Jan. 6, 2012

January 6, 2012

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org S E RV I N G C H R I ST A N D C O N N EC T I N G C AT H O L I C S I N W E ST E R N N O R T H C A R O L I N A

MARCHING FOR

A new year begins

LIFE

Bishop Peter Jugis looks forward to 2012 with opportunities to explain and live our Catholic faith,

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Charlotte March for Life set for Friday, Jan. 13

INDEX Contact us...................................... 4 Events calendar......................... 4 Our Parishes.............................3-11 Our Faith........................................... 2 Scripture readings................... 2 TV & Movies............................12-13 U.S. news................................22-23 Viewpoints............................26-27 World news..........................24-25

INSIDE: Everything you need to know to get involved, including practical information and online resources to help you learn more, pray and work for an end to abortion.

704-370-3333 FUNDED by the parishioners of the diocese of charlotte

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THANK YOU!

2011

A year of Adoration, translation, prayer and protest,

17-21

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

A saintly life

Pope Benedict XVI

Reflecting on the meaning of Christmas, Epiphany At Christmas, the human dream of being like God started to become a reality – not through any human efforts, but through God sending His Son to be born on earth to redeem humanity, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Addressing an estimated 7,000 people gathered for his weekly general audience Jan. 4, the pope encouraged Christians to continue living the joy and mystery of Christmas as they prepare for the feast of the Epiphany, celebrated at the Vatican Jan. 6, and the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which the pope planned to celebrate Jan. 8 by baptizing babies in the Sistine Chapel.

“Christmas is the feast when God becomes so close to human beings that He shares the same fact of being born to reveal to them their deepest dignity, that of being sons and daughters of God. In that way, the dream of humanity that began in paradise – we want to be like God – is realized in an unexpected way: not because of the greatness of man, who cannot make himself God, but through the humility of God, who descends,” the pope said.

Pope Benedict said that if at Christmas Jesus is born and almost “hidden” in human form in the manger of Bethlehem, at Epiphany He is revealed to the three kings and the world.

The pope encouraged Christians to stay with the Christmas spirit, contemplating the fact that God has revealed Himself to humanity and radiating “the joy born of knowing how close God is to us.”

The celebrations of Christmas, Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord, he said, are invitations to become more aware of the responsibility each Christian has to bring the light of Christ to the world.

The feasts also are an invitation to welcome Christ into one’s heart once again and strengthen a commitment to imitating Him, so that “His feelings, thoughts and actions are our feelings, thoughts and actions.”

St. Anthony of Egypt remembered for his radical monastic legacy Feast day: Jan. 17 On his Jan. 17 feast day, both Eastern and Western Catholics will celebrate the life and legacy of St. Anthony of Egypt, the founder of Christian monasticism whose radical approach to discipleship permanently impacted the Church.

In Egypt’s Coptic Catholic and Orthodox Churches, which have a special devotion to the native saint, his feast day is celebrated on Jan. 30.

Anthony was born around 251 to wealthy parents who owned land in the present-day Faiyum region near Cairo. During this time, the Catholic Church was rapidly spreading its influence throughout the vast expanses of the Roman empire, while the empire remained officially pagan and did not legally recognize the new religion.

In the course of his remarkable and extraordinarily long life, Anthony would live to see the Emperor Constantine’s establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire.

Anthony himself, however, would establish something more lasting – by becoming the spiritual father of the monastic communities that have existed throughout the subsequent history of the Church.

Around the year 270, two great burdens came upon Anthony simultaneously: the deaths of both his parents, and his inheritance of their possessions and property. These simultaneous occurrences prompted Anthony to reevaluate his entire life in light of the principles of the Gospel – which proposed both the redemptive possibilities of his personal loss, and the spiritual danger of his financial gains.

Attending church one day, he heard – as if for the first time – Jesus’ exhortation to another rich young man in the Biblical narrative: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me.” Anthony told his disciples in later years that it was as though Christ had spoken those words directly to him.

He sold everything he owned and donated the proceeds, setting aside a portion to provide for his sister. Although organized monasticism did not yet exist, it was not unknown for Christians to abstain from marriage, divest themselves of possessions to some extent, and focus their lives on prayer and fasting. Anthony’s sister would eventually join a group of consecrated virgins.

Anthony himself, however, sought a more comprehensive vision of Christian asceticism. He found it among the hermits of the Egyptian desert, individuals who chose to withdraw physically and culturally from the surrounding society to devote themselves more fully to God. But these individuals’ radical way of life had not yet become an organized movement.

After studying with one of these hermits, Anthony made his own sustained attempt to live alone in a secluded desert location, depending on the charity of a few patrons who provided him with enough food to survive. This first period as a hermit lasted between 13 and 15 years.

Like many saints both before and after him, Anthony became

Photo courtesy of www.gardenvisit.com

This Coptic Christian monastery, founded by disciples of St. Anthony, is located near the mountain cave where the saint retreated from the world to pray and on the site where he is said to have been buried. Monks and pilgrims still make the journey to his cave every day to pray – 2,000 feet up the mountain, connected to the monastery by a steep, mile-long staircase. engaged in a type of spiritual combat against unseen forces seeking to remove him from the way of perfection he had chosen.

These conflicts took their toll on Anthony. When he was around 33 years old, a group of his patrons found him seriously ill and took him back to a local church to recover.

This setback did not dissuade Anthony from his goal of seeking God intensely, and he soon redoubled his efforts by moving to a mountain on the east bank of the Nile River. There he lived in an abandoned fort, once again subsisting on the charity of those who implored his prayers on their behalf. He attracted not only these benefactors, but a group of inquirers seeking to follow his example.

In the first years of the fourth century, when he was about 54, Anthony emerged from his solitude to provide guidance to the growing community of hermits that had become established in his vicinity. Although Anthony had not sought to form such a community, his decision to become its spiritual father – or “abbot” – marked the beginning of monasticism as it is known today.

Anthony himself would live out this monastic calling for another four decades, providing spiritual and practical advice to disciples who would ensure the movement’s continued existence.

He may have been up to 105 years old when he died, sometime between 350 and 356.

