Once again, we set aside time to reflect on the great blessing we have in our Catholic Schools. In our Diocese, nearly 12,000 students learn how Faith, Knowledge, and Service are integral to their education and provide balance for their future. This week, together with so many people across the United States, I proudly celebrate Catholic Schools. This past Saturday night was our diocesan “kick-off” event as I celebrated the Mass at our Cathedral concluding the annual Brains and Braun Tournament. The Cathedral was nearly full of students, their families, and school leadership from across the Diocese as they received their awards for participation in the tournament. Thanks to everyone who took part in the tournament and the Mass—the heart of our Catholic faith.

As we take time to celebrate our schools, I’m under the impression that there still remains such an agonizing misunderstanding about Catholic schools. My sense is that some of us view Catholic schools through a prism of nostalgic traditions and pious stories with priests and Religious sisters who have faded into our corporate memory. For those who do not view them in such a way, we may find those who consider Catholic schools as no longer part of the essential mission of the Church. Some “bottom-liners” find them utterly irrelevant and ultimately cost prohibitive in a world of “free” tuition and widely available public education. I think this misinterpretation is the nub of the problem. Somewhere between the “pious memory,” the contemporary cost consideration, and their irrelevance to our secular and relativistic mind-set, Catholic schools have lost their identity—not on their own—but because we have failed to recognize their purpose and necessity as part of Catholic evangelization.

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of Catholic Schools’ Week. The annual event began at a time when the nostalgic view was being born with everyone looking back to the way our schools were. It was necessary to understand how the schools were at that time and to look forward to the future and imagine the way our schools could be. The loss of legions of Religious Sisters’ communities who faithfully held the national Catholic school system together dealt an irrevocable blow to schools’ operations, their success, and ultimately, their identity. In 1974, we started to take note of what we were doing to rebuild and rebrand Catholic schools with lay faculties and staffs. The expenses mounted as the Church started to comprehend the true cost of running the schools; the true value and sacrifice of the noble Religious who ran them in a different age also became much more evident, as well.

We have seen much over these 40 years. There are 6600 Catholic schools across the country. In the Diocese of La Crosse we proudly boast 7 high schools with a combined enrollment of 1,565 students; our 63 elementary schools educate 7,138 young people. Viterbo University, the fine Catholic and Franciscan institution that makes its home in La Crosse, has an enrollment of 3,000 students. Catholic schools continue to excel with a 99% graduation rate and 85% of our secondary graduates move on to colleges and universities. Leadership and scholarship continue to serve as the mainstay of the Catholic academic tradition. The driving force of the entire effort is faith in Jesus Christ and the communication of His mission in the world. This is the heart of Catholic identity and without it no Catholic institution can exist.

I am proud of the Catholic Schools of this Diocese and I work hard to maintain them. I know that criticisms abound for a lack of Catholic identity and visible recognition and understanding of the faith. We are working hard to make that essential value a visible reality with our students. Please do not forget—we live in a hard and secular world. Educating children along a moral and intellectual path is not an easy thing. You must not think that we can do this alone—without you. Whether you are a parent with children in school, a grandparent who “put in your time,” a single person with “no connection” to a school—you are essential to the effort. Catholic schools are a community effort—it’s the work of the Church to ensure the future. You’ve got to be involved in that!

Catholic Schools, with Faith, Knowledge, and Service, are preparing the next generation of Catholics. Thanks to our parents, pastors, administrators, teachers, staffs, and to all the VOLUNTEERS who make our schools work. Pray for all those involved in the work of educating our young people in the faith.

Catholic schools—learning to live the values celebrated at Sunday Mass.

See you there.

A while ago I spoke concerning the truth and the integrity of Pope Paul VI’s great encyclical letter, Humanae Vitae. I said that it was one of the most prophetic and true papal documents ever written. Believe it or not, I received several letters in response to that statement from all over the country. Some very intelligent people told me that I was truly out of my mind and I should recognize that “we are beyond that” and “nobody believed that stuff then, and even fewer believe it now.” Well, I guess I never claimed to be all that “current” and “progressive” and all, so I continue to speak and write about it because it matters—and must be made part of our discussions, because as Catholics we seem to have become desensitized surrounding the issues of contraception and abortion (AKA “birth control,” or “women’s health care”).

