In some ways it doesn’t seem like 10 years since the events of 9/11. I can still remember September 11, 2001, when I was on vacation in Dublin, Ireland, with my mother-in-law and my daughter.
It was upsetting to be away from our country while it was being attacked, but the Irish people gave us their support during that time of tragedy. Ireland even held a day of prayer and remembrance for the victims of 9/11 on September 14, 2001.
Dear Friends,
With the coming of Labor Day and the start of so many school years, we’ve come upon the unofficial end of summer. I pray that this summer was somewhat restful and restorative for you and yours, and I thank God that mine was indeed.
The annual “Day in the Dells” sponsored by the Apostolate to the Handicapped on Friday, Aug. 19, was a very upbeat and enjoyable day for over 1,200 disabled and elderly persons.
Each year, Bishop Robert C. Morlino celebrates a Mass of Thanksgiving for all married couples in the Diocese of Madison who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
Bishop Robert C. Morlino told members of the Serra Club of Madison that he appreciates their efforts in encouraging and supporting Church vocations.
This year Labor Day falls on September 5, shortly before the 10th anniversary of 9-11. Most who died in these terrorist attacks were working when they died. On Labor Day, we can honor their memory by prayerful reflection on the value of work and workers.
Labor Day is a national holiday during which we honor the dignity of workers and the quality of their work. According to Hilda Solis, secretary of labor, the first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on September 5, 1882, to honor the social and economic achievements of American workers.
To the editor:
I couldn’t put Abby Johnson’s book down, unPlanned, I needed to share the following:
I quit: Abby Johnson, former director of a Planned Parenthood abortion mill in Texas, may not have said, “I quit,’’ however, her actions proved she did. Abby, an R.N., had been named as “employee of the year,’’ being valued as a committed, energetic, caring person. “Wearing many hats,” one day she was asked to help in the surgical room, where abortions were performed. Helping with an ultra-sound guided abortion, she expected to learn something. And indeed she did!
Is pregnancy a disease? Should Catholics, purchasing insurance for themselves or their employees be forced against their consciences to subsidize its prevention?
These questions lie at the heart of new regulations just issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which will administer President Barack Obama’s new health care law.
The regulations include a list of “preventive services” that all group health plans must provide without any co-pay. The list includes female surgical sterilization, plus all FDA-approved contraceptives, including some (like the prescription drug ella) that can act as abortifacients.
A new federal mandate on health care coverage is posing a threat to the religious freedom of Church-affiliated employers, including Catholic hospitals, universities, and charitable institutions.
Health insurance plans are being required to provide reproductive services for women including contraceptives and sterilization procedures, as well as for drugs that may cause an abortion both before and after implantation.
Years ago, when we were packing for one of our family vacations, I asked my mother where she went for vacations when she was a little girl.
“We didn’t take vacations when I was little,” she said. “Your grandfather worked for a railroad, and if he wanted a day off, they would give his job to someone else.” She paused a moment and said, “Later when the union came, we got to take vacations.”
I think of that moment from time to time, usually around Labor Day. It’s useful to recall that what many of us enjoy today is the result of victories won by others years ago.
