http://chnonline.org/ Tue, 21 May 2013 02:21:42 +0000 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://chnonline.org/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://chnonline.org/ Herald of Hope Bishops' columns. http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/archbishop-jerome-e-listecki/12195-life-changes-radically-with-ordination.html http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/archbishop-jerome-e-listecki/12195-life-changes-radically-with-ordination.html On May 14, 1975, my life changed radically with the simple act of the imposition of hands for a few brief seconds by John Patrick Cardinal Cody the Archbishop of Chicago. I processed out of the Chapel of Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary with my 37 classmates as an ordained priest for the Roman Catholic Church.

I had to face the reality of the responsibility of the priestly office. I imagine in some sense it’s like a couple on their wedding day walking into church engaged but single and now emerging husband and wife, tied to each other in a commitment made before God.

It takes time to assimilate what happens in an act of commitment. In my case, I had prepared for this moment of ordination for 12 years (minor seminary, college and theology). One would think that 12 years would be a sufficient time for a young man to be ready to integrate all understanding of priestly life.

In the years of seminary training, in addition to one’s academic training, a young man is subjected to a formation program. This formation program is essential in the development of the man who will one day be a priest.

It focuses on the integration of the human, psychological, intellectual and spiritual dimensions of the person. This assists the seminarian in addressing the questions that emerge in his own life and those posed by the culture he must engage. But the seminarian does so in transition as he progresses from year to year. It is not until the act of ordination that one truly begins to live it.

Although a priest is assigned to serve a particular parish, he is really ordained for the whole church. The collar becomes an open invitation for anyone who is curious about the church, who wants to share his or her experiences or just needs advice.

There is an immediate connection to the collar and one understands that he stands on the shoulders of all who have gone before them, for best or worst. There were countless occasions in my 38 years as a priest, be they in airport terminals, on trains or in waiting areas, that conversations about religion, about a favorite priest or something happening with a family member or friend turned a perfect stranger into an immediate friend.

I have come to appreciate that the priesthood is truly a gift, not only as a vocation in my life but to the universal church.

Blessed John Paul II, in “Pastores Dabo Vobis” (“I Will Give Them Pastors”), stated: “Without priests, the church would not be able to live that fundamental obedience which is at the very heart of her existence and her mission in history, an obedience in response to the command of Christ: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations’ (Mt 28:19) and ‘Do this in remembrance of me’ (Lk 22:19; cf. I Cor 11:24), i.e., an obedience to the command to announce the Gospel and to renew daily the sacrifice of the giving of his body and the shedding of his blood for the life of the world.”

Despite the terrible incidents of clergy sexual abuse which have scarred our history, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has a proud priestly tradition of dedicated men who have profoundly influenced the shaping of the church, community and individual lives.

I love to hear the stories that our parishioners tell of their former pastors or associates. Many speak with such admiration for their personal accomplishments. The histories of our parishes are replete with stories of the characters that occupied the positions of pastor.

On May 18, four young men will be ordained for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee: Patrick Burns, Phil Schumaker, John Paul Mitchell and Arulanathan Ponnaiyan.

They represent the growing internationalization of the priesthood. These are seminarians influenced by the papacy of John Paul II. These are children of the New Evangelization.

The four men were in the first year of theology when I arrived as the new archbishop. I have memories of my first encounters with them. Patrick Burns and Phil Schumaker accompanied me to an Admirals hockey game when I was invited to ceremonially “drop the puck.” They, along with now-Fr. Ryan Pruess, arrived at my door and they looked like shiny new pennies, well-scrubbed, wearing white shirts, sweaters and ties.

I asked them if this is how they normally dress to attend a hockey game. Sheepishly, they told me that their rector, Fr. Donald Hying, told them they must dress appropriately to accompany the archbishop.

It didn’t stop us from cheering like maniacs. Patrick and Phil have acted as my master of ceremonies for various archdiocesan events. John Paul Mitchell accompanied the Milwaukee delegation and me for the “ad limina” visit to Pope Benedict XVI. He has been deacon for my Masses celebrated in Rome. I was fortunate to have visited the region of India that Arulanathan Ponnaiyan is from.

