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:
Of all the titles he has held — bishop, archbishop, cardinal, and pope — Pope Francis says he prefers to be called “Father”.
“What I love is being a priest,” he has said.
On December 13, he will celebrate 50 years as a priest. He sees his ministry as being a shepherd who walks with his flock and yearns to find those who are lost.
When I was growing up, my family always had a large vegetable garden. Since my father was a teacher, he generally had more time in the summer to work in the garden. And I enjoyed helping him.
We also had relatives who lived on farms, whom we often visited and assisted with gardening and chores. So I had instilled in me a love of the outdoors and appreciation for nature and fresh food.
It seems as if Christmas decorations and gift displays arrive earlier and earlier each year in stores and homes — even before Halloween!
It seems as if our society has forgotten — or perhaps never known — that there is another season before Christmas: Advent.
Are you already tired of all the bickering going on about politics in our country? And it’s still almost a year until the 2020 national elections!
What can we do in the face of the rancor and bitterness?
To the editor:
I enjoyed your recent articles by Carolyn Woo: “How can we respond to our planet’s crisis?” and “What does carbon pricing offer our planet?”
Dr. Woo, previously president of Catholic Relief Services, does a nice job of explaining complex climate-related issues. I would like to explain something I think is simple but does not seem to be commonly accepted in the way we live — God gave us a beautiful common home, and out of love for God and fellow humans, we should take care of it.
October is designated as yet another month: Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
I bet that most people have not heard about this observance. However, I have, because a friend of mine, Michelle, has a Down Syndrome son named Thomas.
It seems as if the month of October focuses on many issues. It happens to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I think it also ties in with Respect Life Month, because we should respect the lives of all people.
The Catholic bishops of the United States have spoken out against domestic violence and have given their support to victims of domestic violence. In 2002, the bishops issued a statement, When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence Against Women.
This statement can be found on the bishop’s website at www.usccb.org and is well worth reading.
