Vatican politics, review by Harry Readhead of The Outsider: Pope Francis and his battle to reform the Church, by Christopher Lamb, The Times Literary Supplement
Farewell to 'Diogenes': R.I.P. Father Paul V. Mankowski
Terry Mattingly reports today at Get Religion on the recent death, at age 66, of "a witty, conservative Jesuit with a very sharp pen".
"How sharp was it?" you might ask.
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for September 2020 - Respect for the Planet's Resources
At United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
"We pray that the planet's resources will not be plundered, but shared in a just and respectful manner."
Petition to Bishops to Consecrate Wisconsin to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Ave Maris Stella Group is comprised of Pro-Life Catholics who support the Act of Consecrating Wisconsin to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We are petitioning the Bishops of Wisconsin and are working to find the best time, place, and avenue for this public consecration.
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for August 2020 - The Maritime World
At United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
"We pray for all those who work and live from the sea, among them sailors, fishermen and their families."
Parish finances and fundraising during a pandemic
If it's something you especially have to think about, VisionWorks provides suggestions in
Campaigns and COVID 19
and
Spiritually and Financially Healthy Parishes During COVID 19!
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for July 2020 - Our Families
At United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
"We pray that today's families may be accompanied with love, respect and guidance."
Dane County changes 50-person cap on religious services
On Friday, Dane County officials agreed to revise its restriction on religious services to 25 percent of capacity. They said the change was made in order to avoid a costly legal battle. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi explained going ahead with the change will mean the county can use the "tens of thousands of dollars" it would have spent on the case for helping families affected by COVID-19 and the associated economic impacts.NBC15
Madison diocese says it will sue over religious restrictions
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 3, 2020 / 02:10 pm MT (CNA).- Attorneys representing the Diocese of Madison sent a letter to Dane County and City of Madison officials on Wednesday, June 3, notifying officials they will file suit if parishes in the diocese are not permitted to operate at the same capacity as retail outlets.continue at CNA
Under Dane County’s reopening guidelines, retail businesses are permitted to operate at 25% capacity. Places of worship, however, are limited to a maximum of 50 people regardless of the capacity of the building, with regular religious services classified as “mass gatherings,” similar to concerts or music festivals.
“Under the Order, thousands of people may shop together at a mall; hundreds of employees may arrive at an office or factory every morning to conduct the business’s everyday operations; and hundreds of children may spend a few hours bouncing off each other at trampoline parks,” said the June 3 letter sent by lawyers from The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for June 2020 - The Way of the Heart
At United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
"We pray that all those who suffer may find their way in life, allowing themselves to be touched by the Heart of Jesus."
All alone, the Watch Tower
Today's mail was a magazine, a few catalogs, and other items that could be recycled unopened. But one item was different.
It had a printed address label that included "Or Current Resident" but a hand-written return address.
Inside was a letter, that is, a form letter except for a partly hand-written greeting using just my last name, the sender's signature, and a handwritten postscript that the writer could be reached at the return address.
Also enclosed was the tract "How do you view the future?"
Jehovah's Witnesses might evaluate the current pandemic as the wrong time to come to the front door, but they remain persistent. (see Luke 18:1-8)
Celebrating Our Baptism ... Again and Again and Again
Retired Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba's collection of memorial cards from funerals inspired this recent Herald of Hope column for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Catholic Herald weekly.
"The cards invariably record dates of birth and death, sometimes ordination or marriage, and occasionally include a picture, biblical citation or a favorite prayer.This strikes him as strange.
"Almost never do we find the date of a baptism noted..."
"...initial membership in God’s eternal family marks us forever, and consequently its anniversary should really be celebrated every year."He's been practicing what he preaches.
"On the anniversary of my baptism, I always pray for the priest (Fr. Henry Novotny) who baptized me at old Holy Trinity Parish in Racine and for my long-deceased godparents (Mary and Joe)."
A small Catholic college closes, and some fear it won’t be the only one
As she neared the end of high school, Clare Kelnhofer's future had its share of uncertainties. But where she'd go to college wasn't one — at least at first.
Kelnhofer, of Brandon, had decided she'd go to Holy Family College — the only college she'd applied to. The fit was perfect: the right size, the right values, passionate professors, close proximity to family in Manitowoc.
The school recruited her to play basketball. She won a prestigious, full tuition scholarship to pursue a degree in actuarial science.
Then, without warning, Holy Family announced May 7 that the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity had decided to close the college at the end of the summer term.
