Sunday, Sept. 5 marks the start of National Waffle Week. How appropriate that it comes right before the Wisconsin primary. As the wafflers will be out in full force between now and Nov. 2, expect frequent outbreaks of waffling. Think of it as a way to build up your immune system for the 2012 presidential campaigns.

Catholic quote of the week: In an interview with the Spokane Spokesman-Review shortly before he was installed as bishop of Spokane on Sept. 3, Bishop Blase Cupich said: “It’s very easy in today’s world of polarization to leave civility behind. But we must be able to speak of difficult issues in ways that don’t tear apart our communities.”
You probably figured out that earlier in his priesthood Bishop Cupich worked at the Vatican embassy in Washington, DC.

Sports as religion: Since the Packers' opener is more than a week away, I can devote attention to my other football denomination -- the Purdue Boilermakers. May you be victorious in South Bend on Saturday. St. Purdue Pete, patron of engineers, pray for us.

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Later this week, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference will issue "A Letter to Catholics in Wisconsin on Faithful Citizenship" -- in plenty of time for the Sept. 14 primary. If you'd like to refresh your memory on where the U.S. bishops as a whole stand when it comes to the issues, check out www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/FCStatement.pdf. Expect the bishops to write another one a little more than a year from now in anticipation of Election Day 2012.

Walking the 'Vinny' 5K: Looking for some exercise or do you just want to support practitioners of the Corporal Works of Mercy? Councils of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Milwaukee and Kenosha counties are sponsoring the Friends of the Poor Walk on Saturday, Sept. 25. You can get the Milwaukee registration form at www.svdpmilw.org and register for Kenosha by calling (262) 657-6366.

Light of the world ... but not of the Empire State Building: As hard as he tried, Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, couldn't get Anthony Malkin to illuminate the upper floors of that landmark in blue and white lights on Aug. 26 -- what would have been Blessed Mother Teresa's 100th birthday. But he did get 1,000 people to come to the site to protest that slight of the founder of the Missionaries of Charity.
The building is illuminated for significant events. While Blessed Mother Teresa's birthday wasn't considered significant by Malkin, the DVD release of "The Simpsons Movie" did get special lighting. I wonder if it will be lit tonight in honor of National Toasted Marshmallow Day? Maybe there'll be s'more to that story.

Speaking of significant people, I want to welcome the newest and youngest Banterite -- my first grandchild, Ryan, born on the feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. If he has trouble falling asleep, his parents can read him grandpa's blog entries. Glad to be of service.

Catholic quote of the week: Since I'm writing about babies, sleep and St. Bernard, consider these words from that doctor of the church: "We find rest in those we love, and we provide a resting place for those who love us." Amen.

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Now that Fr. Luke Strand has agreed to change the "God Squad" logo on his car after getting a cease and desist order from Best Buy attorneys, www.chnonline.org/news/local/9689-god-squad-logo-may-change-but-priests-mission-remains.html, let's examine the irony of this.

In 2000, Richard Schulze, the founder of Best Buy, and his wife, Sandra, gave $50 million to the University of St. Thomas in the Twin Cities. When they gave the money to the school, Richard said, "I realize this institution shares my entrepreneurial approach to life." When it comes to evangelization, how much more entrepreneurial than "God Squad" can you get?

 Ever the diplomat: If there was ever any doubt why Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan to New York, one need only look at the former Milwaukee archbishop's approach to the proposed Islamic Center being built two blocks from ground zero. The archbishop said he was willing to mediate a compromise between the center's proponents and opponents.

Referring to how Pope John Paul II handled the Catholic nuns whose convent was on the site of the former Auschwitz death camp, Archbishop Dolan said, "(Pope John Paul II is) the one who said, 'Let's keep the idea, and maybe move the address.'"

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Just received an e-mail from one of my favorite places in the archdiocese -- the Salzmann Library on the campus of Saint Francis Seminary. I would definitely put it on my list of places in which to be stuck during a snowstorm -- not that there will be one of those anytime soon.
The e-mail noted that its first discussion group meeting will be Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. The book to be discussed is "A Brief History of Vatican II" by Giuseppe Alberigo. Learn more about what the Salzmann has to offer at www.sfs.edu/sfslinks_salzmanlibrary.html
If you enjoy Catholic books, know that www.chnonline.org updates its book reviews regularly at http://www.chnonline.org/web-extras/book-reviews.html. The books and their reviews are of particular interest to people who look upon their faith as a commitment that is constantly being renewed, and who look at Catholic literature as an aid in that renewal.

