Across ArchMil - weeks of December 29th 2014 and January 5th 2015

Annysa Johnson reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Father Robert Harrison, a Capuchin priest with Milwaukee ties removed for sex abuse "... after admitting that he sexually abused minors in Milwaukee and New York in the 1970s and '80s ...
"Between the 1960s and 70s, he served at St. Francis and St. Benedict the Moor parishes in Milwaukee, the St. Francis Friary, and the Carmelite School for Boys in Wauwatosa ...
"He also appears to have taught at St. Francis School and Messmer High School ..."

The Associated Press reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel $500,000 at stake for Catholic Church in Nevada sex case appeal. "The Nevada case alleged that Feeney's [Fr. John Patrick Feeney, since deceased] conduct was well known in Wisconsin, but the Green Bay diocese failed to notify officials in Nevada." These facts bear some resemblance to those in the California case that resulted in our Archdiocese of Milwaukee paying $8.25 million as its approximately one-half share of a 2006 settlement of ten claims of sexual abuse by two priests. (See Life after ‘terrible storm clouds of California’, by Brian T. Olszewski in the Milwaukee Catholic Herald.)

The Wisconsin Catholic Conference announced that "With the start of the new legislative session, WCC staff will resume regular publication of the Capitol Update every two weeks, with special updates as events warrant."

From the Chancery

At the Our Faith blog, Archbishop Listecki lists his Top 10 Year Events. He means the top ten from last year, not the top from the last ten years, but either way he'd probably have picked "1. The Archdiocesan Synod...". He's also Saying Goodbye to Bishop Hying.

Brian T. Olszewski reviews Archbishop Listecki's five years here as Building upon 'deep faith' of the community. "The archbishop said that he knew he wanted to do a synod, and felt that the archdiocese should do a synod, 'but there were many voices that did not want to do it, didn’t think it was the right time.'" Makes me wonder why he wasted people's time asking their opinion when he'd already made up his mind. It raises the question if that wasn't a real consultation, why should we think the Synod itself was?

Here's a promotional video for Catholic Schools 2014-15 in our Archdiocese. "It's an education you can have faith in!" The question is do the statistics show it's an education your kids will have faith after.

In these recent Catholic ID videos, Rich Harter talks about Clean Thoughts, "Do thoughts & words matter? Yes, they really do", and the Messiah Identified, "Man? Prophet? Messiah? Who is Jesus to you?".

In the Herald of Hope column in the Milwaukee Catholic Herald, Bishop Sklba manages to find in The Gift of the Magi: Welcoming the unwanted.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court (E.D. Wis.)

There's a Notice of Hearing January 15, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. on a Motion of some creditors objecting to the redaction by our Archdiocese of names of some abuse victims from the documents supporting its pending motion to dismiss some claims. The issue is whether these victims are potential witnesses whose testimony might be relevant to dismissal.

St. Francis Seminary invites women to the de Chantal Society, "Gatherings include eucharistic adoration, benediction and spiritual formation, followed by an informal reception", and invites everyone to the Salzmann Library Book Discussion Group (though book discussion groups seem to skew female).

In the Milwaukee Catholic Herald

Tracy Rusch reported that, just as Archbishop Listecki said, 2014 Year in Review: Archdiocesan Synod was main event. By my count, the item-by-item listing gave the Archdiocesan bankruptcy a 9-2 lead over the Synod.

Ms. Rusch also compiled the staff's choices for the Most inspirational people of 2014.

Maryangela Layman Roman also reported on Fr. Robert Harrison, the Capuchin with Milwaukee ties removed from public ministry in New York.

In a recent column which the Herald retitles Our differences are a gift from God, Fr. Ronald Rolheiser says "Similarly for how we conceive of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, how we imagine Christ as being really present inside of bread and wine, can take many forms and can be spoken of in different ways, without it meaning that we’re speaking of a different reality." Similarly except for "imagine" and "inside".

Lay Organizations

There's a "Reflection: Why Believe? By Frank Pauc" in the January 2015 Catholics for Peace and Justice Newsletter. "As Catholics, we believe that bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ." Well, it's probably safe to assume that's literally the opposite of what he meant.

"Dr. Duke Pesta to discuss ;C.S. Lewis and Faith in a Faithless World' on Jan. 18" at St. John the Evangelist Church in Greenfield, according to the local CUF Chapter January 2015 newsletter. Good to see the interdict of Dr. Pesta at St. John's is limited to his criticizing Common Core.

Lenze provides "Two Reflections on being homeless in Milwaukee" in the latest Case Maria newsletter. There are also some of the corniest jokes this side of a homily.

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