Catholics in the Diocese of Madison were reunited with Christ in the Holy Mass and with each other, in-person, at the holiest of celebrations during the Church year.
Author: Kevin Wondrash
All invited to high-level international event
The myriad ways Catholics serve our corners of the world and Church is a credit to the beauty and diversity of the gifts given to each of us by the Lord.
Throughout the years, a number of sons and daughters of the Diocese of Madison have taken roles within the Church that serve an international scope.
One such example is Fr. John Putzer, a priest of the diocese, who has served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 2016 after completing four years of advanced studies in Rome.Bishop Jerome Hastrich known for his work with the poor and minorities
Thirteenth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
As a priest and bishop, Bishop Jerome J. Hastrich will be remembered especially for his service to the poor and minorities.
He was asked in an interview for the Catholic Herald Citizen when he first became interested in helping the poor and minority groups. The native of Milwaukee answered, “About 1929 when I was in high school.” He added that it was during the Depression and his own family was poor.
Before he entered the seminary, he taught religion to the poor at Holy Cross summer school in Milwaukee and taught Sunday school at St. Benedict the Moor and St. Gabriel Parishes.
Divine Mercy Sunday: Do it right!
After Easter, Catholics and Christians of all backgrounds can argue and debate which is the second most important day on the calendar.
I’m not advocating for one over the other, but since we’re nearing it, I’m going to talk about a day that should be in consideration for the next best day — Divine Mercy Sunday.
It’s the Sunday that comes after Easter, the eighth day of the Easter Octave, and depending upon the parish or the parishioner, there have been many different ways to observe that day.
At minimum, it usually includes veneration of the Image of Divine Mercy and/or praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.Easter greeting
Easter message from […]
Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation continues to grow efforts, help others
MADISON — The Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation (CDMF) is happy to share some great news from our fundholders over the past few months.
Endowment fund
In 2014, St. Dennis Parish in Madison established the St. Dennis Catholic Education Endowment Fund to support both their grade school and religious education programs.
Over the past seven years, the fund has seen significant growth, made possible by the faithful support of the parish and strong investment returns.Sue Palm reflects on three decades with Catholic Charities
I have worked for Catholic Charities for 34-plus years. I heard about an opening at Catholic Charities from my neighbor who worked here.
I started out as the night-time receptionist for the Individual and Family Counseling Program.
I had graduated from UW-Madison and was thinking of going back to school to get my master’s degree in social work.Easter: A forever shining moment
Every year, when we get to late March and early April, there are two things on my mind — Easter and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament a.k.a. “March Madness”.
Do these two marvelous things have anything in common? I think so, if you know where to look.
‘We’re here now!’
Common images seen during any NCAA tourney programming are those of the “Cinderella” 1983 title game — such as North Carolina St. coach Jim Valvano running around on the court after his Wolfpack won in a dramatic upset, or guard Dereck Whittenburg coming up short on the last-second shot (or “passing the ball”) and having it caught by forward Lorenzo Charles who dunked it in the basket for the win.Catholics at the Capitol 2021 goes virtual
MADISON — Due to the current pandemic and numerous factors affecting individuals’ ability to travel and gather, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) is announcing the cancellation of the Catholics at the Capitol in-person event scheduled for Wednesday, April 21, 2021. However, in lieu of the in-person event, the WCC is sponsoring a free virtual advocacy day on April 21 and has just opened the online registration: www.wisconsincatholic.org/catholics-at-the-capitol
“Catholics at the Capitol is something that we and our Catholic partners have regularly hosted for 20 years,” said WCC Executive Director Kim Vercauteren. “We’re going to miss having Catholics come together from all over Wisconsin for this day of prayer, fellowship, and advocacy. However, it remains vitally important that policymakers hear from the faithful during these challenging times. We wanted to make certain that the collective Catholic voice was still present and heard at the State Capitol.”
State bishops warn of harm to First Amendment freedoms under Equality Act
MADISON — Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops have issued a letter urging the faithful to actively oppose H.R. 5, a federal bill that if signed into law would dramatically limit First Amendment freedoms, especially the free exercise of religion. Known as the Equality Act, H.R. 5 would alter provisions of the federal Civil Rights Act, adding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as categories of people protected from discrimination.
The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin affirmed that “every person is made in the image of God and must be treated with respect and compassion. Individuals have a right to live free of discrimination or harassment.”
Nevertheless, the bishops explain that the Equality Act actually fosters inequity and intolerance. “As Catholics, we are called to shield individuals from discrimination, accompany the vulnerable, and be a voice for the voiceless. However, the Equality Act would require religious entities to abandon the very principles of faith that undergird their ministry and service. Under the Equality Act, ministries would not be able to acknowledge the biological reality of male and female.”