In 1968—what a year—I graduated from high school and Pope Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae. It was surprising for me to see how many priests and sisters did not support the encyclical and were eagerly trashing the Pope who wrote it! Yes, that was quite a hot summer—1968. As I later began to study theology in the seminary, I discovered the central facts—predictions—prophecies—of the encyclical and their impact upon society.

• First—a “general lowering of moral standards” resulting from sex without consequences;
• Second—the danger that men may reduce women “to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of [their] own desires;”
• Third—an abuse of power by public authorities; and,
• Lastly—a false sense of autonomy.

The encyclical acknowledges that “perhaps not everyone will easily accept this particular teaching.” The Pope, however, goes on to point out that “Since the Church did not make either of these laws, she cannot be their arbiter—only their guardian and interpreter.” The Church cannot “declare lawful what is in fact unlawful.” The encyclical closes with an appeal to public authorities to oppose laws that undermine the natural moral law, an appeal to scientists to further study effective natural methods of family planning, and appeals to doctors, nurses, and priests, to actively promote those methods. Five years later on 22 January 1973, the Supreme Court ruled favorably in the case of Roe vs. Wade. The world has never been the same.

A sad commentary on our time, based on that little chapter of history, is how the Church now finds Herself engaged in a battle to safeguard religious liberty and individual conscience protection in the matter of the mandatory inclusion of contraceptives, abortifacients, and other medical procedures in the Affordable Care Act and reform of healthcare for our country. Currently, the battle seems to focus its attention on the Little Sisters of the Poor, an outstanding community of consecrated Religious women whose only mission is to care for the elderly poor. They fulfill their mission with the zeal and compassion of Christ Himself. My mother died with ten Little Sisters surrounding her bed praying for her and consoling her in those last moments. I am very fond of these Sisters.

Now, however, they are being coerced into accepting the very things that the Pope so clearly condemned in 1968 as they are told they must participate in “health care reform” or face fines and penalties. If they provide health care coverage that does not include contraceptives, including abortion-causing drugs and sterilization, the fines they face will close down their homes and force the elderly poor people they care for into the far less reputable care of others.

Like St. Thomas More, who opposed Henry VIII in 1535, all they have to do is “sign the paper” and let others give and pay for the contraceptives, abortifacients, and other “critically needed” health care procedures. Thomas More was executed rather than sign the oath that would make Henry the leader of the Church. We, however, have a tried and true weapon to fight tyranny and despotism, the Constitution of the United States. It protects us and our individual consciences from laws that usurp the practice of our religious freedom.

I encourage you to consider today, dear reader, the astonishing fact that those who attack the Little Sisters on this mandate know well the Constitutional issues involved, but they are not worried. They fall back on the fact that most Catholic women don’t follow the Church’s teaching on contraceptives. They brag that in fact over 90% of Catholic women have used contraceptives in the past at least once. They use our own lack of knowledge, understanding, and fidelity to Church teachings as a bludgeon against us. That is the “unkindest cut of all.”

Compassion and sensitivity are necessary when approaching the issues at hand; there is no doubt. Once again, however, knowledge of our faith and appreciation of our teachings is so important for us. If we don’t reclaim the heritage of our faith and the correct vision for our livesHumanae Vitae gives us, others will take that ideal from us and ultimately use it against us—and sadly, we will not even see it coming. The virtue of courage is necessary for us to conquer fear and the gift of faith is life in Christ. As Chesterton once said: “The man who stands for nothing, will fall for anything.” Please review and study your faith. Read the Catechism and especially study the teachings of our most recent popes—they have indeed been gifts to our generation.

Our presence at Sunday Mass sure helps!

In the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus challenges the crowds regarding their curiosity about John the Baptist when he speaks about John, “What did you go into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet.” (Lk. 7: 25ff)

Jesus made it very clear that John the Baptist was not some sideshow barker who was out to trade on the latest Messiah craze. He, the Baptist, did not come to announce a new way for people to abandon the faith of their elders, but rather he showed the way for people to realize the strength of their faith and the traditions that they are promised throughout the Scriptures. Most people were surprised by the Baptist and by his message and by his means of delivering it. It was discomforting. It was preparing the way for Jesus.

