WISCONSIN DELLS — What if each day, every Catholic prayed 10 minutes and read five pages of a great Catholic book?
What if every Catholic gave one percent more of their income to their Church this year and did one thing each week to intentionally share God’s message with others?
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August 18, 2018
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ of the Diocese of Madison,
The past weeks have brought a great deal of scandal, justified anger, and a call for answers and action by many faithful Catholics here in the U.S. and overseas, directed at the Church hierarchy regarding sexual sins by bishops, priests, and even cardinals. Still more anger is rightly directed at those who have been complicit in keeping some of these serious sins from coming to light.
For my part — and I know I am not alone — I am tired of this. I am tired of people being hurt, gravely hurt! I am tired of the obfuscation of truth. I am tired of sin. And, as one who has tried — despite my many imperfections — to lay down my life for Christ and His Church, I am tired of the regular violation of sacred duties by those entrusted with immense responsibility from the Lord for the care of His people.
The stories being brought into light and displayed in gruesome detail with regard to some priests, religious, and now even those in places of highest leadership, are sickening. Hearing even one of these stories is, quite literally, enough to make someone sick. But my own sickness at the stories is quickly put into perspective when I recall the fact that many individuals have lived through them for years. For them, these are not stories, they are indeed realities. To them I turn and say, again, I am sorry for what you have suffered and what you continue to suffer in your mind and in your heart.
A gloriously warm day marked the 150th anniversary of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Albany on Sunday, Aug. 5.
BELOIT — A connection with people, stressing God’s goodness and love, often can help incarcerated persons on their journey back to a lawful, productive life.
Pope Francis has often invited Catholics to carry out the Works of Mercy, and in particular, to visit the imprisoned.
If you happened to visit Berlin — population 5,000 — during the week of July 22 to 27, you might have seen one of a few things.
MADISON — Using a quote from St. Teresa of Calcutta, Mitzi Liu posted a notice in the Good Shepherd Parish bulletin this spring seeking volunteers for the annual summer festival scheduled for this Sunday, Aug. 12, from 12 noon to 9 p.m. at its St. Joseph Church located at 1905 W. Beltline Hwy.
When my 91-year-old mother-in-law Ruth died last year, she suggested that people give memorials to Aquinas High School in La Crosse, her alma mater. She believed she had an excellent education at Aquinas, and she wanted to ensure that it remained around to educate future generations.
That is one way we can support our Catholic schools. Many of us experienced top-notch educations at our Catholic elementary and high schools as I did. We continue to support these schools with our time, talent, and treasure. Many of us are also parents of students who attended Catholic schools, and we support those schools, too.
When Bishop Robert C. Morlino came to the Diocese of Madison as our fourth bishop in 2003, I had the opportunity to spend some time with him both in Madison and in Helena, Mont., his previous diocese.
Many people asked me then, “What do you think of our new bishop?” My first impressions of Bishop Morlino have continued throughout the past 15 years.
My first impression was that I could see Bishop Morlino’s faith in Jesus Christ shining forth in both his words and actions.
In his homily, Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison welcomed three new priests — Frs. Peter Lee, Drew Olson, and Grant Thies — to what he called a “beautiful life.”
