Category: Editorial

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Remembering a priest of mercy

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Not too long before his death, I received a hand-written letter from Msgr. Monte Robinson.

Even though he was dealing with serious health issues, he took the time to write to thank me — among other things — “for all the kind articles about the Southwest. They have gotten people to read.”

As the pastor of small, rural parishes in the southwest corner of the Diocese of Madison, Monsignor Monte had been making an effort to send in information and photos about what was happening in these parishes. We were happy to include them in the Catholic Herald.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Blessed Teresa inspires us to live the Beatitudes

One of my favorite books is Blessed Are You: Mother Teresa and the Beatitudes, by Eileen Egan and Kathleen Egan, OSB (1992). When Pope Francis announced that Blessed Teresa would be canonized in 2016, I took the book out again.

Each chapter of the book offers a short meditation on one of the Beatitudes, Blessed Teresa’s own reflections on that Beatitude, and how she and her order – the Missionaries of Charity — lived that Beatitude.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Is there still no room at the inn?

We know the familiar story of Jesus’ birth. Mary and Joseph could find no room at an inn in Bethlehem, so Jesus — the son of God — was born in a humble stable.

We realize that the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, had decreed that a census should be taken, so that’s perhaps why the inns were full.

But the apparent lack of hospitality shown to a pregnant mother and father still should bother us. Why didn’t someone else give up their room for this expectant mother?

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Americans should walk a fine line

In the wake of terrorist attacks and violence happening in the United States and other parts of the world, Americans find themselves fearful and wary about what might happen next.

The recent events in San Bernardino, Calif., where a married couple killed 14 people at a holiday party, have especially left us shaken and wondering how to deal with the possibility of terrorists living within our own communities.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Remember spirit of the first Thanksgiving

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we might want to reflect on the origins of that national holiday.

The pilgrims observed what we consider the first Thanksgiving to thank God for the blessings they received during their first year in America.

Why did the pilgrims come to this new land in the first place? The answer to that question has some bearing on our current discussions about whether to accept refugees from other countries.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Our hearts break for Paris

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

When I heard about the terrorist bombings in Paris, my heart broke.

I visited Paris many years ago, and it is such a special city. It saddened me to hear that so many innocent people were killed and injured, apparently by three teams of Islamic State terrorists.

Although the French people had a reputation for being somewhat aloof, we found them to be friendly — especially when we spoke some French. Once we made the attempt to communicate with them, the Parisians usually spoke English with us.

Damage to historic places

But it was not only the loss of lives and the injuries that upset me. It was also the damage the terrorists might have caused to the city of Paris itself.

There are so many historic places in Paris, many of significance to the Catholic Church.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Laity bring light of Christ to the world

Although it dates me to admit it, I was a high school student during the Second Vatican Council.

In our daily religion classes at Aquinas High School in La Crosse (yes, we had daily classes all taught by priests at that time), we studied the documents of that council.

One of those documents had a special impact on me. It was the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church also known by its Latin title, Lumen Gentium.

This document — promulgated by Blessed Paul VI on November 21, 1964 — talks about the hierarchical structure of the Church, including the role of bishops, priests, deacons, and Religious. It also has a full chapter on the laity, which was especially interesting to me 51 years ago.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Mary is model of every vocation

This week, the Catholic Church in the United States is celebrating National Vocation Awareness Week.

It is an annual week-long observance dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and Consecrated Life through prayer and education. It is also a time to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.

This week’s Catholic Herald includes a special section with information on Church vocations. I hope people will read this section and perhaps share it with others who might not receive the paper, especially our young people.

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