Well, Jesus arrived. He spoke clearly for Himself, certainly amplifying the Baptist’s message, with perhaps a bit less stridence, but not without an even greater force and emphasis. With Jesus there is a certain level of personal encounter that engages His followers and calls for that same change of heart and commitment to faith, but now with a personal commitment to Him. “Many are called, few are chosen.” (Mt. 22:14ff) “Let those who have ears to listen, hear.” (Mt. 11:15ff)

In these days it becomes popular, even among the followers of Jesus, to think that somehow His message takes on a nuance that reflects the age in which it is preached. If this is so, then it seems that the Eternal Word did not speak, once and for all, a Truth that is for all generations until the end of the world. If truth is changeable and subject to times, places, and various human foibles and trends, then why do we need Jesus in the first place? Did He just offer the primer by which a new philosophy of life would be launched upon humanity? Are we, and each generation after us, the ultimate designers of His message to suit our needs and times? It seems that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” (2Tim. 4:3ff)

There is currently a great curiosity concerning Pope Francis. He does have a way of saying things that are often perceived in a provocative and a less nuanced manner than any pope many of us have ever known in our personal histories. A voracious media, hungry for what it sees as ultimate change in the Catholic Church, has magnified the Pope in such a way that would “turn the head” of a lesser man. This Pope is the Vicar of Christ and the Successor of Peter, and he knows it. It was to Peter that Jesus, Himself, gave the keys of the kingdom—the power to bind and loose, and this Pope knows that as well.

Sometimes it seems that there are those among us who expect to see a reed shaken by the wind or some other merely human manifestation of papal power that is going to advance the cause of the undoing or the radical changing of the Church. I doubt that very much. I believe we may be witnessing, in Pope Francis, a new method of delivering the same Good News that the Church, in Her Wisdom and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, has delivered since She was born from the open side of Christ on the cross: “there is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph. 4:5 ff)

A resolution for the future: celebrating the faith at Sunday Mass.

We stand at the mid-point of Advent—Gaudete Sunday. “Rose color” vestments of this Sunday remind us that the liturgical season of Advent is nearly completed and we are drawing near to the celebration of Christmas. But let’s not move too quickly away from Advent. While Advent is a short season and, unfortunately, cluttered with the secular pandering toward “the holidays,” Advent is most significant for us as a people who wait. We wait beyond these four weeks—we’ve waited for two thousand years—we expect to wait as long as it takes.

Advent, the spiritual writers and teachers remind us, is a great season of preparation for the coming of Christ. St. Bernard of Clairvaux preached about the three comings of Christ in his Advent homily. His reflection is, of course, one of the mainstays of Advent spiritual reading, and offers us a bit of promise in these days. The mysterious and mystical ways of God are always unknown to us and surprise us when revealed to our consciousness. God’s ways are not our ways, so it is necessary for us to ponder—as the Blessed Mother did—to ponder them in our hearts.

The first coming, of course, intimately involves the Blessed Mother. She bears in her body the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, Jesus Christ. Mother Mary provides His human body through the great mystery of the Incarnation. (We have just celebrated her Immaculate Conception and today we honor her under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe—patroness of America and Mother of the Unborn.)

That first coming—the Incarnation—is the essence of our Christmas celebration. The Word made Flesh is visible for all the world, all the ages, and all human history to see, study, evaluate, and emulate.

The third coming will likewise be a visible encounter. Jesus will come again at the end of time as the judge of all creation. It is He who has redeemed us and it is He who will separate the good from the evil, presenting the good and all redeemed creation to His Father, and pronouncing in turn, the sentence of damnation for those who have chosen it.

These two comings of Christ are clear and visible. There will be no mistaking His presence. The second coming of the three, as described by St. Bernard, is a bit more mystical and faith-filled. The second coming is the presence of Christ who is “with us,” the One who is with us “until the end of time.” (Mt. 28:20)

The spiritual presence of the Risen Christ in our midst, especially in the Most Blessed Sacrament, is certainly a mystery and a reality that requires our daily attention. This “second coming” reveals Jesus as the Companion along the journey between two points: the first, His coming as the Savior in our flesh at Christmas; the second, His coming again in glory at the end of time.

