In the wake of terrorist attacks and violence happening in the United States and other parts of the world, Americans find themselves fearful and wary about what might happen next.
The recent events in San Bernardino, Calif., where a married couple killed 14 people at a holiday party, have especially left us shaken and wondering how to deal with the possibility of terrorists living within our own communities.
To the editor:
Why do our Catholic schools in the Madison area schedule sports on Sundays? Public schools don’t.
A couple weeks ago, I was sitting in the bleachers on Sunday, watching my daughter’s volleyball game. She had already played two games the day before, and it wasn’t even a tournament weekend.
Meanwhile, my spouse was tending to the needs and activities of our other children. We were spending this Sunday divided, like many Sundays before. Not only were we feeling the tension of this split, but we’re sure the coaches and referees were, too. How did we let this happen?
It is no coincidence that Pope Francis designated that the Year of Mercy should begin on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated on December 8.
In his announcement of the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis said, “I am convinced that the whole Church will find in this jubilee the joy needed to rediscover and make fruitful the mercy of God, with which all of us are called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time.
“From this moment, we entrust this Holy Year to the Mother of Mercy, that she might turn her gaze upon us and watch over our journey.”
To the editor:
NASA’s claim in Tony Magliano’s column in the November 19 issue of the Catholic Herald that 97 percent of climate scientists agree that man is the main cause of climate change originates in a discredited study by Australian scientist John Cook, also author of a book supporting climate change, who analyzed 11,944 abstracts.
Thirty-four percent of the abstracts expressed an opinion on global warming. Thirty-three percent (97 percent) agreed with the conclusions in Cook’s book. A peer review of the abstracts showed agreement of one percent.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we might want to reflect on the origins of that national holiday.
The pilgrims observed what we consider the first Thanksgiving to thank God for the blessings they received during their first year in America.
Why did the pilgrims come to this new land in the first place? The answer to that question has some bearing on our current discussions about whether to accept refugees from other countries.
When I heard about the terrorist bombings in Paris, my heart broke.
I visited Paris many years ago, and it is such a special city. It saddened me to hear that so many innocent people were killed and injured, apparently by three teams of Islamic State terrorists.
Although the French people had a reputation for being somewhat aloof, we found them to be friendly — especially when we spoke some French. Once we made the attempt to communicate with them, the Parisians usually spoke English with us.
But it was not only the loss of lives and the injuries that upset me. It was also the damage the terrorists might have caused to the city of Paris itself.
There are so many historic places in Paris, many of significance to the Catholic Church.
Although it dates me to admit it, I was a high school student during the Second Vatican Council.
In our daily religion classes at Aquinas High School in La Crosse (yes, we had daily classes all taught by priests at that time), we studied the documents of that council.
One of those documents had a special impact on me. It was the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church also known by its Latin title, Lumen Gentium.
This document — promulgated by Blessed Paul VI on November 21, 1964 — talks about the hierarchical structure of the Church, including the role of bishops, priests, deacons, and Religious. It also has a full chapter on the laity, which was especially interesting to me 51 years ago.
This week, the Catholic Church in the United States is celebrating National Vocation Awareness Week.
It is an annual week-long observance dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and Consecrated Life through prayer and education. It is also a time to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.
This week’s Catholic Herald includes a special section with information on Church vocations. I hope people will read this section and perhaps share it with others who might not receive the paper, especially our young people.
When we used to say the Apostles Creed at Mass (the Nicene Creed is now the norm), we said we believed in the “communion of saints.” For many of us, this was a phrase we recited so often that we didn’t really think about what it means.
As we prepare to celebrate All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2, it is an opportunity to consider how we are united with the living and the dead.
To the editor:
The column “Little saint reveals power of forgiveness” in the October 22 issue by Editor Mary C. Uhler is a finely crafted synopsis of the life of St. Maria Goretti.
She also writes about St. Maria’s murderer, Alessandro Serenelli, with real feeling for his experiences after he was arrested, sentenced to prison, and his struggle to repentance and a life of service.
