Bishops' Schedules: Bishop Robert C. Morlino Wednesday, June 11, to Saturday, June 14, 2008 Attend United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Spring Meeting, Orlando, Fla. Saturday, June 14, 2008, 4:00 p.m. Preside and Preach, Closing Mass and Graduation, Diocesan Lay Institute, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Sunday, June 15, 2008, 4:00 p.m. Preside at Mass dedicating the new St. John the Baptist Church, Waunakee Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 10:30 a.m. Speak at staff catechesis, preside and preach at Mass, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 3:00 p.m. Preside at Mass, Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Thursday, June 19, 2008, 6:00 p.m. Attend Serra Club of Madison's Bishop's Dinner, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Sunday, June 22, 2008, 3:00 p.m. Preside and Preach, 100th Anniversary Mass, St. Jude and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes, Beloit Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 5:15 p.m. Attend Board Meeting, Apostolate to the Handicapped, New Glarus Bishop William H. Bullock Monday, June 16, 2008, 12:00 noon Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Monday, June 23, 2008, 12:00 noon Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Thursday, June 26, 2008, 9:30 a.m. Attend Wisconsin Catholic Conference Board of Directors Meeting, Archbishop Cousins Catholic Center, Milwaukee

A summer of growth
in the faith

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

(printable version)
(en Español)

Dear friends,

The Memorial Day weekend is the symbolic beginning of summer and a joyful moment for all of us, especially after that winter of record-breaking snowfall in south-central Wisconsin.

But, much more than the symbolic beginning of summer, this past Memorial Day weekend marked the Ordination of four new priests at its beginning on Friday, and, at its end, the beautiful Feast of Corpus Christi with procession through the streets of downtown Madison, to the Capitol, winding up at Holy Redeemer Church.

'Wonderful gift from the Lord'

	Related articles: June 12, 2008 issue: • Four men ordained priests for Diocese of Madison May 22, 2008 issue: • Ordination to Priesthood May 23 • Bishop's column -- Spiritual motherhood: Loving support for priests • Editorial -- Ordination to the priesthood

Four new priests are a wonderful gift from the Lord to the Diocese of Madison, to all of our faithful people and priests, and, in a particular way, to me who, unworthy as I am, was chosen to ordain them. Nothing gives deeper joy to a bishop than to be a spiritual father of such wonderful spiritual sons. As they begin their ministry, I ask you to join me in prayer for them and for all of our seminarians, whose numbers continue to grow, so that the wonderful faithful of our diocese can be well served.

The most important responsibility of any bishop is to provide priests for the service of the faithful. Pope Benedict recently told us bishops, while in Washington, D.C., that the major sign of the health of a diocese was the call of fine young men to the priesthood and of fine young women to the consecrated life. So, on that count, Memorial Day weekend was a particular source of joy.

'Savior of the whole world'

Secondly, over 700 people participated in our Corpus Christi procession after the 11 a.m. Stational Mass of the bishop at St. Patrick Church, proceeding then to the Capitol where we prayed, and then down State St. to Holy Redeemer for the closing Benediction. We were blessed to have members of the Madison Hispanic community, including many First Communicants from Holy Redeemer, join us for the second leg of that procession.

It may well have been the first time that a Corpus Christi procession, led by Jesus Christ Himself present in the Eucharist, went down State St. and I am so grateful to the Lord for this occasion to proclaim that Jesus Christ, present in the Eucharist, is the Savior of the whole world - He is not the Savior of any group less inclusive than that.

World Youth Day 2008 in Australia

At this time, I want to "sign off" in terms of the regularity of my columns for the summer. No doubt, circumstances will arise and I will be prompted to communicate with you in this particular way.

This might happen especially in light of World Youth Day, which I will attend for a good part of the month of July. I am grateful to have been chosen to offer catecheses for three consecutive days during the Holy Father's visit to the young people who will be present and I look very much forward to that privilege.

I also very much look forward to being together with our own diocesan youth group which includes 111 young people and our seminarians. This should be a time of deep spiritual growth for young people from all over the world, a time of deep spiritual growth for our seminarians, and we must all pray that it will be a time when other young men and women will be called to the vocation of priesthood or the consecrated life.

In closing, let me promise my prayers and sincere good wishes that you and your loved ones will have a wonderful summer with quality family time, fine opportunities for rest and recreation, health, safety, and most importantly growth in our precious faith. Have a great summer!

Please pray for me and for our young pilgrims to World Youth Day, that we also will have health, safety, and a renewed and deepened faith, confirmed by Pope Benedict, the Successor of St. Peter, who will walk among us in Australia, as he recently walked among us in these United States.

Thank you for reading this. God bless each one of you. Praised be Jesus Christ!