Catholic quote of the week: John L. Allen Jr., writing about why the Holy See doesn't like bishops to resign: "... the Vatican does not like the idea of a bishop resigning for poor performance because, in their view, it's bad theology. As they see it, a bishop isn't a corporate CEO or a football coach, who should be sacked when profits sag or the team goes on a losing streak. The episcopacy isn't a job but a sacramental bond akin to marriage, with the bishop as the father of the diocesan family..."
Given some bishops' history of advancement, several are in second and third "marriages."

Who's outstanding? One of the enjoyable things about being a Catholic in southeastern Wisconsin is the quality of preaching one hears at Mass. I've heard a couple of clergymen that I consider outstanding homilists, and several more that I would label as excellent. How 'bout you? Who do you consider an outstanding preacher? Why? Let me know. Let's compile a list of recommendations for others who appreciate a well-crafted, well-delivered homily.
Speaking of great preachers, this coming Thursday, Aug. 19, is the feast of St. John Eudes. He preached well -- and often -- despite attacks from those inside and outside the church.

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The announcement earlier this week that 38 of the country's 400 billionaires have joined Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in giving half of their wealth to charity has me wondering: Why only half? I'm not knocking what they have done, but there is something to be said for sacrificial giving. When you have the kind of money these people have -- $90 billion between Gates and Buffett, it just seems like they could cut loose with a few more billions.                                   

Your sacrificial gift is always welcome at your Catholic Herald, P.O. Box 070913, Milwaukee, WI 53207-0913. Don't have a billion dollars? We don't either, that's why we welcome whatever you are willing to share.

Radio roots revisited: Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki returns to the airwaves on a biweekly basis beginning Friday, Sept. 10, when his yet-to-be-named radio show debuts at 9:30 a.m. on Relevant Radio, 100.1 FM. The alternate weeks' shows will be hosted by Fr. Don Hying, rector of Saint Francis Seminary. As a priest in the late '70s, then-Fr. Listecki and Fr. Mike Furlan co-hosted "Catholic Conversations" Sunday nights at 10 on WIND radio in Chicago.
Speaking of Relevant Radio, the Green Bay-based network will celebrate its 10th anniversary Aug. 31 with a Mass and other events in Titletown.

Stuff is the stuff of homilies: Stuff must have been a popular topic last week. Two days after posting my thoughts on stuff, I heard Fr. Dominic Roscioli preach an excellent homily on Luke 12:13-21. They -- Fr. Dominic and St. Luke -- offer a lot of insight about stuff.

Questions, questions, questions: We have stockpiled poll questions for www.chnonline.org, but we welcome your suggestions as to what we should ask, just as we welcome your feedback on what we post -- and don't post. While you're visiting the Web site, be sure to sign up for the Catholic Herald e-Newsletter.

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Walking along North Lake Shore Drive last weekend, and seeing the stuff that had been ruined during the July 22 flood stacked at the curbs in front of the multi-million dollar houses, I was reminded that stuff is stuff. In one neighborhood, the stuff in one's basement might be worth $25 or $250. In another, it might be worth $2,500 or $25,000, but it's still stuff. And should any of it -- whether it's $25 stuff or $2,500 stuff -- get bathed in rain water and/or sewage, its dollar value no longer matters, does it?

Speaking of stuff, if you've read my earlier postings, you know that I thought the Brewers' attempts to encourage fans to recycle cans and bottles were half-hearted, at best. Now, I have no doubt. During recent games, there was no mention of the program or the Waste Management recycling containers as there had been earlier in the season, and there is still as much stuff adorning fences and fields near the ballpark as there was at the start of the season. Having seen that and the "stuff" some members of the pitching staff have -- or don't have, it's hard to determine whether you'll see better stuff inside or outside Miller Park.

Price of fame: Reuters reported July 29 that  nuns from the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation, a cloister near Avignon, France, had received online death threats following the posting of a clip of their Gregorian chants -- chants that put them ahead of 70 other women's religious communities in earning a recording deal with Universal Music, a part of Decca Records. The person or people making the threats must have come through the same pipe as the aforementioned sewage.

Sports as religion: The real Ordinary Time begins tomorrow, the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, as Packer training camp opens. And if my hopes and those of thousands of other people are realized, January will be Extraordinary Time in Packerland.

On the subject of time and timeliness, I plan to update this on a regular basis, e.g., a posting every Friday. However, I still subscribe to the Mr. Ed philosophy: I don't talk unless I have something to say.

