Author: Mary C. Uhler

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Mary C. Uhler

Hand-written letters stand out

In this era of emails and texting, hand-written letters still have a powerful — maybe even stronger — impact.

As work gets underway in Congress and state legislatures, citizens are often urged to contact their elected representatives on various issues.

Catholics Confront Global Poverty

Although some of us still like to send hand-written “snail mail” letters, I thought perhaps they might be considered obsolete. Not so, says advice given by Catholics Confront Global Poverty (CCGP), an initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services.

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Mary C. Uhler

Why Mary and peace go together

Just before Christmas, we learned of more violence in the world. In Berlin, Germany, a truck drove into a crowd of holiday shoppers at a Christmas market, killing at least 12 people and injuring as many as 50.

This attack came just hours after the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey. The gunman was identified as a Turkish police officer who yelled, “Don’t forget Aleppo. Don’t forget Syria,” after he shot Andrei G. Karlov in the back.

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Mary C. Uhler

Nativity scene is important reminder

As I put out the Nativity scene in our home this year, I thought about the meaning of this familiar Christmas decoration.

It is actually more than a decoration, but instead is an important reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

St. Francis’ inspiration

In looking into the history of Nativity scenes, I was reminded that the first Nativity scene supposedly appeared about 800 years ago, more than 1,200 years after the birth of Christ.

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Mary C. Uhler

Godspeed, John Glenn

When astronaut John Glenn made his first orbit around the earth in 1962, I was in the seventh grade.

At that time, I was very interested in space exploration. In the sixth grade, I remember writing an essay about why it was important that we discover what was happening in the “final frontier.”

First to orbit earth

It was exciting to learn about Glenn’s experiences as one of our country’s first seven astronauts. He was the first to orbit earth aboard the Mercury Friendship 7 capsule. He traveled around the globe three times in a flight that lasted just under five hours on February 20, 1962.

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Mary C. Uhler

Support our immigrant brothers and sisters

“For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35).

All of us (except Native Americans) who live in the United States are descended from immigrants.

My own ancestors came from Ireland, Germany, and Belgium seeking a better life in this country for themselves and their families. Most of them were Catholic, so they also wanted a place where they could worship freely.

Immigrants have continued to come to the United States. Many are welcomed by the Statue of Liberty in New York City’s harbor with words inscribed on the statue’s pedestal that say: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

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Mary C. Uhler

Homeless in Wisconsin: good news and bad news

Which would you rather hear first, the good news or the bad news?

When it comes to homelessness in Wisconsin, let’s talk about the good news first.

Wisconsin statistics

According to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the number of homeless people in Wisconsin has decreased. In one category — homeless and unsheltered veterans — Wisconsin has one of the lowest rates in the country at 3.6 percent.

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Mary C. Uhler

Continuing the Year of Mercy

We are approaching the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis, which began on December 8, 2015, and will conclude on November 20.

This year has been an invitation for all of us to rediscover and encounter the incredible mercy of God. It has been an invitation to love, kindness, and generosity — things that we all need more than ever in our world today.

And just because the Year of Mercy ends on November 20, it doesn’t mean we have to stop learning more about mercy and incorporating it into our daily lives.

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Mary C. Uhler

Voting is our responsibility as faithful citizens

Four years ago, during the last presidential election, I wrote that living in a swing state isn’t much fun. We had been inundated with television advertising and campaign phone calls for many months.

Just as it was four years ago, this election season has also been a trying time for Wisconsinites, who find themselves bickering with relatives, friends, co-workers, and even church members over political candidates and issues. I’ve noticed people have even requested Facebook friends to stop posting information on politics.

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