In November, a Chinese scientist named He Jankui (known to his associates as “JK”) claimed he had successfully produced the world’s first gene-edited human babies using “gene surgery.” The twin girls, he said, were born somewhere in China with a modified gene that makes them immune to infection from HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
In June, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published the sixth edition of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. The document, approved by majority vote during the 2018 Spring General Assembly, affirmed the Church’s commitment to the healthcare ministry and covered multiple topics related to the ethical standards of behavior and guidance for current moral medical issues.
Saturday morning I took off my wedding ring to make gingerbread cookies with the kids. Given their ages – 6, 5 and 3 years old – you can imagine there were a handful of times I wondered if the effort was worth the memory-making tradition.
Kindergarten students from St. Joseph School in Rice Lake rehearse the Nativity scene for their Christmas Program.
To honor the early church virgin and martyr, St Lucy, the fourth-grade students at Nativity of Our Lord School surprised all the teachers, staff and volunteers in the building with a sweet roll and coffee on Dec. 13.
Ten years ago, the Knights of Columbus Council 2137 hosted their first American Red Cross blood drive. Thirty drives later, the Rice Lake Knights have collected enough blood to save nearly 5,000 lives.
Since 2002, Ashland has been home to an annual sing-along performance of Handel’s Messiah oratorio. On Friday, Dec. 14, the 16th concert was offered by the Ashland Chamber Music Society at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church.
Advent, Christmas, New Year’s. It is natural to assess one’s happiness this time of year.
Bishop James P. Powers 2018 Christmas message.
Band director Adam Bever and members of the St. Joseph School Band, from St. Joseph School, Rice Lake, received an award for “Best Theme” for their float in the Rice Lake Christmas Parade.
