Bishops' Schedules: Schedule of Bishop Robert C. Morlino Thursday, October 16, 2003 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Pastoral Visit to Valley of Our Lady Monastery, Prairie du Sac Saturday, October 18, 2003 10:30 a.m. -- Attend Closing of the Year of the Rosary, Schoenstatt Shrine, Schoenstatt Heights, Madison 4:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Mary Parish, Portage, with the links of St. Mary Parish, Briggsville, St. Mary Parish, Pardeeville, and St. Andrew Parish, Buffalo, at St. Mary Parish, Portage Sunday, October 19, 2003 10:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cassville, with the link of St. Mary Help of Christians Parish, Glen Haven, at St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cassville 5:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Diocesan High School Youth Rally, St. Dennis Parish, Madison Monday, October 20, 2003 12:00 p.m. -- Guest Presenter, "Seeking Common Ground," Conference for Secondary Schools of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the Diocese of Madison, Archbishop Cousins Catholic Center, Milwaukee Tuesday, October 21, 2003 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Madison Catholic Woman's Club Day of Renewal, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 5:30 p.m. -- Attend Dinner, Knights of Columbus Council #531, Madison Wednesday, October 22, 2003 12:00 p.m. -- Attend Luncheon, Catholic Charities All Staff Day, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 2:00 p.m. -- Attend Meeting with SSM Healthcare, St. Marys Hospital, Madison 6:00 p.m. -- Attend Catholic Charities Board Social, Madison Schedule of Bishop George O. Wirz Saturday, October 18, 2003 5:45 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, Sacred Heart Parish, Reedsburg Sunday, October 19, 2003 10:30 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Jerome Parish, Columbus Wednesday, October 22, 2003 7:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Mary of Lourdes Parish, Belleville, with the link of St. James Parish, Dayton, at St. Mary of Lourdes Parish, Belleville

Reflections on Holy Father, Mother Teresa, priests

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Dear Friends,

The great days are upon us when we are privileged to celebrate the 25^th anniversary as Bishop of Rome of our Holy Father this coming Thursday as well as the beatification of our Beloved Mother Teresa next Sunday, October 19^th.

"In seeking and doing God's will - there is where authentic servanthood is to be found."

I have written previously at some length about the accomplishments of our Holy Father, and at this time I want to renew our expression of loyalty and loving affection for him. As I said when I was consecrated a Bishop, a pledge I renewed when I was installed as your Bishop here in Madison, "I love the Holy Father, and I promise our Holy Father unfailing faithfulness and truly loving obedience all the time and without reservation." I mean that, and I am so grateful to the Lord who gives me the grace to proclaim it and to mean it.

Many are already speculating that like Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II will be raised to the honors of the altar and perhaps even be proclaimed John Paul the Great. The Holy Spirit at work in him has brought so many blessings both to our Church and to the world, not the least of which was the nonviolent collapse of communism, which manifests the power of reliance on the intercession of Mary the Mother of God.

Union with Christ through suffering

Mother Teresa has likewise been the instrument of the Holy Spirit's having powerful and positive effects both on our Church and on the world. As we prepare to celebrate her elevation to the honors of the altar, let me reflect briefly on two of her teachings which have had a very powerful effect on me personally. She always was able to thank God for any suffering that came her way saying when I suffer, Jesus is hugging me tightly to Himself on the cross. Her desire for union with Christ at whatever cost, even the cost of great suffering, is certainly the recipe for the holiness which she attained by God's grace, the holiness to which consecrated women are called to witness in a very special way, the holiness which is the Lord's destiny for each one of us in accord with our free cooperation.

True servants don't choose how to serve

Secondly, Mother Teresa often said, the one is really a servant who does not get to choose how he or she serves. The servant is in the likeness of Jesus, the suffering servant who was not alternately yes or no to His Father - Jesus was never anything but yes. In seeking and doing God's will - there is where authentic servanthood is to be found. To choose on our own the more humble task, while praiseworthy, is not necessarily the equivalent of "doing whatever He tells us," thus offering to the Lord the sacrifice of our free will itself, in the spirit of the beautiful prayer of St. Ignatius, "take and receive Lord all my liberty, my understanding, and my entire will."

Let us humbly beg in the coming days the intercession of Mother Teresa especially for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life here in the Diocese of Madison.

Blessed with fraternal communion

Lastly but very importantly let me reflect for a moment on the wonderful experience of fraternal communion with which the Lord blessed my brother priests and myself this past week during our days of assembly together in the Wisconsin Dells.

This was of course the first time since becoming your Bishop that I had the privilege and the joy to be together with just about all my brother priests at the same time and in the same place. It was a time to reinforce certain friendships which have already begun and to open myself to many more. The Holy Father has repeatedly called the Bishop to be father, brother, and friend to his priests, reminding us Bishops that apart from priests, we are like a human person without arms. I experienced that so powerfully during the days of our assembly.

Expressing gratitude for priests

I want to express gratitude with you for all of the wonderful priests who serve you day in and day out especially during these difficult times when because of the sexual misconduct scandals, a cloud has hung over priests and bishops as we seek to live out our priestly lives together. As I reflected to the priests, this scandal and all the difficulties it brings, while it surprised all of us, came as no surprise to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity has called us precisely to serve at this particular time in history, and we have the grace that comes from Christ our High Priest to do what is necessary so that we can move toward a holier Church and a holier priesthood.

Our priests are both admirable and inspirational as they accept the particular crosses which are part of our lives these days out of love for Christ and indeed for all of you. Let us remember our fine and good priests with loving affection in sincere prayer every blessed day.

Thank for reading this. God bless you. God love you. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Bishop's Letter

Dear Friends in Christ:

October 19 is World Mission Sunday. As part of its celebration, we annually have the opportunity to contribute to the special collection that supports the ministry of missionaries around the world. It will also be the day when Pope John Paul II beatifies Mother Teresa. Her outreach to the poorest of the poor is a beautiful image of what missionaries have been doing in the name of Christ for centuries.

The dual charge of Christ to his Church to carry the Gospel to the ends of the world and to love one another as he has loved us are joined in the missions. So often with meager resources, and too often at great personal risk, the public witness of missionaries that every person has value and ought to be able to live with dignity deserves our admiration and prayerful support.

This collection assists priests, religious, and laity to reach out in loving help to needy children and elderly, refugees, and the sick, and so many more. Your financial contributions also help make available the sacraments, religious formation, and education in areas of the world where the faith is rapidly growing.

You are a generous people. While these remain uncertain times, the missionary work of the Church needs our support. Also, pray for an end of violence against all peoples, and peaceful resolution to the difficult conflicts of the day.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino
Bishop of Madison