SINSINAWA — A presentation of the “Living Last Supper” will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, at Sinsinawa Mound.
An interdenominational group of local men portray Jesus and the 12 apostles, bringing to life the famed painting of The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci.
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| 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,
There is a great service to humanity that is being lost. It is being lost in society and it is being treated with kid gloves even in the Church. This service is to help another person form and follow their conscience.
So lost is this service that it is very quickly becoming illegal. I wish I were speaking in exaggerated hyperbole here, but sadly I am not. To help others form their conscience means to say that this or that is wrong. And to say certain things are wrong has become very dangerous and indeed — close to illegal in our country, and already illegal in Canada.
However, it is, always and everywhere, the right and responsibility of the Church, and of parents, and of good neighbors, to witness to the law of the Lord, to speak the Truth as it is written on our hearts, and to help others to form their conscience.
In fact there is little that is more important because, as we’ll see, it is the path by which we must follow to seek and to attain the blessedness in this life and in the life to come.
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| 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,
Last week I happened to be in Jackson, Mississippi (for about 36 hours). Now, why would I go there? Was it because I had never been to Mississippi, and I had never tried their particular brand of Southern cooking?
Well . . . I’ll admit that was at the back of my mind . . . but I would never had made a special trip just for that reason. I went to Jackson for the ordination of their new bishop, Bishop Joseph Kopacz.
Bishop Kopacz is a great priest, about four years younger than I, who grew up with me in the same home parish near Scranton, Pennsylvania — St. Anthony’s in Dunmore.
Just imagine — two bishops from the same generation from the same home parish. If you would, I’d ask your prayers for him as he begins his new ministry in Jackson.
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| Kindergarten and fourth grade students at All Saints Catholic School in Berlin prepare for Catholic Schools Week (CSW) by coloring the CSW logo for hallway decorations. Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Madison will be observing Catholic Schools Week from January 26 to February 1 with a variety of activities highlighting the theme, “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge, and Service.” (Contributed photo) |
MADISON –Communities of “faith, knowledge, and service.” This is a wonderful description of Catholic schools. for these three aspects lie at the heart of every Catholic school.
First among these is faith. Christ is the center and focus of each and every Catholic school. As our late Pope John Paul II wrote, “Catholic education is above all a question of communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others.”
This is the primary goal of all Catholic schools: to form students in faith that they may come to know and love Christ.
As students come to know Christ, they travel a lifelong journey of learning what it means to be fully human in the example of Christ.
As we are created with many attributes, skills, talents, and faculties, Catholic schools seek to develop all of these by educating not only the heart, but the mind and body as well — by forming the whole person.
Every day, dedicated teachers help students develop their intellect and reasoning, challenging them to ask questions, seek answers, and learn the whole truth about themselves and their world in all its glorious detail. This quest for truth through knowledge is the second pillar of Catholic schools.
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Back in 1993, my husband suffered from a herniated disc and had difficulty walking. Our son, then age 15, spent most of the summer taking care of his dad.
Looking back, I realize our son probably didn’t have as much time for fun activities with his friends that summer. He also had a part-time job, so much of his time was spent taking care of his dad or working. Yet I don’t remember hearing any complaints. Our son did it all cheerfully.
I think part of the reason for our son’s acceptance of these responsibilities was due to his Catholic school education, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Elementary School and at Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart (EHS), both in Madison. Service was part and parcel of Catholic education.
For example, Edgewood requires 100 hours of service as a graduation requirement. According to the school, the majority of EHS students more than double this requirement, with some giving more than 1,000 hours of service during their high school years.
As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week January 26 to February 1, Catholic schools are being challenged to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this observance by pledging 40 hours of service to their local communities. The challenge has been issued by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
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| 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,
Already Advent is upon us. We have concluded our Year of Faith with gusto, and now we are called to undertake, once again, the journey of a liturgical year.
This journey begins, as always, with our preparation for entering into the most pivotal moment of human history — the moment that God became man.
That the eternal Creator of the universe should have come amongst us, not only to dwell, but to call us to a life with and like Him, means a complete reordering of everything — every single thing.
The profound reality of the Incarnation and its implications for our lives is why we have a season of Advent each year; we take the time to consider how each of us responds to the presence of God in our lives, and what that means for us.
MADISON — The St. Paul Catholic Center’s “Christ the Cornerstone” campaign to build a new chapel and student center continues to develop in exciting ways. A recently redesigned campaign website is filled with renderings and up-to-date information about one of the most important Catholic projects in our lifetime.
MCFARLAND — The King Fest “Soup’er Chili Cook-Off and Pie Bake-Off” will be held at Christ the King Parish, 5306 Main St., on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Attendees will be able to sample many different soup and chili creations and all varieties of pies, and then vote for the favorites.
Complimentary hot dogs and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will also be available.
MADISON — “Without St. Paul’s,” University of Wisconsin-Madison student Jamie Wheeler reflects, “without the guidance it offers . . . ” She pauses. Then she smiles. “We would be missing the Big Picture.”
Jamie is a chemistry Ph.D. student from Texas. Three years ago, she made the big move north to study at the University of Wisconsin.
The “Big Picture” Jamie refers to is, of course, life in Jesus Christ. Students like Jamie can’t even imagine what their years of formation as young adults would be like without the grounding they receive at St. Paul University Catholic Center.
Young adults coming out of the shelter of home and into a world-class campus like the University of Wisconsin face what too often becomes a subconscious decision to the Big Question: now that my parents aren’t around to drag me to Mass on Sunday, am I going to keep the faith or leave it behind?
HAZEL GREEN — St. Francis De Sales Parish, 2720 N. Percival St., will host the fall Grant Vicariate CCW meeting on Friday, Oct. 11.
Registration and exhibits start at 9 a.m., followed by business meeting. Fr. Lorin Bowens, Lime Ridge, along with attending priests, will celebrate Mass at 11, followed by lunch and program by Clowns for Christ.
