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I recently read a survey of Catholics which indicated a significant number of the respondents did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is not divine.
We may rightfully distrust the full accuracy of surveys, yet this data point troubles me greatly.
If one does not affirm the divinity of Jesus, our entire Catholic faith is deceptive and illusory.MADISON — On Saturday, Dec. 12, St. Ambrose Academy (SAA) is bringing the party to you.
We’re taking our annual gala virtual with the See the Joy Benefit Dinner @ Home Edition. And we invite you to host a watch party and join the fun!
This is not just some Zoom conference though.
Instead of coming to a downtown Madison venue, you and your guests will gather at your home (or someone else’s!) to enjoy an interactive experience that will bring in a taste of the joyful, social atmosphere that is a hallmark of each SAA Benefit Dinner, which annually welcomes 600 or more friends and supporters.
MADISON — “As 40 peaceful days of prayer, fasting, vigil, and outreach draw to a conclusion, we will meet at Planned Parenthood, 3706 Orin Rd., Madison, on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. to rejoice in the victories that God has accomplished,” said Gwen Finnegan, who is coordinating the 40 Days for Life campaign in Madison.
Some of the highlights of the current campaign include:
• More than 40 churches working together
• 500-plus volunteers contributing 1,920 hours of service to the communityNOTE: The first Rural Life Listening Session scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, in Highland has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No decisions have been made yet on other scheduled sessions in November. A session in Iowa County will be rescheduled sometime after January 1.
The Diocese of Madison Rural Life Ministry is coordinating listening sessions in all 11 counties, so that Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison and diocesan leaders can better understand the blessings and challenges of our rural communities.
We watch with great concern the crises our farmers face, especially the loss of family farms, financial failure, plunging dairy and meat prices, and increasing costs of production, all the while being more productive than ever-before.
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| Good Shepherd parishioners J.P. Fedele and Eileen Alt, above, work the new machine that is being used this year for producing pfeffernuesse cookies. (Photo by Jane Lepeska Grinde) |
MADISON — Rather than a St. James Church basement full of “holy rollers” this fall, only six people are working each of the three weekly shifts to produce the traditional pfeffernuesse cookies sold at the annual fall festival.
For the first time in the 44 years of producing pfeffernuesse, the cookies are being “spit” out of a machine onto the large cookie sheets.
No hand rolling this year
“No hand rolling this year,” said the bulletin announcement to the disappointment of many of the regulars who enjoyed the time for socializing.
The machine, ordered online and previously used by a bakery, took some getting used to, said Paul Scott who oversees the cooking operation.
The machine temporarily replaces one that is a specially rigged sausage maker that produces ropes of dough that are then pushed through a special wire grating for rolling into nicely shaped balls.This is my first and will be my only letter to the community. The upcoming election will be very important, as all elections are. I’m hoping that there won’t be untruths, name-calling, violence, and disrespect during the campaign.
My main reason for the letter is to convey the importance of life. There seems to be a total disregard for this important subject: violence, rioting, looting, shootings and killings in neighborhoods across the country, wars, and abortions.Msgr. James Bartylla, Vicar General, announces the following priest appointments made by Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison, effective Saturday, October 24, 2020, and announced at weekend Masses of Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, 2020.
• Rev. Fr. D. Stephen Smith, resignation from pastor, Christ the King Parish, McFarland, in accordance with canon 538 §1, to pastor emeritus.
• Rev. Fr. Steven Brunner, to parochial administrator, Christ the King Parish, McFarland, per canon 539, from parochial vicar, St. Dennis Parish, Madison. |
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| Fr. Grant Thies, parochial administrator of St. Peter Parish in Madison, leads the Benediction during the second “Unite” Rosary Rally in Madison on October 11. Nearly 1,000 people came out for the peaceful afternoon of prayer. (Catholic Herald photo/Joe Ptak) |
MADISON — In the midst of protests, conflicts over the upcoming election, and a range of varying reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was time for some peace and prayer.
Nearly 1,000 people came out to downtown Madison for those moments of peace and prayer during the second “Unite” Rosary Rally on October 11.
The first rally was on August 15 and brought out more than 3,000 people.
The day also marked the conclusion of a 54-day Rosary Novena that started the same day as the previous rally.
There was an emphasis that the event was not a political event, but a prayer event, despite the closeness to the election and the State Capitol.
Ted Turner, the famous media mogul, once memorably said that Christianity is for losers.
In his opinion, religious faith is a crutch for those who are too weak to stand on their own two feet and simply acknowledge that we are alone in the universe.
What he hurls at us as an insult, we should actually wear as an epithet of honor. Christianity is for losers!
Our faith is custom-designed by God for those who are humble enough to acknowledge that they are sinners in need of a savior, those who do not have it all put together, those who need Christ’s help.
