Columns – Page 146 – Madison Catholic Herald

Catholics are deeply involved in the debate over health care reform. Led by the bishops, acting through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholics have pressed three major points: 1) health care should be accessible to all; 2) abortion is not health care and government funds should not pay for it; and 3) immigrants should have access to health care.

These positions should surprise no one. The bishops have embraced the idea that all Americans should have access to affordable health care since 1919. And the bishops have consistently opposed funding abortion and supported humane policies for immigrants.

On January 14, 2010

Fr. Donald Lange

I thank God for calling me to be a priest

We celebrate Vocation Awareness week from January 10 to 16, 2010. I believe that priests, deacons, and religious can help Catholics to become more aware of vocations when they share their story. With this hope, I share these reflections on my journey to priesthood.

In this Year of the Priest, I thank God for calling me to serve as a priest for nearly 40 years. I believe that I am the luckiest person on the face of God’s good earth.

On January 14, 2010May 20, 2021

Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Medicine and the true cost of being in denial

Back in the early 1800s, most practicing physicians refused to believe that the simple gesture of washing their hands between patients could help prevent the spread of childbed fever among the pregnant women they examined.

Even in the face of compelling scientific evidence, they remained stubbornly opposed to the practice. As a result of this intransigence on the part of the medical establishment over a period of many years, childbed fever (also known as puerpural infection) ended up unnecessarily claiming the lives of thousands of young women.

On January 14, 2010

Sr, Margie Lavonis

Discovering God’s call

One of the major tasks of young adults is to discover God’s call. It is a process we all go through in one way or another.

Each of us has a unique call — one only we can answer. Discovering our call isn’t as easy as picking up the phone or texting a message to God or our pastor. It takes hard work to find out how God wants us to live our lives. We must take time for prayer and reflection that includes serious discernment.

On December 24, 2009

Msgr. Delbert Schmelzer

The loving service of Religious Sisters in the missions

In thinking about Christmas, children are immediately brought to mind. So many children in the missions tragically live with immense suffering and violence, even war and all that comes with it. Other children in the developing world face extraordinary poverty and its related challenges.

But thanks to the work and witness of religious Sisters, these mission children also come to experience what sustains us — the message of God’s great love for us, the “Good News” proclaimed by the angels that first Christmas.

On December 24, 2009

Fr. Donald Lange

Peace on earth

On Christmas day in 1864, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow listened to Christmas bells ring out the good news of peace on earth. But he lacked the Christmas spirit of peace.

He was still suffering from the tragic death of his wife Fanny in 1861. And Charles, his son, had been wounded in our country’s bloody civil war, which he feared would kill or wound many more Americans.

On December 24, 2009

Sr. Margie Lavonis

The greatest gift of all

The economic crisis our country is experiencing provides us with a wonderful opportunity to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas, rather than on the materialistic spirit that often permeates our Western culture.

Since so many people are unemployed or under employed and many family incomes are shrinking, a number of people will have to limit the type of gifts they give.

On December 17, 2009

Fr. Donald Lange

Twenty Christmas Eves in jail

I spent 20 Christmas Eves in jail. My first such Christmas Eve was in 1971. The Rock County Jail Chaplaincy Committee invited me to help to plan and participate in an ecumenical service at the jail in Janesville. I accepted.

But I waited nervously for Christmas Eve because I had no previous experience with prisoners.

Nervous anticipation

Christmas Eve finally came and I drove anxiously to the Rock County Jail. The beautiful Christmas snowflakes that danced gracefully across my car’s windshield failed to calm the nervous butterflies in my stomach.

On December 17, 2009May 20, 2021

Audrey Mettel Fixmer

Traditions are meant to be broken

“On Christmas Eve we always . . .”

Think about all of the ways you might have finished that sentence at various stages in your life.

Although I have always cherished traditions, I couldn’t help thinking recently about how many times I have had to “break with tradition” in every stage of my life.

On December 17, 2009

George Weigel

Can’t ignore jihadism’s religious roots

Dan Henninger, whose Wall Street Journal column is aptly titled “Wonder Land,” put it best: “The only good news about the Fort Hood massacre is that U.S. electronic surveillance technology was able to pick up Major Hasan’s phone calls to an al Qaeda-loving imam in Yemen. The bad news is that the people and agencies listening to Hasan didn’t know what to do about it. Other than nothing.”