On October 2, 43 men were ordained as deacons at the Pontifical North American College (PNAC) were ordained by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, D.C.
Tag: Diocese of Madison
Waterloo parish retreats have impact on parish and pastor
WATERLOO — Holy Family Parish in Waterloo is offering the second in a series of Light of the World Retreats on November 7 to 10. The event is open to anyone in the Diocese of Madison.
The retreat will be held on Friday evening, Nov. 7; all day Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 8 to 9; and Monday evening, Nov. 10.
Remembering three special people
Over the years, I have observed that deaths often come in threes. Three people I know often die within just a few weeks of each other. This seems to happen especially with priests.
Whether this is a true phenomenon or not, a coincidence or not — people do seem to die in threes. As a believer in the Catholic faith, I wonder if it somehow has to do with the Trinity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This past week, it happened again. Three people of significance in the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Madison died close together. They are Msgr. George Hastrich, who died on October 27; Dorothy Lepeska, who died on October 31; and Fr. George Horath, who died on November 2.
A deeper look at the Synod message
Dear Friends,
Just as the final documents of the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops were being voted upon and final messages released, I was blessed with the opportunity of meeting with our Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC) this past weekend.
Catholic Order of Foresters marks 100 years at parish
In 1914, 100 years ago, World War I began, Charlie Chaplin appeared in his first film, and Pope Benedict XV was elected as successor to St. Peter.
Catholic Charities Sunday
Dear Friends in […]
St. Thérèse Lecture answers, ‘Who is Pope Francis?’
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| Alejandro Bermúdez, the speaker at this fall’s St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture at the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison, speaks on “Who is Pope Francis? What is his mind?” on September 19. Bermúdez is the director of ACI-Prensa, the world’s largest Catholic news agency in Spanish, as well as the executive director of Catholic News Agency. (Catholic Herald photos/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — On a near-autumn Friday evening in Madison, hundreds of people arrived at the Bishop O’Connor Center’s auditorium to learn more about current successor to St. Peter — Pope Francis.
It was the second of 2014’s St. Thérèse Lectures presented by the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis of the Diocese of Madison.
The topic on September 19 was “Who is Pope Francis? What is his mind?” The speaker was Alejandro Bermúdez, director of ACI-Prensa, the world’s largest Catholic news agency in Spanish, as well as the executive director of Catholic News Agency and the Portuguese agency ACI digital.
Bermúdez, who spent part of his life in Argentina, met and interviewed Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) on several occasions. Bermúdez recently compiled a book of interviews regarding Pope Francis shortly after his election titled Pope Francis: Our Brother, Our Friend: Personal Recollections about the Man Who Became Pope, which has since been adapted into a show on EWTN.
As Bermúdez began his talk, he said Pope Francis is the next pope in a streak of “incredibly virtuous human beings at the head of the Catholic Church.”
Bermúdez outlined what he called “three crucial factors” to understanding Pope Francis: his background as an Argentinian, his background as a Jesuit, and understanding his intellectual mentors.
Pope Francis as an Argentinian
Bermúdez said Argentina has a major Catholic culture with a great number of Catholic theologians and writers. He said this creates of culture of “very lively debates” among Catholics.
40 Days for Life kicks off in Madison
MADISON — From now until Sunday, Nov. 2, for 24 hours a day, at least two people at a time will be praying for an end to abortion in Madison.
The annual 40 Days for Life campaign kicked off on Wednesday, Sept. 24. The campaign has a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion.
Fr. Rupert Dorn dies
MT. CALVARY — Fr. Rupert Dorn, OFM, Cap., 90, a native of Waunakee, died September 25, 2014.
Priests for Our Future capital campaign seeks $30 million to endow education and formation of future priests
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| There are now 33 seminarians in the Diocese of Madison, up from six in 2003. Six were missing for this photo, taken at the seminarian gathering in Madison in August. Also pictured are Bishop Robert C. Morlino and Fr. Greg Ihm, director of vocations. A capital campaign seeks to raise $30 million for the education and formation of priests. (Catholic Herald photo/Pam Payne) |
MADISON — Both by lay people and priests alike, it’s been talked about, studied, and identified as the top concern facing the Diocese of Madison for several years now: the vocations crisis.
With a continuous line of faithful senior priests reaching retirement and a decidedly thinner lineup of priests ordained in the 1980s and ’90s, it would be hard to deny a crisis brewing.
Number one priority
In fact, so serious was the concern in the mind of Bishop Robert C. Morlino, and so clear was the message that he received from around the diocese, that he made the fostering of vocations to the priesthood his number one priority upon arriving in Madison in August of 2003.
The bishop, priests, and faithful of the diocese together initiated a program of fostering a “culture of vocations,” of inviting young men to consider the call God might be making to them, and to prayer — especially in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — asking that more and more might answer the call of Jesus Christ.
Increasing numbers
And increasingly, men have been answering this need and God’s call with a profound “yes.” From six seminarians in 2003, the diocese has seen a near six-fold increase.
This year, the diocese is blessed to have 33 men studying for the priesthood, and the good news is that hopes remain high that (with continued prayers) growth in seminarian numbers will continue.