Tag: life

On
Abbot Marcel Rooney

Adaptation and renewal of Religious Life: Chastity and charity linked

Reflections on Religious Life column by Abbot Marcel Rooney

Editor’s note: During this Year of Consecrated Life, this is the eighth in a series based on the Second Vatican Council’s document, Perfectae Caritatis (Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life) written by Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB, former abbot primate of the Benedictine order who now resides in Madison.

In this commentary on the Decree of the Second Vatican Council, On the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life (Perfectae Caritatis), we have been reflecting on how the council fathers envisioned a deep renewal of what the Church calls “the Consecrated Life.”

Number 12 of the decree speaks of one of the evangelical counsels, chastity, as at the core of that life.

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Fr. Gregory Ihm

The power of forgiving sins

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Fr. Gregory Ihm

In 1793 began the Reign of Terror in France known as the French Revolution when many priests, Religious, and Catholic lay faithful were murdered because of their association with the Church.

One man had a particular hatred for priests and was famous for his style of execution: slitting their throats. Several years after the Reign of Terror, this man grew old, sick, and weaker.

His wife, a hidden Catholic, called in a priest she knew to anoint her husband because she feared for his soul.

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Kevin Wondrash

40 Days for Life mid-point vigil and Planned Parenthood protest in Madison

MADISON — A mid-point prayer vigil for 40 Days for Life — the annual campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion — will be held Monday, Oct. 12, at 11:30 a.m. on the sidewalk outside of Planned Parenthood, 3706 Orin Rd., Madison.

Fr. Scott Jablonski, parochial vicar at St. Henry and St. Bernard Parishes in Watertown, will lead the vigil. Immediately following the vigil, Vigil for Life will host its second Defund Planned Parenthood rally.

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Fr. Donald Lange

Let’s renew our commitment to defend all human life

Pablo Casals, the great cellist and conductor, gazed at a baby and exclaimed, “You are unique. In the millions of years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. And look at your body; what a wonder it is! Your exquisite legs, your arms, your cunning little fingers. You may become another Shakespeare, Michelangelo, or Beethoven.”

St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, whose feast we celebrated on October 1, believed that people of her time feared God too much. She couldn’t understand how anyone could fear God, who came to us as a tiny helpless baby.

And yet, today there seem to be some who fear babies more than God.

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Ronald Faust

Wisconsin KC’s support bishops in taking action against sale, use of fetal body parts

Ronald Faust

In support of the bishops of Wisconsin: As Knights of Columbus we cannot be part of what Pope Francis has called the “complicit silence” of many who hear of atrocities and do nothing. We must act.

I invite you to consider that those same words apply completely and directly to the brutalization of women and children by Planned Parenthood. The intentional, vicious murder of innocents in the womb is an atrocity. That it is followed by the callous selling of their body parts should shock our culture into action.

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Abbot Marcel Rooney

Adaptation and renewal of Religious Life: Role of ‘active,’ apostolic Religious

Reflections on Religious Life column by Abbot Marcel Rooney

Editor’s note: During this Year of Consecrated Life, this is the seventh in a series based on the Second Vatican Council’s document, Perfectae Caritatis (Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life) written by Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB, former abbot primate of the Benedictine order who now resides in Madison.

In this commentary on the decree of the Second Vatican Council Decree On the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life, we have reflected upon the meaning of Religious Life expressed by the council fathers.

The fathers gave special attention to the two main expressions of Religious Life in the Western Church: 1) the contemplative and/or monastic life; 2) the active and/or missionary life.

In the previous installment, we reflected upon the contemplative expression of Religious Life. This seventh reflection will consider the council’s teaching on the “active” or apostolic expression of the special call to Religious Life.

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Kevin Wondrash

Protest of Planned Parenthood in Madison

MADISON — On Monday, Aug. 24, pro-lifers will join the nationwide efforts to protest Planned Parenthood’s barbaric practice of aborting babies and selling their body parts.

“In the wake of the horrific videos exposing this practice, now is the time for people of faith to stand up and demand an end to the nation’s largest abortion provider,” said Laura Karlen of Madison‘s Vigil for Life.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Abolish the death penalty

When I hear about someone being murdered, I say a prayer for the victim — and for the perpetrator.

Someone might question my praying for someone who has committed a crime. However, there are many circumstances that lead to that act of violence against another person.

We don’t know everything involved in that person’s life. Sometimes there may have been a lifetime of abuse he or she endured. There may have been mental illness leading to that act of violence.

Although we may be tempted to call only for justice for the victim — an “eye for an eye” — we also have to consider the possibility of forgiveness and healing for the murderer.

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On
Abbot Marcel Rooney

Adaptation and renewal of Religious Life: Role of contemplative, monastic Religious

Reflections on Religious Life column by Abbot Marcel Rooney

Editor’s note: During this Year of Consecrated Life, this is the sixth in a series based on the Second Vatican Council’s document, Perfectae Caritatis (Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life) written by Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB, former abbot primate of the Benedictine order who now resides in Madison.

In this commentary on the Second Vatican Council’s Decree On the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life, we have reflected upon the general principles underlying the very existence of all Religious Life.

These include patterning the life on the doctrine and example of Jesus; giving a sign on earth of the heavenly Kingdom; binding the vowed individual in a special way to the Lord; and openness to the action of the Holy Spirit.

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Michael Schultz and Brad Stiner, For the Catholic Herald

Silver Rose visits Diocese of Madison

MADISON — On June 20, Knights of Columbus District 47 hosted a Silver Rose Prayer Service at St. Joseph Church.

In 1960, the Columbian Squires (the official youth organization of the Knights of Columbus) started a project to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, by running a silver rose from Montreal, Canada, to Monterrey, Mexico.

There are now six roses that crisscross the country and end up in different locations. The one exhibited at the Madison service will end up at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

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