Arul had never experienced the cold and snow before coming to study for the priesthood in Milwaukee. He arrived in January. In below zero temperature, he went out on the front lawn of the seminary without coat, hat or gloves and started to play and make snowballs from the newly fallen snow. Not realizing the effects of the cold and snow, his hands started freezing and his ears were in danger of frostbite. Needless to say this Indian has adjusted and now has become a true Wisconsinite with hat, scarf, coat and gloves. Perhaps ice fishing is next for him?

The brief act of the imposition of hands will forever change their lives. They will be priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and,, as their archbishop, I will be forever grateful to God for their vocations. ]]> Tracy Rusch Thu, 16 May 2013 20:14:32 +0000 http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/bishop-donald-j-hying/12170-theres-much-to-celebrate-in-our-local-church.html http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/bishop-donald-j-hying/12170-theres-much-to-celebrate-in-our-local-church.html Maybe it’s because spring is finally in the air, but I feel a great spiritual ferment bubbling up throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Everywhere, Catholics of all ages and backgrounds seem to be asking the same questions and making similar observations.

How can I live my faith more deeply and passionately? How can we reach out to all the inactive Catholics? The church is going through difficult times, but we will emerge stronger. I like the great example of Pope Francis and the energy he brings. I know God is calling me to something deeper, but I don’t know what that is.  

Among the Year of Faith, the call for the new evangelization, planning for the future of the archdiocese, and the election of the new pope, many local Catholics are thinking about and practicing their faith with new ardor, creative imagination and holy zeal.

I sense a general perception that we know it can’t be business as usual regarding our Catholicism, if we hope to contribute to the flourishing of the church in southeastern Wisconsin.

At the risk of failing to mention hundreds of worthy examples of local Catholics flourishing, I would like to point out a few activities, movements, ideas that really capture my admiration and imagination.

The Office for the New Evangelization, headed by Rich Harter, is organizing evangelization teams in parishes, offering retreat days, workshops and formation to help Catholics to better witness their faith to others.

ARISE, a regular spiritual gathering for people of all ages, offering preaching, reconciliation, music and eucharistic adoration, is regularly attracting hundreds of people.

The Milwaukee Black Catholic Commission is working hard to evangelize and sustain African-Americans in their faith through a variety of programs and events.

“Sustaining the Mission,” a formation experience for Catholic school teachers, sponsored by our schools office and implemented by the St. Clare Center of Cardinal Stritch University, is grounding our educators in a deeper sense of the Catholic faith.

The vocations office, led by Fr. Luke Strand, is offering prayer, service and fellowship opportunities for young people as they discern their vocations within the church. Many people are inquiring about the priesthood and religious life.

The Hispanic Ministry Plan continues to gain traction and velocity as it moves into the implementation stage. Recently, 800 Hispanics participated in a retreat day at Cousins Center prior to Holy Week.

Utilizing new opportunities, the Catholic Stewardship Appeal continues to reach more local Catholics with a great message regarding opportunities to support the vital ministries of our local church, with great success.

The Nazareth Project, headed by Lydia LoCoco, reaches out to the engaged, the married, parents and families with challenging, meaty and inspiring formation regarding the beauty of human life, sexuality and marriage.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society has more members in the archdiocese than ever before, as these servants of the poor continue their compassionate and dynamic work.  

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is reaching out to new generations to experience the power and dynamism of the Holy Spirit.

Thousands of local Catholics are meeting in prayer groups, study sessions, going on mission trips, offering volunteer service, speaking up for prison reform, serving the needs of women in crisis pregnancies, feeding families, reading the Bible, examining the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the documents of Vatican II, catechizing our youth.  

As I behold this moment in our local church, I am filled with hope and gratitude. Despite all of the problems and challenges, there are inspiring disciples of all ages who carry the torch of faith with confidence, embrace the work of the Gospel with generosity and serve the needs of others with sacrifice.