— Catholic News Agency

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 8 - JAN. 14

Sunday (The Epiphany of the Lord), Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12; Monday (The Baptism of the Lord), Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, Acts 10:34-38, Mark 1:7-11; Tuesday, 1 Samuel 1:9-20, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8, Mark 1:21-28; Wednesday, 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20, Mark 1:2939; Thursday, 1 Samuel 4:1-11, Mark 1:40-45; Friday (St. Hilary), 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22, Mark 2:1-12; Saturday, 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19, 10:1, Mark 2:13-17

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 15 - JAN. 21

Sunday, 1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19, 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20, John 1:35-42; Monday, 1 Sameul 15:16-23, Mark 2:18-22; Tuesday (St. Anthony), 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Mark 2:23-28; Wednesday, 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51, Mark 3:1-6; Thursday, 1 Samuel 18:6-9, 19:1-7, Mark 3:7-12; Friday (St. Fabian), 1 Samuel 24:3-21, Mark 3:13-19; Saturday (St. Agnes), 2 Samuel 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27, Mark 3:20-21

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 22 - JAN. 28

Sunday, Jonah 3:1-5, 10, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1:14-20; Monday, 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10, Mark 3:22-30; Tuesday (St. Francis de Sales), 2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19, Mark 3:31-35; Wednesday (The Conversion of St. Paul), Acts 22:3-16, Mark 16:15-18; Thursday (Sts. Timothy and Titus), 2 Timothy 1:1-8, Mark 4:21-25; Friday (St. Angela Merici), 2 Samuel 11:1-10, 13-17, Mark 4:26-34; Saturday (St. Thomas Aquinas), 2 Samuel 12:1-7, 10-17, Mark 4:35-41

Our parishes

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief CNH launches a few changes CHARLOTTE — Starting with this week’s edition, readers will notice a slight change in the format of the Catholic News Herald. The paper is being printed on larger paper stock using a new printer, Walton Press of Monroe, Ga. Delivery changes are also being made in an effort to improve mail delivery times, as our goal is to have papers delivered to most readers every other Friday. Over the coming months we will sample readers particularly in the Triad area to monitor mail delivery.

Please let us know what you think. Email us at catholicnews@charlottediocese.org or call Editor Patricia Guilfoyle at 704-370-3334.

Bishop Emeritus Howze comes home to Charlotte CHARLOTTE — Bishop Emeritus Joseph Howze of Biloxi, Miss., was welcomed home to Charlotte earlier this month when he visited Our Lady of Consolation Church, which had been his first assignment as a new priest in the late 1950s. Bishop Emeritus Howze, now 88, celebrated Mass on Jan. 1 at the church, where so many parishioners remembered him and where he was presented with a gift from the City of Charlotte.

Pictured with him is OLC’s Deacon Charles Knight; Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon, whom Bishop Emeritus Howze had baptized; Joseph Hunt; OLC’s current pastor, Capuchin Franciscan Father Martin Schratz; and Floyd Howze.

A new year: Q&A with Bishop Jugis CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis recently sat down for an interview with Editor Patricia Guilfoyle to discuss his priorities for 2012. Following is a transcript of his remarks, slightly edited for clarity and brevity: CNH: As we begin 2012, what are your goals and prayer intentions for the new year?

Bishop Jugis: As for prayer intentions, I always have uppermost in my mind the respect for the dignity of human life, especially the unborn. It’s such a fundamental right of a human being and also a serious injustice that we observe in our society today.

Another intention this year would be to pray for those who are hurting because of the recession, to ask the Lord to give meaningful employment to the unemployed and, also, especially the poor and the needy who are particularly struggling.

Big events or goals for this year would include preparing for and participating in my ad limina visit to Pope Benedict XVI in Rome, which will be coming up probably sometime in the late spring or early summer. I will have an opportunity to speak with the Holy Father and with the offices of the Vatican about the status of our diocese and how we’re doing here, and to hear feedback from them as to what we should be doing.

Secondly, another big issue during this whole year will be the continuation of our welcoming the revised English translation of the Roman Missal. We’re still very much in the infancy stages of learning the new translation. While many of the people’s responses are, after one month, maybe starting to become familiar, for priests there is going to be at every daily Mass a new prayer that’s been translated. So there are a lot of new prayers that the priests will be learning every single day throughout the year.

Another goal will be to prepare for and to celebrate the Eucharistic Congress, which

Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter J. Jugis blesses the faithful at the end of midnight Mass on Christmas at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. For more about his Christmas homily, go online to www.catholicnewsherald.com. is always a wonderful opportunity to gather the whole diocese together to strengthen our faith in the Eucharistic Lord. With so many challenges to people’s faith that they are facing nowadays, the Eucharistic Congress serves a very useful purpose in strengthening people’s faith. As they come together in participating in this diocesan event, their faith is strengthened and they grow in holiness. They are stronger in faith – rooted in Christ – and able to meet the challenges in our culture, including increasing secularization and, in many respects, marginalization of the influence of religion in our society.

Underlying all these goals are the four

— Father Martin Schratz, OFM Cap.

New director of deacon formation named CHARLOTTE — Deacon Scott Gilfillan has been appointed by Bishop Peter J. Jugis as Director of Formation for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Deacon Scott graduated from Clemson University in 1979 with an engineering degree. He and his wife Kimberly attend St. Joseph Church in Newton, where he is assigned as deacon.

Ordained by then Bishop William G. Curlin in 2001, he has been serving as assistant director of formation.

He succeeds Deacon George Szalony, who resigned to focus more GilFillan time on his ministry as airport chaplain at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

— Deacon Ronald Steinkamp

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Second collections in 2012 Mark your calendars for the following diocesan second collections this year: Jan. 15: Combined Mission Collection: benefitting the Church in Latin America, Church in Central and Eastern Europe, U.S. Mission Appeal (Black & Indian Missions), Catholic Home Missions, and the Church in Africa.

April 8: Seminary and Priests’ Continuing Education May 20: International/National Combined Collection: benefitting Catholic Relief Services, Collection for the Holy Land, Collection for the Works of the Holy Father (Peter’s Pence), Catholic University of America, Catholic Communications Campaign Sept. 9: Priests’ Retirement and Benefits Oct. 21: World Mission Sunday: benefitting Propagation of the Faith Nov. 18: Catholic Campaign for Human Development Dec. 9: Religious Retirement

priorities that have special emphasis in my ongoing ministry: catechesis, evangelization, vocations to priesthood and consecrated life, and the liturgy.