The three comings of Christ focus our attention on the life of grace and the sublime attentiveness of God for His creation. St. Paul reminds us that we walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Cor. 5:7) The gift of grace illuminates our hearts and souls especially concerning our care and service for our brothers and sisters (Mt. 25: 31ff.) thus guiding our way along the journey of life. We do not walk alone; Jesus is with us. His Church provides the sacramental and spiritual structure that gives meaning to the daily aspects of human life.

During the season of Advent, all channels of human knowledge, understanding, emotion and sentiment about God come to a glorious nexus that allows for the mind and heart to contemplate all three comings of Christ in one single liturgical season. The omnipresence of God can be savored and explored so as to build up our genuine awareness of God’s creation and continued sanctification of the human race.

We say, with Scripture, “Come, Lord, Jesus!” We say this with certainty of faith, knowing that He has come in history. We say this with certainty of faith, knowing that He is with us, in and through His Church, inspiring true faith, hope and love. We say this with certainty of faith, knowing that Christ will come again in glory at the end of time.

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22: 17, 20)

He will come at Sunday Mass—hope to see you there!

Pope Francis will launch a global wave of prayer on December 10 to end world hunger. Starting at Noon on the Pacific Island of Samoa and cascading around the world through all times zones, the wave will pass through our diocese at Noon and then return to Samoa 24 hours later. The wave of prayer is the first step in a wider campaign against world hunger which affects over 842 million people around the world. This campaign is sponsored by Caritas Internationalis, and supported by CRS and Catholic Charities USA.

Many of you know that I serve on bishops’ committees put in place for service to the world-wide Church. Two of the committees more pertinent to my message today are Catholic Rural Life (CRL) http://www.ncrlc.com and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) http://www.crs.org.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the world-wide charitable organization of the Church specifically formed to assist in emergency and disaster relief efforts. You know of CRS’s charitable outreach in areas such as Haiti and, most recently, in the Philippines.

Catholic Rural Life (CRL), of course, is significant for life in our diocese because so many of our communities are dependent on farming and related agricultural activities. Some of the many activities CRL is involved with include supporting a new Farm Bill and expressing concerns about some mining and sand fracking matters. I hope you’ll take some time and follow the links to learn more about these two Catholic organizations and their incredibly good works.

Pope Francis will join Catholics and members of other faiths around the world using the power of prayer to raise awareness that hunger is unacceptable and can be defeated. For seventy years, CRS has been answering the call to combat hunger globally helping 26 million people around the world to feed themselves.

If you are thinking of Christmas gifts or planning Christmas parties or dinners, might I suggest that you consider checking out the website for the Pope’s Global Wave and perhaps offer assistance as you are able http://crs.org/food-for-all. Please remember that here in the Diocese of La Crosse, I am inviting you to pray to end hunger on December 10, at 12 Noon—maybe before lunch.

Blessed Second Sunday of Advent!

On the twenty-second of November we noted the fiftieth anniversary of the death of a famous Christian writer: Clive Staples Lewis. C.S. Lewis, as he is widely known, is favored by many Catholics for his works, such as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. Raised in the Church of Ireland but declaring himself an atheist by age 15, Lewis slowly re-embraced Christianity through the works of authors George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton. Lewis eventually joined the Church of England, much to the disappointment of Tolkien who had hoped he would become a Catholic. Nevertheless, many Catholics have been moved and influenced by his works. One of the most famous and often quoted literary works from our earliest days of childhood is The Chronicles of Narnia. A famous epic which unfolds throughout seven novels describing the foundation and the destruction of a mythical kingdom called Narnia.

For our Advent reflection, let’s examine the major characters of the series. The four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, represent humanity in the mythical land of Narnia. Aslan, the Great Lion, is the central character who appears throughout all seven books. Aslan is a talking lion who is wise, compassionate, and filled with magical and spiritual authority. He is the mysterious and benevolent guide to the human children and the savior and guardian of Narnia. C.S. Lewis described Aslan as a version of Jesus as He might have appeared in an alternative reality.

