child – Page 3 – Madison Catholic Herald Archive (2001-2025)

During the holidays I love hearing from old friends, voices from my past; Charlotte, a “mother’s helper” who lived with us for her senior year of high school and now has grandchildren of her own; Tom and Betty, who taught with Bob in the ’50’s and shared our laughter and tears.

They were the short term relationships, the layers of love that add flavor and richness to our lives. The long term relationships were the foundation.

I thought of the analogy as I was making my seven layer taco dip for a New Year’s Eve party.

Making Sense of Bioethics

On January 18, 2012May 20, 2021

Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Unconditional parental love

Once I met a woman who had worked for years in fashion and modeling. Unsurprisingly, she was strikingly attractive.

She was accompanied by her teenage daughter who, by contrast, was rather unremarkable to look at, maybe even a plain-Jane.

After spending time with them, I began to sense that the mother, whose life had largely revolved around her appearance, seemed to look down on her daughter, perhaps unconsciously, because of her average appearance.

Ask Jean

On December 18, 2011

Jean Mueller

Keeping a family tradition alive with help

Q. I am getting ready for my annual trip out east to spend time with my mother over the holidays.

Mom is in her 80s and it is getting more and more difficult for her to do everything — yet she insists on keeping up all of the old traditions and will not allow any of us to help.

By the time I leave she is exhausted and I am stressed and feeling guilty. Is there any way to convince her all the “fuss” is not necessary, without hurting her feelings?

(A daughter in Dodgeville)

Ask Jean

On October 20, 2011

Jean Mueller

Helping an aging parent from a distance

Q. I am becoming more and more concerned that my mom is not doing well.

She has lost many of her friends and when we speak I think there may be some depression going on.

I live on the West coast and can’t be there to actually see what is happening. What can I do? How do I get mom to accept help? (From daughter in San Francisco, Calif.)

A. Your concerns are very legitimate. Losses can be very hard to deal with especially as we get older and have fewer options to replace the loss.

Ask Jean

On October 20, 2011

Jean Mueller

Alzheimer’s and dementia

Q. I have heard people use the term dementia, and then others will say Alzheimer’s disease. What is the difference and how can I tell if my dad is developing either one of them? (From a son in Southern Wisconsin.)

This is a very common question and there is a lot of confusion about this, so I am glad you asked.

Dementia is used as more of a general term that describes some symptoms.

The symptoms included in dementia are forgetfulness, repeating words or statements, and loss of judgment, to name a few.

Seeing with Jesus' Eyes

On May 5, 2011

Fr. Donald Lange

A special day honoring mothers

Mother’s Day offers us opportunities to show that we are as proud of our mother as she is of us.

Mother’s Day history

Anna Jarvis, (1864-1948) was so proud of her mother that she worked to establish a day on which she and others could honor their mother and all mothers. She is known as the mother of Mother’s Day.

Guest column

On April 28, 2011

Steve Karlen

Treat miscarried babies with the dignity they deserve

As soon as I heard my wife burst out the bathroom door that sunny spring day, I knew she was pregnant. I hadn’t yet opened my eyes but I didn’t need to. Her footsteps told me everything.

My wife didn’t have any particular reason to believe she was pregnant. But after a couple years of praying for a second child, I’d grown accustomed to Laura taking random pregnancy tests — hoping against hope that somehow that second pink line would appear. This time it did.

Joyful days

The days ahead were as joyful as any we’d experienced in our life together. We beamed when friends who knew of our struggle with secondary infertility congratulated us and we devoured all the fetal development materials we could find, eager to mark every last milestone in our baby’s nascent life.

Guest column

On March 10, 2011

Olivia Knier

Explaining in a factual way why abortion is wrong

Perhaps one of the most hotly contested issues of the Church, the topic of abortion, often arises when somebody finds out we don’t condone it.

The Church has taught from early times that life is to be protected in all forms and time periods. We’re often asked: Why is it wrong? How can you discriminate against mothers?

Here are a few ways to explain the moral evil of abortion in a completely secular way, that will make sense to any reasonable citizen.

Our Catholic Schools

On January 27, 2011

Michael Lancaster

Contributing to a better world

The theme of the 2011 Catholic Schools Week celebrates the significant contributions that Catholic schools have made and continue to make to our parishes, our communities, and our nation.

While Catholic schools have long been known for their rigorous academics, their emphasis on self-discipline and their delivery of an education based on Gospel values, their positive effects have been proven to be much more numerous and far reaching.

Guest column

On January 20, 2011

Olivia Knier

Keeping close to Christ after Christmas

The lights are lit and the tree is up. The celebration of Christ’s birth has only just begun. The joy in the air is contagious for now, but how can we keep that joy long after the holidays are gone?

It does not take much thinking to come to the conclusion that all the happiness Christmas brings is in the anticipation and celebration of Christ’s birth, us making an effort to be so close to him with our families as he comes into the world.