Author: Chris Lee

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Chris Lee

Ten years of praying bears many fruits

MADISON — It was 10 years ago that three diocesan seminarians began a Holy Hour for Vocations in the chapel of the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in the summer of 2004.

Knowing that the seminarians would be returning to their studies in fall, members of the Serra Club of Madison — along with then Fr. Jim Bartylla, the club’s chaplain and director of vocations for the Diocese of Madison — decided to institute daily Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations weekdays in the chapel from 9 to 11:45 a.m.

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Chris Lee

The truth about climate change

“Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such realities as climate change . . . loss of productivity in vast agricultural areas, the pollution of rivers and aquifers, the loss of biodiversity, the increase of natural catastrophes, and the deforestation of equatorial and tropical regions?”

These aren’t the radical words from the leader of a secular environmental organization, no; these are the radical words from the former leader of the Catholic Church!

In his 2010 World Day of Peace message titled, “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation,” Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote that “it would be irresponsible not to take seriously” the signs of a growing environmental crisis.

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Chris Lee

Calvary: portrait of a priest-shepherd

St. Pope John Paul II said that a priest should have the heart of Christ the Good Shepherd.

Far too many saccharine paintings of effeminate Jesuses in the midst of delicate lambs have conduced toward a misconstrual of this image as something sentimental and harmless.

But shepherds not only had the smell of their sheep (to use Pope Francis’ language), but they also wielded a stick to bring back strays and fend off threats. Real shepherding was, and is, a dirty, hard-edged business.

John Michael McDonagh’s film Calvary shows, with extraordinary vividness, what authentic spiritual shepherding looks like and how it feels for a priest to have a shepherd’s heart.

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Chris Lee

Living independently involves many aspects

Q My dad is in his early 90s and fortunately has enjoyed really good health.

He lives alone since my mother died and is doing a great job of caring for himself.

I visit twice a week and have lunch with him and check up on things, but he is really a good role model for maintaining independence.

As his only child, I want to make sure I am not missing anything related to his health and well-being.

Are there things that need to be in place to assure he can stay in his home?

I guess what I am asking is what is out there for older individuals to help them stay safe?

(From a daughter in Columbus)

A You bring up a great point, and fortunately, there is a great deal of information and support in this area.

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Chris Lee

Thanks for articles on Schoenstatt Movement

To reporter Kevin Wondrash:

On behalf of the Madison Schoenstatt Family, I want to thank you for the wonderful article you wrote about the 100 anniversary of the Covenant of Love.

You did an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of the jubilee celebration, Bishop Morlino’s presence with us that day, and briefly summarizing our movement.

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Chris Lee

Annual priets’ assembly offers special grace

A special grace of my priesthood is the privilege of participating in the annual Diocesan Presbyteral Assembly held at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells from September 21 to 24.

The Presbyteral Assembly grew out of the landmark Madison Diocese Emmaus retreat in 1980, which was intended to bolster the spiritual lives of us priests. It did.

Since I was in high school work at Beloit Catholic High, I rarely was able to attend diocesan functions, but I was free during summers. During summer school, I learned that this was also true of priests who taught high school in other dioceses. I was happy that Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell asked all active priests to attend.

Emmaus experience

Msgr. Frank Bognanno of the Diocese of Des Moines was chosen to lead the Emmaus retreat. The bishop of Des Moines was Bishop Bullock, who later became our bishop. Father Frank returned to Madison for Bishop Bullock’s anniversary celebration. He also led an inspiring priests’ retreat in 2002.

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Chris Lee

The Gospel according to The Hobbit

Like Star Wars, The Divine Comedy, and Moby Dick, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is the story of a hero’s journey. This helps to explain, of course, why, like those other narratives, it has proved so perennially compelling.

The hero’s tale follows a classical pattern: a person is wrenched out of complacency and self-absorption and called to a great adventure, during which he (or she), through struggle, comes to maturity and vision.

Summoned to adventure

The Hobbit begins, humbly enough, with this line: “in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” Tolkien is quick to clarify that this is not a nasty or unkempt hole, but rather a cozy place, filled with fine furniture, doilies, and a well-stocked kitchen. This is the homey space from which Bilbo Baggins (the hobbit) will be summoned to adventure.

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Chris Lee

Sister Dorothy Doolan, OP, dies

SINSINAWA — Sr. Dorothy Doolan, OP, died Sept. 4, 2014, at St. Dominic Villa. Her religious name was Sister Damian. The funeral Mass was held in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa Sept. 12, 2014, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.

Sister Dorothy made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican Aug. 6, 1940, and her final profession Aug. 6, 1943. She taught for 53 years and served as pastoral minister for 13 years. Sister Dorothy served in Iowa, Montana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

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Chris Lee

Corregirnos unos a otros de manera ‘amorosa’

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

Queridos amigos:

Rezo para que todos hayan tenido un verano de descanso . . . como parece ser, tristemente, ¡estamos llegando a los últimos días! En mi caso, tengo la esperanza de que el invierno sea no muy fuerte. Sé que puede ser una esperanza tonta, pero ¡soy un hombre de esperanza!

Considerando las lecturas del domingo pasado, creo que es muy importante que reflexionemos juntos, nuevamente, sobre el tema de la corrección fraterna, que es sobre lo que la primera (Ez 33:7-9) y la tercera (Mt 18:15-20) lecturas nos hablaron.

La corrección fraterna es la manera en que nos corregimos unos a otros como hermanos y hermanas en Cristo. Lo hacemos no con arrogancia, ni con desprecio, sino con amor. La corrección fraterna en la Iglesia es un servicio de amor.

En nuestros días y en esta época, nadie quiere corregir a nadie (a menos que sea anónimamente, alguien que no conocemos y en un foro en línea, que ciertamente no es corrección caritativa). Corregir a alguien directamente, alguien a quien conocemos, requiere que expliquemos lo que está bien y lo que está mal, lo que es bueno y lo que es malo. Nadie quiere hacer eso porque “tú tienes tu propia verdad y yo tengo mi propia verdad y podemos coexistir pacíficamente y ¡todo es maravilloso!”. . . excepto que no es así. Es un mundo confundido.

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