. It was a prayer I learned as a child, and I’ve always continued to pray it regularly, especially at times when I’m praying for special needs for myself and other people.

This fall, Fr. Francis Hoffman — better known as Father Rocky to Relevant Radio listeners — spoke at a meeting of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre held in Green Bay. He talked about his book, For Immediate Assistance, Pray the Memorare. He also gave each of us a copy of his book.

It took me a few weeks to pick up the book and start to read it. I loved this book and discovered that this is the first book written by Father Rocky. I can imagine he hasn’t had much time to write with his busy life as executive director of Relevant Radio and a daily contributor on the Catholic radio network, along other duties.
Mary, our second mother

Why am I writing about this book at Christmas time? While Jesus is the main focus of Christmas, this time of the year also reminds us of His Mother Mary. She is our mother, too, and many of us can identify with her as “one of us.”

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

No one should go hungry: Pope Francis launches ‘wave of prayer’ against world hunger

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Most of us don’t know what real hunger is. We may get some hunger pangs when we skip a meal or wait awhile to eat. But we probably have never experienced the pain, weakness, fatigue, and other symptoms of excessive or chronic hunger.

If you check for symptoms of hunger on the Internet, you find that there are many other affects of extreme hunger, especially in children. Hunger hits children physically with delayed growth and development, as well as greater susceptibility to diseases. Hunger also affects children’s learning and impacts their social interactions.

One Human Family, Food for All

Official prayer from Caritas

O God, you entrusted to us the fruits of all creation so that we might care for the earth and be nourished with its bounty.

You sent us your Son to share our very flesh and blood and to teach us your Law of Love. Through His death and resurrection, we have been formed into one human family.

Jesus showed great concern for those who had no food — even transforming five loaves and two fish into a banquet that served 5,000 and many more.

We come before you, O God, conscious of our faults and failures, but full of hope, to share food with all members in this global family.

Through your wisdom, inspire leaders of government and of business, as well as all the world’s citizens, to find just and charitable solutions to end hunger by assuring that all people enjoy the right to food.

Thus we pray, O God, that when we present ourselves for Divine Judgment, we can proclaim ourselves as “One Human Family” with “Food for All”.

AMEN.

What is really sad is that since over 40 percent of households in the United States live below the poverty level, approximately 13 million American children live with hunger or are at risk of experiencing hunger.

Campaign of prayer and action

What can we do to help those who are hungry? This week Pope Francis helped launch a global campaign of prayer and action against world hunger, according to a Catholic News Service (CNS) article.

Organized by Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based federation of Catholic charities, the global “wave of prayer” began at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 10, on the South Pacific island of Samoa and headed west across the world’s time zones.

Pope Francis offered his blessing and support for the “One Human Family, Food For All” campaign in a five-minute video message released on the eve of the global launch (go to food.caritas.org for his message and more information and resources on this campaign to end world hunger).

Caritas Internationalis invited its 164-member organizations and local churches to pray for an end to hunger and malnutrition as well as to act on a local, national, or global level against food waste and promote food access and security worldwide, said the CNS article.

In the United States, Caritas works with Catholic  Charities USA (Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Madison is an affiliate) and Catholic Relief Services.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Papa Francesco’s words of wisdom: Share joy of God’s love with others, especially the poor

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Papa Francesco. That’s the name on the PDF document of the apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), written by Pope Francis. I went to the Vatican website and downloaded my own copy to read (readers might do the same at www.vatican.va).

The name Papa Francesco seems like such an appropriate way to think of our Holy Father. He speaks to us as a devoted parent, sharing his words of wisdom, just like a loving father would talk with his children.

Noise of the world drowns out God’s voice

Even though this is an upbeat document, Pope Francis — like the Holy Father he is — shows us where we are falling short as disciples of Christ. He observes that we often don’t share the joy of the Gospel with others. He also chastises Christians for letting God’s voice be drowned out by the noise of the world.

He says, “The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades.”

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