It is so easy to focus on the negative, to point out what is wrong and lacking, what needs to be fixed, but just take a look at what is right! Praise God! ]]> Tracy Rusch Thu, 09 May 2013 19:45:29 +0000 http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/archbishop-jerome-e-listecki/12143-may-is-time-to-remember-mothers-especially-mary.html http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/archbishop-jerome-e-listecki/12143-may-is-time-to-remember-mothers-especially-mary.html There is a saying that April showers bring May flowers. If that’s true, then I am anticipating a super abundance of blooming flowers.
May is the month of Mary. As a child, it was the month of those endearing May crownings, when grade school children form a procession either in church or a parish courtyard to recite the rosary. Then one lucky girl is selected to place a crown of flowers on the head of Our Blessed Lady while an appropriate hymn is sung: “Daily, Daily Sing to Mary,” “Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above,” or “Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue.”

May crowning was an important moment in the school year. The tremendous confidence that we all had in the intercessory power of Mary was demonstrated. The sisters reinforced that devotional life and, without hesitancy, I can attest that it has served as a source of consolation for me and for others. To this very day, I rely upon those Hail Marys to see me through difficult situations. It’s comforting to know that mother is with you.

We have a number of opportunities to exercise our Marian spirituality in our immediate region.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has a Marian Shrine at 141 N. 68th St., Milwaukee, next to the Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary where the prioress is Mother Miriam Leonard.

Whenever I want a spiritual lift, I visit the Dominican Sisters because they manifest a joy of the living Lord and display a confidence in prayer sorely needed by our society. I quickly discovered this oasis shortly after I arrived in Milwaukee. The devotional prayers of the sisters are a comfort in the shadow of the Marian Shrine.

The Carmelite Fathers have the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians located at Holy Hill, 1525 Carmel Road, Hubertus. Fr. Don Brick, the basilica director, provides a schedule of Marian devotions. Holy Hill, one of the treasures of the archdiocese, is well known throughout the Midwest. It’s worth a visit, especially on a beautiful spring day.

In Waukesha there is the shrine dedicated to Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt, located at W284N404 Cherry Lane. Rosary devotion is celebrated by the Schoenstatt community.

Just outside the archdiocese there is the Shrine of our Lady of Good Help (Champion) located in the Diocese of Green Bay, 4047 Chapel Dr., New Franken, where a Marian apparition took place.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, located in the Diocese of La Crosse, is a beautiful setting with a multitude of Marian presentations beginning with a pilgrims walk to the main church.

May is also a month that celebrates Mother’s Day. This is a wonderful way to acknowledge the person who offered us life. Everyone needs a mom and even when tragedy or circumstances denies the natural mother her place with the child she bore, there are special women who fill the void and have a rightful claim on that title “mother.”

We need to acknowledge our gratefulness to our mothers for sharing their lives with us. Spiritually, we even speak of our godmothers, the ones who have a spiritual bond from baptism.

My mother’s sister was my godmother. She was like a second mother to me. She was selected as one who could, in the event of the inability of my parents, raise me in the faith, and they were confident that my aunt would do so. For all of my growing up years, I was blessed to have two mothers. Unfortunately, my godmother died in 1969 and my mother died in 2002. I remember them before God in prayer that their lives and love have forever formed me and supported my dedication to Christ and his church.

Relatively speaking, the time we have on earth is short. It’s important not to squander our opportunities to tell those that we love of their importance in our lives. I encourage you to call Mom, write a note or send flowers. But if you can make a visit, there’s nothing better for a mother than a child’s hug no matter how old the child.

During May we should also honor Mary our Mother, Mary the Mother of our church. She deserves a visit. There are plenty of places to meet her; it can be as close as our rosary.

The Lord intentionally entrusted Mary to the Apostle John not only for John to take care of his mother but for Mary to take care of us, the children of his church. “…he said to his mother, ‘Woman behold your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother.’
And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home” Jn 19:26-27.

