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Many news releases arrive in my email box, and I try to glance through most of them.
But one story this week caught my attention, and I read the whole thing — with some tears in my eyes.
It was about a little girl from Indiana who is now pursuing her dreams after suffering from kidney failure. She was fortunate to receive a kidney transplant in the nick of time with the help of the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA).
Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving — these are the three Lenten practices we’ve all learned about since childhood.
It seems that prayer and fasting are widely practiced and well-known among Catholics. Many of us deepen our prayer life during Lent, and we follow at least the minimal fasting requirements. Many of us go beyond by “giving up” some of our favorite foods such as desserts, candy, and alcoholic beverages.
Why do I continue to give to the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) in the Diocese of Madison?
Here are just some of the reasons.
As our grandchildren grow older, I worry about the threat of human trafficking, especially the way human traffickers can lure young people through use of the Internet.
Pope Francis spoke about preventing human trafficking at his Sunday, Feb. 9, Angelus in St. Peter’s Square. The pope reminded people of the February 8 International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. It falls on the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, who was sold into slavery as a child.
During my time at Aquinas High School in La Crosse, I was privileged to have a young Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA, as a teacher during my sophomore year.
I have written previously about Sister Thea, who was the first Black Sister in the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration whose motherhouse is in La Crosse. She was the first African American person I knew.
Most of us live in a nice home and don’t have to worry about how to make a house payment or pay the rent.
We may not realize how fortunate we are, especially since millions of American families are struggling to find a stable place to live. This does not mean all of these people are homeless, but many families live in substandard housing and find themselves moving frequently.
One of the best gifts I have received in my life was an education in Catholic schools.
I was fortunate to attend Blessed Sacrament Elementary School and Aquinas High School, both in La Crosse, Wis.
Those 12 years of Catholic education made a great impact on my life. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was being evangelized.
Each week, I receive reports from Madison’s Vigil for Life about the efforts of witnesses for life who stand and pray on the sidewalk outside of the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic at 3706 Orin Rd. in Madison.
It should be noted that the Women’s Care Center is located right across the street from the Planned Parenthood clinic. Women’s Care Center provides free, confidential counseling, support, and education to women facing unplanned pregnancies.
As I’ve been hearing about the recent incidents of violence fueled by anti-Semitism in our country, I remembered the life and example of the late Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky.
I had the privilege of meeting the smiling, soft-spoken rabbi a number of times, primarily when he served as Chair of Jewish Learning while teaching at Edgewood College in Madison. He was a friend and colleague of the late Sr. Marie Stephen Regis, OP, a Dominican Sister who served on the faculty at Edgewood College.
The year 2020 is just around the corner. It’s time to make some New Year’s resolutions. How about making a few resolutions to become a better Catholic in 2020?
I found 10 suggestions to improve our spiritual life on the website https://www.beliefnet.com and included some of my own ideas. Even selecting several of these resolutions would be a good start to the new year:
