Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There are certain expressions that no longer hold the same meaning for us. For example, I remember my mother always referring to the refrigerator as the “icebox.” This was a reference to the time that there was an iceman who delivered a block of ice and deposited it to the top of the container that kept the food inside cold. 
 
Another expression was a reference to the phone when one asked, "Was it a party line?" Apparently, some landlines had several “parties” attached to the same phone line, and neighbors could actually listen to the conversations of others who were using the phone at the same time. Now “party line” means talking points shared by members of a political organization. 
 
For my mother and father, the radio was a major source of entertainment for their childhood families. Personalities such as Fibber McGee and Molly, Jack Benny and others quickly achieved notoriety because of their entertaining programs on the radio. Today, unless you are listening to “Radio Classics,” radio is often just a vehicle for talk shows or music. 
 
Back then, all these presentations were outside of my personal living experience. I started to wonder what in my life’s experiences are no longer relatable to the experience of young people today. Here is a list of things:
 
• I remember how grateful I was for the invention of the Xerox machine, which meant that I no longer had to use mimeograph paper to receive copies of the test papers prepared for the classes I taught. 
• Typewriters were also a much-welcomed invention (check the beginning of the old “Murder She Wrote” series if you need a refresher), such as those with ribbons that needed to be replaced, and the great movement forward when they invented cartridges which could be inserted into the typewriter. I wrote my dissertation on a typewriter – it was painful for one who could not type. 
• Car phones were the size of a small cooler and were plugged into the cigarette lighter – this was a true luxury. 
• There were only four channels (one more with PBS) on the TV. However, everyone could discuss the news the next day because it dominated the entire attention of the community. 
• There were amazing Polaroid Cameras. You took a picture, and it was produced without taking film to the drug store for development. The pictures did not have great definition, but they produced an immediate memory.  
• I remember a time when family and friends could accompany you to the flight gate before taking off. There was no TSA or stopping through checkpoints in the U.S. airports. We also did not worry about “terrorism,” or bombs being brought to airports. There was an innocence, perhaps a naiveté.
 
Our experiences of faith also differ. I thought about the experience of our Source and Summit Eucharistic Procession. A few young people remarked how wonderful the procession was and that they had never been a part of one. In my home parish, processions occurred on a regular basis. 
 
Seeing the religious sisters in their habits was another normal occurrence when I was a boy, but some remarked that it was the first time for their children to view a religious in habit. Years ago, fasting for the reception of the Eucharist occurred beginning at midnight and continued until one received communion. Reconciliation (Confession) was celebrated on Saturday at 3 p.m. Many went to confession at least once a month, some even as frequently as once a week. 
 
The timeless experience that we share is the importance of faith. It must be “the” priority in our lives; nothing is more important than our relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ. “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16:26)  
 
We have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey. I love the statement, “If we were arrested, and charged with being a Catholic, would there be enough evidence to convict us?” It was in Antioch that they were first called Christians (Christ like), see how they LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki

Archbishop of Milwaukee          

Note: This blog originally appeared as the July 9, 2024, "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.