porta fidei – Page 2 – Madison Catholic Herald Archive (2001-2025)

As the faithful enter this Year of Faith, they will be called to give witness to their faith more and more. In Porta Fidei, Pope Benedict wrote, “faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy.”

In a time when the virality of a message and success in communications is often measured by the number of views a video gets on YouTube and how many times an article is shared on Facebook, it makes sense that Catholics would feel like their message and witness is not easily or rapidly spread through the world today.

Year of Faith

On October 11, 2012

Patrick Gorman

Taking a closer look at the council

Mother Church Rejoices! With his typically optimistic words, Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council on October 11, 1962. Today, we share that same joy as we commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Council that Pope John frequently referred to as “a new Pentecost.”

The first document issued by the Council was the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. It was one of only four Constitutions (which are of the highest rank of Church teachings) issued by the Council. The goals of the entire Council are laid out in the first paragraph: to increase the vigor of people’s Christian life, to adapt those things which may be changed to the needs of our own times, to promote Christian unity, and to help all people come to know Christ in the Church.

Propagation of Faith

On October 11, 2012

Msgr. Delbert Schmelzer

World Mission Sunday has special meaning this year

World Mission Sunday, organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. In 2012, World Mission Sunday is celebrated on October 21.

Annually, World Mission Sunday is celebrated on the next-to-last Sunday in October.

Editorial

On September 13, 2012October 25, 2023

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Religious education: It’s not just for kids anymore

The late Jack McBride, who used to be in charge of adult education programs in the Diocese of Madison, often reminded me that Jesus taught adults and blessed children.

When I think about Jesus’ life as recorded in the Scriptures, I realize that Jack was right. Jesus is almost always found teaching adults. As we know, Jesus often used parables to help get his message across in words his audience could understand in that time and place.

I’m sure Jack realized that we do need to educate our children. However, he felt that the Catholic Church should do much more to educate adults on matters of the faith.