MADISON — Two seminarians from the Diocese of Madison are looking forward to ordination to the transitional diaconate on Friday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison.
Month: January 2012
Catholic non-profit groups benefit from Packers’ success
GREEN BAY — Seminarians, Catholic schools, parish budgets, the homeless and hungry will all benefit when the Green Bay Packers take the field Sunday, Jan. 15, in a National Football League playoff game against the New York Giants.
Five hours before kickoff, hundreds of volunteers from all walks of life will begin descending on Lambeau for up to 12 hours of hard, and sometimes very cold work to assure that fans from both teams have food, comfort and plenty of souvenirs to take home.
“It’s a 12-hour day from the time you leave home until you get back home,” said Mike Bushman, who coordinates operations at a 22-man food booth on Lambeau Field’s fourth level for Knights of Columbus Council 5514 of Neenah.
Keep Christmas in our hearts every day of the year
To the editor:
At this time of year I hear about people taking the “Christ out of Christmas.” Why? Because some anti-religious group stops a public Nativity scene. Another is that some people will use the greeting “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”
What should really define this time of year for us is the feeling in our hearts. Do we only give gifts to get more? Do we only throw parties for public display? Are we only thinking of ourselves?
It’s Vocation Awareness Week: Pray! Invite! Encourage! Affirm! Vocations
Every year since 1976, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) as a special time when we pray for the renewal and strengthening of all vocations within the Church.
This includes the vocations of married and single people; men serving as priests, deacons, and Brothers; and women serving as religious Sisters.
Recall season overlays final legislative sessions
A year ago, the first thing the newly elected Legislature did was to adopt its scheduling resolution for the 2011-12 legislative session.
This resolution defined the floor periods during which the Legislature would meet to debate and pass legislation. In so doing, the legislators determined that they would convene for three “general business” floor periods between January 17 and March 15 in 2012, the last day of regular business for the year.
Complicates legislative schedules
When they adopted that resolution, our lawmakers had no way of knowing that their session schedule would mesh with Wisconsin’s first ever recall of a governor and recalls of several state senators. But that is what appears will happen and it will affect what lawmaking takes place in these final floor periods.
Where are the vocations?
The shortage of priests and religious men and women in the Church, particularly in Europe and North America, is common these days. Many international congregations like my own, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, are still getting new members, but in countries other than the United States. Many consider it a crisis.
Too often when we speak of vocations we limit that term to mean the call to ordained ministry and the consecrated life. When we pray for vocations, we usually ask God to inspire young people to answer a call to be Sisters, Brothers, and priests. Once in a while we might include the call to lay ministry in the Church, but that is the exception.
God calls each of us
We do not have to look far to find vocations. The truth is that each baptized person has a vocation, not just religious and clergy. By our Baptism each of us is called to share the mission of Jesus. As disciples of Jesus, every Christian is called to reveal God’s unconditional love and to spread that love to others. The next time you are at a Baptism liturgy listen closely to the prayers.
We need priests to celebrate the Eucharist
In the United States the Catholic Church celebrates National Vocation Awareness Week from Monday, Jan. 9, to Saturday, Jan. 14, this year.
During this week the Church asks us to pray for all vocations. In no. 2013 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church it says, “All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity. All are called to holiness.” God calls us all to live our faith and seek out our vocation as a deacon, priest, Religious Brother, Sister, married, or single person.
No priests, no Eucharist
However, we need to continue to pray for and encourage priestly vocations because priests preside at the Eucharist, which is the center of Catholic life. During the 2009 Year for Priests, Pope Benedict stressed that without priests there would be no Eucharist, no mission, or Church. We priests have the privilege of celebrating Mass and ministering to Catholics at key spiritual times in their lives from infancy to old age. Priests administer the sacraments, preach, offer pastoral care, and much more.
Men’s retreat in Baraboo
BARABOO — On Saturday, Jan. 28, St. Joseph Parish here will be hosting a one-day men’s retreat titled, “The Mass Sends Us.”
Featured speakers include Fr. Larry Bakke, pastor of St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Monroe, and Andy Galvin, coordinator of marriage and family ministries for the Diocese of Madison.