Diocesan newspapers represent “significant places of encounter and attentive discernment for lay faithful involved in the social and political arena so that they can dialogue and find convergences and objectives for joint action in the service of the Gospel for the common good.”
It was so nice to hear the new Miss America talking about the impact of her Catholic school education on her life and the development of her faith.
“My Catholic education has been so important in reach my goals. It gave me my foundation for my faith,” Laura Kaeppeler said in an interview with the Milwaukee Catholic Herald. “I praise God in how he’s rewarded me.”
On January 23, 1973, the United States Supreme Court legalized abortion in the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision.
As we mark the 39th anniversary of that sad decision, many people have been praying and working to give all babies a chance to live. We know that we have to change minds and especially hearts on this issue.
Every year since 1976, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) as a special time when we pray for the renewal and strengthening of all vocations within the Church.
This includes the vocations of married and single people; men serving as priests, deacons, and Brothers; and women serving as religious Sisters.
During the holiday season, we were subjected again to “Christmas wars” about public displays of Nativity scenes and controversies over calling a Christmas tree by its real name.
These squabbles are really part of a deeper effort to relegate religious practice to the private sphere. There are those who say, “It’s okay for you to practice your faith, but do it behind closed doors.”
With the death of Cardinal John P. Foley on December 11, we have lost a dedicated leader who helped the Church’s message reach people throughout the world.
Many of our readers heard his voice for 25 years on the television and radio broadcasts of the pope’s Christmas midnight Mass. Cardinal Foley always explained what was going on in a clear style. I still remember the way he pronounced “Cath – o – lic” by enunciating every syllable.
Remember when we used to wait until after Thanksgiving for Christmas decorations to be put up in public places and most homes? Now we start seeing Christmas decorations in September!
I still wait until after Thanksgiving to start decorating our home and do most of my Christmas shopping. The first Sunday of Advent should be the sign for Christians to start preparing the way of the Lord. After all, it’s Christ’s birthday that we are supposed to be celebrating on December 25.
“Love is what it’s all about,” Msgr. Felix Oehrlein told high school youth attending the Resurrection 2004 rally in Wisconsin Dells. “Jesus reminds us to keep his commandments. Jesus came here and lived among us and lives with us today. He lives in the Church and you and I are that Church.”
It seems to me that our sense of gratitude has diminished in recent years. How often do we send or receive thank you cards? How often do we express our appreciation to people in our lives, let alone to God who has given us the gift of life itself?
Most of us would have to be honest and say we don’t say “thanks” often enough. We take so many things for granted.
In Wisconsin, we’ve been hearing a lot in the media these days about sex education. Our state Legislature is debating a bill which would overturn a law passed two years ago called the Healthy Youth Act.
That law required public schools that offer sex education to teach about proper use of contraceptives, among other things. The proposed new law, called the “Strong Communities . . . Healthy Kids Act,” would emphasize abstinence as the only reliable way to prevent pregnancy and disease.
