I recently received a letter from a young college student who was a member of my former diocese in La Crosse. The note related how I was missed, and that I’ll always occupy a special place in her heart and prayers. But, she went on to say how good it was to have a new bishop and how important it was to have someone who would shepherd the diocese. She described the sense of connectedness that the bishop represents.

I am constantly aware the bishop is a symbol of unity for the entire diocese or in our case, the archdiocese. Recently, I celebrated Sunday Masses at St. Richard, Racine, and St. Lawrence, St. Lawrence, two completely different areas in the archdiocese, one urban and the other more rural. It was obvious to me that I, as the archbishop, represented the sense of unity of the archdiocese with all the parishes, with all the dioceses in our state, our country and with the church of Rome.

I remember the prophetic words of the great Dr. Mortimer Adler, well-known philosopher and educator, who remarked in a discussion symposium in the 1980s that unless we get our immigration policy under control, we will risk dividing the country and even severely damaging our economy and cultural way of life. He was not taking sides; he was merely stating his observation. Now, more than 20 years later, the country is divided on this critical issue and there is a need for all of us to step back and to reflect with reason on this important issue.

This may sound like a simple statement, i.e., to reflect with reason, however, it is obvious that the emotions that surround this question have often led to a polarization. Because of our recent economic woes, there is a tendency to look for a scapegoat, and it’s easy to characterize illegal immigrants as the ones who are taking jobs away from citizens (unemployment is at 9.5 percent) or increasing the strain on social welfare and on overtaxed state budgets.

Growing up, I was always involved with sports, be it sandlot softball, Little League baseball, roller hockey or street tag [...]

The weather is turning warmer, dare I say even hot, and the mornings have that wonderful feeling, a freshness that comes with the smells of green. There is no doubt that summer is just about here. Families will scope out various locations for those family trips, perhaps a weekend of camping, a visit to another state or that long week of fun at the summer cabin. It’s great to get away; the change of scenery refreshes the brain and allows a needed rest from the normal routine. Vacations are needed.

The vacations I took as a boy were often a week’s visit to my aunt and uncle. It was terrific for the cousins, as we played together. However, I am not too sure my aunt and uncle received any down time or considered my arrival as their vacation. Their family increased by one when “little Jerome” invaded their home.

May and June are the months for anniversaries, graduations, weddings and, in the Catholic Church, priestly ordinations. Recently, at the archdiocesan priest assembly at Lake Lawn, we recognized those celebrating 25, 40, 50, 60 and 65 years of priesthood. Bishop Sklba, celebrating 50 years of priesthood, gave an inspiring homily reflecting on the struggles and the joys encountered by all who follow the Lord. As priests gathered, they reminisced about their days in the seminary and shared stories of their early days in the priesthood.

I was ordained May 14, 1975. It was a glorious spring day, 70 degrees, with white billowy clouds and blue skies. There were 38 in my class and many of us had ministerial connections to the various parishes within the Chicago Archdiocese. The seminary chapel was jammed. Our ordinations were not only a personal celebration of an accomplishment but a celebration of the men and women who contributed to our journey to the altar. There were many – priests, family and friends – who laid claim to our decision to be ordained. In some sense they were right to claim ownership. Even though there is always a personal commitment on the part of the one being ordained, there are still so many who make up the history of one’s decision.

I was warned early in my academic career to be careful when writing about apple pie, the American flag or [...]

I was ordained a priest in 1975. My pastoral experience as an ordained minister has always included the distinct office of the diaconate. The order of the diaconate was restored in the post-Vatican II era. For centuries, the order of deacon was relegated to a liturgical function designated in the celebration of the Latin Mass.

Many of us with a good share of gray hair remember when a solemn high Mass was offered and priests performed the role of deacon and sub deacon. There were a number of famous deacons in the early days of the church: St. Stephen and St. Lawrence were martyred for the faith. A number of people have the mistaken impression that St. Francis of Assisi was a priest when, in fact, he was a deacon. 

John Paul II has certainly left his mark on the church and for that matter the world itself. His intellectual thought, pastoral leadership and teaching style have been characterized in biography after biography. But I don’t believe anyone can capture the true Karol Wojtyla without understanding the mystic.

Many stories tell of either Bishop or Archbishop Wojtyla visiting a convent or religious house and asking permission to pray in the chapel where the Eucharist was reserved. A sister would often find him prostrate before the tabernacle. His prayer life, especially in the celebration of the sacraments, defined his person. He was a believer who was in communion with God.  His legacy will be debated.

There is no doubt that Holy Week is the most sacred time of the year. Even the secular media will [...]

This is the week that we wear green and red. On March 17 everyone is Irish and the “wearing of the green” depicts a proud identification with the contributions and influence of the sons and daughters of Ireland. Even in my totally Polish household, we all sat as a family before the television screen watching John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara develop their somewhat stormy relationship in the “Quiet Man.” Of course we know that the movie depicted stereotypes, however, at the very foundation of the movie was a love of country, family and faith.