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During what might be my 378th attempt to devote myself to praying the Rosary every day, I’m reading a book that contains meditations on each Mystery of the Rosary.
It’s no surprise that the first chapter is on the First Joyful Mystery — the Annunciation.
Here we find the Blessed Virgin Mary saying “yes” to the Archangel Gabriel to be the mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Words in the chapter go on to describe how Mary’s “yes” literally transformed the world.
In March, as communities responded to the growing coronavirus outbreak, the bishops of Wisconsin’s five Roman Catholic dioceses each granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. As the outbreak grew into a pandemic, all dioceses suspended the public celebration of Mass until it was safe to resume in-person worship.
In recent months, dioceses and parishes throughout the state have been able to resume public worship by adhering to strict safety standards and by restricting access to services for those who are symptomatic, sick, or at risk of serious illness. Throughout this time, the faithful have not been required to attend Mass on Sundays.
FORT ATKINSON — While headlines and social media chatter make many mentions of the Dane County order limiting most public and private education to virtual learning, along with the lawsuits in-progress to attempt to get that order overturned, many schools in the Diocese of Madison have opened their doors for in-person instruction this school year and have done so safely.
One example is St. Joseph School in Fort Atkinson, in Jefferson County, east of Dane County.
Its first day of school was on August 24.
Since June, the reopening committee met each week to follow the CDC and Jefferson County Health Department recommendations to make sure the school could open safely for students and staff.
SUN PRAIRIE — On a hot late August day, in the midst of a pandemic, dozens of masked people gathered outside the new entrance of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary School in Sun Prairie to celebrate a great accomplishment in the midst of hardship.
“I think we are a community that is beyond blessed today with all that has happened in our world, the challenges we are all facing,” said Principal Kimberlee Frederick while standing before the small crowd as they tried to stay cool in the shade of awnings. “To be able to be here, to be able to be celebrating this beautiful building, celebrating Catholic education, celebrating the tradition that is Sacred Heart, is beyond a great gift to us.”
Beside her were Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison and priests Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt, the recently retired pastor of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish; Fr. Thomas Kelley, the new pastor; Fr. Lawrence Oparaji, parochial vicar; and Msgr. Donn Heiar, pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish in Sun Prairie.
REEDSBURG — Camp Gray is a place where campers and staff alike come to experience awe and wonder in all that the Creator does, and has done for us.
The summer of 2020 did not begin like anyone could’ve ever imagined.
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Beginning this month, a new series of articles will appear in our newspaper to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from our Catholic perspective.
No one easily faces these issues because they remind us of our mortality and fragility, but our faith in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, helps us understand how our own death, ending an earthly existence lived out in faith, hope, and charity, becomes the sacred passage to eternal joy in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Church encourages us to prepare for death, most importantly on the spiritual plane of being ready to meet the Lord with our interior house in order, but also on the practical level of health decisions, an updated will, funeral and burial plans, and the dispersal of possessions. |
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I’m a news junkie. Anyone who works in news, or who has ever worked in news, has a little bit of that in them.
It’s a constant desire to know what’s going on, know the latest information, and know as much about what is going on as we can.
Then — us being us — we want to tell everyone about it.
Today, sharing news and information is easier than ever with Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media and communication.
Getting more of the latest information is also easier than ever with all of the digital and online channels available to be consumed.
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Last week, I met with Tom Nelson and a dedicated group of priests, social workers, and farmers who care deeply about the troubling crises facing our rural communities.
I listened as they spoke movingly about the fact that, in the last 10 years, 50 percent of family farms in Wisconsin have disappeared, milk prices are untenable, and no economic future exists for young people who would like to remain in farming.
COVID and its impact on the economy and the food supply chain has only exacerbated these challenges. Depression and suicide are on the rise in troubling numbers. |
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During Memorial Day weekend, I sat in front of my TV, totally captivated by the images on the screen — live chaos on State St. and in the downtown area in Madison.
Our area’s version of the protests following the death of George Floyd had disintegrated into violence, looting, angry shouting, and even a police car set on fire live on TV among other negative pictures.
For those seeking dialogue, attention, and something good out of the day’s events, these actions left sour images in many minds as the week went on.MADISON — On the mission field this summer, wearing masks, and hearing Collatio talks over Zoom calls, Love Begins Here (LBH) Missionaries around the diocese entered deeper into the spirituality of their patroness St. Teresa of Calcutta and her mystical relationship with our Blessed Mother.
