Tag: Uhler

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Larry Wipperfurth

Don’t take guns away from law-abiding citizens

To the editor:

After reading Mary Uhler’s editorial in the June 30 issue of The Catholic Herald, I felt a need to respond. The term “common sense gun control” has been a familiar headline in the news lately, but when you read further (as in Mary Uhler’s editorial), it’s just another attack of the Second Amendment.

In one paragraph, Mary says, “I’m not calling for a ban on gun ownership,” while just one paragraph later the heading reads, “Do civilians really need assault weapons?” She goes on to quote a Dallas area bishop who calls for a ban on all semi-automatic rifles. Just think if this logic was used against the First Amendment — kind of scary, right?

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Kevin Wondrash

Catholic Herald wins national awards

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The Catholic Herald-Diocese of Madison won four awards in the annual Catholic Press Association Press Awards competition announced at the annual Catholic Media Conference held recently in St. Louis.

The awards included:

• General Excellence — Judges commented, “Solid paper with well-written stories. News in this paper comes from a far-flung array of parishes, parochial schools, and communities distant from the chancery. Smoothly written and edited articles provide an interesting perspective on Catholic life and activities across a broad geographical area.”

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Facing pope’s challenge to protect creation

It doesn’t seem possible that almost a year has passed since Pope Francis issued Laudato Si’, his beautiful encyclical on care for our common home.

Released on June 18, 2015, the encyclical touched on many of the critical issues facing our world today, including the availability of fresh drinking water, the loss of biodiversity, decline in the quality of human life, the breakdown of society, and global inequality, to name a few.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Devotion to Mary continues

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

When I was growing up in La Crosse, I used to attend Our Mother of Perpetual Help novenas every Tuesday evening with my family at Blessed Sacrament Parish.

I liked attending the novenas, but I never learned much about this Marian devotion. It wasn’t until recently that I found out how it developed.

I discovered that the icon of the Blessed Mother with her divine son (pictured here) has helped provide strength, comfort, and even miracles to the faithful for centuries.

It seems appropriate during May — the month dedicated to Mary — that we learn more about Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Our hearts break for Paris

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

When I heard about the terrorist bombings in Paris, my heart broke.

I visited Paris many years ago, and it is such a special city. It saddened me to hear that so many innocent people were killed and injured, apparently by three teams of Islamic State terrorists.

Although the French people had a reputation for being somewhat aloof, we found them to be friendly — especially when we spoke some French. Once we made the attempt to communicate with them, the Parisians usually spoke English with us.

Damage to historic places

But it was not only the loss of lives and the injuries that upset me. It was also the damage the terrorists might have caused to the city of Paris itself.

There are so many historic places in Paris, many of significance to the Catholic Church.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Putting a human face on the refugee crisis

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

One of the saddest pictures I’ve seen recently is that of a three-year-old Syrian boy lying on a Turkish beach. He looks like he’s sleeping with his head turned to one side. But he isn’t asleep; he’s dead.

Catholic News Service, to which the Catholic Herald subscribes, ran the picture of the little boy. However, I decided not to use that picture with this article (I felt it was too disturbing). Instead, I have included another sad picture: one of the boy’s father weeping. Abdullah Kurdi, father of three-year old Aylan Kurdi, is shown crying as he leaves a morgue in Turkey September 3.

The family of Aylan, the Syrian toddler whose body washed up on a Turkish beach, had been trying to emigrate to Canada after fleeing the war-torn town of Kobani.

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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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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Enough is enough!

Abortion has been legal in the United States since 1973, but that doesn’t mean most Americans approve of abortion.

According to a national Marist University survey released this year, the vast majority of Americans are very uncomfortable with abortion. Eighty-four percent said that laws should protect both the well-being of a woman and the life of the unborn child. The poll revealed that a majority of Americans say abortion is morally wrong (60 percent).

Want abortion restrictions

The survey also found support for abortion restrictions among both “pro-life” and “pro-choice” supporters, according to an article on www.lifenews.com

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Pope Francis inspires us to care for prisoners

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Since he has been our Holy Father, Pope Francis has been spending time in prisons.

Not only does he visit prisoners in Rome, but he also puts visits to prisons on his itinerary for trips outside of Rome. When he comes to the United States in September, he will stop at a prison in Philadelphia.

When he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires, he made a point of spending time with prisoners. Even as pope, he continues to make a phone call every other Saturday to inmates he used to visit in Buenos Aires.

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