CNH: The theme for the 2012 Eucharistic Congress is “Behold the Lamb of God.” What is the significance of this?

Bishop Jugis: It ties in with our entrance into the Year of Faith, which begins in October. In the beautiful letter that Pope Benedict wrote, “Porta Fidei” (Door of Faith), he says during this year of faith priorities, SEE page 10

Two diocesan collection dates changed for 2012 SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — As Catholic Christians, we understand the importance of giving to those in need and what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters in need. The Church gives us opportunities throughout the year to share our blessings with people around the world and here at home, through seven diocese-wide second collections.

In 2012, two of these second collections have been shifted to different months to give each collection greater emphasis, said Barbara Gaddy, associate director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte.

The Combined Mission Collection has been moved from May to January, and the International/National Combined Collection has been moved from October to May. These collections combine several different appeals benefitting the Church around the world and in the U.S. COLLECTION, SEE page 11

For more Read more details about the upcoming Combined Mission Collection, set for Sunday, Jan. 15, on page 27.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

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Diocesan calendar of events

Bishop Peter J. Jugis

hOLY SPIRIT CHURCH, 537 N. HIGHWAY 16

— “First Fridays at the Abbey,” 5 p.m. First Fridays, followed by dinner. Information and RSVP at alumni.belmontabbeycollege.edu/ firstfriday.

Jan. 10 – 11 a.m.

Presbyteral Council Meeting Pastoral Center

QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES CHURCH, 503 N. MAIN ST. — Newman Singers in Concert. They are a liturgical and concert group from the Newman Catholic Student Center in Iowa City, Iowa. 7 p.m. Jan. 8.

Jan. 13 March for Life-Charlotte Pastoral Center Jan. 15 – 3:30 p.m.

Blessing and Breaking Ground for Parish Life and Education Center Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, High Point

Jan. 23 – 11:30 a.m.

NC Holy Mass for Life Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.

DENVER

belmont abbey college, 100 belmont-mt. holly road — Arts at the Abbey: Matteo Bevilacqua, Italian mandolinist assisted by Karen Hite Jacob, 8 p.m. Jan. 23

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next two weeks:

Jan. 19 – 7 p.m.

Respect Life Mass for Triad St. Pius X Church, Greensboro

BELMONT

CHARLOTTE 2012 march for life: jan. 13 — Mass for the Unborn, 9 a.m., St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St. — Uptown March, 11 a.m., gather at Pastoral Center, 1123 S. Church St. Visit www. marchforlifecharlotte.org for details.

ST. John neumann CHURCH, 8451 idlewild road — Second Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Service, 7 p.m. Jan. 26. Contact Shea Barja at sheabarja@gmail.com or 704-4513629.

ST. JOSEPH VIETNAMESE CHURCH, 4929 Sandy Porter Road — 2012 Tet Festival, which includes food, lion dance, Ao Dai show, music, and games, 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Jan. 21 and 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 22 ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY. — Lectio Divina, 10-11 a.m. first and third Thursdays. Contact Pat Donlevy at 704-5418960.

ST. patrick cathedral, 1621 dilworth road east — “Lessons and Carols” to commemorate the Feast of the Epiphany, 4 p.m. Jan. 8. Bring a dessert to share. Visit www.stpatricks.org.

ST. thomas aquinas church, 1400 Suther Road — “Circle of Friends” Grief Support Group, office conference room, 7 p.m. Thursdays. Contact Robyn Magyar at 704-707-5070.

ST. vincent de paul church, 6828 Old Reid Road — Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group (CCWG) Reflection with Father Benjamin Roberts, 9 a.m. Jan. 9. Contact Mary Catherine Surface at mcsurface@gmail.com or 704-651-5860.

January 6, 2012 Volume 21 • Number 5

1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

704-370-3333 PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte

EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Denise Onativia 704-370-3333, catholicnews@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org STAFF WRITER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org Online reporter: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341 kdbender@charlottediocese.org

— Moving On After Moving In (for Women), 10-11:30 a.m. for 10 weeks beginning Jan. 26.

Contact Candy at 704-489-1696 or Maureen at 704-489-0544.

GREENSBORO OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, 2205 W. MARKET ST. — Walking with Purpose: Rebuild my Church, with Father Jason Brooks, 8-10 a.m. Jan. 21. Contact Patty Disney at 336-382-2558. Visit www. walkingwithpurpose.com. st. pius x CHURCH, 2210 n. elm st.

— Video: Catholicism, A Journey to the Heart of Faith, Kloster Center, 7 p.m. for 10 weeks (excluding Ash Wednesday) beginning Jan. 18 — Greensboro Council of Catholic Women Annual Covered Dish Luncheon, noon Jan. 25. RSVP to Debbie Porter by Jan. 23, dwporter@triad. rr.com or 336-288-4255.

“Learn to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours,” Kloster Center, 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Contact Elliott Suttle at spiusx.lothclass@gmail.com.

HENDERSONVILLE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH, 208 Seventh Avenue West — St. Francis of the Hills Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan order invites you to a “Come and See.” They meet 1-3:30 p.m. fourth Sundays.

Contact Randy Hair, S.F.O., at 828-698-6466 or Tim Gibson, S.F.O., at 828-606-1728.

HIGH POINT IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CHURCH, 4145 JOHNSON ST. — Free Spanish classes for “beginners” and “advanced,” 7-8:30 p.m. for 8 weeks beginning Jan. 26. Contact Nancy a 336-884-0522 or Dr. Kwan at hinglkwan@gmail.com.

WINSTON SALEM OUR LADY OF MERCY SCHOOL, 1730 LINK ROAD — Open House for prospective families, 5-7 p.m.

Jan. 19, 9-11:30 a.m. Jan 31, and 5-7 p.m. Feb. 23.

Visit www.ourladyofmercyschool.org.

Is your PARISH OR SCHOOL hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions for the diocesan calendar is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org or fax to 704-370-3282.

