Tag: Diocese of Madison

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Vote for the future of our nation

Dear Friends,

If you weren’t certain before, after this current election season, I hope you’ve now come to understand and believe that we are not in heaven!

I love the United States of America. I truly believe that our Founding Fathers had it right in so many ways, and that we have enjoyed a country that has provided — albeit still imperfectly — levels of freedom and opportunity for more people than any other in history. Nevertheless, I never made the mistake of thinking that this was heaven, or that some perfect candidate or party was ever going to usher in God’s Kingdom here on earth.

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Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison

Let’s promote eschatological awareness

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,

The word “eschatology” points to the last things — death, judgment, heaven, and hell. In a certain sense, it’s the most important part of our faith.

Why did God make us? God made us to know, love, and serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in the next! And of course, what is seen in this world passes away, but what is unseen in the next world is eternal. And what is eternal obviously takes priority over what is temporal, what is time-bound.

Most important part of our faith

So the eschatological dimension of our faith is most important, and yet most Catholics don’t consider it very often. Recent surveys reveal that most Catholics are unsure as to whether there is life after death. Many Catholics think that it’s all over with our bodily death here.

That’s terribly sad, and troubling, and it’s partly why I’ve been focusing on eschatology of late. Lacking a proper understanding of eschatology skews our entire perspective on life and reality.

One tendency for those who lack a proper perspective vis-à-vis eschatology is to be completely wrapped up in improving things in this world, without reference to the things of eternity. Of course we want to improve things in this world and, in fact, we need to work hard to improve them — that’s part and parcel of knowing, loving, and serving God in this world.

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Michelle Nilsson, Office of Evangelization and Catechesis

Answering the call to the New Evangelization

ralph poyo
Deacon Ralph Poyo

MADISON — Beginning on November 1, the Diocese of Madison will be a hosting Deacon Ralph Poyo of New Evangelization Ministries for several events at local parishes.

Deacon Poyo will be inspiring and guiding us in our own journey of conversion but also helping us to assist others to encounter Jesus and our Catholic faith with new ardor, new methods and expression.

Our history of evangelization
and the New Evangelization

It may be unclear whether we as Catholics truly understand the meaning of the term evangelization. But it is certain that we all agree that the earliest followers of Christ were called to go out to spread the Good News of Jesus. That was in fact the first call to evangelize the world. Jesus taught his followers to be evangelizers.

But we do not live in biblical times and our recent Holy Fathers have recognized a need to reteach and engage the world with a re-proposing of the Gospel Message.

Shortly after Vatican II, Blessed Paul VI promulgated a post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation entitled, Evangelization in the Modern World. This document gave the Church the foundation and principles of evangelization that informs our current understanding.

St. John Paul II continued this work and coined the phrase “The New Evangelization.” He began to define what that phrase means and a vision for this New Evangelization.

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Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Helping homeless families in Grant County

LANCASTER — During the 2015-2016 school year, almost 150 students were identified as experiencing homelessness in Grant County. This does not take into account children who are not in school, so the numbers could be higher.

A national organization that helps families who experience homelessness recently arrived in Grant County in an attempt to “Shelter the Homeless.”

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Chris Lee

Mobile food pantries serve rural communities

MADISON — The Parish Mobile Food Pantry program operated by Catholic Charities Madison serves rural communities who do not have access to the larger pantries in Madison.

Parishioners from participating Catholic parishes volunteer to unload and distribute food delivered to the parish by a Second Harvest foodbank truck. Parish volunteers organize each monthly pantry and assist their neighbors who depend on the pantry for food or to help offset other expenses (such as medical and utility bills).

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Feeding the hungry in downtown Madison

MADISON — On June 4 of this year, volunteers with Pro Labore Dei (PLD)-Madison chapter served their 100,000th meal to homeless people in downtown Madison. As of September 17, the number of meals served passed 103,000, according to Jim Flad, local PLD coordinator.

“In this Year of Mercy, we are grateful and thankful to God for choosing us to be His hands and legs here in Madison,” said Flad.

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