After their first adventure described in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the four children are once again transported to Narnia in Prince Caspian. While it had been only a year in their earthly lives, many more years had passed since their previous adventures in the mythical kingdom. They discover that everything has changed, and not all for the better. After a series of difficulties, Lucy, the youngest of the children, is finally reunited with Aslan in a forest clearing. She is full of affection for the lion and rushes to embrace him with her head fully lost in his ample mane and gazes up into his large face.

“Welcome child,” he said.

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”

“That’s because you’re older, little one,” he answered.

“Not because you are?”

“I’m not. But each year you grow, you’ll find me bigger.”

Advent encourages us to be like Lucy. We are called to approach Jesus and realize that as we grow spiritually we will find Jesus to be bigger. There will always be more Jesus than we can ever comprehend—more Jesus to know—more Jesus with whom we can form an even deeper relationship.

Advent is the season when we look deeply into the mystery of the Incarnation—the “how’s” and “why’s” of the coming of the Redeemer. We will always have questions about His coming; but we should never have doubts about His presence and His willingness to have us come to Him. Like the unending generosity of God, we can’t outgrow His presence. As we grow in the spiritual life He will always seem bigger, more interesting, more welcoming and friendlier.

This Advent, as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, take some time to discover how deep is the mystery and presence of God in your life.

Candle one is lit this week. Blessed Advent and I’ll see you at Mass.

The Year of Faith will conclude this Sunday, the Solemnity of Christ the King, but our desire to seek the face of Jesus must continue. It may take time for us to see fully how the intended effects of the Year, evoked by Pope Benedict XVI, were achieved. Nevertheless, the Year of Faith has produced some fairly remarkable events around the Church and, specifically, around the Diocese of La Crosse.

We began the Year of Faith in October 2012, which coincided with the Fiftieth Anniversary of the beginning of Vatican Council II. The documents of the Council were called directly into focus with specific attention being given to the archetypical Constitutions: “Lumen Gentium” and “Gaudium et Spes.” These two documents in particular show “who the Church is” and “what the Church does” in the modern world. These two Council documents were mandatory reading during the Year of Faith—of course, if you missed them during the Year, they are still worth your time and effort.

Secondly, the Pope stressed the beauty of the teachings of our faith in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which celebrated its twentieth anniversary during the Year of Faith. No Catholic home should be without these two volumes: The Holy Bible (which should be read frequently, and, if possible, openly at family gatherings), and the Catechism. I have known many Catholics who put together games—such as “Catholic Trivia”—based on facts found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This is still a unique way to teach about and discuss the basics of our Faith.

In our Diocese our focus was “Seeking the Face of Jesus.” The fundamental sense of knowing Jesus was based on us being aware that He is the human face of God and the deeper our union with Him, the greater our love; the greater our love for Him, the stronger our willingness to witness—to tell others about Him. This is basic “evangelization.” One of the tools we adopted for this work was the tool our Blessed Lord chose for Himself: the cross.

Simple wooden crosses made by a dear friend and benefactor of our Diocese, were distributed to each of our parishes and all of our apostolates. I am happy to say that those crosses made their way throughout homes and institutions all over the nineteen counties of western and north central Wisconsin—the Diocese of La Crosse.

So, now what? Well folks, we have spent time getting to know Jesus and His Church; maybe now it’s time for us to get up and get out and tell the Good News to others. You will be hearing more about the “mission” that Jesus has given to the Church—to us—over the coming months. The blueprint for our work will be found in Blessed John Paul’s 1990 encyclical: “Redemptoris Missio” or “The Mission of Christ the Redeemer.” Here the saintly pope speaks on the “permanent validity of the Church’s missionary mandate.” It is a fitting way for us to reflect on the lessons of the Year of Faith and implement the methods of what recent popes have called the ”new evangelization.” I think you will find this unfolding of faith in action a beautiful way of loving Christ in your heart and serving Him in the world around you.

Come to Mass this Sunday and proclaim Christ the King—then, let’s get to work about His mission and His Church!

Viva Cristo Rey!

