After attending the Beatification of Blessed John Paul II in Rome where he is doing graduate studies, Fr. Greg Ihm (ordained a priest for the Diocese of Madison last year) e-mailed Bishop Robert C. Morlino.
Author: Mary C. Uhler
Mary must be pleased: Local group buys Durward’s Glen to preserve this ‘holy place’
Wisconsin glaciers formed the 35-acre valley in which Durward’s Glen is located in the beautiful Baraboo Bluffs near Devil’s Lake State Park. The valley has a natural spring creek and miniature canyon.
The area used to be owned by the Durward family, who came there in 1862. They have been described as a spiritual family of poets, priests, artists, builders, and writers.
Guardian of the Glen
The family erected a statue of Mary, called “Guardian of the Glen,” as well as the Hermitage and Glen Studio. Their historic home was accidentally burned to the ground in 1951.
It seems that Mary has continued to guard Durward’s Glen throughout the years. Mary Techla Durward, youngest living member of the Durward family at the time, gave the Glen to the Order of St. Camillus in September of 1932. She stipulated that it remain a Catholic institution.
Mothers play key role: In their children’s response to a Church vocation
Mothers observe their children from an early age. They watch how they grow and develop, seeing what gifts and talents each child possesses.
John Paul II: A model for us all
The first time I saw Pope John Paul II in person was at Living History Farms near Des Moines, Iowa, in 1979. The Holy Father celebrated Mass and preached on a hillside altar.
In his homily, Pope John Paul II reminded us that the land is God’s gift entrusted to his people “as a means of sustaining the life he created.” He called on farmers to be generous with food to help feed the millions who are hungry.
Keeping faith alive: In the places where Jesus walked
Many people in the United States are facing challenges because of unemployment and economic difficulties. Budgets are tight.
However, the worldwide downturn in the economy is also affecting the people living in the land where Jesus lived and walked, where he suffered, died, and rose from the dead.
As we observe Holy Week and Easter, we especially hear about places such as the Sea of Galilee, Bethelehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem. In all those places today, Christians are struggling to keep their faith alive and to live in dignity.
We remember Bishop Bullock: With admiration and affection for a respected and beloved shepherd
As the bells toll outside my office at the Bishop O’Connor Pastoral Center in Madison, I am reminded of the death of Bishop William H. Bullock, our respected and beloved bishop emeritus.
A voice for peace: Let’s join the Holy Father in praying for peace
Recently I traveled by air outside of Madison. I experienced more thorough airport screening than I had previously, reminding me that our world is a dangerous place.
Violence can be found in almost every corner of the globe. We know there are legitimate reasons for people to fight against tyranny and oppression or to defend themselves against aggression.
However, it seems that people and nations often resort to violence as the first rather than the last resort. The “shoot first, ask questions later” mentality seems to be prevailing throughout the world.
Make your voice heard to protect the poor and vulnerable at state, federal levels
We have been hearing so much about the fiscal challenges facing our state and national governments. Sometimes we may feel so frustrated that we don’t do anything.
But now is not the time to stand back. It is time to make your voice heard with your elected representatives at the state and federal levels. In this week’s Catholic Herald, we have published some suggestions on how to contact your legislators effectively. Many of these suggestions come from the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), the public policy arm of our state’s Catholic bishops.
Victory for freedom of speech, religion: Supreme Court lets ruling stand on funding of Catholic student group
As a graduate student in the 1970s, I attended Mass and was involved in activities at St. Paul University Catholic Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
For many Catholic students like me, St. Paul’s was a “home away from home” in the spiritual sense. It kept students tethered to their faith amid the challenges of life on campus.
St. Paul’s is the oldest Newman Center established on a secular university in the United States. The first chapel was completed in 1909 on State St. in the heart of the UW campus. Over the years, St. Paul’s has continued to provide Catholic students — who number over 25 percent of the student body by some estimates — with the opportunity for growth in their faith in an increasingly secular culture.
Pray, fast, learn, give: Operation Rice Bowl provides focus for Lent
The 2010 movie Eat, Pray, Love starring Julia Roberts told the story of a woman’s search for enlightenment and self-fulfillment.
I never saw the movie, partly because a Catholic reviewer called it “spiritually barren.” This story — like so many in our culture today — seems to emphasize that we will find happiness by fulfilling our own needs, rather than by reaching out to others.
Pope’s Lenten message
In his 2011 Lenten message, Pope Benedict XVI alludes to that problem in our culture. He encourages people to let go of all traces of selfishness and self-centeredness by embracing the traditional Lenten practices of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer.
The Holy Father says, “For Christians, fasting, far from being depressing, opens us ever more to God and to the needs of others, thus allowing love of God to become also love of our neighbor.”
Operation Rice Bowl
One way to carry out his message is by participating in Operation Rice Bowl, the annual Lenten program sponsored by Catholic Relief Services (CRS).