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During the 80's, the Radio Advertising Bureau had a campaign in which it intoned, "Radio is red hot because it works." Now, a report commissioned by an Italian judge says Vatican Radio is red hot, too -- with cancer-causing radiation emanating from its towers. This contradicts a 2001 report that showed no connection between radiation from the broadcaster's antennae and child leukemia rates in the area. In reply to the latest findings, the Vatican said it would provide its own report.
Healing for arthritis sufferers: Aug. 1 is traditionally observed as the Feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists and an arthritis sufferer. Even though that date is on a Sunday this year, parishes and retreat houses staffed by Redemptorists are encouraged by their leadership to hold a "Blessing for Arthritics" in honor of this doctor of the church. Because it already has a major meeting planned that day, the Redemptorist Retreat House in Oconomowoc will not be holding the blessing.
Sunshine in the form of sausage: While the Germanfest 5K run to benefit St. Ben's Meal Program scheduled for the evening of July 22 had to be canceled due to the weather, Usinger's is still donating two pounds of sausage to the meal program for each of the 1,776 people who registered for the event. Had organizers gone ahead with the event Thursday night, it definitely would have become a 5K swim.
More reading 'n' stuff: The inaugural issue of Catholic Herald eNews goes out later this afternoon. If you are not among the 2,400 people signed up to receive it, sign up now at chnonline@archmil.org
Food for thought: July 29 is National Lasagna Day; July 30 is Cheesecake Day. Since my wife bakes great lasagna and fantastic cheesecake, I trust she will want to give these holy days their due.

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Of all the reports to come from the Vatican in recent weeks, this one, made in its newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, might be most relevant to Catholics, 30-50 years old. According to the publication, "The Blues Brothers" is a "Catholic classic" and is recommended viewing for all Catholics.

To show you how times have changed, here's what the USCCB's Office of Film and Broadcasting wrote in its review of the film 30 years ago: "The plot is interspersed with scenes of wholesale destruction and frenzied chases which are spectacularly unfunny and uninvolving. Some good musical portions from Cab Calloway and Ray Charles, but not enough depth from director John Landis to save this zany comedy from milking cheap laughs from rough language and crude situations."

How can a reviewer mention "some good musical portions" and not mention Murph and the Magic Tones!?! Cheap laughs? Unfunny? Uninvolving? Unlike the USCCB reviewer, L'Osservatore Romano understands the significance of Jake and Elwood being "on a mission from God."

Speaking of Chicago Catholics, you already know that Bishop William P. Callahan will be installed as the 10th bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse on Aug. 11. Did you know that of the six auxiliary bishops who have served the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, he is only the second one to be promoted to a see of his own? The other one was Bishop Joseph Koudelka, the archdiocese’s first auxiliary bishop, named bishop of Superior in 1913, and where he served until his death in 1921.  

With the departure of Bishop Callahan and the possible retirement of Bishop Richard J. Sklba, who turns 75 on Sept. 11, the archdiocese could be in line for another auxiliary bishop, or two. Only the Congregation for Bishops knows how many and how long it will take for him/them to be named.

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How awful is the movie “Get Him to the Greek,” which opens in theaters this weekend? I know I am not the demographic of its intended audience, but given the suffocating vulgarity and a new low in grossness, if this film shows up in the redbox rental kiosks, there's going to be a Hazmat level stench emanating from those units. You can read the Catholic News Service review under the Web extras you'll find on this Web site, but even the reviewer doesn't begin to capture the pungency of this film.

Big finish: The Year for Priests comes to a close on June 19. Look for the special section devoted to priests in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in the June 10 print edition of your Catholic Herald. Much of the material will appear online, too.

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Of course, I'm talking about church festival season. It began last night at St. Florian Parish, West Milwaukee. It will continue through Sept. 12 when the annual event at St. Gregory the Great, Milwaukee, concludes. In between, enough raffle tickets, brats, beverages, music and other sensory stimuli to provide an enjoyable Catholic experience. 

Now we're talkin': It was great to read Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn's remarks about former Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano's handling  --- or mishandling -- of clergy sexual abuse cases  when the latter was Secretary of State. He is currently dean of the College of Cardinals.

It's not what Cardinal Schonborn said, but the fact that he said it. When one's peers start calling you out publicly, that's transparency. Bishops throughout the world should take note. 

Simplify the controversy: All the finger pointing and debating about Marquette University's hiring and un-hiring of Dr. Jodi O'Brien as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences can be settled in one thought: In the term "Catholic university," note which word comes first. 

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