World Youth Day 2008 coverage The Catholic Herald will be covering World Youth Day 2008 on location in Sydney, Australia. From our WYD page, get more information and read updated coverage at our blog. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses." -- the World Youth Day 2008 theme, Acts 1:8

Humanae Vitae: A sign of contradiction
July 25 marks 40th anniversary of encyclical on human life

	Special Events • Natural Family Planning Week, July 20 to 26, 2008 • Humanae Vitae Lectures, October 23 to 24, 2008, Madison: Dr. Bradford Wilcox: "Humanae Vitae Got It Right: The Social Scientific Vindication of Catholic Moral Teaching" Resources • Humanae Vitae text online under Holy Father/PaulVI/encyclicals at www.vatican.va • Diocesan Web site on Humanae Vitae events at www.madisondiocese.org/hv40 • Diocesan Natural Family Planning Web site at www.madisondiocese.org/nfp
	Related items this week: • Bishop Speaks page: Bishop prepares staff for anniversary of Humanae Vitae • Editorial: Pope Paul VI's predictions on target

MADISON -- On July 25, 1968, Pope Paul VI released the encyclical letter Humanae Vitae - Of Human Life.

At that time, there were many who anticipated that the Catholic Church would relax its prohibitions on the use of contraception. After all, most Christian denominations had done so.

Contraception was gaining wide acceptance and societal changes were occurring that made the teaching appear outdated and wrong.

Affirmed consistent teaching

Surprising many, Pope Paul VI instead affirmed the consistent Christian teaching of the past 2,000 years on the sanctity of marital love and the error of contraception.

In the following four decades, the Church, through the guidance of Pope John Paul II, deepened its understanding of marital love and continues to hold up sexuality as a critical component of God's divine plan for love and life.

All the while, the world around us seems to continue to abandon these truths. How are we, as faithful Catholics, to respond?

Called to be 'sign of contradiction'

We are called to be "a sign of contradiction - just as was [Christ] her founder." We are called "to teach the law that is proper to human life restored to its original truth and guided by the Spirit of God."   Full story ...

	News & Features: • Special Section: Retirement Living • 'If you build it, they will come': New church in Belleville to meet expanding needs • St. James School celebrates 100 graduations • Green is the new black: How NFP is good for your soul and the earth • Religious differences can't stop dialogue Columns: • Question Corner by Fr. John Dietzen -- What constitutes heresy • Subscribe to print edition Future special sections: Back to School: August 14, 2008 Retreat Centers, Senior Focus: August 21, 2008 Call 608-821-3070 to advertise or subscribe.

Providing flood support,
neighbor to neighbor

By Kat Wagner
Catholic Herald Staff

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	Resource Centers Spring Green Town Hall: 4411 Kennedy Rd. • Wednesday, July 23, through Friday, July 25: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. • Saturday, July 26: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jefferson Knights of Columbus Hall: 155 N. Main St. • Wednesday, July 23, through Friday, July 25: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. • Saturday, July 26: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Mobile Food Pantry on Saturday, July 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SPRING GREEN -- Jim Blau's house is uninhabitable, but for the second day in a row he was at the Community Resource Center at the Spring Green Town Hall, volunteering to help his neighbors recover from the floods.

"I thought, I can't do anything more here now - I figure why not help someone else out?" Blau said. "A lot of people have it worse than we do."

Blau is one of several volunteers from the congregations at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Spring Green, and St. Luke Parish, Plain, who are stepping up to help their neighbors through a Catholic Charities of Madison and Diocese of Madison cooperative effort for flood recovery.   Full story ...

Keeping the light burning
Catholic women hold annual convention

MADISON -- "Keep Your Light Burning," was the title of the keynote address at the recent Madison Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (MDCCW) convention held here at the O'Connor Center. It was given by Jody Waterman from Aurora, Ill.

She asked the women, "Are you on fire? Are you passionate about the council or are you just hanging around?"

She then stressed the importance of National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) mission statement which she then read: "Through its members, NCCW supports, empowers, and educates all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership, and service. We have to respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society in the modern world."   Full story ...