Domestic Church Families, Become what you are

Men of the Cross Conference

On Saturday, October 22nd men from around the Diocese of La Crosse will converge in Marshfield to take part in this year's annual Men of the Cross conference. From its inception, the focus of this conference is to lead men into a deeper relationship with Christ and to discern through fellowship and prayer on how to be husbands, fathers and brothers of the Cross. Last year, the conference drew in more than 400 men and there is an expectation of growing from that number for this year.

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FEATURED ARTICLES for October - November 2016


Living as a Catholic NO matter who is elected

By: Matthew Canter
We are faced with many polarizing influences in politics this election year. Maybe it comes with age or the advent of constant social media, or the fact that presidential elections come along every four years, but it always proves a major and contested distraction. Whatever our party designation, we should recognize the issues that have an impact upon our own needs as well as those that effect our community, state and nation. And, as Catholics, we must consider the teachings of our Church and how those issues impact the coming of Christ's kingdom in heaven and on earth. Read More >>

How Kids Use Ghost Apps to Hide Information

By: Hilary Smith
Today's kids are spending more time than ever on their smartphones. In fact, it's estimated teens spend around nine hours per day on their phones, while tweens clock in at six hours per day. What could they possibly be doing for six to nine hours per day on their phones? That's exactly what millions of parents are asking themselves. Unfortunately, it's becoming more and more difficult to keep track of what teens are doing, thanks in part to ghost apps. Read More >>

Do you want to be a saint?

By: Alice Heinzen
In 1979, then Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace prize. Shortly thereafter, my mother in law printed off part of her acceptance speech, framed it and gave it to my family. Here is what it says: Read More >>

 

Uniting the Body and Mind & Gender Debates

By: Alice Heinzen
About a month ago, I watched a mom and her college bound son shop at the local Walmart for dorm room necessities. The mom looked exasperated and he looked indifferent. As I walked by them, the mom proclaimed "Get your act together!" Clearly, the son's body may have been in Walmart, but his spirit was definitely somewhere else. He was totally detached. Read More >>

Praying for Your Family's Dead – A Work of Mercy with Some Surprising Benefits

By: Jeff Arrowood
Holy days and liturgical seasons very often remind us of what we should be doing all year long. Advent and Lent are great examples. The spiritual disciplines that we observe so intensely during these liturgical seasons are supposed to get us back on track with the spiritual activities we're supposed to be participating in every day – prayer, acts of charity, and acts of sacrifice. All Souls Day is another holy day that reminds us of a duty of love that Christians are called to – praying for the dead. Read More >>

5 Easy Practices to Make Advent Special for Your Family This Year

By: Jeff Arrowood
Advent is always a difficult time. Our pastors like to remind us – and rightly so – that Advent is a time for quiet reflection, prayer, almsgiving, and sacrifice to prepare ourselves to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord more deeply. But the fact remains that the spiritual dimension of Advent is in stiff competition with the cultural expectations of gifts, lots of food, cookies, decorations, and parties. Add to that the regular demands of job, school and family life and it's no wonder the spiritual dimension of Advent gets lost. But that doesn't keep the spiritual dimension of Advent from being the most important. So what can a family do to make Advent more meaningful? Here are five simple ideas. Read More >>

Christmas is the Perfect Time for Building Family Rituals

By: Jeff Arrowood
When people want to make a major change in their lives, they usually make a New Year's resolution. And that's a good thing. However, we know that most New Year's resolutions fail. Why? Because these resolutions mainly represent a clean break from previous behavior. Someone who was not exercising is not trying to exercise 3-4 times a week. And establishing completely new behaviors in the face of established habits (sitting on the couch with a bag of potato chips watching your favorite TV show) is really difficult. So while there is a lot of merit in embracing a new start through a New Year's resolution, there is a better way to make major changes in your life. And that is to work with your established habits in order to bring about new behavior. Read More >>

prayer corner

October - That journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for truth and a strong sense of ethics.

November - That within parishes, priests and lay people may collaborate in service to the community without giving in to the temptation of discouragement.

December - That the peoples of Europe may rediscover the beauty, goodness, and truth of the Gospel which gives joy and hope to life.

Great Websites for Internet Safety

We encourage you to bookmark these websites and blogs or download these apps this month.

Covenant Eyes – I know – I know. When you first click on this site, you are going to be asked to purchase an internet filter for your computer. PLEASE go beyond their sales pitch and click on their blog tab to read great articles about internet safety, how to become an internet accountability partner with a family member or friend or to download the free ebook on Your Brain on Porn. The good folks that created this program have a vested interest in providing families with the tools needed to block the dark side of the web. Their services are considered “top shelf” and well suited to Catholic families. In fact, they also offer an app for persons who have become addicted to porn and want to break free from it. The app can be found at: http://www.covenanteyes.com/challenge/

Internet Safety 101 –Preventing the Internet-enabled exploitation of  children can seem like an overwhelming task as kids are at risk of encountering inappropriate content, dangerous people and engaging in risky behavior across multiple Internet platforms.  The good news is that you don’t need a Ph.D. in Internet technology to be a great cyber-parent.  However, you do need to make a commitment to become familiar with the technology your children use and to stay current with Internet safety issues. 

This website provides parents with the absolute basics for the safe use of the internet. If your children are on the net and you are NOT sitting at their side, you must visit this site and become educated, equipped and empowered.