It was interesting to see people with crosses on their foreheads in the crowds shown after the school shootings in Parkland, Fla.
Of course, the shootings occurred on Ash Wednesday, so some of the parents and other family members had gone to Mass during the day.
Is there a message for us? The more I thought about it, I think there is.
Ever since I was in the fifth grade — when we finally got a television set in our home — I have enjoyed watching the Olympics.
Since our daughter was a competitive figure skater for many years (and I am still a member of the Figure Skating Club of Madison), I have especially looked forward to the Winter Olympics to watch figure skating. I also watch some of the other events.
I believe the Olympics continue to be important in our world today.
When I had children many years ago, I did not have paid maternity leave.
I was able to use my accumulated vacation and sick leave. But that meant that I had very little time off available the rest of the year. That was difficult, especially with young children.
Fortunately for other parents, our nation took a step toward a more family friendly future 25 years ago when the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) became law.
As we know, the more things change, the more they stay the same. That could be said about the Catholic press in our country.
As the United State was forming, opposition to immigration was strong. Sounds familiar?
The lack of social standing of immigrants — many of them Catholic — created a need to unite and educate, to bring news from home, and to fight for civil and religious rights in their new country.
My 12 years attending Catholic schools — eight in elementary school and four in high school — definitely helped shape the person I became in life.
I received an excellent academic education in the Catholic schools I attended, but I benefited from much more than that. My teachers — clergy, Religious, and lay — also taught me about my faith and how to live it out in daily life. I learned the importance of service to others and how to be a leader. And all of these things helped me succeed in life, not only professionally but as a person.
To the editor:
A person breaking an eagle egg gets arrested. A doctor piercing a baby’s heart inside the womb is not arrested. They don’t call it a baby.
A doctor who fixes a baby’s heart in the womb is praised, and they call it a baby.
They call it a mother’s choice to kill or not to kill. Yet they advertise on TV to save the animals. Send money to help animals, because they are mistreated.
One of the first events I covered for the Catholic Herald was a pro-life rally held at the state Capitol on January 22, 1974.
It was held one year after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.
I went back and read that article, which noted that many people attending the rally wore buttons which said, “Give Life a Chance.”
To the editor:
There have been news articles published recently about the problems faced by the BSP clinic (Benevolent Specialists Project) in Madison due to lack of reliable funding.
I have been a volunteer at this free clinic since 2011. While other free clinics offer preventive and routine medical care needed by many, the BSP clinic gives adult patients access to: cardiac care, arthritis management, eye and foot care for the diabetic patient, diagnosis of skin problems, plus blood work and X-rays and MRIs for diagnosis through the support of local hospitals.
Bishop Robert C. Morlino has asked that people in the Diocese of Madison pray for the triumph of good in our world and the overcoming of evil by praying the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel at all Sunday and Solemnity Masses in our diocese.
In doing some research (see www.catholic.org), I learned that Saint Michael the Archangel is the leader of all angels and the army of God. He has four main responsibilities, according to Scripture and tradition:
• To combat Satan.
• To escort the faithful to heaven at their hour of death.
• To be a champion of all Christians and the Church itself.
• To call men from life on Earth to their heavenly judgment.
To the editor:
There have been news articles published recently about the problems faced by the BSP clinic (Benevolent Specialists Project) in Madison due to lack of reliable funding.
I have been a volunteer at this free clinic since 2011. While other free clinics offer preventive and routine medical care needed by many, the BSP clinic gives adult patients access to: cardiac care, arthritis management, eye and foot care for the diabetic patient, diagnosis of skin problems, plus blood work and X-rays and MRIs for diagnosis through the support of local hospitals.
