As I’ve been hearing about the recent incidents of violence fueled by anti-Semitism in our country, I remembered the life and example of the late Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky.
I had the privilege of meeting the smiling, soft-spoken rabbi a number of times, primarily when he served as Chair of Jewish Learning while teaching at Edgewood College in Madison. He was a friend and colleague of the late Sr. Marie Stephen Regis, OP, a Dominican Sister who served on the faculty at Edgewood College.
We congratulate and rejoice with Deacons Timothy Mergen and Enan Zelinski, who were ordained last week in St. Peter’s Basilica and will be ordained priests here next June for the Diocese of Madison.
These men, so representative of all our seminarians, are prayerful, holy, committed, and zealous in living out the Gospel of Christ and shepherding His holy people. Our prayers and gratitude go to these inspiring servants of the Lord, as well as to their parents, families, and friends.
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As another school year begins and we lament the rapid passage of summer, I ponder the gift and blessing of our children and young people — the greatest treasure of the Church and the world.
Our Diocese pours significant resources into the formation of our children and youth, through our schools, religious education programs, and youth ministry.
And rightfully so. We want each child to know, love, and serve God. We want each young person to be a zealous disciple of the Lord Jesus. We want each person to grow up, flourishing in the abundant life of the Gospel, becoming the saint that God has called them to be.
I have always been a big advocate of Catholic schools. Every study shows that graduates of parochial schools practice the Faith, support the Church, contribute to the poor, have a keener sense of social justice, and are more successful in their vocations than the average population.
A learning environment imbued in faith and love, permeated by prayer, and strong in Christian values becomes a blessed, formative experience that impacts the whole person — soul, body, mind, and heart.
MADISON — Pro-life advocates from throughout Wisconsin will march on the Wisconsin State Capitol in support of life on Tuesday, Jan. 22.
The March & Love for Life begins at 11:30 a.m. at the State St. entrance to the Capitol building.
Marchers are asked to bring a package of diapers for donation to children in need.
After the march and diaper collection, participants will urge legislators to promote measures that preserve and protect life.
To the editor:
The December 6 issue of the Catholic Herald had tough competition from tree trimming, gift wrapping, and Christmas cards.
But I welcomed a “sit-down” to read the special “In Memoriam” section about Bishop Robert C. Morlino in the Herald. It speaks beautifully to a life well-lived.
“Beautiful” was the word of the day recently in Cross Plains.
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August 12 marked the day of the annual Diocese of Madison Celebration of Wedding Anniversaries, this year held at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Cross Plains.
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| Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) School in Monona Principal Callie Meiller stands with speaker and Paralympian Lloyd Bachrach as IHM kicked off its “Teach Love” campaign. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MONONA — As the Paralympic Games are being held from March 9 to 18 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, students at Immaculate Heart of Mary School (IHM) in Monona heard from a former Paralympian.
The talk by Lloyd Bachrach, called “Yes, You Can!” was given during the school’s kick-off of its “Teach Love” campaign, which also included the students, faculty, and staff performing 10,000 acts of kindness around the school.
Bachrach, a motivational speaker and Paralympian who, while born with a congenital bone deficiency which left his legs unusually small, was able to overcome challenges, live out his dreams, and participate in sports at many levels, including the Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 on the United States sitting volleyball team.
The Paralympic Games, both summer and winter, involve athletes with a range of disabilities. They are held almost immediately following the respective Olympic Games.
Sporting his artificial legs, Bachrach told the students, “I have a disability” and it “makes me a little bit different . . . I use a cane to help me walk.”
With the artificial legs, Bachrach is five-foot-eight inches tall. Without them, he is about three-foot-nine.
Bachrach said his talk would be about “the challenges I had when I was growing up, but also about the success that I’ve had.”
“You know that in life, we all have challenges,” he added, “we’re all trying to succeed at something.”
MONONA — Immaculate Heart of Mary School is teaching more than reading, writing, and arithmetic — it is teaching love.
The school recently launched its “Teach Love” campaign.
Principal Callie Meiller said Teach Love is a “showcase for students . . . not only preparing them academically; we want them to go out into the world and be ready, not only smarts wise, but ready mind, body, and spirit to take on the world.”By now you’ve seen or heard a great deal about me and what I’m supposed to have done most recently. It’s been in the papers, online, and on TV and radio news. You’ve been told by your friends, and talked about it over coffee. To some of you, what you’ve heard simply confirms the judgements you’ve already made long ago. For others, what you’ve heard left you sad and scratching your heads.
In truth, I find myself in that latter group.
The observations and reactions that have been made simply do not account for the total context. And what has grown from there is a flurry of opportunity for people to jump to every sort of negative conclusion and to air those negative judgements freely and widely. All of this has occurred very much absent the reality of the situation.
After the tragic shooting in Las Vegas, one question kept surfacing in my mind: Are we still our brother’s keeper?
We know the phrase “my brother’s keeper” from the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:1-9. Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. After the murder, God asked Cain where Abel was. Cain’s answer was, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
We are surely not responsible for everyone’s safety at all times. However, we should not allow people to do violence if we can prevent it.
