When I was in sixth grade, I remember writing a paper about why space exploration was important. I felt that it was essential to explore outer space, since it is part of God’s creation.
That’s why on July 20, 1969, while I was in college, my friend Ginny and I were glued to the television to watch Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong step onto the surface of the moon. He famously said, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The windows at St. Maria Goretti Church in Madison sparkled, the church was immaculate, and smiling faces at the entrance greeted people who came for Evening Prayer to begin the installation events for Bishop Donald J. Hying on June 24.
Parishioners and staff at St. Maria Goretti Church had pitched in to get their church ready for the installation of Madison’s new bishop. Fr. Scott Emerson, parochial administrator of St. Maria Goretti, was justifiably proud.
The St. Maria Goretti crew were part of many people who worked behind the scenes to prepare for the installation. It was wonderful to see how people throughout the diocese joined together to welcome our new bishop.
Clergy sexual abuse has impacted many people in society and the Church, including those working in the Church’s “Supreme Court” at the Vatican.
“This work has changed me,” the priest who heads Vatican Disciplinary Action in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith told Catholic journalists June 19.
“When I read the facts of the cases, I feel repulsed,” said Msgr. John Kennedy. However, he and the 16 others working in his office carry on with the work. “For victims and for their parents, it is far worse,” he said. “We’re doing this because it needs to be done to restore what has been damaged.”
Fathers play such an important role in the lives of their children.
My own father died when I was only 16 years old, but he had a profound impact on my life.
Thomas Joseph McDonald (better known as Mac) was married later in life. He actually stayed with his own father until his death.
I’m sure my father received many of his values from my grandparents and great-grandparents, who are buried in the cemetery at Holy Rosary Parish in Darlington.
Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers gathered on Sunday, May 19 [2019], at St. Maria Goretti Church for the annual White Mass sponsored by the Catholic Medical Guild of the Diocese of Madison.
When my ancestors settled in Wisconsin from Ireland, Germany, and Belgium, many of them came to this state because other family members had arrived previously.
Today, this would be called family-based immigration. Some of the reasons why my relatives came to the U.S. were the same as they are today.
They were seeking freedom of religion, since most of them were of the Catholic faith. They left their home countries, where they may have had low wages and poor living conditions. They hoped to create a better life for themselves and their families. Some came to escape war and conflicts in their countries.
Young adults today are less likely than older generations to join a church, but there are signs that more young adults are coming back to churches.
A report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research examined church membership of young adults ages 18 to 34. While some findings were discouraging, researchers also found that some churches have increased young adult participation. The report drew conclusions that any church can use to draw young members, according to a post on boxcast.com (https://www.boxcast. com/blog/what-can-your-church-do-to-attract-young-adults)
Three men will be ordained to the transitional diaconate for the Diocese of Madison on Friday, May 24, during a Mass at 7:30 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 5101 Schofield St., Monona. Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee will preside at the ordination.
Members and guests of the Madison Catholic Woman’s Club were reminded of God’s mercy through the speaker at their 105th annual Spring Celebration and the recipient of the club’s annual Christian Achievement Award.
The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) offers excellent resources for concerned citizens who want to put Catholic Social Teaching into practice.
One example is the WCC Action Alert on the State Budget sent on May 10. The headline on this email alert says, “TAKE ACTION! RESTORE MEASURES THAT SUPPORT VULNERABLE AND COMMON GOOD IN STATE BUDGET!”