The Catholic News Herald is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 28 times a year.

NEWS: The Catholic News Herald welcomes your news and photos. Please e-mail information, attaching photos in JPG format with a recommended resolution of 150 dpi or higher, to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org. All submitted items become the property of the Catholic News Herald and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

ADVERTISING: Reach 165,000 Catholics across western North Carolina! For advertising rates and information,

In Brief Fr. McGivney Award given to Tryon council TRYON — John Flynn, Grand Knight of Knights of Columbus Council 9492 at St. John the Baptist Church of Tryon (right), accepts the Father McGivney Award from Tom Greeley, regional district deputy, Knights of Columbus District 17 for increasing membership in the council by 150 percnt for the 20102011 fraternal year. Named after the organization’s founder, Father Michael J. McGivney, the award is given in recognition of outstanding membership recruitment and retention efforts.

“Receiving this award is quite an honor. We’re very pleased with this accomplishment,” Flynn said.

— Michael Valenzano

Knights donate to Wounded Warriors The Knights of Columbus Triad Assembly 2282 (Our Lady of Mercy 10504, Winston-Salem; St. Francis of Assisi 12610, Mocksville; Bishop Charles P. Greco/Holy Family 9499, Clemmons) recently donated more than $2,000 to the Military Order of the Purple Heart-Wounded Warrior Program, thanks to a barbecue chicken fundraiser and various donations. Pictured above is Faithful Navigator Mitch Miller presenting a check for $1,260 to Past Vice Supreme Master Bob Singer.

— Mitch Miller

Eagle Scout honors vets with monument CHARLOTTE — Vincent Vu, of Boy Scout Troop 232 of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte and a student at Charlotte Catholic High School, recently completed his Eagle Scout project: a veterans memorial at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. He and his Scout troop and others spent more than 200 hours to complete the project to honor all of the parish’s veterans. The Veterans Memorial was dedicated by Father Remo DiSalvatore, OFM Cap., pastor, on Nov. 13 in conjunction with Veteran’s Day.

contact Advertising Manager Kevin Eagan at 704-370-3332 or keeagan@charlottediocese.org. The Catholic News Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason, and does not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $15 per year for all registered parishioners of the Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all others.

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January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Free classes on Catholic spirituality to be offered

— Al Tinson

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Jason K. Barone and Peter J. Shaw prostrate themselves before the altar at St. Patrick Cathedral on Dec. 17 during their ordination to the transitional diaconate. For more photos from the ordination Mass, go online to the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel.

Two men ordained to transitional diaconate Dec. 17 Final step toward priesthood SueAnn Howell Staff writer

Confirmation class hosts Christmas program MAGGIE VALLEY — The confirmation class at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Maggie Valley recently hosted the annual “Christmas Across the World Program” for younger students. Under the guidance of catechists Dennis and Judy Chapman, St. Nicholas Day was celebrated with readings, poems, several craft projects and treats.

Pictured is confirmation candidate Cristian Lopez dressed as St. Nicholas, with his family.

— Betsy McLeod

Newly confirmed gather gifts for kids MORGANTON — The 2011 confirmation class at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Morganton recently prepared boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

— Terri Martino

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Former pastor of St. Peter Church dies

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CHARLOTTE — St. John Neumann Parish’s adult education committee will host three free classes on Catholic spiritualities on Wednesdays this month. On Jan. 11, Jesuit Father Pat Earl of St. Peter Church in Charlotte will discuss St. Ignatius of Loyola; on Jan. 18, Sister Gertrude Gillette, STD, will discuss St. Benedict; and on Jan. 25, Capuchin Franciscan Father Steve Hoyt will discuss St. Francis of Assisi. Each class will be held from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 7 of the education wing at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte.

Each class can be attended individually, but everyone is invited to all three. Email meredith@4sjnc.org for questions or details.

OUR PARISHESI

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis ordained Jason K. Barone and Peter J. Shaw to the transitional diaconate at St. Patrick Cathedral on Dec. 17. The Diocese of Charlotte now has three transitional deacons on the path to becoming diocesan priests later this year.

“In the spirit of these Advent days and in the spirit of the ordination Mass, our brothers Jason Barone and Peter Shaw present themselves in a spirit of joyful expectation for the coming of Almighty God, to change them forever through the outpouring of His grace, indelibly marking them with the spiritual character which configures them to Christ,” Bishop Jugis said during his homily.

He explained the role of the deacon in the Church stating that “by the grace of holy orders, the deacon is configured to Christ the servant, who came not to be served but to serve.

The deacon helps the bishop and his priests as a minister of the altar, proclaiming the Gospel, preparing the altar for the sacrifice, distributing the Lord’s Body and Blood to the faithful.

The deacon serves by teaching the doctrine of Christ and His Church, by presiding at public prayer, administering baptism, assisting at and blessing marriages, bringing viaticum to the dying, conducting funeral rites, and by dedicating himself to various acts of charity.”

Bishop Jugis also stated how for both men, this ordination will entail a total sacrifice and gift of self to God and His Catholic Church, and a preparatory step to the priesthood.

“You give up your lives for the Father in Heaven and for the

salvation of your brothers and sisters,” he said.

Both the Barone and Shaw families were present for the ordinations.

Each set of parents presented the gifts to Bishop Jugis during the Offertory.

Deacon Shaw’s father, Deacon William S. Shaw, a permanent deacon who serves at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, was able to help vest his son during the ordination rite.

“The ordination was an amazing experience and one of the most profound moments in my life,” the younger Deacon Shaw said.

More photos “Words really from the don’t do justice for diaconate those moments ordination because of the Mass are on uniqueness of it. the Diocese What words could of Charlotte’s possibly express YouTube the Almighty channel. transforming my very soul and Christ personally configuring me to Himself as a servant of all? It was something akin to those times when a child knows that their parents are pleased with them. The Father smiled upon me that day, and the joy and grace that overflows in my heart and soul because of that experience has become a well from which I draw upon to ever serve Him and His Church.”

They now join Deacon Matthew Codd in the transitional diaconate.

Deacons Shaw and Barone returned to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., this month to finish theology classes. All three hope to be ordained to the priesthood in June.

