The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin through the Wisconsin Catholic Conference have issued the following statement on the terrorist attacks and the refugee situation in Syria.
The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin join bishops across the United States in expressing our deepest condolences to the French people for the horrific loss of life at the hands of ISIS terrorists. There is no justification for such barbarism, especially when done in the name of God.
MIDDLETON — On November 12, hundreds of supporters of Catholic Charities Madison (CC) came together to honor those who have been great examples of its mission.
The 20th annual Faith in Action Celebration was held at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton. The event honors those who put their faith in action and provides financial support for Catholic Charities’ many programs.
Dear Friends in […]
Pope Francis talked often about the family during his visit to the United States. Of course, his primary reason for traveling to our country was to attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
It’s obvious that Pope Francis really understands the realities of family life. He threw away his script at the Festival of Families in Philadelphia and talked candidly about family life. He said, “Families have difficulties. Families — we quarrel, sometimes plates can fly, and children bring headaches. I won’t speak about mothers-in-law,” he said.
“However, in families, there is always light” because of the love of God’s son, Jesus Christ,” he added.
As one of those mothers-in-law — and having one myself — I know there can be challenges. But I also remember that Pope Francis praised grandparents who bring so much wisdom and a sense of history to family life.
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| Gayle Laszewski speaks on wellness at the Catholic Charities Healthy Aging Conference. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — More than 150 people came to the Sheraton Hotel in Madison on September 9 to learn about healthy aging at the fifth annual aging conference presented by Catholic Charities (CC) Madison.
Bill Hamilton, director of Aging Services for Catholic Charities, welcomed everyone, saying the day was “a great opportunity to not only educate yourself, but also to be able to share what you learned here with others.”
He outlined programs CC offers for older adults, including: in-home support and personal care, adult day services and respite, caregiver training, and specialized care for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
“Our mission is to help older adults remain independent in their homes and in the community for as long as they want and as long as it’s safe,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton also noted the many sponsors of the conference who had information booths set up where attendees could learn about various services for older adults.
The day included two keynote speeches and a choice of eight breakout sessions.
Dr. Robert Enright opened the conference with a keynote address, “Learning Forgiveness: Finding Hope and Joy in the Senior Years.” Enright is a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and co-founder of the International Forgiveness Institute.
One of the saddest pictures I’ve seen recently is that of a three-year-old Syrian boy lying on a Turkish beach. He looks like he’s sleeping with his head turned to one side. But he isn’t asleep; he’s dead.
Catholic News Service, to which the Catholic Herald subscribes, ran the picture of the little boy. However, I decided not to use that picture with this article (I felt it was too disturbing). Instead, I have included another sad picture: one of the boy’s father weeping. Abdullah Kurdi, father of three-year old Aylan Kurdi, is shown crying as he leaves a morgue in Turkey September 3.
The family of Aylan, the Syrian toddler whose body washed up on a Turkish beach, had been trying to emigrate to Canada after fleeing the war-torn town of Kobani.
MADISON — Catholic Charities will present the fifth annual Healthy Aging Conference on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Sheraton Inn, 706 John Nolen Dr., in Madison.
The conference features two keynote speakers and eight workshops devoted to helping seniors, their adult children, and caregivers become familiar with the scope of alternatives that address the mind, body, and spirit of seniors as they age.
May is a busy month filled with many special occasions and observances, from Mother’s Day to Memorial Day — and many graduations inbetween.
Since the 13th century, the Catholic Church has dedicated the month of May to Mary, our Blessed Mother. In May of 2002, St. John Paul II said, “In accord with a long-standing tradition of devotion, parishes and families continue to make the month of May a ‘Marian’ month, celebrating it with many devout liturgical, catechetical, and pastoral initiatives.”
Since Mary is the mother to all of us, I’m sure she would encourage us to cherish all members of our families, especially those in their later years of life.
As we look forward to celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, it is an opportunity to reflect on motherhood.
Motherhood is something we take for granted. After all, we wouldn’t be here if our mothers didn’t give us life. Yet, motherhood is not a given in society today, especially in our country.
In 2012, I wrote in my “Editor’s View” column that the number of births in the United States had been dropping. Is that trend continuing?
Yes, it is! In checking on statistics for births, I found that our country continues to experience a decline in births. The last statistics I found cover the number of births for the 12-month period ending in June of 2013. That number was 3,932,181, down from the count of 3,952,841 in 2012. This continues the decline in the number of births from the all-time high of 4,316,233 in 2007.
This is the time of year when Catholics throughout the Diocese of Madison are hearing and reading about the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA).
Members of parishes have received a letter and pledge form from Bishop Robert C. Morlino. In addition, there have been prayers and announcements about the ACA at Masses each weekend.
There was an insert about the appeal distributed last weekend in parishes; it is also included in this week’s Catholic Herald. Next weekend, we will watch a video message from our bishop.
