offer – Madison Catholic Herald Archive (2001-2025)

MADISON — On Monday, July 21, the St. Paul University Catholic Center Facebook page was sitting with a strong following of 900 followers.

After the page’s administrator had a short conversation with Fr. Mark Miller — the recently arrived new director of student ministries at St. Paul’s — the following was posted on the page:

“If we reach 1,000 Facebook page ‘likes’ by the end of the week, Fr. Mark will say a Mass for just our Facebook followers:) Please click on our page and on the left hand side, click to invite your friends to like our page!”

Taking the pledge

MADISON — Eddie Cotter, executive director of the Dead Theologians Society (DTS) headquartered in the Diocese of Madison, took the pledge 26 years ago.

Cotter met members of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart (PTAA, also known as the Pioneers) while visiting Dublin, Ireland.

Taking the Pioneer pledge

“I didn’t have a history of drinking,” said Cotter, “but I thought it would be a good thing to take the Pioneer pledge.”

This meant that Cotter promised to abstain from all alcoholic drink, wear the Pioneer emblem featuring the Sacred Heart, and recite the Pioneer prayer twice daily.

This Lent: Helping hope live in the missions

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” is the familiar cry of Jesus on the cross.

In our own lives, we may also sometimes feel abandoned, with hope seeming to disappear. As we cope with the serious illness of someone close to us. As we face economic challenges, perhaps even the loss of our job. In the gray loneliness that follows the death of a beloved wife or husband.

God does not abandon us

And yet, in the midst of our darkness, we remember that God did not abandon His beloved Son and the suffering of Good Friday transformed into the hope of our Lord’s Resurrection. God does not abandon us.