More online

TOWSON, Md. — Jesuit Father James Ashton Devereux, the former pastor of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, passed away Dec. 19, 2011, following a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. A Jesuit for 66 years and a priest for 53, he was 83.

Father Devereux, a priest with the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus (which extends from Pennsylvania to North Carolina), served as pastor at St. Peter Church in Charlotte from 1992 to 1999. His many other ministries included serving as a professor, spiritual director, province leader, writer and theology consultant. He was the provincial of the Maryland Province and was an English professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Fr. Devereux A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Dec. 27, 2011, at St. Matthias Church in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. Burial followed at Wernersville, Pa. The son of James A. and Elizabeth Clarke Devereux, he was born in Philadelphia, where he was a graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School.

He entered the Jesuit Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues on July 30, 1945, and pronounced his first vows there on July 31, 1947.

Father Devereux earned his bachelor’s degree in 1951 and masters degree in 1954, both from Woodstock College. In 1959, he received a licentiate in Sacred Theology at St. Albert de Louvain in Belgium. He earned his Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 1964.

He was ordained to the priesthood on Aug. 6, 1958, at the College of St. Michael in Brussels, Belgium.

Father Devereux’s first assignment took him to St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he was a teacher of Latin, Greek and English from 1952 to 1954.

After earning his doctorate, he taught English at the University of Scranton from 1964 to 1966 and then at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill from 1966 to 1970. He spent a sabbatical year at Oxford University before returning to teach English at Chapel Hill from 1971 to 1979. His next assignment was at Georgetown University, where he was rector from 1979 to 1984.

Father Devereux also was a consultant for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) from 1965 to 1969, which worked on the translation of the Roman Missal in use until last November. In addition, he served on Georgetown’s board of directors from 1973 to 1978.

In 1984 Father Devereux was appointed provincial for the Maryland Province, a position he held until 1990. During that time, he sponsored a provincewide 19th Annotation Retreat, using his own book on Ignatian spirituality, “Place Me With Your Son,” in the daily prayers. The 19th Annotation refers to an at-home eight-month program of prayer, contemplation and Scripture studies as outlined by the Jesuits’ founder, St. Ignatius Loyola.

Following a sabbatical at Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass., he returned in 1991 to North Carolina, this time to Charlotte. He served first as assistant pastor of St. Peter Church for a year and then was pastor until 1999.

In 1999, Father Devereux began working as a spiritual director and lecturer at the university in Chapel Hill. He went to Georgetown University in 2003, where he spent two years as a spiritual director. In 2005, he moved to Manresa Hall in Philadelphia, where he prayed for the Church and the Society until his death.

Notes of condolence may be sent to: his nephew, Blaine Elkins, 8305 Kerry Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815; his nephew, Stephen Elkins, 2821 Seclusion Ct., Apt C, Raleigh, NC 27612; his niece, Elisabeth McCord, 70 W. Cedar St., Boston, MA 02114; and his niece, Mary Groark, 39 Sacramento Street, Cambridge, MA 01238.

Dinan Funeral Home of Philadelphia was in charge of the arrangements.

6

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

Making a joyful sound this Christmas season CHARLOTTE — Members of the bands from St. Mark, St. Matthew, St. Gabriel, St. Ann, Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Patrick elementary schools in the Charlotte area gathered to perform their annual Christmas concert Dec. 18 at Charlotte Catholic High School Auditorium. They performed under the direction of Dr. Stanley F. Michalski Jr., coordinator of the instrumental music program for the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools.

George A. Hoffman Jr. | Catholic News Herald

A deacon dad’s divine moment Father Deacon Matthew Hanes, a deacon at St. Basil Mission Eastern Catholic Mission in Charlotte, assists Father Mark Shuey as his daughter Isabel is baptized on Dec. 4 in the chapel at Charlotte Catholic High School during the Divine Liturgy. The mission is part of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Eparchy (Diocese) of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio.

For more information about the mission, go online to www.stbasil.weebly.com.

sueann howell | catholic news herald

To Jesus through Mary

sueann howell | catholic news herald

Father Benjamin Roberts celebrated a “Novus Ordo” Mass in Latin on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. His homily featured three words to remember in 2012: “Mercy, Praise, Mary.” Read Father Roberts’ homily from the Mass on page 27. A slideshow of photos from the Mass featuring singing by the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration of St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte is also online at www.catholicnewsherald.com.

Important Upcoming Pro-Life Events for the Diocese of Charlotte March for Life/Charlotte; Friday, January 13, 2012.

For further information: Marchforlifecharlotte.org.

Mass for North Carolina pilgrims, Washington, D.C. Monday, January 23, 2012.

Between 2006-2011, 6 different OLG graduates were either valedictorians or salutatorians at Triad high schools.

Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 11:30 AM. Bishop Peter Jugis, Principal Celebrant; Bishop Michael Burbidge, Homilist.

Come find out why!

Open House (Pre-k to 8th grade) at 10am: Jan. 9 & Feb. 13 Middle School Readiness Seminar & Middle School Open House at 6:30 pm on Feb. 8 Come learn about this important time in a student's life and then stay to see how OLG helps students grow academically, spiritually and socially in middle school.

March for Life, January 23, 2012.

Respect Life Office Catholic Social Services Diocese of Charlotte

For updated information, including precise location, check their website: marchforlife.org.

For further information, please contact: Respect Life Office, mnadol@charlottediocese.org.

Youth groups, please contact Mr. Paul Kotlowski, pjkotlowski@charlottediocese.org.

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

7

Larger-than-life saints now grace St. Ann Church’s interior SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — The Bible verse from Hebrews 12:1 inscribed above the interior of St. Ann Church in Charlotte that speaks about being “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” has taken on a new meaning thanks to the gift of an anonymous donor.

Twelve custom-made, hand-carved wooden statues, created by artist Ivo Demetz of Demetz Art Studios in Ortisei, Italy, were installed high along the inside the church, just in time for Christmas.

“This is a birthday gift for Our Lord,” said St. Ann Church’s pastor, Father Timothy Reid, who had asked parishioners to pray for swift delivery and installation of the statues by Christmas Eve. The six-foot carved wood and handpainted statues each weigh about 200 pounds and had to be shipped from Italy in large crates.

