Good Shepherd Catholic Parish

Special Letter from Bishop Donald Hying-Please Read.  

On Pentecost Sunday,  a bold new Evangelization Initiative called “Go Make Disciples” in the Diocese of Madison was launched.  Bishop Donald Hying has sent a letter to all our pastors and parishes with an introduction to this initiative.  Our Diocesan Herald Citizen is an important tool for us to learn about the Evangelization Intiative:  "Go Make Disciples".

Click Here to Read the Bishop's Letter
Click Here for Update on Baptism and Confirmation

Hearing Loop System

Now available at our St. James Church.
You can pick up one of the transistor units along with head phones from the box on the counter in the vestibule of the church.
This system has an immediate improvement for the user.
Transistors and ear plugs are available for anyone to use.
You can ask any usher for help.

Hidden Treasures Is Open For Collections

Spring is here and we're ready to accept your unneeded offerings for the Hidden Treasures online and in-person sales.  If you need items picked up, call Paul 608-235-2116.  Otherwise drop your items at St. Joseph's right hallway in the tote or St. James school between school doors in the tote.

Hidden Treasures Email

SCRIP Program Update

HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR SCRIP CARDS?  K and A Greenhouse now available for a short time.

Click Here For a Listing of the Scrip Inventory Available for Immediate Purchase

Click Here to See A Summary of the Success of our Scrip Program for the last Fiscal Year.

A recent cartoon in the Wisconsin State Journal seemed to call into question the consistency of Catholic's pro-life stance, given our concerns related to vaccines derived from cell-lines from aborted fetuses. This cartoon may lead you to confusion. So here is a brief attempt to clarify what the Church is saying.
         As Catholics, we take seriously the responsibility that we have to defend human life at all its stages and the responsibility to never treat another human being in a utilitarian fashion, manipulating them for our own ends. Hence, though the concept of vaccines is clearly in favor of the common good, the processes used to attain a vaccine must be examined to make sure that the processes themselves are morally licit.
         The USCCB issued this statement on the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine recently approved for use in the United States:

“The approval of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19
vaccine for use in the United States again raises
questions about the moral permissibility of using
vaccines developed, tested, and/or produced with
the help of abort ion-derived cell lines.”

            Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines raised concerns because an abortion-derived cell line was used for testing them, but not in their production. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines raising additional moral concerns. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged that ‘when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available … it is morally acceptable to receive Covid 19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.’(Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Note on the morality of using some antiCovid-19 vaccines” (17 Dec 2020), no. 2.) However, if one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s.
             While we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies stop using abortion-derived cell lines, given the world-wide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good."
              In short, the US Bishops' Conference (USCCB) has deemed that the vaccines currently available in the USA are morally acceptable because the connection to the sin of abortion is very remote. Still, because there is some connection to such a morally reprehensible act, the vaccines should be received under moral protest (ex. informing the pharmaceutical company that you disapprove of the process they used to produce the vaccine). Additionally, since the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has a stronger connection to abortion, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are to be preferred to it if they are available.

 I hope this helps clarify things for you a bit.
 - Fr Dave