Year: 2013

On
William Dagnon

Popes talk about new approaches to the economy

To the editor:

Tony Magliano’s reflections on Pope Benedict’s Day of Peace message in the January 10 Catholic Herald is relevant to this time and place. As noted by the pope, inequality has been increasing for decades as a result of selfish and individualistic deregulation of financial markets.

Deregulation caused the financial crisis of 2008 and recession. Millions lost their jobs, families lost their homes, and $16 trillion in household wealth evaporated. But since then, 93 percent of new wealth has accrued to the richest one percent.

A week later followed the economic column in the Catholic Herald by Anthony Esolen about some of Pope Leo XIII’s views on socialism in his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum. The pope denounced socialism because it deprives working people of the gains of their wages in the form of private property.

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On
Lillian Quinones

A scientist witnesses to Catholic faith

Heroes for Life by Lillian Quinones

As a young Catholic, I look for examples of successful scientists who witness to their Catholic faith, because in modern society, they are heroes.

Dr. Theresa Deisher, whose expertise is adult stem cell research, is a stellar example of a conscientious Catholic who is impacting lives by her work. Enjoy our first Guardians for Life interview!

Editor’s note: This is the first column in a series by Lillian Quinones, president of the Guardians for Life group at St. Ambrose Academy in Madison. The column will profile professionals who inspire us through their courageous witness to their Catholic identity as defenders of life.

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On
Lillian Quinones

A scientist witnesses to Catholic faith

As a young Catholic, I look for examples of successful scientists who witness to their Catholic faith, because in modern society, they are heroes.

Dr. Theresa Deisher, whose expertise is adult stem cell research, is a stellar example of a conscientious Catholic who is impacting lives by her work. Enjoy our first Guardians for Life interview!

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On
Fr. Bart Timmerman, For the Catholic Herald

Immaculate Heart of Mary School nears record enrollment

Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Monona has increased its enrollment by 49 percent, primarily due to recruiting Hispanic and Asian students through its Catholic School Advantage Program. (Contributed photo)

MONONA — Five years ago, a trend toward decreasing enrollment at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) School in Monona had become an increasing concern.

To respond to this concern, a five-point strategy was implemented to retain and increase school enrollment.

Five-point plan

The five-point plan included:

  1. Prayer — putting faith in God to provide opportunities for increasing enrollment
  2. Public school partnership — becoming a 4K site for the Monona Grove School District
  3. Retention — commitment to improving student retention between elementary and middle school
  4. Outreach — implementing the Catholic School Advantage (CSA) Program for Hispanic immigrant families
  5. Enrollment management — hiring a development director to focus on building and retaining enrollment
Exciting new program

Since implementation of the plan, with God’s help, this five-point strategy is working.

One of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of this strategy is the Catholic School Advantage (CSA) program. This program is a ground-breaking student recruitment effort that reaches out to Hispanic-immigrant students from families who want to send their children to a Catholic school, but are unable to afford tuition.

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On
Jenny Bruno, For the Catholic Herald

Catholic Multicultural Center class brings hope

MADISON — The Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) has always been a place people can turn to for job search assistance, from a workshop that helps job-seekers prepare for interviews to a walk-in program where people can get aid with writing résumés, cover letters, and more.

One notable program involves direct job training and addresses some of the major problems disadvantaged people have when applying for jobs. This is the Culinary Creations Program and it has a mission: to eliminate barriers to employment for economically disadvantaged people. This program gives people useful employment skills and has the potential to shape communities and change lives.

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On
Obispo Robert C. Morlino

Siguiendo el plan de Dios para la familia

Esta columna es la comunicación del Obispos con los fieles de la diócesis de Madison. Cualquier circulación más amplia va más allá de la intención del Obispo.

Queridos amigos:

Esta semana se cumplen 40 años desde que la Corte Suprema de nuestra nación legalizara el aborto. Desde entonces, más de 55 millones de niños (eso es lo que sabemos) han sido destruidos a través del aborto quirúrgico.

Hay algo terriblemente roto en nuestra nación que hace que permitamos esto y que nuestro gobierno haya sancionado (y de muchas formas apoyado) semejante destrucción. Podría aproximarme de distintas maneras para hablar sobre los males de nuestra sociedad en este aniversario del fallo Roe vs.Wade, y he hablad de muchas cosas relacionadas en el pasado, pero este año me gustaría hablar sobre la interacción entre la familia y el gobierno. Es algo que he estado contemplando a la luz de nuestra celebración de la fiesta de la Sagrada Familia hace algunos domingos. Espero que perdonen que recuerde las lecturas en esa fiesta, por el bien de la familia: un asunto que ciertamente merece nuestra consideración que vaya más allá de uno o dos días al año.

Creo que es tremendamente interesante, considerando que desde el mismo principio de la Revelación de Dios a la humanidad, que existe una expresión clara pero muy simple de Su plan eterno para la familia. Comenzando en el Génesis, escuchamos el plan de Dios: Dios creó hombre y mujer, y Él creó el matrimonio, que está formado por un esposo, una esposa, de por vida, con apertura a los hijos: desde el mismo principio de la creación. Y la narrativa avanza en la Escritura hasta que llegamos a Jesús, José y María, que santificaron la vida matrimonial de una manera muy especial porque, por supuesto, Jesús era Dios, María Su madre y José Su protector. Recordando las lecturas que la Iglesia nos ofrece en la Fiesta de la Sagrada Familia, desde el mismo momento vemos algunos elementos básicos de la familia (Eclesiástico 3:2-6, 12-14; Salmo 128:1-2, 3, 4-5; Colosenses 3:12-21; y Lucas 2:41-52).

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