Prior to their arrival, local artist Lisa Autry and her husband Toby were commissioned to hand stencil each alcove where the statues would be placed – a difficult feat involving scaffolding and ladders to reach the niches, which are 14 feet high. They had to work swiftly to meet the Dec. 19 deadline for the statues’ installation.

“We’re happy to be a part of this,” said Lisa Autry.

The 12 statues are of St. Lawrence, St. Augustine, St. Benedict, St. Thomas

More, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. John Vianney, St. Lucy, St. Maria Goretti, St. Rose of Lima, St. Clare, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Rita. The saints represent every period in Church history from the second to the 20th centuries, as well as many vocations within the Church.

“The saints that we chose and how they’re arranged in the church all came out of my prayer,” Father Reid said.

“I knew that I wanted an equal number of males and females. I also knew that I wanted them to cover the entire history of the Church and all of the vocations in the Church. So we have early martyrs like Lawrence and Lucy, as well as a 20thcentury saint (Maria Goretti). We have women religious, a mother (St. Rita), a child (St. Maria Goretti), a father (St. Thomas More), a deacon (St. Lawrence), priests (St. Ignatius and St. John Vianney), a bishop (St. Augustine) and an abbot (St. Benedict).

“As I prayed about whom to choose, Our Lord made it clear in my prayers. And oftentimes while offering the sacrifice of the Mass I would get an inspiration about whom to place where.”

The statue project began in October 2010 and cost about $350,000, he said.

“We first developed ideas for each statue, then began working with conceptual drawings, then to clay models, and eventually to wood. Each statue is an individual work of art.

They’re not reproductions of other statues. They were made especially for St. Ann’s,” he added.

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A statue of St. Clare is positioned into a special niche 14 feet above the floor inside St. Ann Church in Charlotte, among 12 statues of saints hand-made in Italy and designed especially for the church, thanks to an anonymous donor.

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8

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

Receiving the sacrament of confirmation

Annette Tenny | Catholic News Herald

Confirmation at OLM WINSTON-SALEM — Confirmation candidate Andrew Kerr shakes Bishop Peter Jugis’ hand during the sign of peace at Mass at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem. His sponsor, John Reynolds, stands behind him. Kerr and 71 other parishioners received the sacrament of confirmation recently at Our Lady of Mercy Church. Also pictured is pastor Friar Bill Robinson and altar server Leo Wells, along with fellow confirmation candidate Jens Yetter and his sponsor, Teresa Reed.

Listen.

Answer.

Learn.

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Call E-mail (718) 817-4800 gre@fordham.edu

Photo provided by Ruben Tamayo

Confirmed in the Spirit CHARLOTTE — Fifty-six youths at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte recently received the sacrament of confirmation.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis was the main celebrant at the Mass, concelebrated with Father Mark Lawlor, pastor, and Father Joshua Voitus, parochial vicar. Assisting at Mass were Deacon John Kopfle (pictured) and Deacon Carlos Medina.

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January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

9

Scenes of Christmas spirit Photo provided by Jenny Cox

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church sparkled at Christmas.

photo provided by Lisa Cash and Ann Findysz

MOORESVILLE — The St. Thérèse Community Outreach Commission enjoyed celebrating the holiday with Curlin Commons residents. Curlin Commons is an affordable senior apartment community opened in 2007 and named for Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin, who said Mass there on Dec. 6. Afterwards, the residents and the bishop shared a meal provided by the parish commission.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

DENVER — Holding her candle in the darkened church Lily Pena sings angelically amidst shepherds, barnyard animals, magi and a host of angels during the children’s depiction of the Nativity on Christmas Eve at Holy Spirit Church.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

DENVER — The Holy Spirit Church Parish Activity Center was packed with more than 1,000 people, including Danielle Sintoni and her boys Joseph, 3, and Shaun, 5 months, for the Children’s Christmas Mass on Christmas Eve. Families arrived early to enjoy the children’s choir performance before the start of Mass.

Photo provided by Al Tinson

Bill Washington | Catholic News Herald

SALISBURY — Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court 1759 of Sacred Heart Church collected Christmas presents for needy children through their annual “Heart to Heart” giving tree. This year they wrapped 240 presents to be given to children in the Salisbury area.

CHARLOTTE — More than 50 volunteers from Knights of Columbus Council 7343 at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, students from Charlotte Catholic High School, the parish’s Boy Scout Troop 12 and youth group, and the Columbian Squires, all led by pastor Father Pat Hoare, participated in Operation Santa’s Helpers in December, collecting food, clothing and Christmas presents for nearly 300 needy Charlotte area families.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

DENVER — Taylor Bailey, left, and McKenzie Rea add candy to a shoebox to delight a child in the Ukraine.

The Holy Spirit Church youth group recently packed 70 gift-filled shoeboxes with donations by the faith formation students’ families. More than 35 youth group members worked at the Charlotte distribution center for Operation Christmas Child.

Picture provided by Christine Mallette and Betsy McLeod

MAGGIE VALLEY — Children enrolled in St. Margaret of Scotland Church’s faith formation program recently enacted the Nativity story in the four Gospels. The presentation was followed by lunch provided by the Knights of Columbus Fr. Michael Murphy Council. Catechists were presented with a gift from the parish by Father Richard Benonis, pastor.

For more photos, go online to www.catholicnewsherald.com.

10

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

PRIORITIES: FROM PAGE 3

we’re going to have to keep our gaze focused on Jesus, who is the Perfecter of our faith, to quote the line from the Letter to the Hebrews. Certainly in the Eucharistic Congress, we are keeping our gaze focused on Jesus. And that theme comes from St. John’s gospel: the words of St. John the Baptist, when Jesus appeared at His baptism in the Jordan River and John says, “Look, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” These are also the words which the priest says at every Mass, as he invites people to receive Holy Communion. In the Eucharistic Congress we want to put our focus and emphasis on the Eucharistic Presence of Christ.

The theme this year engages the participant; it’s not just a generic statement. So a response is needed.