Maybe those May flowers will produce a huge spiritual bouquet befitting a mother who has given us so much. ]]> Tracy Rusch Thu, 02 May 2013 22:32:28 +0000 http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/bishop-donald-j-hying/12115-as-christians-were-called-to-become-peacemakers.html http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/bishop-donald-j-hying/12115-as-christians-were-called-to-become-peacemakers.html The media are filled with horrific details of the bombing in Boston, the murderous practices of Dr. Gosnell, the abortionist who snapped babies’ spines if they surprisingly survived outside the womb, and the increase of poverty in Milwaukee.

When it comes to human dignity, respect for life and peace, our society seems to be moving in the wrong direction. As Catholics, these radical violations of human dignity disturb us. As we observe “Safe Environment Week” in the context of April as the National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the theme held up is “Makers of Peace.”

We honor Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace, as the Son of God who came to us in order to establish the Reign of God, which is eminently peaceful for it is established in the perfect love and justice of God himself.

Through his violent death and glorious resurrection, Jesus has taken upon himself all the violence, sin, hatred and evil of the world. He became the scapegoat so that all scapegoating could end. His Paschal Mystery reconciles humanity to God and to each other. Christians then are called to become peacemakers, to act out the Gospel, to become ambassadors of reconciliation.

In Pope Francis, we see the power of the symbolic gesture. In just a little more than a month, our new pope has captured the attention and heart of the world through acts of service, humility and love. Calling his newspaper boy in Buenos Aires to cancel his subscription, diving into crowds to hug and greet people, washing the feet of imprisoned youth, choosing to celebrate his daily Mass for Vatican workers, embracing the little boy with cerebral palsy on Easter Sunday have impressed even many non-Catholics and moved people to a deeper faith.

I always marvel at the difference between reading the text of a play versus seeing it acted out. I remember reading “Hamlet” in high school English class and finding it difficult to understand the archaic language, track the many characters and follow the plot. A few years later, I saw the play brilliantly acted out by an expert group of players. The color, emotion, life and meaning of the play came gloriously alive. Is it not the same with faith?

When we forgive and seek forgiveness, support a young woman in a crisis pregnancy, sacrifice to keep our children safe, healthy and holy, feed the poor, visit a sick relative, stand up for the marginalized, seek better help for drug addicts, and visit prisoners, do we not act out the Gospel of Jesus Christ and become the peacemakers that he speaks of so movingly in the Sermon on the Mount?

Christians are called to become experts in human nature, walking at times in the shadow of death, bearing the wounds of the world’s suffering and hatred, doing prayer and penance in atonement for our sins and those of others while at the same time radiating the joy and hope of the boundless possibilities for goodness, justice and peace offered to us through the risen Christ.

By simply acting out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, we help unleash the radical love of the crucified Jesus, the ultimate spiritual force that can heal the sickness and evil of the world.

This week, I concelebrated the Mass of Atonement, offered by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki at St. John Vianney Parish, Brookfield. The Eucharist is the culmination of all our individual actions for peace, justice and mercy, for it is the action of the Lord Jesus himself, the one who takes us up into his sacrifice to the Father and brings peace and salvation to humanity.

Because Jesus sacrificed himself, we do not need to sacrifice each other. The killing of Jesus heals our disordered desires for revenge, hatred, exclusion and violence. As the church continues to seek to create a safe and holy environment for all people to flourish, especially our beloved young, we rededicate ourselves to actions for peace, mercy, justice and joy. Such is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are the peacemakers! ]]> Ricardo Torres Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:29:33 +0000 http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/archbishop-jerome-e-listecki/12101-catholics-make-voices-heard-in-madison.html http://chnonline.org/herald-of-hope/archbishop-jerome-e-listecki/12101-catholics-make-voices-heard-in-madison.html Every two years, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) sponsors Catholics at the Capitol. This program promotes the importance of involvement in the political process as a means of fulfilling our religious responsibility to care for the society in which we live and place before the legislative leadership our positions as the Catholic Church.

The meeting began with a prayer led by Bishop Robert C. Morlino, bishop of Madison. We must never forget prayer leads to action. Prayer grounds us in our response to all issues and guards us against falling into an ideological spirit. We do what we do out of our need to fulfill Christ’s mandate to care and love one another.

This year’s presentation included a keynote address by Bishop Peter F. Christensen in which he responded to the day’s theme: “Reclaiming the Common Good in the Year of Faith.”

