I write this as my friend and brother-in-law lies in the hospital with COVID and pneumonia, not knowing if he will survive but hoping nonetheless.
Tag: prayers
Planning a Catholic funeral and burial
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Death: Our Birth into Eternal life Damian Lenshek |
The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.
One of the saddest situations I encounter is when a daily Mass attendee, after decades of devotion, dies and does not receive a Catholic funeral or burial.
Usually, this happens when the deceased’s children are not practicing Catholics and, either through ignorance or rejection of the Faith, do not seek a funeral Mass for their devout parent.The Order of Christian Funerals: vigil
The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.
Prayers need to be heading our daily ‘to do’ list
To the editor: […]
Bishop asks for prayers to defeat evil in world
Dear Friends,
I pray that you and yours enjoyed a very happy Thanksgiving this past week.
Further, I hope that you are able to enter into a very blessed season of Advent. Please God, it will be an excellent time of preparation for the glorious celebration of Christmas.
Last week, I sent a letter to your priests with regard to an addition to the Prayers of the Faithful and a particular prayer of heavenly intercession I am asking to be included during (at least) every Sunday Mass, at parishes within the Diocese of Madison.
Local woman reflects on Fr. Solanus Casey
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| Audrey Lukes from Sun Prairie prays at the tomb of Venerable Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM Cap, at his final resting place in Detroit. The Capuchin priest and Wisconsin native will be beatified on Saturday, Nov. 18, at a Mass at Ford Field in Detroit. (Contributed photo/Audrey Lukes) |
SUN PRAIRIE — If you mention the name “Shorty” to anyone who has lived in Sun Prairie for the past several decades, they’ll probably know exactly who you are talking about.
His wife, Audrey, will talk about the man who was more than six feet tall, “very athletic,” worked for the county, was a war veteran, went dancing with her all the time, and ran to work every day.
He and his young family met a big challenge when in 1955, at age 31, he was stricken with polio and was paralyzed from the chest down.
Audrey said they had to “change our whole lifestyle”.
This world lost Shorty, also known as Norman Lukes, nearly six years ago at the age of 87.
At the time of his passing, his life, and that of his family, served as an example of faith in God and walking with the Lord, facing life’s challenges.
More than 300 miles away, on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Detroit’s Ford Field, another man, who lived to roughly the same age of 86, will be taking the next step toward canonized sainthood.
More than 70,000 people are expected to attend the beatification Mass for Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM Cap, in a venue more commonly known as the home to the NFL’s Detroit Lions.
What is the connection between Shorty and Father Casey?
The connection is faith in the Lord and a brief encounter with each other toward the end of Venerable Father Casey’s life.
“Grand Mom” writes her last column
A few weeks ago I learned that my lung cancer had crept into my bones and is likely to take my life within six months. That’s the bad news.
Black Madonna icon visits Madison
MADISON — The pilgrim icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa (also known as the Black Madonna), a replica of the original icon found in the Jasna Gora monastery in Poland, was in Madison recently as part of an historic pilgrimage in the movement to build a culture of life.
On June 19, the Black Madonna was on display on the sidewalk outside of the Planned Parenthood Clinic on Orin Rd. for an afternoon prayer vigil and at an evening Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Monona.
Finding the one . . . just ‘let it go’
One of my rituals I always look forward to is girl’s night out. A group of four of us have been meeting for dinner about once a month for years now.
Over the years, two of us have gotten married and had kids, one member of our group has been in a steady relationship for a year, and one friend is currently single. We love each other like sisters and look forward to this evening with great anticipation.
After we finished dinner and had dessert served, my single girlfriend blurted out, “I don’t think God is listening to my prayers.” I immediately dropped my fork, forsaking my tiramisu. She continued with a heavy heart, “I’ve been praying and praying. I volunteer, pray for others, go to mass, everything,” exasperation entered her voice, “but I’m still single and can’t seem to meet the right person to share my life with. I just don’t know what to do anymore, and I’m afraid I’m losing my faith in my prayers.”
The Pascal Mystery: Death evolving into life
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| Sr. Ruth Battaglia, CSA |
After successful treatment for breast cancer 16 years ago, it returned with a vengeance — 15 small brain tumors and a lung tumor. This time it was stage four cancer.
The diagnosis stunned everyone. The news of Patty Kelbel’s condition spread quickly, especially among the Christian Experience Weekend (CEW) community. CEW is an intense retreat experience, directed mostly by laity, that has been a joint venture between the parishes of St. Ann in Stoughton and Holy Mother of Consolation (HMC) in Oregon for a number of years.