While these past almost 12 months have been filled with reasons and methods to “distance” ourselves from one another, dozens of people growing in their faith recently had a chance to come closer to something.
Author: Kevin Wondrash
40 Days for Life mid-point prayer vigil on March 7
MADISON — “On March 8, our spring 40 Days for Life campaign will have completed 20 days with 20 days to go of praying and fasting for an end to abortion,” said Gwen Finnegan, co-leader of the Madison campaign.
“It’s time to gather members of our pro-life community at our vigil location, Planned Parenthood, 3706 Orin Rd. in Madison, to thank God for how far we’ve come and to pray for the endurance to finish strong. So far, we know of one baby and mother saved from abortion on the sidewalks outside of Planned Parenthood in Madison from this campaign.”
40-day vigil
40 Days for Life is a peaceful, highly-focused, non-denominational initiative that focuses on 40 days of prayer, fasting, and peaceful witness outside abortion facilities, as well as on grassroots educational outreach.
The 40-day time frame is drawn from examples throughout Biblical history.Teens visit Religious communities
MADISON — Getting away for the weekend can often include a fun road trip, a new-to-you destination, and a lot of great memories, but for a local group, a recent weekend included something a bit atypical: Religious Sisters.
Last month, Fr. Greg Ihm, Diocese of Madison vocations director, led a group that included 10 St. Ambrose Academy students, a mother of one of the teens, and four other Madison-area women on a journey of prayer and discernment.
A ‘Nun run’
While Father Ihm’s primary role is supporting men in their discernment of the diocesan priesthood, he also seeks to make other opportunities available, especially for women.‘Don’t know what you got (till it’s gone)’
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“These are the good old days” — William Powell as “Nick Charles” in The Thin Man (1934).
Someday, Lent will pass and spring will have arrived. Someday, winter will be back. Someday, I’ll hit age 40. Someday, I will no longer be the editor of the Catholic Herald. Someday, I will die. (Well, that escalated quickly.)
Everything we know, love, and treasure on this Earth will be lost to us or will pass away.
Despite the initial emotional reactions to those statements, they are facts.
All of our “stuff” will either leave us or we will leave it. The same goes for our friends and loved ones. For life to go on, ob-la-di, ob-la-da, someone has to depart from someone.
That’s not a bad thing
Because it is Lent, you get to read the obligatory “but that’s not a bad thing . . . because Heaven” spiel.Bishop O’Connor travels to Rome for ad limina visits and to attend the Second Vatican Council
Eighth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
Bishop William P. O’Connor traveled to Rome several times after becoming the first bishop of the Diocese of Madison.
Ad limina visits
Bishop O’Connor made three ad limina visits to the Vatican. These visits are called ad limina apostolorum (“to the threshold of the Apostles”) because they are traditionally pilgrimages made by bishops to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul. The bishops in the United States are required to make visits to Rome personally or through authorized delegates about every five years to present a report on the state of the diocese.
The ‘abandonment to Divine Providence’
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In last week’s column, I meditated on the surrender of Mary and Jesus in the key moments of the Annunciation and the Agony in the Garden.
We all know the difficulty of handing over our wills to the Lord.
We want to be in control, have a clear idea of how events should unfold, and we often think God is letting us down when we face disappointment, tragedy, and suffering.
How do we find peace amidst the storm and trust in the middle of life’s chaos?
Stations of the Cross video produced in diocese
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| A screenshot of the Stations of the Cross YouTube video produced by the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities-Diocese of Madison. The video is available during Lent. (YouTube image) |
MADISON — During most seasons of Lent, it is a devotional tradition to pray the Stations of the Cross.
During typical years, parishes in the Diocese of Madison will host praying of the Stations at their churches where many gather to pray them together.
This year, with many people not entering church buildings due to health concerns and restrictions on the number of people allowed to be in a building at the same time, the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities-Diocese of Madison has produced a YouTube video that gives everyone the opportunity to pray the Stations of the Cross from their own homes or elsewhere through the blessings of technology.
Video contents
It’s called the “Stations of the Cross presented by the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities-Diocese of Madison”.
The nearly 24-minute video begins with a reflection from Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison.
“As we pray the Stations of the Cross, we participate and share in Jesus’s suffering and death,” he says in part of the reflection.St. Mary Parish in Portage announces capital campaign
PORTAGE — St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Portage recently announced plans for a capital fund drive to its members.
The effort will be entitled the “Our Church-Our Future” campaign.
Its aim is to raise the funds required to renovate and expand the church and parish facilities.
A minimum goal of $3,500,000 has been set for the effort which will enable the parish to break ground on the project.
St. Raphael Cathedral renovated in early years of Diocese of Madison
Seventh in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
When the Diocese of Madison was created in 1946, St. Raphael Church, the first Catholic church in the city of Madison, was chosen as the cathedral church of the new diocese.
Msgr. William Mahoney was the pastor at that time.
St. Raphael Parish has a history in Madison that dates back to before Wisconsin became a state.
The ‘joy’ of Lent
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As I was well into Ash Wednesday, last week, I was experiencing an interesting emotion. I was happy it was Lent.
Kevin, Kevin, Kevin, what is the matter with you?
You’re happy it’s Lent? You’re happy it’s a time of sacrifice and penance? You’re happy it’s a time when the joyous “A” word is not to be said or sung? You’re happy it’s the “sorrowful” time in the Church for 40-days until we get to Easter?
Yes, I am. Here’s why.