His reflection of our participation as an outgrowth of our spirituality was placed within the context of “civility” in all our interactions – even with those who may oppose us. The “common good” looks to the good of the whole community as opposed to an individual good which only looks to the good of a single person. In this Year of Faith, we acknowledge we are responsible for the good of our brothers and sisters.

As a church, our involvement in the political process is founded in the voice that our church provides in the social discourse. As Pope Benedict XVI stated in “Deus Caritas Est,” #26: “The church … cannot and should not replace the state. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. She has to play her part through rational argument and she has to reawaken the spiritual energy without which justice, which always demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper.”

The meeting was held at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, located in the shadow of the State Capitol. Catholics from all over the state representing the five dioceses of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, La Crosse, Green Bay, Madison and Superior – participated in the day’s activities. Participants included members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, parish human concerns committees, diocesan social justice offices, Catholic schools offices, diocesan pastoral executive offices, communication offices, students from Newman Centers and individual Catholics.

After the presentation by Bishop Christensen, participants divided into groups for breakout sessions with experts in areas of social interest. Some of the breakout sessions included prison reform in Wisconsin, environmental stewardship, marriage and society, peace and nonviolence in the Holy Land, the church’s teaching on life – sustaining treatment, health care for the poor and vulnerable and aging, finding employment, parental choice in education, the dignity of life, introduction to Catholic social teaching, solidarity and subsidiarity and our first, most cherished liberty.

I attended the presentation on our first, most cherished liberty given by Bishop Morlino, who connected the relationship of religion and freedom by defining those terms.

When we redefine our sense of religion by imposing a type of universal spirituality we relegate our sense of religion to a personal experience apart from any objective criteria. Religion becomes a private experience and one is free, within the personal context of one’s own life, to believe whatever he or she wants. However, don’t bring it into the public forum and expect to have a voice in the public discourse.

Bishop Morlino, a longtime promoter of natural law, lamented the fact that our social discourse often denies the existence of natural law. As a result, our public policies and freedoms suffer.

Lunch included a surprise visit by Gov. Scott Walker who graciously took time out of his very busy schedule to address the gathering. He praised the Catholics present for their interest in the political process and presented his budget proposal in light of some of our common social goals.

This is the first time in eight years of my attendance at this event that the governor has addressed Catholics at the Capitol. Whether one agrees with the governor’s positions or not, it was a wonderful mark of leadership and a respect for faith-based advocacy groups.

The day ended as it began with prayer after which the participants were challenged to visit legislative leaders, especially those who represented their districts.

The message to our legislators focused on four budget-related issues:

1) Approve provisions fostering greater parental choice in education. All parents should enjoy the right to choose where and how their children are educated.

2) Maintain existing coverage for Medicaid recipients and expand coverage for those of limited means by providing for expansion and increased funding of Family Care, the state’s community based long term care program and approved increased funding for mental health services and the establishment of an Office of Children’s Mental Health.

3) Remove the provision that exempts rent-to-own agreements from the Wisconsin Consumer Act. These transactions are predatory and constitute usury; they prey on low income families and those least likely to afford financial missteps.

4) Increase budget funding for Treatment Alternatives and Diversions (TAD) programs these programs are far more effective than incarceration. It is a community-based treatment program that will make our state stronger and safer by reducing crime and recidivism, strengthening families, increasing job readiness and reducing poverty.

We are blessed to have a strong representation at the Capitol. John Huebscher, the WCC executive director, is ably supported by Barbara Sella, Kim Wadas and Cathy Coyle-Kaufmann, but they need the Catholic community to make a statement by their voices and votes.

It is obvious to me that many treat the Catholic community as a paper tiger whose voice is quickly dismissed. Perhaps it’s time to put teeth into the tiger, but this can only be accomplished when legislators see and hear their constituents.

I would love to see 1,000 Catholics at the Capitol in 2015. I promise that if that happens, then I will lead the group in a walk to the steps of the Capitol to visit our legislators. ]]> Ricardo Torres Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:17:15 +0000