MADISON — As an important and urgent Corporal Work of Mercy for 49,000 Afghan refugees living on U.S. military bases and more than 18,000 evacuees on bases overseas, the Diocese of Madison is asking for support.
Tag: afghanistan
CMC helping to reunite naturalized Afghan ally with wife and son
Amid the horrifying news that continues to unfold in Afghanistan, the Immigration Legal Services Program at the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison has been working tirelessly to help two families in despair.
Wisconsin Catholic charities coordinate aid for Afghan arrivals, request help
All five Wisconsin Catholic Charities agencies are collaborating with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Migration and Refugee Services (MRS). The USCCB will address legal, morale, and wellness concerns on base, as well as the immediate basic needs of Fort McCoy’s newest residents.
Afghanistan: A time for prayer
As the U.S. removes its significant diplomatic and military presence in Afghanistan, a nearly 20-year-old bandage has been ripped off causing many to deal with some old wounds.
Group works for nonviolence
SINSINAWA — Most people know about the war effort in Afghanistan, but few of us know the stories of those who are working to create a nation where peace overcomes violence.
The Sinsinawa Dominican Office of Peace and Justice is offering a presentation to inform people of the efforts of peacemakers in Afghanistan. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 16, at Sinsinawa Mound.
Experiences serving in Afghanistan
Recently, area priests, Religious, and catechetical leaders joined with members of the Janesville Serra Club for their annual Celebration of Vocations luncheon.
Invited to speak at this year’s gathering was Msgr. Donald J. Heiar, Jr., pastor of St. John Vianney Catholic Parish in Janesville. Having recently returned from his second deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Monsignor Heiar spoke about his experience as a military chaplain with the 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard.
Haven’t we learned? Pursue negotiations before taking military action in Syria
In the September 12, 2002, issue of the Catholic Herald, I wrote an editorial called “Iraq war: President has not made the case.” At that time, I didn’t think President George W. Bush had succeeded in mounting a convincing argument in favor of invading Iraq.
I agreed that Saddam Hussein was a dangerous dictator who had sacrificed his own people’s well-being to become a military power. However, it wasn’t proven that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Later, we learned here weren’t any such weapons in Iraq.
Committed to two wars for over 10 years
Yet on March 20, 2003, the United States led an invasion into Iraq. At the same time we were also committed to a war in Afghanistan.
It has been more than 10 years, and we’re still involved in both of those countries. Fortunately U.S. involvement is lessening, but we’ve spent a great deal of money and resources — and most importantly lost many lives — in these past 10 years.
Now we’re contemplating military action in Syria. Haven’t we learned our lesson yet?
Fr. Jason Hesseling reports on his experience as Army chaplain in Afghanistan
MADISON — The day Fr. Jason Hesseling, United States Army Chaplain, left Alaska for his posting in Afghanistan, he prayed the Liturgy of the Hours and read the passage: “When O Lord, will I come to the end of my pilgrimage and enter the presence of God!”
“Kind of funny to read that on that day,” he wrote in his newsletter to friends back home. “Not sure I would term my time in Alaska as a pilgrimage, and I certainly wouldn’t say that Afghanistan is the presence of God. But it did kind of put a good spin on the flight and the next 12 months of my life.”