Tag: editor

On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Year of Consecrated Life concerns all of us

Year of Consecrated Life

In case you haven’t heard, we’re in the midst of the Year of Consecrated Life in the Catholic Church. It began in November of 2014 and continues until February 2, 2016 — so it actually lasts more than a year.

An average lay Catholic may think, what does this have to do with me? Why should I be concerned about a year dedicated to priests, Sisters, consecrated virgins, and other persons in consecrated life?

Applies to all of us

Pope Francis would say, “It applies to every single Catholic person.”

That’s what the Holy Father did say in a letter he wrote on the occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life. He said he wished to speak not only to consecrated persons, but also to the laity, “who share with them the same ideals, spirit, and mission.”

Read More
On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

She taught us how to age gracefully

Audrey Fixmer

Audrey Mettel Fixmer died on January 22, surrounded by her family. She touched many lives in her 86 years of life and made significant contributions to the Catholic Herald as author of the “Grand Mom” column for 23 years.

Twenty-three years ago out of the blue, I got a phone call from Audrey Mettel Fixmer.

She told me she had retired from teaching English and was interested in writing for the Catholic Herald. We chatted for awhile, and I found out that she was a member of St. Joseph Parish in Fort Atkinson and seemed very devoted to her faith.

Besides that, she told me she had 11 children (one died as an infant). Wow, I thought. That was amazing!

I told Audrey that we didn’t have a regular column in our paper dedicated to senior citizens. Since she was 65 years old at the time, I thought she was qualified to write about that age group.

Read More
On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Get rid of buffer zone: City of Madison should listen to the Supreme Court

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

On February 25 of this year, the Madison city council passed a new ordinance requiring a 160-foot “buffer zone” around any healthcare clinic in the city.

A modified version of the ordinance was passed in March, narrowing the zone to 100 feet from a medical facility’s entrance and 30 feet from its driveway.

This ordinance was proposed primarily in response to the presence of pro-life “sidewalk counselors” who have kept up a regular presence outside the Planned Parenthood Clinic on Madison’s east side for 10 years.

Supreme Court rules against buffer zones

The Madison ordinance could now be in jeopardy after the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling on June 26 that struck down buffer zones at abortion clinics. The Supreme Court decision reversed an appellate court decision upholding a 2007 Massachusetts law that made it a crime for anyone other than clinic workers to stand within 35 feet from the entrances of Planned Parenthood clinics in Boston, Springfield, and Worcester, Mass.

Read More
On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

The power of prayer: Pope Francis invites Palestinian and Israeli presidents to pray for peace

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Pope Francis has again surprised the world by inviting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres to join him at the Vatican to pray together for peace. The event has been scheduled for Sunday, June 8.

The pope announced his invitation to Abbas on May 25 at the end of the Mass that Abbas attended in Manger Square in Bethlehem. Later the same day, Pope Francis repeated his invitation — using the same words — to Peres after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.

Stay on the path of dialogue and peace

Pope Francis has urged the two leaders to stay on the path of dialogue, reconciliation, and peace. There is “simply no other way,” the Holy Father said.

Read More
On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

The power of prayer: Pope Francis invites Palestinian and Israeli presidents to pray for peace

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Pope Francis has again surprised the world by inviting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres to join him at the Vatican to pray together for peace. The event has been scheduled for Sunday, June 8.

The pope announced his invitation to Abbas on May 25 at the end of the Mass that Abbas attended in Manger Square in Bethlehem. Later the same day, Pope Francis repeated his invitation — using the same words — to Peres after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.

Stay on the path of dialogue and peace

Pope Francis has urged the two leaders to stay on the path of dialogue, reconciliation, and peace. There is “simply no other way,” the Holy Father said.

Read More
On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

The value of cemeteries: Remembering those who have gone before us

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Maybe I’m a little strange, but I have always enjoyed visiting cemeteries. I still have memories from my childhood of walking around the small country cemetery when we visited my grandmother’s home not too far away.

It was interesting to see the names of our relatives on the tombstones. Some of the monuments even had pictures of the deceased and information about them. Rather then being scary, the cemetery gave me a sense of peace and connection with those who lived before me.

Connection with family members

My father died when I was 16 years old as a result of a heart attack. We didn’t have a family plot in La Crosse, where I was born (my parents both came from other parts of the state). I recall helping my mother select a plot and a tombstone for the grave. Since my father loved praying the Rosary, we had a Rosary engraved on his monument.

In the years since, I have been doing genealogy research on both sides of my family. During that research, I have visited cemeteries where my ancestors are buried. It has been such a joy to be able to pray at the graves of my grandparents and great-grandparents. Fortunately parishes have been kind enough to let me search through their records, some of which are in Latin (I’m thankful for my high school Latin classes).

Read More
On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

The value of cemeteries: Remembering those who have gone before us

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Maybe I’m a little strange, but I have always enjoyed visiting cemeteries. I still have memories from my childhood of walking around the small country cemetery when we visited my grandmother’s home not too far away.

It was interesting to see the names of our relatives on the tombstones. Some of the monuments even had pictures of the deceased and information about them. Rather then being scary, the cemetery gave me a sense of peace and connection with those who lived before me.

Connection with family members

My father died when I was 16 years old as a result of a heart attack. We didn’t have a family plot in La Crosse, where I was born (my parents both came from other parts of the state). I recall helping my mother select a plot and a tombstone for the grave. Since my father loved praying the Rosary, we had a Rosary engraved on his monument.

In the years since, I have been doing genealogy research on both sides of my family. During that research, I have visited cemeteries where my ancestors are buried. It has been such a joy to be able to pray at the graves of my grandparents and great-grandparents. Fortunately parishes have been kind enough to let me search through their records, some of which are in Latin (I’m thankful for my high school Latin classes).

Read More
On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Remembering mothers: On Mother’s Day and throughout the year

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Mother’s Day is set aside to remember and honor all mothers. It is important that we recognize mothers on this Sunday, May 11.

As a mother myself and now a grandmother, I appreciate spending time with my children and grandchildren. The gift of time is probably more important than cards and gifts, but most mothers like to receive a small token of love from their children.

Many of us keep those special homemade cards and drawings we got through the years. I found some of them when we moved from our house to a condo last year and enjoyed sharing them with our now grown children.

But while Mother’s Day should be observed in some way, we should also remember mothers throughout the year. This is especially vital for our aging mothers, mothers-in-law, and grandparents. They especially cherish the time we can spend with them, including those who live in senior housing, assisted living, or nursing homes.

Read More
On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Two inspiring saints: They encourage us to spread Christ’s message in the world

Our two newest saints — St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II — have been inspirations in my life and the lives of many people in the last 50+ years. Their canonizations should help bring more attention to their lives and their influence on the Church and the world.

Influence of St. John XXIII

Pope John XXIII (now St. John XXIII) died in 1963, the year I entered Aquinas High School in La Crosse.  Despite his death, he had a profound impact on my high school years. That’s because during my daily religion classes we talked about what was happening at the Second Vatican Council called by Pope John XXIII. We also studied the documents of the council, hot off the presses.

The one I remember most is Gaudium et Spes (“Joy and Hope”), the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. This document touches on many of the challenges facing people in the modern world which we continue to face today: rapid change, an abundance of wealth and resources, discoveries in science and technology, advances in biology and psychology . . . the list goes on. This document is available in its entirety on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va) and is certainly worth reading today.

Read More