patron – Madison Catholic Herald


	Veronica Arntz

St. John Paul II — the beloved pope and now saint — contributed a vast amount of knowledge and wisdom to the Church’s teachings on marriage and family.

Born on May 18, 1920, and ordained a priest in 1946, Karol Wojtyla’s adolescent years were marked by the reign and violence of the Third Reich.

Philosophy of personalism

Due largely to his devout Catholic parents, Wojtyla, rather than turning to violence himself, cultivated his mind through poetry and plays, eventually turning to philosophical inquiries, particularly in personalism.

Autumn reminds us of St. Francis

We celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4. This is appropriate because Francis loved God’s creation.

During autumn, God creatively works through nature to convert fall’s leaves to a beautiful scarlet and gold. This change reminds us that God changed Francis from a carefree green youth into a committed Christ-like saint. His conversion invites us to ask God to also change us.

Through the ages, Catholics, non-Catholics, and non-Christians have loved Francis. He has influenced millions by his pure Christ-like goodness, love of creation, and joy.

Importance of the communion of saints

What a great feast day we celebrated on Sunday, a feast that calls us to focus on one of the phrases in the Creed over which we might grow accustomed to pass too quickly. We say at the end of the creed, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints…”