Greetings, Everybody. I thought that it would be a good idea to get this statement out to you as soon as possible from our Bishops’ Conference meeting. There is still serious concern for the burning issues that assault our religious liberty and we all need to stay in prayerful vigil that Divine Light may shine in so many areas where darkness currently prevails. Thanks for your continued support and interest in this important task of defending our religious liberty. God be with you.

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The bishops of this country have just concluded their traditional fall meeting in Baltimore and have spent time on issues important to them and their people: help to those suffering from Typhoon Haiyan; an update on the situation in Haiti; matters of worship and teaching; service to the poor; and comprehensive immigration reform. Among those priorities is the protection of religious freedom, especially as threatened by the HHS mandate.

Pope Francis has reminded us that “In the context of society, there is only one thing which the Church quite clearly demands: the freedom to proclaim the Gospel in its entirety, even when it runs counter to the world, even when it goes against the tide.”

We stand together as pastors charged with proclaiming the Gospel in its entirety. That Gospel calls us to feed the poor, heal the sick, and educate the young, and in so doing witness to our faith in its fullness. Our great ministries of service and our clergy, religious sisters and brothers, and lay faithful, especially those involved in Church apostolates, strive to answer this call every day, and the Constitution and the law protect our freedom to do so.

Yet with its coercive HHS mandate, the government is refusing to uphold its obligation to respect the rights of religious believers. Beginning in March 2012, in United for Religious Freedom, we identified three basic problems with the HHS mandate: it establishes a false architecture of religious liberty that excludes our ministries and so reduces freedom of religion to freedom of worship; it compels our ministries to participate in providing employees with abortifacient drugs and devices, sterilization, and contraception, which violates our deeply-held beliefs; and it compels our faithful people in business to act against our teachings, failing to provide them any exemption at all.

Despite our repeated efforts to work and dialogue toward a solution, those problems remain. Not only does the mandate undermine our ministries’ ability to witness to our faith, which is their core mission, but the penalties it imposes also lay a great burden on those ministries, threatening their very ability to survive and to serve the many who rely on their care.

The current impasse is all the more frustrating because the Catholic Church has long been a leading provider of, and advocate for, accessible, life-affirming health care. We would have preferred to spend these recent past years working toward this shared goal instead of resisting this intrusion into our religious liberty. We have been forced to devote time and resources to a conflict we did not start nor seek.

As the government’s implementation of the mandate against us approaches, we bishops stand united in our resolve to resist this heavy burden and protect our religious freedom. Even as each bishop struggles to address the mandate, together we are striving to develop alternate avenues of response to this difficult situation. We seek to answer the Gospel call to serve our neighbors, meet our obligation to provide our people with just health insurance, protect our religious freedom, and not be coerced to violate our consciences. We remain grateful for the unity we share in this endeavor with Americans of all other faiths, and even with those of no faith at all. It is our hope that our ministries and lay faithful will be able to continue providing insurance in a manner consistent with the faith of our Church. We will continue our efforts in Congress and especially with the promising initiatives in the courts to protect the religious freedom that ensures our ability to fulfill the Gospel by serving the common good.

This resolve is particularly providential on this feast of the patroness of immigrants, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. She was a brave woman who brought the full vigor of her deep religious faith to the service of the sick, the poor, children, the elderly, and the immigrant. We count on her intercession, as united we obey the command of Jesus to serve the least of our brothers and sisters.

After not hearing from me in nearly a month, I send greetings from Baltimore and the annual Fall Meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It seems as though we were just here, but now return with what seems like the same amount of material still requiring our attention and action for the good of the Church and for the protection of our religious liberty in our beloved country. The issues regarding the HHS mandate still loom over our heads and we are hopeful to be updated with some positive news. Your prayers are most welcome and certainly appreciated as we move through this week.

