Columns – Page 149 – Madison Catholic Herald

Gianna Jessen appreciates God’s precious gift of life more than most persons because she survived an abortion. A toxic saline solution was injected into the womb of her frightened 17-year-old mother in order to induce a chemical abortion intended to end Gianna’s life.

The abortion failed. Eighteen hours later, she was born. Gianna had severe injuries that led to cerebral palsy. But she was alive. A startled, compassionate nurse called an ambulance that sped her to a hospital. Since she weighed only two pounds, the hospital placed her in an incubator. Eventually Penny, the generous mother of 56 foster children, adopted her. Gianna credits Penny and Jesus with saving her life.

On October 1, 2009May 19, 2021

Deirdre A. McQuade

Violence begets violence

On September 11, James Pouillon was shot multiple times and killed while protesting abortion outside a high school in Owosso, Mich.

According to reports, the suspect in custody, Harlan James Drake, admitted to police that he had also killed Mike Fuoss earlier that morning and that he had intended to murder a third man against whom he held a grudge, but was arrested before he reached his last victim.

The violence didn’t end with his arrest. The Associated Press reports that Mr. Drake was hospitalized Saturday night after an attempt on his own life in the county jail. Nor is that the end of it. Some angry people are already calling for the death penalty, yet another act of violence.

On September 24, 2009May 19, 2021

Msgr. Daniel Ganshert

Good news in the Year for Priests

Median age? Currently 66. Transitions out of active service? Currently 1500 with 400 to replace them annually.

You guessed it. These are priest statistics in our country.

On September 24, 2009

Grant Emmel

Setting goals as part of planning

“It is up to the bishop with the help of the priests, deacons, religious, and lay people to implement a coordinated pastoral plan which is systematic and participatory involving all members of the church and awakening in them a missionary consciousness.” — Ecclesia in America, 36, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II (January 1999)

As mentioned previously, pastoral planning can be a vital part of an ongoing renewal, since it enables a group of parishes to find the ways and means to be better Church communities in our diocese in the most effective manner possible.

On September 24, 2009

Katherine Snyder

Remembering pre-born babies who have died

My family moved to Madison last June from St. Louis. We miscarried our fourth child this past January. She was eight weeks old.

I elected not to have a D & C, but to go home and miscarry naturally. This gave me time to research, “What is the Catholic response to miscarriage?”

On September 24, 2009May 20, 2021

Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

The ethics of ‘correcting’ mitochondrial disease

Mitochondria are small, elongated structures in a cell that produce energy. These “cellular batteries” contain their own small piece of DNA, separate from the rest of the cell’s DNA found in the nucleus.

When defects or mutations occur in this mitochondrial DNA, it can result in a number of diseases. In severe cases, children can be born blind, epileptic, unable to crawl, and may manifest severe neurological delay and die at an early age. No real therapies exist for most mitochondrial diseases beyond treating the symptoms.

On September 17, 2009

George Weigel

Benedict XVI and the truth about charity

Pope Benedict XVI’s social encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), is a complex and occasionally obscure document, replete with possible implications for the future development of Catholic social doctrine.

Sorting those implications out will take much time and even more careful reflection. Along the information superhighway, however, careful reflection hit a few potholes in the early going, as sundry partisans sought to capture Caritas in Veritate as a weapon with which to bolster the Obama administration’s economic, health care, and social welfare policies.

On September 17, 2009May 20, 2021

Audrey Mettel Fixmer

When modern ‘miracles’ lose their luster

I was visiting the other day in the world’s most popular senior club, the doctor’s office, watching as she consulted her computer to check my X-rays from the week before.

I was just relishing the wonders of this technology that allows doctors to view any kind of health record or test results by a click of the mouse. Then I noticed her drumming her fingers in annoyance that she had to wait nearly a minute to get my record on the screen. I laughed.

On September 10, 2009May 19, 2021

Msgr. Daniel Ganshert

Enjoy a great page-turning mystery

Dive into a great mystery is the invitation. The mystery of our faith is the story.

Summer is usually a special time to get in a little extra reading, but the season is already appearing in the rear view mirror. Both a page turner and a good read, it cannot wait. This mystery is all about the fact that Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

On September 10, 2009

Msgr. James Bartylla

Q&A on the diocesan seminarian program

During my years as the Vocations Director for the Diocese of Madison I’ve encountered a certain set of recurring questions from priests and laity regarding our seminarian program.

They are excellent questions that show an interest in the seminarians’ formation for priesthood. In this article, I answer six of these recurring questions. If anyone has other questions, feel free to e-mail me at vocations@straphael.org. For more on diocesan seminarians, go online to www.madisondiocese.org and click on the “Vocations” tab.