Columns – Page 151 – Madison Catholic Herald

Over the last several weeks, the Office of Catholic Schools has been busy moving forward with Catholic Schools Planning.

Between May and July, over 300 people attended one of 12 task force meetings conducted at locations throughout the diocese. Each meeting began with prayer, a brief history of the process, and an explanation of our goal: to find ways to strengthen our Catholic schools throughout the diocese and ensure that they are “available, affordable, accessible,” and that they offer both an unparalleled faith formation and academic education to all students now and for generations to come.

Once the planning process was underway, participants considered the various challenges currently facing Catholic schools, shared opinions and experiences, brainstormed ideas, and discussed possible courses of action as we look for ways to strengthen our schools.

On August 13, 2009

John Huebscher

Economy drives demand for health care reform

In 1919, the U.S. bishops endorsed the idea that all Americans should have access to affordable health care. Ninety years later we are still waiting for that idea to be realized and our nation is engaged in a serious debate as to whether the vision of 1919 will finally come to pass.

In the short term, the outcome of the debate is in doubt. Thoughtful people have raised legitimate concerns about the cost of the program and the proper balance between the public and private sectors. And no plan can include abortion in any package of mandated benefits and issues.

But in the long term, the realities of the economic upheaval currently underway will make reform inevitable. For the trends in our society that make universal access to health care attractive are not going away.

On August 13, 2009

Fr. Donald Lange

Assumption inspires us to follow Mary’s example

A priest asked a class of second graders, “How many of you want to go to Heaven?” Every little hand went up.

The priest responded, “How many of you want to be a saint?”

The children glanced at each other with puzzled looks. Most of them put their hands down.

“Well, boys and girls,” the priest said, “Since no one wants to be a saint, we have a problem. To get to Heaven, you must be saintly or Christ-like. So let me ask again, ‘How many of you want to be a saint?'”

Every hand quickly went up! The priest’s hand joined their hands.

On July 30, 2009May 20, 2021

Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

The importance of moral absolutes

When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States in April of 2008, I had the chance to attend the opening ceremony at the White House South Lawn.

As I listened to President Bush’s welcoming remarks to the pope, I was caught off guard by one line in particular, a powerful statement that seemed almost too philosophical to be spoken by a United States president: “In a world where some no longer believe that we can distinguish between simple right and wrong, we need your message to reject this dictatorship of relativism and embrace a culture of justice and truth.”

On July 30, 2009

Msgr. Delbert Schmelzer

Heart-hitting service

Inspiring letters from mission seminaries tell of the growing number of young men in Asia and Africa responding to our Lord’s call to the priesthood.

One recent letter, from a seminary in Nigeria, included such facts and figures — and then one line that spoke to the heart.

Seminarians serve in Nigeria

St. Augustine’s Seminary in Jos, Nigeria, is filled to capacity, with some 300 students. The rector, Fr. Sylvester Dagin, offers particulars about their formation and of their work on the seminary’s small farm, growing potatoes and vegetables.

On July 16, 2009May 19, 2021

Msgr. Daniel Ganshert

Summer time can offer us extra time to pray

Summer time in Wisconsin is beautiful. Extra time, hopefully, to relax, renew, and recreate in body, mind, and spirit. Possibly, it allows for a little extra prayer time.

Our understanding of prayer is meant to evolve as we grow in our relationship with God over the years. As children we might find ourselves asking God for very specific things: a new toy, a special prize, not to be punished for doing something wrong, and so forth.

On July 16, 2009

Deacon Greg Gehred, M.D.

Believe it all

“Believe it all.” That was the “very best” preaching advice from our Dominican priest speaker at a clergy day on homiletics back in 2004.

This followed shortly my ordination to the permanent diaconate. “Do not pick and choose” from the Church’s teachings, Father said.

Don’t question it, he said, for to do so is to enter treacherous waters, that spiritual trap which whispers to us that our own personal wisdom is superior to the Church of Christ and its guarantee of doctrinal purity with guidance of the Holy Spirit.

On July 16, 2009

John Huebscher

State budget 2009 — History in the making

The state budget is a fixture of every legislative session. It holds “center stage” for the first several months of every odd-numbered year before it becomes law. Once it is adopted, the legislature turns its attention to other matters.

Every budget reflects the fiscal and political reality in which it is debated and enacted. The 2009 budget was shaped first and foremost by Wisconsin’s dire fiscal situation and the obligation of the governor and legislature to deal with a more than six billion-dollar gap between spending commitments and available revenues.

On July 16, 2009May 20, 2021

Audrey Mettel Fixmer

Saints alive! And those not so

I was never a Michael Jackson fan. I think my generation caught glimpses of him here and there when our kids watched him on TV. After we marveled at the Jackson Five with this adorable little boy with the big voice, we gradually lost interest in his “Modern Pop” music.

Then his constantly evolving face and color left us shaking our heads. When he built his Neverland, it made us wonder if he was trying to find the childhood he had been deprived of in this fantasy setting.

On July 2, 2009

Vicky Skilondz

Converting diocesan parishes to QuickBooks

Last in a two-part series

Part one of this article described the parish software conversion to ParishSOFT and related activity in the Office of Planning. This week finishes the series as I discuss our process of converting a parish to QuickBooks and some other activities involving that program.

QuickBooks

Just like with census data, parish financial data also needs to be cleaned so that it, too, is consistent and predictable; that is, each parish posts to the same accounts in the same circumstances. For this reason it’s important for all parishes to use our diocesan Chart of Accounts and to follow a common set of financial procedures.