Bishops' Schedules: Bishop Robert C. Morlino Thursday, February 3, 2005 Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Knights of Columbus Memorial Mass/ Clergy Appreciation Banquet, St. Mary Parish, Platteville Sunday, February 6, 2005 9:30 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Resurrection Youth Rally, Chula Vista Theme Resort, Wisconsin Dells Thursday, February 10, 2005 7:00 p.m. -- Guest Speaker, Alpha Omega Gathering, St. Paul University Catholic Center, Madison Bishop George O. Wirz Friday, February 4 -- Saturday, February 5, 2005 Attend Dedication of Cathedral of Christ the King, Superior, Wisconsin

Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino There is no column by Bishop Robert C. Morlino this week.

Bishop's Letter

Dear Friends in Christ:

Each year on Ash Wednesday we are asked to open our hearts to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe by sharing our prayers and monetary resources with our brothers and sisters who withstood decades of oppression. Catholics in some 27 countries continue to work to reestablish and reinvigorate the Church after years of neglect and persecution, while confronting excessive materialism and rampant secularism. Ethnic rivalries make the task even more challenging.

Your contributions fund grants that support schools and religious education programs; the training of seminarians and lay catechists; needed social ministries; the building and rebuilding of churches, schools, and convents; as well as new ways to spread the Gospel message to those who have been deprived of the good news of Jesus Christ for so long.

As we begin our Lenten journey, a time for penance, fasting, and almsgiving, please be generous in praying for and, through this special collection, helping the Church in Central and Eastern Europe recover its spiritual legacy.

Faithfully yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino
Bishop of Madison