Saturday, January 19, 2008

Living Our Faith - Episode 8

As seen on TV.

Segment 1: Guest Father Bryan Massingale is a priest of our Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He's now on a two semester sabbatical at Marquette University writing a book on Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Catholic Church teaching on social justice. While there are many commonalities, so far he has not found a direct influence of Church teaching on Rev. King's philosophy of justice. King was explicit that he was not a social activist, rather he was a minister of the Gospel. Fr. Massingale's book is to be published by Orbis Books. This topic was chosen because of the upcoming King holiday, or "Feast" as Archbishop Dolan referred to it. If the show is on for a second season, he invited Massingale back to talk about the book.

Commercials.

Segment 2 on the depictions of saints included a visit to Conrad Schmitt Studios. Next Bob Dolan asks our Archbishop about his favorite depictions of saints in churches. He replies naming several churches in Rome, but says he's been impressed with the stained glass windows in some of the rural churches of our Archdioceses.

Commercials.

Segment 3 our Archbishop answers emailed questions. Regarding the upcoming anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, he stressed that this is an issue of a fundamental right to life, not an issue of uniquely Catholic belief. (He called it a "civil rights" issue, perhaps to connect it to MLK.) He did say the anniversary could appropriately be a day of penance or repentance. Regarding people who consider returning to the Church but think they lack education in the Faith, he said he wanted them to be welcome, to feel at home, and to be spiritually nourished. (Does the Living Our Faith initiative include "remedial" catechesis?) As to how Catholics could unite and live our Faith, he said first be joining together at Sunday Mass, in work in soup kitchens, pro-life advocacy, hospice work, work in health care, in our marriages, homes and families, even participation in politics. As a specific, he noted the February 23rd Men of Christ event.

Commercials.

Segment 4 was our Archbishop's closing reflection. When he arrived in Milwaukee, a reporter noted his rapid rise in the Church and asked what his next goal was, Cardinal perhaps. He noted the Second Vatican Council's universal call to holiness, and said his goal is to be a saint, and his job is to help us all become saints. He didn't say explicitly, but it's then everyone's job to help everyone become a saint. (Of course, that's the ultimate goal. I assume his nearer-term goal is to be successful enough in Milwaukee that he's made cardinal archbishop somewhere else. He wisely leaves it to us to say a stint in Milwaukee can be a good career step.)

Next week's topic is education, with Howard Fuller, and some teachers, including an Irish nun who taught young Timothy Dolan in grade school.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:04 AM

    Terry, be careful when you assume ...

    Can't you enjoy anything?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hypothetically, I assume I'd enjoy a visit to New York that included Cardinal Dolan's homily at St. Patrick's.

    ReplyDelete