The attacks, accusations, and demands fly in from every side. "You supported Trump in the election and are complicit in the attack on the Capitol." "You are in the back pocket of the Democratic Party." "You made abortion the only issue in the election." "You were not vocal enough in defense of life." "You need to help stop the steal." "I demand that you publicly affirm that Biden is the legitimate president." "I am leaving the Church because you are too (take your pick) . . . conservative, liberal, silent, vocal, weak, strong." These are all messages I and probably every bishop in ..read more

Fourth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison The Diocese of Madison grew rapidly after its founding in 1946. To help Bishop William P. O'Connor run the new diocese, Msgr. Jerome J. Hastrich was named vicar general, chancellor, and director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Bishop Hastrich became auxiliary bishop of the diocese in 1963. In 1969, he was named the bishop of Gallup, N.M ..read more

It's a scene I'll never forget: my one-year-old son taking his first steps, placing one foot uncertainly in front of the other, arms outstretched toward my hands, eyes wide open in wonder, and a big awe-struck smile on his upturned face. As he closed the gap between us and finally grasped my hand, I swooped him up in a bear hug, and we all cheered for him. Amazingly, after months of crawling and pulling up and falling and getting up again, my baby had learned to walk ..read more

St. Thomas Aquinas parishioner Carol making a delivery of the home altar kit./Miembro parroquial de Santo Tomás de Aquino entregando el paquete del altar de la casa. (Photo by St. Thomas Aquinas Parish/Fotos por el Parroquia de Santo Tomás de Aquino) MADISON -- "If you want to drain Christianity of its power, drain Sunday of its meaning and practice." Recently Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison has urged us to reclaim Sundays as a day for us to spend time nurturing our relationships with God, family, and friends. As the bishop says, they are meant to be "days free of servile work, de ..read more

MADISON -- Along with so many other problems increased by the COVID-19 pandemic, many services for women seeking help with their pregnancies have been stretched very thin. An inspiring new effort is taking place across the United States, to discover, share, and create new resources to help women and their families when they are in need during a difficult or unexpected pregnancy. The U.S. bishops started a unifying and heart-warming task in 2019. It is called "Walking with Moms in Need ..read more

The holiest week of the year -- the days from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday -- are quickly approaching. Last year our churches were closed. These liturgies were celebrated with a priest and a handful of ministers. This year congregations will be present, but certain parts of the Holy Week liturgies may look differently because of the pandemic ..read more

Fr. Rick Heilman, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Pine Bluff, speaks to those gathered for the 40 Days for Life mid-point vigil outside Planned Parenthood in Madison. (Catholic Herald photo/Angela Curio) MADISON -- The 40 Days for Life mid-point vigil was held on March 7 on the sidewalk surrounding the Planned Parenthood on Orin Rd in Madison. Attending and speaking at the vigil were Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison and Fr. Rick Heilman, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Pine Bluff. The vigil marked the end of the first 20 days of the pro-life prayer and fasting campaign to end abortion at ..read more

BARABOO -- During this Year of St. Joseph, a week dedicated to St. Joseph will be celebrated at St. Joseph Parish in Baraboo concluding with a Holy Hour on Friday, March 19, the feast day of its patron saint. Following is the schedule for the week: Friday, March 12 -- St. Joseph Pastor Fr. Jay Poster will present and bless a statue of St. Joseph to each of the school classrooms. Saturday, March 13, and Sunday, March 14 -- Steve Angrisano, will be introducing himself as the Lenten parish mission speaker at all the Masses ..read more

Ninth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison In 1949, the Pallottine Fathers opened Queen of Apostles Seminary on Madison's east side. They made it available to diocesan seminarians. The growth of the Diocese of Madison was reflected in an increase in vocations. By 1962, Queen of Apostles Seminary was filled to capacity, and neighboring seminaries were overcrowded ..read more

VERONA -- The St. Christopher Parish Council of Catholic Women (CCW) will host the spring West Dane Vicariate meeting at St. Andrew Church, 301 N. Main St., Verona, on Tuesday, March 23, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. After a brief business meeting, Catherine Schneider will speak on "Giving Thanks for All We Have Been Given." Schneider served as pastoral associate and adult faith formation coordinator at St. Christopher Parish before her retirement and has continued to offer pastoral care and grief support in a volunteer capacity. She will highlight how Scripture, the Mass, and witness from others open ..read more