Opinion – Page 70 – Madison Catholic Herald Archive (2001-2025)

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.

Letters to the editor

On December 4, 2013

Roger Frey

Thanks for donations for Jeremy Meinholz benefit

To the editor: […]

Editorial

On December 4, 2013February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

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

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.”

Religious roots of Thanksgiving: Let’s not forget that we are one nation under God

Just as may be happening with Christmas, the religious aspects of our Thanksgiving holiday may also be fading in the United States with a growing secularization in our society.

That’s why it is important for us as Catholics to reflect upon the religious roots of Thanksgiving and perhaps to bring them up in discussions during our holiday observances at appropriate times.

Facts about the first Thanksgiving

It might be good for all of us to review facts about the first Thanksgiving. Most of us know that the Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth Rock in gratitude for a good harvest.

Thanks for publishing conference testimony on mascot legislation

To the editor:

We want to thank you and the staff at the Catholic Herald for devoting considerable space in the paper to print the Wisconsin Catholic Conference testimony concerning the pending legislation on the mascot law.

At present the bill has passed both the Assembly and Senate, but it still needs the governor’s signature to make it law.

The new law would definitely reduce the opportunity for dialogue in those communities with race-based mascots, so it could damage the progress in Wisconsin for their removal.

Letters to the editor

On November 20, 2013

Tom and Theresa Sobieski

Thanks for publishing conference testimony on mascot legislation

To the editor:

We want to thank you and the staff at the Catholic Herald for devoting considerable space in the paper to print the Wisconsin Catholic Conference testimony concerning the pending legislation on the mascot law.

At present the bill has passed both the Assembly and Senate, but it still needs the governor’s signature to make it law.

The new law would definitely reduce the opportunity for dialogue in those communities with race-based mascots, so it could damage the progress in Wisconsin for their removal.

Editorial

On November 20, 2013February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Farewell to Year of Faith: It opened the door to deeper faith and a desire to share it

Since October 11, 2012, the Catholic Church throughout the world has been observing a special Year of Faith. In his apostolic letter Porta Fidei (“The Door of Faith”), Pope Benedict XVI asked Catholics to experience a conversion — to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him.

The pope noted that the “door of faith” is opened at Baptism, but during this Year of Faith Catholics were asked to open it again, to walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church.

The first day of the Year of Faith coincided with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publishing of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict asked Catholics to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism to deepen their knowledge of the faith.

A shrinking pie: Put poor and hungry people first in the new farm bill

In his message for World Food Day, which was observed on October 16, Pope Francis said that “it is a scandal that there is still hunger and malnutrition in the world.”

The Holy Father emphasized, “It is not just a question of responding to immediate emergencies, but of addressing together, in all areas, a problem that challenges our personal and social conscience, to achieve a just and lasting solution.”

Cuts in food assistance benefits

In the United States, there are increasing numbers of hungry people. Many of them rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. As of November 1, the benefits to individuals and families were cut for the first time since 1964. That’s because an increase in food aid approved in 2009 expired, and Congress hasn’t been able to pass a new farm bill for over a year (the farm bill includes provisions to fund food assistance programs in our country).

Thanks to all those who have helped at Camp Gray

To the editor:

Reading the articles on Camp Gray’s history brought memories of the time when Msgr. Francis Gray, the founder of the camp, met out at the Baraboo fairgrounds with the men as they dismantled the crates used to build cabins. (The first cabins for Camp Gray were built using surplus ammunition crates from the Badger Ordnance Works. The cabins were constructed near the county fairgrounds, then moved to the camp.)

One of those men was Stewart Schirmer, my husband. Monsignor Gray supported the men with his presence, plus prayers, blessings, and a few “cool ones” on occasion.

Editorial

On November 6, 2013February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Unsung heroes: Catholic chaplains in armed services deserve our support

As we prepare to mark Veterans Day on November 11, we should take time to remember and thank all those who have served our country in the armed services.

Some of us have relatives, friends, and neighbors who faithfully served their country. Many of them did so quietly with little fanfare. I can still remember that my father-in-law, who served on many bombing missions in World War II, was very reluctant to talk about his service to his country. It was just something he did.

Chaplains: unsung heroes

Perhaps the most unsung of our heroes in the armed services are the chaplains. These are priests who have dedicated all or part of their ordained ministry to serving in all branches of our armed forces.