In the ongoing National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage, the U.S. Catholic bishops call attention to the meaning and value of married life for the Church and for society.
Tag: marriage
Apply faith to voting
To the editor:
It is necessary that we vote according to our properly formed consciences as Catholic Christians. We have to stand up for what we believe and cannot check our Catholic faith outside the voting booth.
The right to life of every human person from conception to natural death is the primary and thus the most essential of all human rights. We should remember that the poorest of the poor is the human person in the womb that is menaced with abortion.
Survival: a victory truly worth celebrating
 |
| 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,
Last Friday evening I was privileged to celebrate the Eucharist for the International Retrouvaille gathering here in Madison. It is always an honor to welcome others to our diocese, particularly when the community gathered has an international flavor.
Many of you know that Retrouvaille is an excellent movement in the Catholic Church which calls for husbands and wives whose marriage is, to some degree, in trouble, to the kind of conversion-of-heart that enables them to rediscover the sacramental grace that they receive for the first time on their wedding day and that they are called to renew in the Lord every blessed day. The members of Retrouvaille are very seasoned people as husbands and wives, though not necessarily seasoned in the sense of “older,” and they are very strong in their faith. It is always an energizing experience to be among them.
Survival: a victory truly worth celebrating
|
| 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,
Last Friday evening I was privileged to celebrate the Eucharist for the International Retrouvaille gathering here in Madison. It is always an honor to welcome others to our diocese, particularly when the community gathered has an international flavor.
Many of you know that Retrouvaille is an excellent movement in the Catholic Church which calls for husbands and wives whose marriage is, to some degree, in trouble, to the kind of conversion-of-heart that enables them to rediscover the sacramental grace that they receive for the first time on their wedding day and that they are called to renew in the Lord every blessed day. The members of Retrouvaille are very seasoned people as husbands and wives, though not necessarily seasoned in the sense of “older,” and they are very strong in their faith. It is always an energizing experience to be among them.
Are we marriage friendly? Strengthening marriage personally and in our parishes
Marriage and family are the foundation of society and the Catholic Church, yet it seems as if marriage and family life are being threatened in today’s world.
In our country, we see many couples cohabitating or having sexual relationships and bearing children outside of marriage. For those who do marry, husbands and wives are dealing with stress, infidelity, and discontent often leading to separation and divorce.
Rally defends truth of one man, one woman
 |
|
| A protester silently holds a sign defending marriage during a rally July 27 in front of the State Capitol in Madison as counter-protesters marched loudly up State Street. (Catholic Herald photo/Kat Wagner) Click here for more photos of the rally. |
MADISON — In terms of sheer numbers, if not volume, the counter-protestors won.
Hundreds marched up State St. towards the State Capitol where no more than 30 people stood waiting for the “One Man, One Woman” rally to begin at noon July 27. Standing on the Capitol steps, it was impossible not to hear them coming, shouting slogans as they went.
An overheard comment on the steps of the Capitol between two members of the media likened the scene to that in Lord of the Rings as the horde marches to battle, suggesting cutting shots of the protesters with shots from the movie.
But through it all, even when the crowd reached the Capitol and began shouting from the other side of the thin barrier of police tape, those people within the yellow-taped area stood firmly, silently. Some held signs; others held rosaries or children.
“Thank you to those with the courage to stand up for marriage,” Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), said to the crowd, which some estimates put at 50 rally supporters. “It takes courage to stand in the public square and say it takes a man and a woman to make marriage.”
Growing in grace: Our NFP journey
 |
| Andy and Mary Fabian |
This story begins in 1992, when one man married one woman the old-fashioned, non-destination way with eight bridesmaids, a wedding march, a dollar dance, and a DJ.
Cradle Catholic married Purely Protestant and the first issue up for debate was how to postpone pregnancy (the arguments about in-laws and money came much later).
Help for troubled marriages
Is your marriage tearing you apart? Are you married to a stranger? Do you feel lost and alone?
Diocese seeks NFP instructors
If Natural Family Planning (NFP) has touched your life or blessed your marriage, you may be called to share the joys of NFP with others.
Retrouvaille offers help for marriages
Is your marriage tearing you apart? Do you feel lost and alone? You are invited to find help through Retrouvaille, where husbands and wives are helped to re-discover each other and discover that there is hope and grace.