Tag: diocese

On
Jill Driscoll, For the Catholic Herald

2014 Annual Catholic Appeal: ‘Beacon of Faith, Fire of Charity’

MADISON — As we prepare for Lent as a Catholic community, we prepare to give alms. What does it mean to give alms? The definition includes the charitable giving of money, food, or goods to people in need. It is one form of sacrifice we as Catholics are asked to perform during the season of Lent, just as Christ sacrificed himself for each of us.

This year’s theme for the 2014 Annual Catholic Appeal is “Beacon of Faith, Fire of Charity.” The focus this year is on evangelization and the Corporal Works of Mercy. The Annual Catholic Appeal funds both of those ministries, plus many others. Here are a few examples:

• Evangelization and Catechesis — Each of us as Catholics is asked to share Christ’s message through evangelization. The Church catechizes the young through religious education classes and adults through RCIA, retreats, and classes.

• Catholic Charities — As the Corporal Works of Mercy arm of the Diocese of Madison, Catholic Charities touches so many lives. They visit the sick through the Respite Care Program; feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty through the Mobile Food Pantry and the Catholic Multicultural Center. These are just a few of the programs supported by the Annual Catholic Appeal and provided through Catholic Charities.

 

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Michael Lancaster, For the Catholic Herald

Teaching through examples of faith, knowledge, and service

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.

Christ is the center

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.

Forming the whole person

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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Kevin Wondrash

Liturgy and social doctrine courses offered

MADISON — The Diocese of Madison is offering two series of courses on both the liturgical year and the Social Doctrine of the Church in the coming months.

Study of liturgical year

A comprehensive study on the liturgical year is being offered by Abbot Marcel Rooney through the Seat of Wisdom Diocesan Institute.

Remaining sessions are open to everyone and will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, 702 S. High Point Rd., on the following Saturday mornings.

 

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Jill Driscoll, For the Catholic Herald

Bless Our Priests collection

MADISON — All of us have been blessed to receive the sacraments in our lifetime by a faithful priest serving in our parish. The impact our parish priest has on our lives has shaped us into the Catholics we are today.

The Bless Our Priests collection gives us the opportunity to give back to those priests for all they have done for us throughout our lives.

As more and more of our diocesan priests reach retirement age, the need for support continues to grow. Not only do they need your continued prayers, but your financial support of the Bless Our Priests collection.

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