In early October I enjoyed the fellowship of our priests and deacons at the Annual Fall Clergy Conference, held at the Holy Cross Diocesan Center. We concentrated our efforts on parochial issues, the distribution of talent among our current band of clergy, and some new ideas for the future. This time of fellowship and study was well spent with many blessings received. Themes surfaced that may have a broader range of interest including our continued positive efforts in maintaining Catholic identity in healthcare, End of Life Issues, Durable Powers of Attorney for healthcare, and the like. These topics will provide us with future parish seminars and study groups. Another topic presented was our updated marriage preparation program. It is important that we ourselves become more clearly focused on the beauty and the gift of marriage given to us by God as the whole Church prepares for the Synod of Bishops convening next June to study and discuss Marriage and Family Life. I also took some time to share our work in this area with the Diocesan Pastoral Council at our meeting earlier this month. As you might think, there is great interest surrounding marriage these days.

The Diocesan Pastoral Council was also given an update on my meeting with the Wisconsin Catholic Conference held in Milwaukee at the end of October. Items discussed there included healthcare mandates and the preservation of conscience rights for medical professionals, the immigration reform efforts currently being considered in Congress, and some discussion of the Common Core in education curricula that may have some effect on Catholic schools.

This past month for me has been quite a whirlwind with meetings all over the country and Confirmations all over the Diocese!  All in all, I steadfastly maintain without a doubt, this is certainly an exciting time to be Catholic!

We’d certainly enjoy sharing the excitement with you at Sunday Mass.

Since returning from Rome and a visit with our seminarians there, I have been overwhelmed by the beauty of the season here in God’s Country – blue skies, Fall colors, perfect temperatures, and farmers in the fields – an absolute delight. Hard to find anything troubling in a season that seems so serene, right? Well, unfortunately, we do need to revisit some troubling signs that continue to poke at us in terms of current “man-made” events. We still have some worries that dog us regarding government interference in our lives and liberties.

As we all know, the Catholic Church is committed to safeguarding the right to life and is vigorously supportive of the defense of our first amendment rights concerning religious liberty and conscience protection. I am concerned that many Catholics, however, have either given up on our struggle, thinking: “This is a lost cause, anyway,” or even more unfortunately, have never gotten involved.

For the past two years, “Fortnights for Freedom” rallied many Catholics and fostered widespread awareness that our religious liberties, guaranteed by the Constitution, were in jeopardy. The continuing debate and multiple lawsuits against the government by dioceses, charitable organizations, and privately owned Catholic businesses, have left us with little time to change some policies in Washington and offer support for those who are friendly to our cause in Congress.

The HHS mandate stating that “all Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity” still remains a toxic piece of legislation that frustrates the just application of the first amendment rights of all citizens and is particularly odious to Catholics and all people of faith. The government continues to maintain its stand in favor of the HHS mandate and the “reproductive rights” guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act despite having been told over and over that these pieces of legislation violate citizens’ first amendment rights and, more seriously, transgress the moral commandments of God. The case has repeatedly been made to protect the integrity of the Constitution, and to convince those responsible that following these policies will violate our consciences and open us up to deliberate cooperation with evil.

I invite you to support a new opportunity to stop this attack on our liberty. Members of Congress who stand with us in favor of the integrity of the American Constitution and who also stand with us in support of the value of human life are putting forth an amendment to the Affordable Care Act called H.R. 940, the Health Care Conscience Rights Act. This amendment would affect the ACA ensuring that the federal government cannot require individuals, charities, or businesses to buy insurance coverage that includes items or services against which they have deeply held moral or religious objections. It would also ensure that the federal government, or any state or local government receiving federal financial assistance, does not discriminate against any health care entity or worker for abiding by his or her conscience and refusing to provide, train, or refer abortion services. The Health Care Conscience Rights Act would guarantee a private right of action for victims facing discriminatory practices.

This is still a time of action. The Administration needs to know that the policies and mandates of the Affordable Care Act and the law being put into effect on January 1, 2014 are offensive and objectionable, especially to Catholics. I think Washington sincerely believes that we Catholics are indifferent or are downright abandoning the call of the American Bishops to take action in this area.

It is time for Catholics to rally. Please call your member of Congress and urge support of H.R. 940. The beauty of autumn reminds us that the seasons are changing. There is an awareness of winter close at hand, but there is always a hope of new life and a springtime that will come again. I encourage you to be a part of the new life that we as Catholics and as Americans must deliver to our leaders. I sure hope you will consider this invitation and respond positively.

Fill October with love for life, and I’ll see you at Sunday Mass.