Month: May 2014

On
Mary C. Uhler and Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Living well and aging well

Catholic Charities Aging Conference 2014
A standing-room only crowd listens to the morning keynote session at the at the fourth annual Catholic Charities Aging Conference held May 15 at the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash)

MADISON — All of us want to know how we can live well and age well. Catholic Charities (CC) of the Diocese of Madison gave plenty of suggestions on making that happen at its annual Aging Conference.

The fourth annual conference held on May 15 at the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison drew a record number of participants.

Bill Hamilton, director of Aging Services for Catholic Charities, welcomed those attending the day. “As a leader in providing aging services, Catholic Charities is happy to provide this community outreach,” he said.

He noted that CC has six programs for older adults: Elder Mentor, Companion Care, Respite Care, Adult Day Center, Caregiver Training, and the All Saints Neighborhood. “We have a really nice package of services for older adults,” said Hamilton.

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On
Cathy Lins, For the Catholic Herald

Holy Family Parish hosts Light of the World Retreat

MARSHALL/WATERLOO — Holy Family Parish in Waterloo and Marshall held a Light of the World (LOTW) Retreat for its members from May 16 to 19.

This is the first in a series of retreats that will be held. The LOTW Evangelization Process promotes parish outreach to welcome back those who have strayed from the Church while inviting all those who seek a deeper, more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Beyond a weekend retreat, Light of the World supports participants’ long-term faith journey, with small group support, continuing spiritual education, and engagement as disciples.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Stepping Stone Apartments opens in Wisconsin Dells

WISCONSIN DELLS — The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Stepping Stone Committee would like to welcome the Wisconsin Dells community to the official opening of the Stepping Stone Apartments on Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31.

A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 30, at 1 p.m. marking the official opening of the apartments. Included in this ceremony will be the consecration of the buildings by Fr. Michael Richel, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in Wisconsin Dells.

Open for viewing

After the ceremonies, the apartments and the refurbished Wolfram home will be open for viewing. Refreshments will be served.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Stepping Stone Apartments opens in Wisconsin Dells

WISCONSIN DELLS — The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Stepping Stone Committee would like to welcome the Wisconsin Dells community to the official opening of the Stepping Stone Apartments on Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31.

A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 30, at 1 p.m. marking the official opening of the apartments. Included in this ceremony will be the consecration of the buildings by Fr. Michael Richel, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in Wisconsin Dells.

Open for viewing

After the ceremonies, the apartments and the refurbished Wolfram home will be open for viewing. Refreshments will be served.

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On
Kevin Wondrash

Corpus Christi Mass and procession to be held June 22 at Durward’s Glen

BARABOO — The 101st annual Corpus Christi Mass and procession at Durward’s Glen will take place on Sunday, June 22, at 11:30 a.m.

The Mass will be celebrated at the outdoor Holy Family Altar by Fr. Pedro Escribano.

The Eucharistic procession will commence from the hilltop and include Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, flower girls, candles, incense, local musicians, flags, the crucifix, and the Blessed Sacrament carried under the decorative canopy.

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On
Cathy Lins, For the Catholic Herald

Baraboo students’ artwork on display

MADISON — Students from throughout the southern half of Wisconsin, including St. Joseph Catholic School in Baraboo, worked on nature-based art “messages” that will be sent to Cuba through the Children Are The Hope (CATH) program.

Students from 14 Wisconsin and Cuban schools took part in the environmental and cultural education program and international art exchange during the 2013 to 2014 school year.

Gallery hosts exhibit

From May 26 to 31, the Common Wealth Gallery in Madison will host a collection of nature-based artwork created by the fourth and fifth grade students and similar-aged students from northcentral Cuba.

 

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On
Chris Lee

The danger of soft atheism

A very instructive exchange between Gary Gutting, a philosophy professor at Notre Dame, and Philip Kitcher, a philosophy professor at Columbia, just appeared in The New York Times.

Kitcher describes himself as a proponent of “soft atheism,” an atheism distinct from the polemical variety espoused by Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Unlike his harsher colleagues, Kitcher is willing to admit that religion can play an ethically useful role in a predominantly secular society.

I would like to draw attention to one move made in this interview, since it shows one of the fundamental misunderstandings of religion common among atheists.

Plurality of religious doctrines

Prompted by Gutting, Kitcher admits that he finds all religious doctrine incredible. He points to the plurality of religious doctrines: Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, animists, etc., hold to radically different accounts of reality, the divine, human purpose, etc.

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On
Fr. Robert Barron

The danger of soft atheism

A very instructive exchange between Gary Gutting, a philosophy professor at Notre Dame, and Philip Kitcher, a philosophy professor at Columbia, just appeared in The New York Times.

Kitcher describes himself as a proponent of “soft atheism,” an atheism distinct from the polemical variety espoused by Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Unlike his harsher colleagues, Kitcher is willing to admit that religion can play an ethically useful role in a predominantly secular society.

I would like to draw attention to one move made in this interview, since it shows one of the fundamental misunderstandings of religion common among atheists.

Plurality of religious doctrines

Prompted by Gutting, Kitcher admits that he finds all religious doctrine incredible. He points to the plurality of religious doctrines: Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, animists, etc., hold to radically different accounts of reality, the divine, human purpose, etc.

Read More