MADISON — Applications are now being accepted for local grants to be distributed through the local Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).
The deadline for submitting applications is April 24 (must be postmarked by April 22).
Year: 2013
Sister Francis Loretta Adler, SSSF, dies
MILWAUKEE/ASHTON — School […]
Discuss living arrangement options with parent
Q: My mother is 88 and has lived independently all of her life. Now she is having some pretty serious health problems. She is in the hospital and will shortly be moved to a skilled facility for continued care. I know that Medicare does not cover the cost of such care for a long period of time. The problem is that I know she would like to go back home after the nursing home stay. I think it just might be time to think about living in the home permanently, as I know she cannot manage all of her care independently. I am not able to care for her and frankly, I don’t want to be her caregiver — I want to be her daughter. However, I feel bad that I am not offering to move her in with my family and me. Am I a bad daughter for not wanting to help? (Sun Prairie)
Confirmation: Sacrament and challenge
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says about this sacrament: “By the Sacrament of Confirmation [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed” (#1285).
The sacrament of Baptism incorporates one into the Body of Christ and hence makes one a member of Christ’s Church. What the Catechism means when it says that the baptized “are more perfectly bound to the Church” is that Confirmation, in effect, completes the process begun in Baptism, and fulfills what Christian Initiation is all about. This is why the traditional order of the sacraments in the Church, from our earliest evidence, is generally: Baptism, then Confirmation, and then Holy Eucharist.
The Pill as health care?
Physicians will sometimes prescribe a hormonal regimen (in the form of a hormonal contraceptive like the Pill) to treat certain gynecological problems like heavy menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea (painful periods), PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome), endometriosis, or other conditions like severe acne. In these cases, the Pill is used not as a contraceptive, but as a therapy for a medical condition.
This can be morally permissible under the principle of double effect, which allows for the treatment of a serious medical problem (the good effect), while tolerating its unintended consequences, when other less harmful treatments are not available. In this case, the unintended consequences would be the impeding of one’s fertility and the potential health risks and side effects of the Pill (the evil effect).
Respect for Mary’s name
To the editor:
Your editorial about Mary reinforces my respect for Mary’s name. As a boy I thought that Mary was the most beautiful name a girl could receive. My admiration was magnified by our family’s love of Aunt Mary, who reflected Mary’s inner and outer beauty. She was kind, caring, and spoke with music in her voice. Her husband was Joseph.
The Venerable Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli once experienced a vision of Mary. He told Father Kinsella, his confessor-friend, that he never saw anyone as beautiful as Mary. Virtue is beautiful and Mary is queen of virtue. Because she was full of grace and open to God’s will, God chose her to be Jesus’ mother.
Keeping a promise to God upon receiving papal award
To the editor:
This letter is an attempt to keep a promise I made to God when I first heard that I was receiving the Benemerenti Medal. I felt totally unworthy of any recognition from the pope. When I prayed about it, I realized that God, who has given me so many opportunities to serve other people, expected me to see this as another opportunity. There was a strong sense that there was something I was to share.
That was when I made the promise. As the weeks went by, I began to see the award as a symbol of God’s forgiveness and mercy. Would there be an opportunity to share with others my confidence in God’s mercy?
More attention should be paid to aborted babies
To the editor:
On December 16, A commentator on MSNBC revealed what he called a “shocking statistic”. “ONE million people in the U.S. were killed with guns since Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy” (1960s).
FIFTY million babies were killed in U.S. abortion clinics since Roe v. Wade (1973).
Defending life: It’s something people of many faith traditions are doing together
In the 40 years since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, many people in the Catholic Church have been in the forefront of the pro-life movement to counteract the court’s decision.
Over the years, however, it’s been obvious that people of many different faith traditions have also been involved in defending the right to life. I can remember Lutherans, Baptists, evangelical Christians, and others who attended the annual Respect Life march at our state Capitol in January in past years, followed by an ecumenical prayer service at St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison.
This might have been the first time some people of other faiths had entered a Catholic church! We Catholics also had the opportunity to see how other denominations prayed and sang.
People of many different faiths have also been active in pro-life outreach efforts such as CareNet Pregnancy Center, Elizabeth House, Pregnancy Helpline, the Women’s Care Center, and Vigil for Life in the Madison area. I have been impressed by the commitment of so many people to these efforts to assist parents in choosing life for their unborn babies and to help those in need after the babies are born.
Sister Leota Wiederholt (Milburga), SSSF, dies
MILWAUKEE — School […]