The village of Pewaukee has filed a lawsuit against Queen of Apostles to block the razing of a historic Catholic church
The village of Pewaukee filed a lawsuit and temporary restraining order May 8 to block Queen of Apostles Congregation from demolishing St. Mary's Church.
St. Mary's Church, 449 W. Wisconsin Ave., is owned by Queen of Apostles and was built in 1858. In late April, the church was designated a historic landmark by the village of Pewaukee Historic Preservation Commission.
Under the village's municipal code, Queen of Apostles cannot be granted a permit to demolish the church without the written approval of the village board. The complaint also noted that Queen of Apostles had not filed a petition under the historic preservation ordinance for demolition.
From a reader:
Everything is quickly coming to a tipping point with the legal dispute between the parish and the local government, the court date tomorrow and the demolition equipment already in position around Saint Mary's.
It is frustrating in the sense that we are so rapidly seeing parishes close these beautiful historic buildings because they are too small or "obsolete" or whatever when it looks like the newer megachurch style parishes which came in with urban sprawl to replace the old parishes only see a handful of baptisms and weddings a year and their massive seating capacities wont really be needed in year 2030 or 2040 and we will probably wish that we had kept more of those picture perfect 19th century gothic type parishes.
Update:
Update on the court hearing, there is a temporary reprieve, another hearing will be held on June 8.
Feast of the Sacred Heart
The Catholic Comeback
Under that heading, the Archdiocse of Milwaukee has issued
Return to Mass Directives, Guidelines and Considerations, beginning Sunday, May 31, 2020. It's three single-spaced pages of bullet points, made up of 47 "Directives" and 6 "Considerations". Among them,
Last I checked, no counterpart had yet been posted at the Diocese of Green Bay, Diocese of La Crosse, Diocese of Superior, or Diocese of Madison.
• The use of facemasks should be encouraged. ...
• The obligation to attend Sunday Mass is dispensed through Sunday, July 5. ...
• Mass attendance should be organized in some way.
o Designate Mass time by household name (A to H, Mass 1; I to O, Mass 2; P to Z, Mass 3);
o Provide a sign-up system either on the parish website or by calling the parish office;
o Assign a Mass time per registered family; ...
• Attendance at each individual Mass is limited to no more than 25 percent of your Church’s Occupancy Permit.
State plans to drop charges against a Pewaukee priest accused of sexually assaulting a teenager
Eddie Morales and Steven Martinez reported at the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"The Rev. Charles Hanel, 62, was charged with second-degree sexual assault of a then-13-year-old girl at Queen of Apostles Church in Pewaukee.The case has been pending since Fall 2018.
"But Assistant District Attorney Mike Thurston filed a letter on Wednesday, stating his intent to drop the charges at the next hearing on June 29."
Book on Muslim-Christian Dialogues Reveals Milwaukee's Central Role
Review by RT Both of
Interfaith Engagement in Milwaukee: A Brief History of Christian-Muslim Dialogue, by Irfan A. Omar and Kaitlyn C. Daly, at
Wisconsin Muslim Journal.
"Dr. Abbas Hamdani, who passed away last year; Sr. Jessine Reiss, OSF (Order of St. Francis); and Sr. Lucille Walsh, OSF, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 101; were the three original founders of the Islamic Christian Dialogue. ...
"Sr. Lucille Walsh’s 1985 letter to His Holiness John Paul II is included as Figure I in the book. At the time, Sr. Lucille was chairperson of the Interfaith Group, which, according to the letter, had the full support of Milwaukee’s archbishop at the time, Rembert Weakland. ...
"After a follow-up letter and a detailed report from Sister Jessine Reiss came the second letter from the Vatican, this time from the President of the Secretariat for Non-Christians (now called the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue), Cardinal Francis Arinze, who thanked Sister Jessine for facilitating this “important activity for today’s world” and for keeping “us informed of the fine work of dialogue” taking place between Muslims and Christians in Milwaukee. 'Our Secretariat gives its full support and encouragement to this important activity for today’s world,' wrote Cardinal Arinze in his letter to Sr. Jessine."
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for May 2020 -Deacons
At United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
"We pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church."
...holding hands during the Our Father. Is this okay?
"Q: I continue to see people holding hands during the Our Father. Is this okay? I’ve heard various arguments, but none of them seem to get beyond rules or preferences."
Editors' answer in the Questions of Faith section atAdoremus Bulletin includes references to the Roman Missal and the 1975 answer of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments to an inquiry.
Locally then-Archbishop Weakland’s confidential letter to priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee (January 7, 2000) included discussion of this issue in the section on Liturgical practices.
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