Author: Kevin Wondrash

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Kevin Wondrash

Reflections on ordination

Under the Gospel Book by Bishop Robert C. Morlino
This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Editor’s note: The following is an adapted reflection given by Bishop Robert C. Morlino on Friday, June 25, at the ordination of Fr. Gregory Ihm and Fr. David Carrano.

The ritual book tells the bishop to address the candidates for priesthood as my sons. And what an unbelievable gift and privilege it was for me to call Gregory and David, in light of the bond of priesthood, my sons.

Lest anyone be disappointed, I have three points that have to do with Rome, because this was the first time I have had the ordination of two men who have come back from Rome. And I thought it good to remind all of us what these new priests got out of Rome.

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Kevin Wondrash

Let the kids finish it

Grand Mom by Audrey Mettel Fixmer

As we age, we try not to focus on all of the “unfinished” projects and all of the “unrealized” dreams we are leaving behind. When we have children, however, they just might finish some of those projects and achieve some of those dreams. If we are lucky, it may even happen in our lifetime.

My husband, Bob, dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but when the babies were in such a hurry to arrive, he had to give up that dream. Before he died, however, he had the thrill of seeing our grandson, Craig, graduate with honors from a top law school.

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Kevin Wondrash

Procuring organs: Over my dead body

While it may cost an arm and a leg to live in the state of New York these days, it may soon cost a liver or kidney to die there.

Residents of the state have been debating a legislative measure put forward by a state lawmaker that would automatically enroll all residents as organ donors. The law would rely on what is termed

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Kevin Wondrash

Working with and trusting in the Holy Spirit
This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

Dear Friends,

We live in a time of great hope for our diocese. This week we will see two men ordained to the transitional diaconate, next month two will be ordained to the ministerial priesthood, and we have the Holy Spirit to thank for His continued guidance of our diocese and answered prayers, through rather difficult times.

As each of you has experienced first hand, the Diocese of Madison has been undertaking the very serious, difficult, and much needed task of diocesan, parish, and school planning for the past four (plus) years. It began with the Guided by the Spirit process, gathering input from everyone in the diocese who wished to participate. An overall plan was adopted by the diocese, and specific plans were developed by parishes and parish clusters throughout the diocese, affecting every parish and each one of us in some way.

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Kevin Wondrash

Traveling alone: an assertive adventure

Grand Mom by Audrey Mettel Fixmer

We were on our way to the airport, my daughter Kathi driving me, and I was sipping water from my new Thermos when I commented that it would be the first time for “alone travel” in many years, but with the wheel chair service provided by the airlines, it should be okay.

Kathi agreed that I should do well, what with my assertive personality and all. I wasn’t sure that was a compliment, but still . . . It’s true I’m no shrinking violet, and that might serve me well.

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Kevin Wondrash

We find Jesus in a concrete way in the Church

I hope each of you enjoyed a very blessed Feast of the Ascension this past weekend, and with you I continue to look forward to the Feast of Pentecost! I noted last week that we, as a Church, are already turned in our hearts and in our minds toward Pentecost and, certainly, with the Ascension of the Lord, we become even more alert in our anticipation of the descent of the Holy Spirit.

As we look at St. Luke’s description of the Ascension, we notice that, interestingly, the “two men clothed in white” who appeared to the apostles after Jesus ascended say to them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here, staring up into the heavens? This Jesus, whom you see, going up into heaven will return the same way as you just saw Him go into the heavens.” What does it mean that Jesus will return “in the same way?”

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Kevin Wondrash

Derail the pity train and start living

Live Greater by Jon Leonetti

Entitlement. The idea many of us take on in which we truly believe that we deserve what we have. And it doesn’t stop there. We often find that this idea of entitlement, once bought into, quickly turns into pity. Self-pity.

From deserving what I have, to thinking that I deserve more. We train ourselves into thinking that “what I have, though I deserve it,” is simply not good enough.

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Kevin Wondrash

Verbal victims of the Dictatorship of Relativism
This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop.

We live in a world where many, many people have either made themselves into “God” or they’ve been tricked into thinking that they are “God” by others. The impact of this reality touches each and every aspect of our lives and shakes the foundations of our society and certainly of our Church.

Our Holy Father has spoken several times of what he has called the “Dictatorship of Relativism” — that is, there is no objective truth. To say there is no objective truth is to say there is no God. These are the same statement, for when one says there is no objective truth, they are, in effect, saying, “I’m God,” and therefore, “I create the world in which I live.” If there is no objective truth or objective way that things are, then things are the way that one thinks they are. It allows one to say, “I create my own world, my own bubble, which is different from everybody else’s bubble.”

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