Tag: fire

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Bishop Robert Barron

A talk on the Hill: When were you called?

This article is the first in a two-part series.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the distinct privilege of addressing an audience of senators, representatives, and Capitol Hill staffers in a beautiful room at the Library of Congress.

This event was made possible by two Congressmen, Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, a Democrat, and Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, a Republican. Both had seen videos of the speeches I had given at Facebook and Google Headquarters and wanted something similar for those who work in government.

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Kevin Wondrash

Law enforcement, fire personnel invited to Blue Mass on May 9

MADISON — In thanksgiving for their faithful service, Fr. Michael Radowicz, pastor, and the parishioners of St. Bernard Parish and the Knights of Columbus invite all law enforcement and fire/EMS personnel to the third annual Blue Mass to be held on Thursday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Bernard Church, 2450 Atwood Ave., Madison.

Knights of Columbus involved include Council 9082 of St. Bernard Parish and the Bishop William P. O’Connor 4th Degree Assembly.

Participating in the Mass again this year are Madison Police Chief Mike Koval, Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney, University of Wisconsin Police Chief Kristen Roman, and City of Madison Assistant Fire Chief Michael Popovich.

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Kevin Wondrash

Blue Mass to be held at St. Bernard, Madison, on May 10

MADISON — St. Bernard Parish, along with the Knights of Columbus St. Bernard Council 9082 and the Bishop William O’Connor 4th Degree Assembly, are sponsoring the second annual Blue Mass, in thanksgiving for their faithful service, for all law enforcement personnel and all fire personnel on Thursday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Bernard Church, 2450 Atwood Ave.

All law enforcement officers and fire personnel — both active and retired, regardless of faith — are invited to attend in full uniform. This includes police, sheriff, Department of Natural Resources personnel, firefighters, EMTs, EMS personnel, and all other members of law enforcement agencies.

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Bishop Robert Barron

Church ministers to body, mind, and soul

One of the greatest heroes of the social justice wing of the Church is, quite rightly, the 17th century “slave of the slaves,” St. Peter Claver.

Born in Barcelona, Claver joined the Society of Jesus and was known, even as a young man, as a person of deep intelligence and piety.

Spurred by what he took to be the direct prompting of the Holy Spirit, the young Spaniard volunteered to work among the poor in what was then known as “New Spain.” Arriving in Cartagena, he saw the unspeakable degradation of the captives brought in chains by ship from Africa, and he resolved to dedicate his life to serving them.

Letter tells of Claver’s work

We have a wonderful letter that Peter Claver wrote to his Jesuit superior in which he vividly describes apostolic work that he did among the slaves, just after they came ashore in Cartagena. He speaks of hopeless people staggering off the ships, stark naked, starving, and disoriented.

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Bishop Robert Barron

The importance of ‘real’ friendship, intimacy

Matt Spicer’s dark comedy Ingrid Goes West is a telling and penetrating critique of the iPhone culture that has swallowed up so many young people today.

Now I know: I have an evangelical ministry that uses social media and reaches out through iPhones and other similar devices. Moreover, I have been known from time to time even to use such instruments personally.

So I’m not going to use this review as an excuse for a broad brush dismissal of social media. But I will indeed use it to encourage you to see this film, which artfully explores the shadow side of living in virtual reality.

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Bishop Robert Barron

Charlottesville and America’s ‘original sin’

I vividly remember my first visit to Charlottesville, Va. It was about 20 years ago, and I was on vacation with a good friend, who shared with me a passion for American history and for Thomas Jefferson in particular.

We had toured a number of Civil War battlefields in Maryland and Virginia and then had made our way to Jefferson’s University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Finally, we ventured outside the city to the little hilltop home that the great founder had designed and built for himself, Monticello.

It was a glorious summer day, and the elegant manse shone in all of its Palladian splendor. We took in its classical lines, its distinctive red and white coloration, the understated beauty of its dome, its overall symmetry, balance, and harmony.

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Bishop Robert Barron

Looking at Luther with fresh eyes

With great profit and pleasure I’m currently reading Alec Ryrie’s new book Protestants: The Faith that Made the Modern World. Among the many texts appearing in this year of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Ryrie’s stands out for its verve, clarity, and historical sweep.

In some ways, it is an answer to Brad Gregory’s The Unintended Reformation, though it lacks the intellectual depth and thoroughness of Gregory’s magisterial study. What has so far intrigued me most of all in Ryrie’s book is his portrait of the undisputed father of the Reformation, Martin Luther.

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Bishop Robert Barron

Silence and the meaning of the Mass

Robert Cardinal Sarah’s recent book The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise explores a number of themes both theological and spiritual, all centering around the unhappy role that noise has come to play in our culture and more specifically in the Church.

His observations are most trenchant in regard to the liturgy, which should come as no great surprise, given his role as head of the Vatican Congregation devoted to liturgy and sacraments. As I read the sections of his book dealing with the importance of silence during Mass, I often found myself nodding vigorously.

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Bishop Robert Barron

A message of love for the confirmandi

One of the greatest privileges I have as a bishop is the opportunity to preside at the Sacrament of Confirmation. A drawback, however, is that I am obligated to conduct over 40 Confirmations in roughly a two month period — which means that I become tired, rather quickly, of my own homily!

As a result, I’m frequently shifting gears, trying out new ideas, looking at the complex phenomenon of Confirmation from a variety of angles. I want to share with you in this article some of the key ideas in the latest iteration of my Confirmation sermon.

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