Uphold Catholic moral vision:
While serving people of all faiths

Fr. J. Bryan Hehir gives the keynote address at the recent Catholics at the Capitol legislative conference held at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison. (Catholic Herald photo by Julianne Nornberg)

By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- Visiting the state Capitol is not a "secular trip," Fr. J. Bryan Hehir told approximately 280 Catholics from throughout Wisconsin in his keynote address at the recent "Catholics at the Capitol" legislative conference sponsored by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) and other Catholic organizations in Wisconsin.

Instead, Hehir said Catholics bring their faith to the Capitol as expressed in a "moral vision of the kind of society we should be." This vision is rooted in Scripture and cultivated by church teaching. "We come to the Capitol, to every place in society where decisions are made," said Hehir.

As president of Catholic Charities USA, Hehir works with a national network of 1,640 Catholic agencies serving over seven million people each year. Hehir pointed out that the Catholic Church supports the largest health care, education, and charities systems in the United States. These systems - although reflecting a clear Catholic identity - serve people of all faiths.

Rooted in Scriptures

Hehir explained how the Catholic moral vision of today is rooted in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. The creation account in Genesis reveals the sacredness of the human person and the importance of stewardship of creation.   Full Story ...

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By Pat Casucci
CATHOLIC HERALD CORRESPONDENT

(See also sidebar: OLA Parish history)

BELOIT -- JubOLAtion 2003 events on Sunday, May 18, at Our Lady of the Assumption (OLA) Parish will honor the past 50 years, celebrate the present, and look keenly to the future.

JubOLAtion will celebrate the future for the parish with groundbreaking ceremonies at 3 p.m. for the new, diamond-shaped church. The edifice, planned during an intensive three-year campaign called "Honoring Our Past: Building for the Future," will be located between the present church and the parish administrative center.

OLA Pastor Fr. Gary Krahenbuhl said that since the founding of the parish in 1953, "We have been blessed with people of great faith and creativity, wonderful vision, and a willingness to work diligently to achieve the visions that have been set. Our 50th anniversary is a celebration of God's accomplishments through the people of OLA these past 50 years."

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