Editorial

In 1967, Bishop Cletus F. O'Donnell appointed Fr. Thomas Campion to start a program for "the handicapped" in the Diocese of Madison. Father Campion was a young associate pastor at St. James Parish in Madison. He also served as diocesan director of the Catholic Youth Organization (better known as CYO) and chaplain at Madison General Hospital.

Father Campion's first work in this new effort was to start a weekly television Mass for shut-ins on WISC-TV, Channel 3. The station's owner, Mrs. Morgan Murphy, donated the airtime. The first TV Mass was shown on the first Sunday of Advent in 1967. It was 45 minutes long in the early years. The Apostolate to the Handicapped - named in a contest by Bernadette Wagner of Sun Prairie - was born.

Mass continues. Although Mrs. Murphy died, the television Mass has continued to this day through the generosity of her daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Burns. Currently the Mass airs at 7 a.m. on Sunday mornings and is 30 minutes in length, except for hour-long specials at Christmas and Easter time.

Last week, WISC-TV celebrated its 50th anniversary and aired programs throughout the week. One program highlighted the TV Mass and Monsignor Campion, who still celebrates the Mass every Sunday. (Go to www.Channel3000.com for more information on the station's golden jubilee.)

'On a mission from God.' Monsignor Campion says he has been "on a mission from God" for these past 40 years. He has celebrated over 2,000 TV Masses since its inception. The Apostolate has received tens of thousands of letters of gratitude over the years, revealing that people of all faiths look to the TV Mass for hope and inspiration.

Monsignor Campion says the Mass "is for those who live on the margins of society - sometimes the unwanted, sometimes the unloved, sometimes the forgotten. In our program the common definition is that we're all handicapped. We all have something to give in life, or have something to receive."

While the popular priest has been ministering to the disabled, elderly, and shut-ins for 40 years, he himself has struggled with alcoholism and most recently cancer. But he wants the show to continue as long as possible. Besides Monsignor Campion, credit must also go to the organists, commentators, servers, interpreters for the deaf, and the many benefactors who have helped support this worthwhile public service.

We salute WISC-TV for its commitment to the television Mass, as we salute Monsignor Campion and the Apostolate to the Handicapped for their 40 years of service. We hope and pray that God will continue to bless all those involved in this outreach ministry in the years to come.

Mary C. Uhler

Mailbag

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Support flag amendment

To the editor:

Public Law 344, passed by the 94th Congress, is known as the Federal Flag Code. It is the guide for all handling and display of the United States flag.

The code never did impose penalties for the misuse of the flag. That was left to the states and the District of Columbia. Each state has its own flag code. However, in 1989, the Supreme Court, in one stroke of a pen, took away our right to protect the flag of our nation from intentional, public, physical desecration.

That's where we stand today, but thanks to the Citizens Flag Alliance and its many supporters, including the Knights of Columbus, a Flag Protection Amendment is being pursued, with national polls reporting 80 percent of respondents in support of such an amendment.

Senator Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has pledged that Senate Resolution 12, the Flag Amendment, will come to the senate floor for a vote the week of June 26. S.J. 12 currently has 66 known supporters in the Senate - just one short of what it needs for passage. I urge citizens to call, write, e-mail, or fax Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold. Tell them you want them to support S.J. Res. 12, the Flag Amendment.

Albert L. Funk, Janesville

Not all same sex parents bad

To the editor:

I read with dismay the article "The forgotten voice in the marriage debate" in the June 15, 2006 Catholic Herald. What a tragic story about a child neglected by a lousy father after the death of her mother. It is so sad to learn about the miserable lives of children who are not raised with the love, attention, and nurturing that all children deserve. Her father failed her. She reports that her father suffered from depression, anger, suicidal tendencies, sexual compulsions, and was also gay.

The odds for a man with depression, anger, suicidal tendencies, and sexual compulsions being a good, reliable father are not very good whatever his sexual orientation. There are far too many children growing up with poor, neglectful parents in heterosexual families also. It is not fair to take one tragic story of a sick lousy father and generalize it to represent all gay and lesbian parents. Dr. Perrin of the American Academy of Pediatrics studied children adopted by same sex couples and found the children in those families fared as well in emotional, cognitive, social, and sexual functioning as do children whose parents are heterosexual. Dr. Perrin also found that the sexual orientation of the children was the same as those raised in traditional families.

I personally know many wonderful gay and lesbian parents raising happy, well adjusted children. To take one sad story from Canada and use it to represent all same sex parents is not fair. There are occasional bad teachers, doctors, and priests but to generalize from one bad example to the whole class is dishonest.

The 2000 U.S. Census showed that 33 percent of lesbian couples and 22 percent of gay couples were raising dependent children. This compares to 45 percent of heterosexual couples raising dependent children. We should be helping our same sex parents with the daunting job of raising their children rather that implying that they are all bad on the basis of one tragic story. If Jesus were to return tomorrow, I think we would find him helping these parents and their children, not trying to undermine their loving efforts.

Paul Wertsch, MD, Madison