ASHTON — St. Peter Parish is again participating in the Box of Joy program.
This is an annual Christmas gift ministry organized by local Catholic schools, parishes, and groups across the United States and facilitated by Cross Catholic Outreach.
ASHTON — St. Peter Parish is again participating in the Box of Joy program.
This is an annual Christmas gift ministry organized by local Catholic schools, parishes, and groups across the United States and facilitated by Cross Catholic Outreach.
Dear Sisters and […]
On December 3, 1967, station WISC-TV in Madison aired the first-ever Sunday Mass for the Apostolate to the Handicapped.
MADISON — The Madison Catholic Woman’s Club (MCWC) opens their hearts to children at their annual Christmas luncheon by bringing gifts of toys and clothing to benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Little Drummer program.
This year’s luncheon is at Rex’s Innkeeper, 301 Century Ave., Waunakee, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 12 noon.
Al Anderson, retired music educator, professional trombonist, and music historian will present “Sounds of the Season: Holiday Songs Like You’ve Never Heard Them.”Just before Christmas, we learned of more violence in the world. In Berlin, Germany, a truck drove into a crowd of holiday shoppers at a Christmas market, killing at least 12 people and injuring as many as 50.
This attack came just hours after the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey. The gunman was identified as a Turkish police officer who yelled, “Don’t forget Aleppo. Don’t forget Syria,” after he shot Andrei G. Karlov in the back.
Jim Mahoney, a Marine sergeant, was married shortly before going overseas in World War II. He and his wife never had the chance to celebrate Christmas together.
He returned from the Pacific in December of 1945, hoping and praying that he would make it home in time to be with his wife for Christmas so he could surprise her with a special Christmas gift.
He flew into New York City on Christmas Eve after the stores were closed. As he rode in a cab, he noticed a drugstore that was still open. He stopped the cab and made a purchase.
During this wonderful time of the year, when Christians throughout the world focus minds and hearts on the coming of God himself upon the earth as one of us, our attention naturally turns to the place where the incarnation occurred.
While all the earth is a holy creation of the Almighty, Bethlehem and the surrounding lands that Jesus walked upon, taught upon, miraculously acted upon, suffered and died upon, and gloriously resurrected upon is uniquely holy, and thus deserving of the title Holy Land.
In the Holy Land, the Prince of Peace taught humanity the way to true peace.
Just a few weeks ago, at a ceremony for the lighting of the national Christmas tree, President Obama remarked on the meaning of the season. Here are some of the things he said:
“Over these next few weeks, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, as we retell the story of weary travelers, a star, shepherds, Magi, I hope that we also focus ourselves on the message that this child brought to this Earth some 2,000 years ago — a message that says we have to be our brother’s keepers, our sister’s keepers; that we have to reach out to each other, to forgive each other.
This column is the bishop’s communication with the faithful of the Diocese of Madison. Any wider circulation reaches beyond the intention of the bishop. |
Dear Friends,
The Book of Wisdom, Chapter 18, verse 14 says, “For while gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone, Your all powerful word leapt from heaven, from the royal throne.”
It is a beautiful prophecy of the night of our Lord’s Birth. That’s why it’s the introit from the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas and it is a biblical reference, along with others, which give context to the beautiful Christmas hymn, “Silent Night.” Silence is part of the essential clothing, if you will, of Christmas.
Robert Cardinal Sarah, the Prefect for Divine Worship, has written a beautiful new book about the power of silence. Unfortunately, it is only available in French for now.