"Current Affairs"

August 25, 2009

The Year for Priests

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I have heard from many priests and lay people concerning the importance of getting the Church’s message about health care “out there.”  This is such an important issue for our time and one that the Church has championed for centuries.  The care and protection of all human life as a gift from God is central to the proclamation of the Gospel; and our concern for the poor and marginalized springs from the nobility of human solidarity that all creation is made in the image and likeness of God.  When one combines the two in the crucible of justice and charity, one comes to understand the complexities of life that must yield to the Church’s relentless care for all of humanity from natural conception to natural death.  The issue of health care is indeed of paramount importance.  I encourage you to take a look at the letter, written by His Eminence, Cardinal Justin Rigali, of Philadelphia.  He writes on behalf of all the bishops to clarify the Church’s teaching and Her response to the issue.  Find the complete letter at this Web site: http://www.usccb.org/prolife/CardRigaliHealthCareReformLetter-08-11-09.pdf .

I also call your attention to a new posting on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Web site concerning the new Roman Missal that will be used at Mass in all the English speaking countries of the world starting in 2010.  The language may seem a little different because we (in the USA) will finally be using a common version of the Latin translations like so many other countries of the world have done since the Council.  It has taken a long time to prepare and, believe me, the bishops have worked hard in making this translation come together.  It will take a bit of “getting used to” but ultimately we will learn to be as comfortable with the new translations as we are with our current ones.  Check it out at:
www.usccb.org/romanmissal. 

St. Francis de Sales’ Rector, The Very Reverend Donald Hying, has a new radio show on Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. on Relevant Radio 100.1 FM.  You can also catch all kinds of seminary news at: www.sfs.edu.

Finally, I invite you to attend one of the productions of: VIANNEY. Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbO8spOpbSo .  Oh, please keep in mind, the correct quote from St. John Marie Vianney is: “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Christ.” (That’s what happens when they don’t give me cue cards…) Please plan on attending.

Have a wonderful day and God be with you!

Faithfully in Christ,

Most Reverend William Patrick Callahan

Archdiocesan Administrator
Archdiocese of Milwaukee

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