Browsing the 2025 archive of Father Stephen's Columns
Jubilee Saint: Patrick of Ireland (6/15/25)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 6/13/25
Jubilee Saint: Patrick of Ireland Continuing our series of saints who embodied some part of the jubilee, we focus this week on a fan favorite of American Catholics: Patrick of Ireland, the Apostle of the Emerald Isle. A lot of us think we know the ... Read More »
Pentecost (6/8/25)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 6/05/25
Pentecost The yearly feast of Pentecost, which commemorates the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the birth of the Church, is an underrated feast. Though on the same par with Christmas and Easter, it gets none of the credit or pageantry. Yet back in the ... Read More »
Learning from the Past (Part 3 of 3)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 5/28/25
Learning from the Past (Part 3 of 3) These past weeks, we’ve reflected on the lessons of the coronavirus pandemic in anticipation of the feast of Pentecost. Balancing self-preservation and prudent charity and slowing our frenetic pace for prayer and family will help us grow through that ... Read More »
Learning From the Past (Part 2 of 3)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 5/22/25
Learning from the Past (Part 2 of 3) Last week, we began examining the lessons from the COVID pandemic for the fifth anniversary of the reopening of churches at Pentecost. The lesson from human nature is that we are called as Catholics to balance our desire for ... Read More »
Learning from the Past (Part 1 of 3)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 5/13/25
Learning from the Past (Part 1 of 3) The end of this month will mark five years since churches in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee reopened in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Every single one of our lives was affected in some way during that time, ... Read More »
The Catholic Experience (5/11/25)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 5/10/25
The Catholic Experience May is sacrament season: this weekend’s Adult Confirmations and the Reception of one individual into the Church caps off several weeks of sacraments including last weekend’s First Communion and our Youth Confirmation the week before. My thanks to all who assist in making sacramental ... Read More »
Jubilee Saint: Frances Xavier Cabrini (5/4/25)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 4/29/25
Jubilee Saint: Frances Xavier Cabrini Continuing a series on saints who embodied the spirit of jubilee during this Jubilee Year of Hope, we look today at the first U.S. citizen canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, an Italian woman named Frances Xavier Cabrini. Mother Cabrini’s life shines ... Read More »
Easter: The Joy of Generosity (4/27/25)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 4/22/25
Easter: The Joy of Generosity Happy Easter to you all! I hope and pray that your Easter was a beautiful chance to pray and spend time with family and friends. Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead truly changes everything and has the power to enliven our hearts and set ... Read More »
Easter Sunday: Let All Rejoice! (4/20/25)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 4/16/25
Easter Sunday: Let All Rejoice! Happy Easter to you all! I hope and pray that your Lenten season was as spiritually fruitful as mine has been, especially with the crosses that choose us rather than the ones we choose ourselves. It is the custom in many Orthodox ... Read More »
Palm Sunday: the Donkey (4/13/25)
Posted by Gail Schlicht on 4/08/25
Palm Sunday: the Donkey There are too many beautiful theological aspects of Palm Sunday to mention during a homily or a bulletin column, so that’s why I never try! This time of year, the goal of the preacher is to spur on the faith of parishioners with short tidbits, ... Read More »