October is Respect Life month. This draws our attention to the need to protect all life from the moment of [...]

Most people are invited to at least one wedding every year. Family members, friends or coworkers want others to share in their joy. As a priest, I was privileged to celebrate a number of weddings and each one was unique. Of course, the religious ceremony was similar but each couple possessed the special signature of their relationship.

The preparation for the wedding was a time to explore the relationship and assist the couple in discovering God’s hand in their vocation. For many couples it was a time to give thanks for their families and the contribution they made in the decision to marry.

Throughout the archdiocese there are smiling faces of young children making their way to school, and there are a few tears being shed by parents whose babies are entering those school years – a true sign that their children are growing up.

I can remember my first day of school at St. Michael; it was kindergarten, and my teacher’s name was Sr. Alipia. She was a legend in her work with the very young and everyone loved her. I have often said that the teacher in the earliest years of schooling sets the tone for the rest of one’s academic life. In fact, there was a book written which reflected that sentiment.

I was so proud on the first day of school. I was joining my cousins and neighbors in my rightful place in society. Papa went to work and I went to school. When I entered the school, those eighth graders looked soooooooo old and I wondered if I would ever get to that grade level, if I would ever be that big, if I would ever be that smart. Now, years later, those eighth graders look so young it’s hard to remember that we were ever that age. Today, we are much bigger and wider in many ways than we were in eighth grade and, of course, we all realize that many of us are not as smart as even a fifth grader. Just watch the quiz show.

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.