Despite blindness, Kenosha woman sees hope

By |2016-04-02T00:58:31-05:00Jan 12, 2011|People of Faith|

POF-gilliandSt. Augustine said, “Faith has two beautiful daughters. They are named courage – to speak of things as they are – and hope, to see the way forward by which they may be changed.”

As a young girl in northern Wisconsin, Terri Gilliland lived a near idyllic life with her four siblings and outdoorsy parents. Carefree days playing tag, kickball and jump rope comprised her afterschool and summer activities. Vacations consisted of camping, canoeing  and hiking, but no matter the time of year, Sundays were set aside for Mass, family dinners, visiting relatives and fair weather picnics.
 
Gilliland, 49, naturally assumed this trend would continue after her marriage to Tracy, 28 years ago. A proud mother, she enjoyed watching her three children, Tiffany, TJ and Stacy grow and thrive into their teenage years, but about 10 years ago, keeping watch over her brood became more difficult.
 
Gradually, the faces of Tracy and her children began to blur; she had trouble driving at night, and her eyes became sensitive to bright lights. As Gilliland struggled to navigate in crowded and unfamiliar places, an unfamiliar feeling of terror overwhelmed her. A diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa confirmed her worst fears; her vision was slowly deteriorating. The illness began by affecting her peripheral vision and would slowly progress toward the center of the visual field.
 
Dealing with the loss of her sight was difficult, but her husband’s near fatal motorcycle accident, and 16 year-old TJ’s diagnosis of brain cancer brought her to her knees.
 

Compassionate, faith-filled, Maria is ‘unforgettable’

By |2016-04-02T00:59:19-05:00Dec 8, 2010|People of Faith|

maria2Maria Cribben celebrates after taking her turn bowling at Tower Lanes in Beaver Dam on Thursday, Nov. 4. Maria regularly bowls with a Special Olympics team and has an average score of 80, but has reached a high score of more than 100. More photos can be viewed at http://photos.chnonline.org. (Catholic Herald photo by Allen Fredrickson)Elaine Mullin doesn’t remember all the faces she encounters, but there’s one face she couldn’t forget. After attending eucharistic adoration for the first time at Sacred Heart Parish, Horicon, where she and her husband joined a little more than a year ago, Mullin saw Maria Cribben, who has Down syndrome, serving during adoration and Benediction, and found herself thinking about Maria even after she left.

“You couldn’t help but notice Maria’s subtle movements, actions, very full of grace and beauty when she is assisting Father…,” Mullin said in a phone interview with your Catholic Herald. “There’s just focus and there’s joy, and when you leave eucharistic adoration after the closure, I thought, well, there’s a smile on your face and there’s a smile in your heart.”

St. Therese usher honored as Special Olympian

By |2016-04-02T00:59:22-05:00Sep 29, 2010|People of Faith|

P16POF-McGrawFor 40 of his 48 years, Lee Eldon McGraw has been a Special Olympian, participating year-round in events including bocce, bowling, basketball and swimming. This year he was awarded with a plaque and medal for “The Male Athlete of the Year for the Special Olympics for the Greater Milwaukee Area 8,” a region that covers Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.

Looking trim and fit in a suit and tie on his recent day off from work, Lee, a Wauwatosa resident, said the award came as a surprise to him. He said there are about 100 people in his community regularly involved in the Special Olympics.

“I enjoy playing the sports and helping the athletes and coaches with what they need,” he added.

Lee noted it is his Catholic faith that helps drive his dedication to the Special Olympics and its participants.

Go to Top