The Catholic Herald
Mission Statement:
The Catholic Herald is the official newspaper of the Diocese of Madison. Its purpose is to inform and educate people of the Diocese through communications that proclaim Gospel values, report the news, and comment on issues as they pertain to the mission of the Catholic Church, which is to bring all in Jesus Christ to the Father. |
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Local efforts:
Help to build worldwide bridges
By Kathleen Bushman
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
(See also sidebar: Banners for Ghana.)
MADISON -- The Diocese of Madison and the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, Ghana, have been in partnership for several years and many parishes in the diocese have connections with other "sister parishes" around the world.
Many parishes and youth groups participate in mission trips around the country and even to other countries to provide service to those in need.
But how can we, especially during Global Solidarity Week, February 10 to 18, continue to respond to the call to global solidarity?
Learn, pray
There are many ways to learn about global solidarity and Catholic social teaching. Several Web sites are good resources:
- Catholic Relief Services (CRS), www.catholicrelief.org
- Bread for the World, www.bread.org
- Maryknoll, home.maryknoll.org
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org
And don't underestimate the power of prayer in building global solidarity. One way to understand other cultures is to learn a prayer or song from that culture or another language. Also, learn what affects other people in other countries so that you know what to pray for. Full story ...
Rachel's Vineyard retreats:
A chance to find healing
By Kathleen Bushman
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF
(See also sidebar: For help.)
Note: Names have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved.
MADISON -- More than 30 million women in the United States have had one or more abortions in the years since its legalization.
But what happens to these women beyond the statistics?
Many women - and many of the men affected as well - have found that abortion is not as cut-and-dry a solution as it might seem at the time. Many are affected by what some call "post-abortion trauma," battling depression, anger, and feelings of regret and worthlessness.
For more than a decade, Rachel's Vineyard (RV) has offered a chance for these women and men who have been hurt by abortion to find healing. Full story ...
Guided by the Spirit:
Cultural questions and answers
By Grant Emmel
VICE-CHANCELLOR
We continue our Guided by the Spirit Q & A column with answers to some common questions, each of which have a cultural bent to them.
These are those types of questions that refer to the mindset or concerns of the people of the parish community. These same questions have been posed by many regardless of the actual cultural background of the questioner. Again, to completely answer any one of these would be difficult, but it is hoped that the answers will spur some reflection about the reasons for any anxiety that is felt about this planning process.
We already do everything really well, why change anything?
The simplest response to this is: "to whom much is given, much will be expected" (Lk 12:48). All of us, both individually and as a community, are accountable for the knowledge, resources, and abilities that God has blessed us with. If your parish has been so blessed to have perfect worship, perfect catechesis, perfect education, and perfect administration, then doesn't it seem reasonable that those blessings should be shared with others, those less fortunate, say, a cluster partner? Full story ...
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