Local News
Beauty and reverence reclaimed
The recently cleaned corpus of the crucifix at St. Boniface Church cemetery in Chetek is part of a life project of Peter Wise, a parish member and Boy Scout.
Celebrating Our Lady of the Rosary
Holy Rosary School and parish, Medford, held a celebration Oct. 7 in honor of the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Family fun on Michaelmas
Drawing on traditions surrounding the centuries-old celebration of Michaelmas – the Sept. 29 feast day of the archangels, St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael – children in Rice Lake gathered for outdoor activities.
Pet blessings honor St. Francis of Assisi
Many schools have pet blessings in honor of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi in early October.
Cluster invites parishes to “box joy” for children this Christmas
The clustered parishes of St. Peter in Cameron, St. Boniface in Chetek, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Strickland and St. Joseph in Barron have participated in shoebox gift packing for 11 years, sending more than 10,000 boxes, along with messages of God’s love, to children in need.
Statue blessing in Whittlesey
On Oct. 2, Fr. Patrick McConnell blessed the new St. Francis of Assisi statue in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cemetery in Whittlesey.
World News
Vatican offers free e-book for family rosary
The Vatican Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life and the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network have a gift for families for the month of October, which is traditionally dedicated to the rosary.
Some see growing trend in women choosing vocation as consecrated virgins
Amanda Ross and Hanan Ismail lay prostrate before Christ in the Eucharist at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit and vowed themselves to the Lord as consecrated virgins.
Columns
Preserving life: Decisions of consequence
I recently watched a compelling video prepared by a group called “Heartbeat International.” They provide women, who regret having taken an abortion pill, the chance to reverse their decision through a treatment involving progesterone.
St. Joseph, defender of life, pray for us!
This year’s theme for the Respect Life program is “St. Joseph, defender of life,” which is fitting as we celebrate the Year of St. Joseph.
When we doubt the power of prayer
We need to pray even when that seems the most lifeless thing to do. That’s a counsel from Michael J. Buckley with which we need to challenge ourselves daily. In the face of real life, prayer can often seem like the most lifeless thing to do. What difference does prayer make?
On being spiritual but not religious
Nothing so much approximates the language of God as does silence. Meister Eckhart said that. Among other things, he is affirming there is some deep inner work that can only be done in silence, alone, in private.
The richness of the Eucharist
What is the Eucharist? What is supposed to happen when we gather to celebrate the ritual Jesus gave us at the Last Supper and asked us to perpetuate until his return? Is this meant to be a family meal or a re-enactment of Jesus’ sacrificial death? Is it meant to look like the old Latin Mass or like it looks in most churches today?
What we should tell young adults about marriage
Young people today experience various pressures and expectations that can make them anxious. In a recent essay, Professor Timothy P. O’Malley, of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, crisply describes some of the over-the-top pressures that graduating college students are likely to encounter in commencement addresses.
