Tag: Bishop Robert C. Morlino

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Be defenseless like Jesus was in His Passion

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

This past Sunday was Palm Sunday, and by the time you read this it will likely be in the midst of the Sacred Triduum or even in the glorious season of Easter.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I feel as if this Lenten journey sped by unbelievably fast. And so (it seems to me) that all of a sudden here we are, in the midst of Holy Week.

If you read this in time, I do want to make a pitch for you — insofar as it is possible — to make an effort to attend the most important liturgy in the Church calendar, which occurs on Holy Saturday night.

The Easter Vigil is the pinnacle of our liturgical year, as we walk through salvation history and proclaim once again the glorious news that we have a Savior!

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Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Catechumens and candidates take next steps to joining the Church

rite of election
Catechumen Jessica Beilharz from St. Mary Parish in Milton signs the Book of the Elect while her sponsor looks on during the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion on February 18. The annual rites took place at St. John the Baptist Church in Waunakee. Also pictured is Msgr. James Gunn, far left, pastor of St. John the Baptist. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash)

WAUNAKEE — On February 18, more than 90 people from the Diocese of Madison stood and gave their promises to continue their journey to fully enter the Catholic Church.

The annual Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion was held at St. John the Baptist Church in Waunakee.

More than 20 catechumens, those that are not yet baptized, and nearly 70 candidates, those who are baptized Christians and now seeking the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, took part in the rites.

Erica Wand, from St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Monroe, is one of those candidates.

“I feel like it’s a calling,” said Wand. “I’ve been wanting to do this to help my kids grow in the Catholic Church.”

“It’s been a wonderful journey,” said Wand’s sponsor and sister-in-law Gina Bacher. “I’m glad she’s doing it for her family.”

Words from the bishop

“Welcome to this wonderful moment,” Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison said at the start of the event.

“It’s a joy and an honor to be with you this afternoon. I want you always to be welcome, to feel welcome in the Church, and the way we do that is by carrying out our mission as true disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Later, in his homily, Bishop Morlino reflected on Mark’s Gospel reading that said, “The spirit drove Jesus out into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”

Bishop Morlino said Jesus being tempted was part of his mission and that for everyone, “Temptations are practice in the game of life.”

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Make sure the devil has one hell of a Lent

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

And so, we begin Lent. It strikes me as though yesterday was Labor Day and yet, here we are. There was the possibility that Ash Wednesday might be overshadowed for some by the blissful celebration of St. Valentine’s Day.

However, a far more sinister overshadowing overtook them both. Once again, wonderful young people, with their whole lives ahead of them, were meaninglessly and horrendously slaughtered and injured. So many family lives were changed forever, and not for the better.

Sadness really hung around this St. Valentine’s Day. Deep sadness. And, if any good was to come from this sadness, I hope that it awakened our consciousness to Lent and to our own mortality and need for both repentance and salvation.

Confrontation with the devil

This past Sunday we heard that the Holy Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, to be tempted by the devil (Mk 1:12-15). He drove Jesus out, into a face-to-face confrontation with him who is pure evil. This confrontation was therefore necessary for the sinless, only begotten Son of God.

And as we begin Lent, that tells us, in a way, that this confrontation with the devil is what Lent is all about. For while Jesus has the ultimate victory over the devil in the life to come, in this world the devil maintains his camp, and so we too must confront him.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Gaining strength in our pursuit of Christ

This past Sunday, I was able to offer Mass and spend some time with our young people gathered for Frassati Fest, which is organized by our diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, and put on for our high schoolers, with the help and cooperation of so many good people.

It was a terrific gathering. What I told them, I think, is a good message for all of us.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Bishop blesses Monsignor Schmelzer Organ

schmelzer organ blessing
Bishop Robert C. Morlino incenses the refurbished Aeolian-Skinner organ after blessing it. (Ken Halfmann photo)

MADISON — There was anticipation in the packed chapel at Holy Name Heights on Sunday, Dec. 17, as people waited to hear the newly refurbished organ played at the Madison Diocesan Choir’s annual Lessons & Carols.

Before the organ was played, Bishop Robert C. Morlino blessed the Msgr. Delbert L. Schmelzer Organ saying, “My dear brothers and sisters, we have come together to bless this new organ, installed so that the celebration of the liturgy may become more beautiful and solemn.

“The purpose of music in the liturgy is above all to give glory to God and to lead us to holiness. Thus, the music of the organ wonderfully expresses the new song that Scripture tells us to sing to the Lord.”

In blessing the organ, he prayed, “So that our song may rise more worthily to your majesty, we present this organ for your blessing: grant that its music may lead us to express our prayer and praise in melodies that are pleasing to you.”

No issue of January 4
There will be no issue on January 4. The next issue of the Catholic Herald will be January 11.

After the bishop incensed the organ, Glenn Schuster, organist and assistant director for the Diocesan Choir, played the organ for the first time, its majestic sound filling the chapel.

The Diocesan Choir directed by Dr. Patrick Gorman processed with “Adeste Fidelis” and then joined the congregation in singing, “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”

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Kim Donohoe, For the Catholic Herald

Celebrating Catholic education at St. Ambrose Academy

“Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

MADISON — At the 11th annual St. Ambrose Academy Benefit Dinner Gala, the evening’s program, entitled “Right Here, Right Now: Find Greatness,” was based on St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, emphasizing the immediacy of the benefits of Catholic, classical education in the Diocese of Madison.

Approximately 450 guests attended the gala, which took place at the Alliant Energy Center on Saturday, Dec. 9. It is tradition that the evening honors Bishop Robert C. Morlino as a special guest, and he happily celebrated with his friends from St. Ambrose Academy and across the diocese. The school was founded in 2003, the same year that Bishop Morlino came to Madison.

“Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Pray always so we can rejoice always

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends:

In our Second Reading of this past Sunday (1 Thessalonians 5), we hear: “Rejoice in the Lord always,” and “Pray without ceasing.” The idea of rejoicing always is, from a human point of view, unthinkable, without that second half: pray without ceasing.

One of the Christmas cards that I opened recently said simply this: “Bishop, please pray for us. It’s been tough.”

How is that person, from a human point of view, expected to rejoice? The answer is, they’re not.

And consider St. John the Baptist. If you go through his teaching, mentioned in the Gospels, you will see that never once did he tell a joke. So, there was a sort of rejoicing from a human point of view, in which St. John the Baptist did not indulge.

Yet, John was full of joy, just as the family who wrote me the card is called to be full of joy, the family for whom things have been pretty tough.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Comfort others by pointing them to Christ

This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

If one were to put together the themes of the first reading and the Gospel from this past Sunday, Dec. 10, one might well conclude that the one who gives comfort to the people — the comforter — is St. John the Baptist. But, St. John the Baptist appears in camel’s hair.

Now, when St. John the Baptist is presented as the one who gives comfort, that is not the same use of the word as in “comfort food” — of which I have had my share. This is not the meaning of comfort at all. How can we tell that at first glance? Well, St. John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey . . . that ain’t comfort food!

Comfort others by being strong

To comfort, in the Latin derivation, is to be “strong with.” To comfort someone is not just to make them feel good, as they might over a beautiful, and yet, light lasagna. St. John the Baptist comforted the people by being strong with them.

St. John the Baptist preached the Holy Spirit and fire. He told the people to prepare for the wrath to come.

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