Bishops' Schedules: Schedule of Bishop William H. Bullock Friday, May 3, 2002 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Wisconsin Council of Catholic Women Annual Conference Saturday, May 4, 2002 8:00 a.m. -- Preside at Morning Prayer, Diocesan Institute for Lay and Diaconate Formation, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 5:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Joseph Parish, Edgerton Sunday, May 5, 2002 10:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, Congregation of St. Mary and St. Paul, Mineral Point Wednesday, May 8, 2002 5:00 p.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Thursday, May 9, 2002 9:00 a.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Schedule of Bishop George O. Wirz Sunday, May 5, 2002 10:30 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Joseph Parish, Dodgeville Tuesday, May 7, 2002 12:00 p.m. -- Attend Madison Catholic Woman's Club Annual Spring Luncheon, Blackhawk Country Club, Madison Wednesday, May 8, 2002 5:00 p.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Thursday, May 9, 2002 9:00 a.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison

'Read the signs of our times'

		The Bishop: A Herald of Faith Bishop William H. Bullock

The aftermath of what is popularly called "9-11," the terrorism inflicted upon us, the war in Afghanistan, the sexual abuse of minors by some priests, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict all converge and descend upon us.

In these days of turmoil, turbulence, and travail we look for a way not only to cope with what comes to us, but a spirituality by which we can truly live in faith, in hope, and in love, following in the footsteps of Jesus, our Savior.

Gaudium et Spes - Joy and Hope

The Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes tells us to read the signs of our times. One such sign is a new world marked by radical and rapid change.

"We are called upon in today's time and moment of history to look to our roots in Jesus Christ and the Church he founded. Nothing less will do . . . it's time to join head, heart and hand and build new towers of faith and hope, and deepen the base upon which we set them - love."

Overnight the most powerful and wealthiest nation in the world, symbolized by its twin towers in the New York City World Trade Center, is toppled, reduced to rubble, by a plan orchestrated from a cave in Afghanistan. When you think of it, we say the word "incredible" with a loud groan.

Equally attacking is the sex scandal in the Church. Our two twin towers have been attacked - secrecy and celibacy. There is little doubt that the damage has reduced the perception or image of the Catholic Church and left some victims in rubble.

Rebuild solidly

It is time for us to rebuild new towers of faith and hope based on God's command of love, love of God above all things, and love of our neighbor as ourselves, a love absolutely basic to our relationship with a transcendent God.

The first is the tower of faith. We believe because God has revealed His truths to us in three basic ways: Creation, the Scriptures, and the Church. His Church is the living organism of His Mystical Body. St. Peter reminded us in the readings at Mass last Sunday: "Let yourselves be built into a spiritual house . . . a people His own . . . you are children of light."

We must look at the failures of the past as signs of the times here and now and build the second, a tower of hope. That tower tells us that we rely on the promises of God, of Jesus, God-made-man. He is trustworthy, faithful, and reliable.

Correct the abuses

The base of love upon which these towers of faith and hope rest are not just precepts confined to nice sayings to bring out in time of crisis; they are living realities of our daily life as followers of Christ.

Some wise person once said the only difference between a rut and grave is its depth. It is now the time, the hour, to penetrate the world of darkness, sin, perversity, and terror with the light of Christ, the light of the world.

As we deepen our faith, hope, and love in Christ, we can become the beacons of light and signs of His love, witnessing to Christ as the source of salvation. He will get us out of the rut and grave.

Who is this light of the world?

Christ in one worldly sense failed in everything. As his power and influence began to manifest themselves and people were drawn to him, the opposition began forming. Mistrust awaited him at almost every step. His enemies banned together, they formed themselves and closed ranks.

They knew how to nail him, tie him up in legal knots, silence his voice by crucifying him like a common criminal. They jeered, taunted, and ridiculed him. They gave him a mock trial and sentenced him to death. They made it appear in ways that totally discredited him as God-made-man and Savior before the very people he wished to save.

Do not alter the truth

Failure is the one word that described Christ in his suffering and death. In fact, the abiding image of Christ is failure and defeat. He came to a wretched end.

We are called upon in today's time and moment of history to look to our roots in Jesus Christ and the Church he founded. Nothing less will do.

It occurs to me that until we open ourselves to the fact that Christ's earthly life came to a wretched end, an earthly life that was hailed and hallmarked as powerless, we will never address the mystery of our salvation in him. Failure is at the base and heart of Christ's love . . . to him who is the way and the truth and the life.

Whoever may have been paying lip service to our God and our Church, it's time to join head, heart, and hand and build new towers of faith and hope, and deepen the base upon which we set them - love.

In a recent interview with Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, D.C., the Cardinal said in response to a question: "Do you think the Catholic Church will go broke?" His answer was magnificently beautiful and simple: "If we have to operate out of a car garage we will, because our command from God is to serve his people."

He also added, "Our Catholic people are not going to let that happen. They will live their baptismal call and reject Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises. And they will love God and his holy Church like Christ, 'usque ad mortem', unto death."

Thank you for letting me share with you. Take courage; God will not fail us! I, in no way, discount or fail to accept the reality of what sexual molestation by priests of children and young people has done, how awful and disgusting it is and the horror of the victims. But I do believe that in facing the music, the Church will survive, thrive, and shine. We are people of the Paschal Mystery.

Jesus Christ is God-made-man. He is the only begotten Son of the Father, true God and true man. If this is not so, then we have no solid truth on which to place our faith or our hope, and our love of him.

On the other hand, if we deepen our life in Christ and accept the suffering that is ours, we become more and more like him. Out of death comes life; out of conversion comes the deep conviction that Jesus is, indeed, the Lord of all.

Official Appointments:

The Most Reverend William H. Bullock, Bishop of Madison, wishes to announce the following appointments, effective noon, Wednesday, June 12:

Rev. John R. Auby, from Pastor, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Spring Green, to Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Cross Plains.

Rev. Thomas J. Coyle, from Pastor, Immaculate Conception Parish, Kieler, and St. Joseph Parish, Sinsinawa, to Pastor, St. John the Baptist Parish, Jefferson.

Rev. D. Stephen Smith, from Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Cross Plains, to Pastor, Christ the King Parish, McFarland.

Rev. David W. Timmerman, from Pastor, Christ the King Parish, McFarland, to Pastor, Immaculate Conception Parish, Kieler, and St. Joseph Parish, Sinsinawa.

Rev. Todd R. Van Natta, from Pastor, St. John the Baptist Parish, Jefferson, to Special Assistant to the Bishop on Canonical Affairs.

Msgr. Paul J. Swain
Vicar General