When Thomas Jefferson […]
Category: Bishop Hying’s Columns
The importance of fathers
As Father’s Day approaches in this year of St. Joseph, we have a timely moment to thank and pray for our fathers, the men who helped give us both physical and spiritual life.
Moving on after COVID
During a conversation I had with a parishioner last week, a wonderfully dedicated medical doctor, husband, and father, he complimented the diocese on how we handled the whole challenge of COVID.
Reflecting on Trinity Sunday
At first glance, it may seem strange that the Church has a special solemnity in honor of the Most Blessed Trinity.
A variety of moments in the Church
This past Sunday, I celebrated the final 7 p.m. Mass at St. Aloysius Church in West Allis. The parish is closing and the property is being sold, a necessary but painful decision, given the dwindling number of active parishioners, the need for many physical repairs, and the lack of resources.
We need the Mass
We can never forget that, on the last night of His earthly life, as Jesus faced betrayal, arrest, mockery, torture, and the Cross, He was thinking of us, not Himself.
Go Make Disciples: One year in
Last Pentecost, I wrote a pastoral letter outlining the mission of the Church as summed up in the Great Commission: Proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.
Being witnesses and examples of Truth
The Acts of the Apostles strikingly illuminates the boldness and courage of the early Church. Peter and John, Paul and Stephen, Phoebe and Lydia speak and act in the freedom of the risen Christ, knowing themselves as beloved children of the Father who had been purchased with the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ and anointed in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Building our faith for generations
I recently came across a treasure trove of family pictures, formal portraits of my maternal grandparents — Ignatz and Frances Franecki.
Finding those ‘thin places’ where God is with us
A priest I came to know well preaches often about the experiences and relationships in our lives where both the mystery and the presence of God are very apparent to us.
He calls these the “thin places” where the distance between the divine and the human is overcome, when God feels so close, we can touch Him and feel His gentle breath on our soul.