Day: July 22, 2010

On
Kat Wagner, Catholic Herald Staff

Love begins here

Bridget, an incoming junior at St. Ambrose School in Madison, brushes accumulated grime off of the crucifix in St. Andrew Parish Cemetery in Verona, before painting it July 14 during the Love Begins Here service project. (Catholic Herald photo/Kat Wagner) Click here for more photos of Love Begins Here.

VERONA — The final week of Love Begins Here could have been called “Extreme Church Makeover.”

Working outside in uninterrupted sun and what felt like enough heat to cook their dinner that night, groups of high school students painted the outside walls of St. Andrew Church in Verona and scrubbed the accumulated grime from the crucifix in the cemetery July 14. Another set of students was likewise engaged with cleaning and painting and other tasks at St. Bridget Church in Ridgeway.

These students had come from parishes and families around the Diocese of Madison to do work for those in need within the diocese.

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On
Andy and Mary Fabian

Growing in grace: Our NFP journey

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Andy and Mary Fabian

This story begins in 1992, when one man married one woman the old-fashioned, non-destination way with eight bridesmaids, a wedding march, a dollar dance, and a DJ.

Cradle Catholic married Purely Protestant and the first issue up for debate was how to postpone pregnancy (the arguments about in-laws and money came much later).

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On
Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Overselling the synthetic cell

Making Sense out of Bioethics column by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

In a recent article entitled “How We Created the First Synthetic Cell,” Dr. J. Craig Venter waxes broadly about how his research team succeeded in constructing a bacterial cell out of its component parts.

The story, which has captured the imagination of the media, appears to be a jaw-dropping breakthrough: “Scientists have created artificial life in a laboratory!” Such headlines evoke images of a Frankenstein creation, a Jurassic Park monster, or an alien life form. But in the final analysis, the scientific achievement of Venter and his team, although notable, is considerably less dramatic.

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On
Fr. Frank Pavone

Status of unborn children is key civil rights problem

To the editor:

It’s time for the minority of Americans who don’t yet embrace a pro-life position to realize that the status of children in the womb is the key civil rights problem of our day. Martin Luther King Jr. preached that “When we truly believe in the sacredness of human personality, we won’t exploit people, we won’t trample over people with the iron feet of oppression, we won’t kill anybody” (Christmas sermon, 1967).

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On
Jesse Kuenzi

Concerned about federal government spending

To the editor:

The federal government continues to recklessly squander away our tax dollars, leaving future generations to pick up the tab for the irresponsible spending of today. This is infuriating! Our hard-earned money is treated with contempt, and I am very concerned that this practice is leading to the death of the greatest economic system in the history of the world.

Vice President Joe Biden said that to avoid bankruptcy the government must spend MORE money! What is he thinking?! Sadly, this view seems to be shared by a majority of our elected officials.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, editor

Make the most of your vacation

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The topic of vacations may not seem weighty enough for an editorial. However, I figure if Pope Benedict XVI can talk about vacations, it’s worthy of discussion.

Recently the Holy Father has mentioned vacations several times. Of course, he himself is spending time at the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, which he said offers him a chance to rest and relax.

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