
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
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Visit our blog for articles that shed light on marriage matters. Catholic Life is the official magazine of the Catholic Diocese of La Crosse. The magazine focuses on evangelizing Christianity.
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
7M ago
A family story of following God’s plan in life, marriage and parenting
“I just had to see who the cute boy was,” Nerissa Printz remembers thinking over 30 years ago when she was in middle school. That ‘cute boy’ was Neil, who is now her husband. He grinned ear to ear as the two reminisced about days gone by, when things were certainly simpler for the two of them but much less beautiful as well.
In the years since those two Catholic middle schoolers met, they have given the gift of life seven times over, have become grandparents and have been on the brink of death, all while following God’s wil ..read more
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
7M ago
Protecting Time for God and Praying to Mary
Troy and Lindsey Kroening and their eight children espouse what it is to be genuinely Catholic. What’s their secret?
Living a countercultural life is inherent to living an authentically Catholic life. One is swimming against a variety of currents, many of which attempt to reshape the structure and dynamics of the family. It takes fortitude and intentionality to raise faithful children in this culture. Troy and Lindsey Kroening are among those who have taken up the good fight for their family of 10.
The Kroenings are a family that prays together daily ..read more
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
1y ago
Navigating the in-between
Matt and Rachel Sheils were happily serving the Lord as pastors in Canada for what they thought was their lifetime career. Matt was the seventh-generation pastor in his family for the Salvation Army. Rachel left the Catholic Church as a teenager after a Protestant friend asked her difficult questions that she couldn’t answer. Yet today, as self-proclaimed unlikely converts, they are faithful Catholics at St. Ladislaus Parish in Bevent (Hatley), a tiny, tight-knit community located between Wausau, Stevens Point and Green Bay, where Rachel’s father grew up. What led the ..read more
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
1y ago
“Holy Spirit, come into my heart, and in your power draw it to you.” (St. Catherine of Siena)
Amid a culture and period of history that feels particularly bleak, people still long to live joyfully. They are drawn to the image of a life saturated with meaning. As Catholics, we know that the ultimate source of life is found in Jesus Christ and His Church. In the community of Chippewa Falls, an increasing number of men, women and children are coming to that same conclusion thanks to the efforts of the city’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program.
RCIA isn’t a 10-step progr ..read more
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
1y ago
I am always honored to go out and speak to groups of people, and lately, I have had the opportunity to talk to many confirmation students. One of the questions I ask them is, “What is your goal in life?” Inevitably, someone raises their hand and regurgitates the standard Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) answer, “To get to heaven.” I always respond by saying, “That is a great answer. But your answer begs another question. If the goal in life is to get to heaven, why do people want to spend eternity with God when they can barely spend one hour at Mass?” Immediately, a wave of blank sta ..read more
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
1y ago
Lauren is honored to work with women along their fertility journey
“The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral—the dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body. The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God’s creative miracle to bring new saints to heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature; God joins forces with mothers in performing this act o ..read more
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
1y ago
Maggie and Kaleb Frawley live natural family planning
Like most tween and teen girls growing up in Oshkosh, Maggie had a lot of experience babysitting—enough experience to convince her that she never wanted kids of her own. She and her family were Catholic, attending Mass every weekend. Her dad, who is Lutheran, would join them occasionally, most often on Christmas and Easter. In college, Maggie went to Mass on and off. Her animosity toward a family life remained fueled and continued into her professional career. She had a few relationships here and there, but for her, love was subjective and ..read more
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
1y ago
Through the devastation of their dairy farm, Marty and Kathy experienced God’s love through their extended family.
Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mt 12:50)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace …
Marty Nigon, the 6th of 10 children, loved living on a dairy farm near Rochester, Minn. The strongly Catholic Nigon family attended Mass at The Church of St. Francis of Assisi Parish and sent their children to its Catholic school. Marty was fortunate enough to go through the second grade there before having to switch to a smal ..read more
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
2y ago
What was your favorite book growing up? Mine, at least in the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, was the November edition of the Sears catalog. Opening the catalog up to the toy section was like opening the door to a world of possibilities. I would go through and put a check beside all of the toys I hoped to receive at Christmas. On Christmas morning, there was always the anticipation, excitement and even a little anxiety about which toys I might receive. As I grew older, I found more excitement in watching people open my gifts to them. Fast forward to present day, and all I truly want is tim ..read more
Catholic Life » Marriage Matters
2y ago
Brian and Alisa find God’s love in their children
Brian and Alisa Weiss, along with their seven children, are a joyful family in their parish, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Richland Center. Having a large family turns heads when they are out together. “People say, ‘You’re either Catholic or Amish, and I saw you drive up in a car, so…,’” Brian says. “I love taking our kids to church. We often get compliments on the size of our family,” says Alisa. “In the secular world you might get a head nod.”
The couple, married for 21 years, are now at ease with having seven children. Natural Fam ..read more