“Behold the Lamb of God,” in effect, asks us for a statement of our faith: Do we behold the Lamb of God? Do we recognize that this is Jesus Christ? Do we recognize He is really present? Do we really behold Him? That is what the priest is asking for at that moment in the Mass. Similarly, when we come up for Communion and the minister says, “The Body of Christ,” he or she is asking for a statement of faith: Do we recognize and acknowledge this is the Body of Christ? We say, “Amen,” which is the response of our faith. So it is a calling forth of faith, and that expression of faith also puts us into the spirit to enter into the Year of Faith.

CNH: The “Year of Faith” beginning in October will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council. What would you like the faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte to think about as the Year of Faith approaches?

Bishop Jugis: I remember a line from “Porta Fidei” where the pope describes the faith as standing with the Lord, so as to be able to live with Him. If you look at the worldwide universal Church, where in some countries the faith is weak, where people are drifting and not standing with the Lord and witnessing to their faith by their lives, he is saying that he wants people to take another look at knowing their faith, which means being catechized and evangelized, and then to live their faith, to enter into the mission of the Church and become evangelizers. At least at this initial stage, what we can be doing is standing with the Lord, making sure that we stand with Him in the face of any challenges to our faith in our culture, and that we don’t compromise our love for the Lord or try to straddle our love for the Lord with love for other contrary doctrines.

It’s also interesting to note that faith is the one theological virtue on which the pope has not yet written an encyclical.

The first one was on charity, “Deus Caritas Est,” (God is Love) and then he wrote his encyclical on hope, “Spe Salvi” (In Hope We Were Saved). He has not yet written an encyclical on faith, explicitly. This is an opportunity, I think, for the whole Church together with him to reflect on the foundational nature and place of faith in our lives as a Christian community, and what responsibilities or duties are incumbent on us as a result of being people of faith: Knowing our faith, growing in our faith, studying our faith, and then witnessing to our faith with our lives.

CNH: Across the diocese, there has been a great deal of emphasis placed on encouraging people to consider vocations to religious life, particularly the priesthood. How would you describe the state of vocations in the diocese?

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Bishop Jugis: The fact that our diocese is producing so many good quality vocations to the priesthood and to religious life, both as men religious and as women religious, is a good sign of the vitality of our local Church. Obviously, people are striving for holiness and hearing God’s call to these special vocations – as well as to the vocations of marriage and family life.

I’ve noted traveling around to parishes and just talking with people that we’ve had vocations not only to the diocesan priesthood, but also I hear of young men who have gone to study for the Vincentians, or for the Capuchins or other religious orders, as well as women religious. This really is encouraging to me.

We’re also seeing that Adoration chapels around the diocese are bearing much fruit in holiness in the diocese, and in the holiness of individuals who are seeking to leave all and give their lives completely to following the Lord. Not only in the established Adoration chapels, but also through the many hours of Eucharistic Adoration that take place in parishes on a periodic basis, people are praying and seeking the Lord.

To make sure that we continue to have vocations to priesthood and consecrated life as we move into the future, one thing that people should continue to do is – borrowing a phrase from Pope John Paul II – to make sure that our families are “schools of prayer.” He called the parish a school of prayer where people are taught prayer, learn how to pray, grow in prayer, grow in holiness.

So also our families, our domestic churches, should be schools of prayer, where children learn how to pray, and are taught prayer

and grow in prayer. Because if we are prayerful people, if we are seeking to be in conversation with the Lord and listen to His voice, then we’re more disposed to be able to hear His voice and to respond when He does call us to whichever vocation – to marriage or to consecrated life, or to the priesthood or to the diaconate.

Another thing is to keep in mind our Vocation Awareness Day, which we have every August for priestly vocations. Since that started in 2005, it has been successful – which shows that more and more young men and teenagers are thinking about it and just want to investigate it further, to have a day to spend with me as their bishop, to pray together and listen to talks about the priesthood, and to ask questions about what the life of a priest is like.

CNH: You and Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh are actively involved with the upcoming May referendum on protecting marriage in the North Carolina state constitution. What do you hope to teach Catholics on this issue?

Bishop Jugis: The first message that we’re trying to get across in the campaign is that we do need a constitutional marriage amendment. Even though there is currently a law on the books passed by the state legislature that already defines marriage as between one man and one woman, our message is that we also need an amendment to the state constitution, as many other states already have, to protect marriage from being redefined in the future, either by some judge or some future reconsideration by the state legislature. Already a lawsuit has been introduced in Guilford County against the state attorney general challenging the constitutionality of our law in North Carolina. If a judge decides to rule that our law is unconstitutional, then, ipso facto, we have same-sex “marriage” in North Carolina. That’s primarily why we need an amendment to the state constitution, to protect a relationship which is written in natural law and precedes Christianity, precedes religion, precedes civil government. It is the basic relationship and institution of society which God has created in the natural order.

At the same time, in a corollary sense, it’s helpful to talk about marriage because in our society more and more people are choosing not to get married and are just living together and having children without the benefit of a stable, public, legally sanctioned commitment. That is very unfortunate because it introduces the possibility of great instability into a relationship where children need stability from their parents – stability backed up and guaranteed by civil law.

It’s also an opportunity to talk about the beauty of the covenant of marriage, the lifetime covenantal nature of marriage, the beauty of marriage as open to the gift of children. It’s an opportunity to remind people of our Catholic Social Services’ Natural Family Planning program; about the Retrouvaille program for marriages that might be facing serious difficulties; and about Marriage Encounter, to make good marriages stronger.

It has also been an important priority of the U.S. bishops, recently through a campaign called For Your Marriage, to strengthen marriage and understanding of the beauty and the value of celebrating the sacrament of marriage and the graces which come from marriage.

CNH: Another significant event in 2012 will be the Democratic Party’s national convention in Charlotte. How should Catholics react to the likely presence of a large number of pro-abortion people in Charlotte during the convention?

Bishop Jugis: It will be an opportunity for us, as the local Church, to reiterate our Church’s teaching and to explain the reasons why we teach as we do: our teaching on life as a gift from God, an unconditional sign of His love. We certainly should be praying for candidates of both political parties that this message may be received and accepted, to protect the most vulnerable members of our human family, the unborn – that they not be neglected or crushed because of our desire for convenience.

