Tag: bishop

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the Wisconsin Catholic Conference

State bishops warn of harm to First Amendment freedoms under Equality Act

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MADISON — Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops have issued a letter urging the faithful to actively oppose H.R. 5, a federal bill that if signed into law would dramatically limit First Amendment freedoms, especially the free exercise of religion. Known as the Equality Act, H.R. 5 would alter provisions of the federal Civil Rights Act, adding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as categories of people protected from discrimination.

The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin affirmed that “every person is made in the image of God and must be treated with respect and compassion. Individuals have a right to live free of discrimination or harassment.”

Nevertheless, the bishops explain that the Equality Act actually fosters inequity and intolerance. “As Catholics, we are called to shield individuals from discrimination, accompany the vulnerable, and be a voice for the voiceless. However, the Equality Act would require religious entities to abandon the very principles of faith that undergird their ministry and service. Under the Equality Act, ministries would not be able to acknowledge the biological reality of male and female.”

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Bishop Donald J. Hying

We are made in God’s image

A beautiful, basic tenet of our faith, articulated in the creation account of Genesis, is that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, the imago Dei.

The Scriptures narrate the words of God Himself: Let us make man in our image and likeness.

This conviction is the bedrock of the Church’s defense of human dignity, proclamation of inherent rights, and responsibilities of each person and a motivation for all of our concern for the poor, the young, the elderly, and the suffering.

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Mary C. Uhler, For the Catholic Herald

Bishop O’Connor travels to Rome for ad limina visits and to attend the Second Vatican Council

Eighth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison

Bishop William P. O’Connor traveled to Rome several times after becoming the first bishop of the Diocese of Madison.

Ad limina visits

Bishop O’Connor made three ad limina visits to the Vatican. These visits are called ad limina apostolorum (“to the threshold of the Apostles”) because they are traditionally pilgrimages made by bishops to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul. The bishops in the United States are required to make visits to Rome personally or through authorized delegates about every five years to present a report on the state of the diocese.

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Catholic Herald Staff

Madison Catholic Woman’s Club to celebrate Religious and hold donation drive

MADISON — All women of the diocese are warmly invited to join Madison Catholic Woman’s Club (MCWC) members as we celebrate our parish priests, Religious, and staff on Tuesday, March 9, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2116 Hollister Ave., Madison.

Mark your calendars to join us in person at 11:10 a.m. to pray the Rosary followed by Mass at 11:30 a.m. with Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison presiding.

For those wishing to participate virtually, the event will be livestreamed on the Blessed Sacrament YouTube channel.

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Bishop Donald J. Hying

The ‘abandonment to Divine Providence’

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In last week’s column, I meditated on the surrender of Mary and Jesus in the key moments of the Annunciation and the Agony in the Garden.

We all know the difficulty of handing over our wills to the Lord.

We want to be in control, have a clear idea of how events should unfold, and we often think God is letting us down when we face disappointment, tragedy, and suffering.

How do we find peace amidst the storm and trust in the middle of life’s chaos?

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Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Stations of the Cross video produced in diocese

Stations video
A screenshot of the Stations of the Cross YouTube video produced by the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities-Diocese of Madison. The video is available during Lent. (YouTube image)

MADISON — During most seasons of Lent, it is a devotional tradition to pray the Stations of the Cross.

During typical years, parishes in the Diocese of Madison will host praying of the Stations at their churches where many gather to pray them together.

This year, with many people not entering church buildings due to health concerns and restrictions on the number of people allowed to be in a building at the same time, the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities-Diocese of Madison has produced a YouTube video that gives everyone the opportunity to pray the Stations of the Cross from their own homes or elsewhere through the blessings of technology.

Video contents

It’s called the “Stations of the Cross presented by the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities-Diocese of Madison”.

The nearly 24-minute video begins with a reflection from Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison.

“As we pray the Stations of the Cross, we participate and share in Jesus’s suffering and death,” he says in part of the reflection.

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Bishop Donald J. Hying

Surrendering out of love

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Meditating on the Agony in the Garden, the First Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary, is always a source of great spiritual fruit for me.

We see Jesus alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing His imminent Passion and death, praying that this cup of suffering pass Him by.

Jesus is so anxious and distressed that He sweats drops of blood, struggling to surrender to the will of the Father and the mystery of the cross.

Radical filial obedience wins out, as Jesus utters His fiat, “Let your will be done, not mine.”

When Christ arises from this prayer, He moves forward with determination, arousing the sleeping apostles, facing Judas and the approaching mob, ready and willing to drink the cup of suffering to the very dregs.

In the Gospel passion narratives, once Jesus has made His surrender in Gethsemane, He embraces the terrible details of His trial, torture, and death with a peace, acceptance, and love that is truly divine.

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