Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

Thursday is the first day of autumn. It’s hard to accept that the summer is now gone. This past summer was very good, and we were fortunate to have a number of successful events. The weather was cooperative, relegating oppressive heat to just a few days. Those of you who know me, know that fall is my favorite of the four seasons. The changing colors, the cool evenings and the high school sports all contribute to the thrill of this season.

It is also the season that our Soles for Catholic Education Walk takes place. This is the fourth annual Walk, and it gives us an opportunity to celebrate Catholic education and participate in a family fair-like atmosphere. Just think of the contribution that Catholic education has made to our community and for many of us individually. If you’ve never participated in any previous Walks, give yourself a treat and join us at Mount Mary University on Saturday, October 15 at 10 a.m. Mount Mary has been a wonderful host, giving the walk a home for the last four years.

I have been dusting off my red high top Converse All Stars. My friends, Jim and Sharon deGuzman, are our chair couple. They and their five children, all of whom attend Catholic schools, will be wearing those red Converse All Stars as they sit next to me in the front row of the Walk (the Bob Uecker position.)

There has been great competition from our pastors and their schools, as they encourage their faithful to participate. Many pastors have side bets with their fellow priests as to who will bring more parishioners to the Walk. “If you love me, you will walk a couple of miles with me.” All of the fundraising efforts go to the local schools to support tuition assistance.

We have great sponsors who have been with us from the start: Catholic Financial Life, Ascension-Wisconsin and Cousins Subs (who once again will provide sandwiches for our walkers). Check our website for a list of organizations that have backed the Walk. They have been great, and I encourage your support for them. I have supported Cousins Subs at all our events at the Cousins Center (Can it get any better than a Cousins Sub at the Cousins Center?).

I make my way to Columbia St. Mary whenever I have a medical emergency. I have an annuity with Catholic Financial Life; they do a wonderful job promoting a sense of financial security – check them out.

Walk with me on October 15 at Mount Mary University. I will be praying to God for good weather. However, being a true Midwesterner, I know just around the corner are those sub-zero temperatures and snow drifts. So, let’s walk together while we can, and LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

The Archbishop’s Ninth Annual Catholic Relief Services Reception
Archbishop Listecki cordially invites you to the Ninth Annual Catholic Relief Services Reception on Tuesday, October 4, 2016, 5 – 7 p.m. at the Wisconsin Club, 900 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee.

The evening will also include special remarks by Carolyn Y. Woo, President & CEO of Catholic Relief Services.

To RSVP and for additional information, please contact Rob Shelledy, (414) 758-2286, shelledyr@archmil.org. For more information about Catholic Relief Services, visit www.crs.org.

Note: This blog originally appeared as the September 21, 2016 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.