I do know that within the Democratic Party there are certain groups of people who are pro-life. I’ve met some of them, and they’ve told me they’re not going to be forced out of the Democratic Party, that they’re going to stay so that the Democratic Party recognizes their presence and acknowledges the legitimacy of a pro-life Democratic stance. Even though the platform of the party may be pro-abortion, it’s difficult to paint everyone with that color.

My guess also is that, since this is a national convention, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will also be involved in responding to the national debate as it’s going on. So we won’t be alone, we won’t have to carry the whole burden all by ourselves, but it’ll be a good opportunity for us and our communications department to be responding for our people here, who are going to be hearing it on the airwaves constantly and in newspapers. Hopefully, the voice of truth will cut through the verbiage on the other side and expose the untruths that are perpetrated against the value and the dignity of life.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor

OUR PARISHESI

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Catholic publisher donates books to Lincolnton family LINCOLNTON — The Friday family, which received a new home in Lincolnton on Dec. 17 courtesy of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,� also received 18 new books, including coloring books for the children, and one Bible from Saint Benedict Press/TAN Books, a local family-owned company headquartered in Charlotte. For stories about the recent project involving local Catholic home builder Frank Hereda, go online to www. catholicnewsherald.com.

In November, they solicited and collected donations of food and clothing from parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Mercy churches and from Our Lady of Mercy School. By the end of the drive, bags of clothing and boxes of non-perishable food took up an entire wall of the school gym. After Thanksgiving, the kids and their catechists split into groups to sort and re-bag all the items.

All donations were shared between Crisis Control, the Salvation Army, and the parish’s Outreach coordinator, Madeline Harold.

And during the weekend of Dec. 3-4, the youth held a bake sale after each Mass. Half of the proceeds were given to the Second Harvest Food Bank. — Annette Tenny

January: Rev. Francis T. Connolly 2008 Rev. Tom Stott 2005 Rev. Vincent Erb 2005 Rev. Msgr. Eugene H. Livelsberger 1987 Rev. Msgr. Lawrence Newman 1981 Rev. Arthur J. Racette 1975

— SueAnn Howell

Knights donate coats GREENSBORO — St. Pius X Church’s Knights of Columbus Council 11101 recently donated winter coats to be given to children in need.

Pictured above, Grand Knight Walter Kulla presents two dozen winter coats to Carolyn Painley, St. Pius X Church Community and Parish Life Commission director, for distribution to local children. This drive is part of “Coats for Kids,� a national program organized by the Knights of Columbus, which has so far purchased and donated more than 40,000 coats nationwide. — John Russell

OLM youth put faith into action WINSTON-SALEM – Our Lady of Mercy Parish’s confirmation youth group answered the call to charitable service recently.

COLLECTION: FROM PAGE 3

“Due to the importance of the World Mission Sunday collection for the (Society of the) Propagation of the Faith, that will now be an individual collection held in October each year,� Gaddy said.

A ministry receiving funding from the

11

www.kofcnc.org

ENCHANTED IRELAND TOUR with Father Ed Sheridan

April 18 – 29, 2012

Knights raise money to buy coats GREENSBORO — The Knights of Columbus councils comprising Abbot Vincent Taylor 4th Degree Assembly also completed a successful raffle to raise funds for “Coats for Kids.� They raised more than $4,000 to buy 300 coats to be distributed by Our Lady of Grace, St. Benedict, St. Mary and St. Paul churches in Greensboro.

Pictured above (from left) are Father Michael Nguyen, pastor of St. Mary Church with the raffle’s second-place prize winners Nhan and Bach-yen Nguyen and the assembly’s Coats for Kids co-chairman Tom Thompson. — Tom Thompson

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Combined Mission Collection is the African American Affairs Ministry, which receives $10,000 yearly from the Black and Indian Fund. “The Black and Indian Fund support of the African American Affairs Ministry is very important as it contributes at least one-fourth of our yearly budget,� said Sandra Murdock, diocesan director of the African American Affairs Ministry. “Without this support, we would be unable to provide several of our programs.�

Spiritual Exercises S I R ILENT GNATIAN

ETREATS

10,753 babies killed in Mecklenburg County alone last year!!

Come and save our children today‌ Join the March for Life Charlotte and pray!!!

Friday, January 13 Be a witness for the sanctity of human life and an act of reparation for an end to abortion.

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April 20 - 22, 2012 Hickory, NC (QT 9QOGP CPF QXGT

March for Life Schedule

Fr. Hayden Augustine of the Missionaries of the Poor will be our guest speaker and main celebrant for the 9am Mass at St. Peter Catholic Church prior to the march.

9am – Mass for the Unborn at St. Peter Catholic Church, 507 South Tryon St., Charlotte

June 22-24, 2012 Hickory, NC

11am – Gather in front of the Pastoral Center at 1123 South Church St, Charlotte to prepare for march

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Preached and Directed by the Priests of

Miles Christi

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Miles Christi 2ELIGIOUS /RDER s 0 / "OX s 0LYMOUTH -) s INFOUSA MILESCHRISTI ORG s WWW MILESCHRISTI ORG For more information and to register for these Exercises please contact Mary Jaye at northcarolina@spiritualexercises.net or at (248) 767-1669.

Fr. Hayden Augustine

11:45am - Instructions and prayer before march Noon – Begin march to the Federal Courthouse at 401 W. Trade Street, Charlotte where we will pray the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Fr. Augustine will preach along the way at the corner of Trade & Tryon Streets.

Go to www.marchforlifecharlotte.org for details on parking and signs

Mix 12

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

On TV Saint Benedict Press welcomed Father Alfred McBride Dec. 11-14 to film the latest “Catholic Courses” series in the converted theatre on the Sacred Heart Campus at the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Belmont. Pictured with Father McBride are (from left) Zachery Brakefield, Sarah Laurell, Conor Gallagher, Rick Rotondi and Kevin Gallagher. Below is a detail of the inside of the production studio they’ve set up. sueann howell | catholic news herald

Saint Benedict Press resurrects old theatre on Sacred Heart campus ‘Catholic Courses’ home to state-of-the-art production studio SueAnn Howell Staff writer

BELMONT — Conor Gallagher never imagined he would take his family’s 74-year-old Catholic publishing business into 21st-century video production when he assumed the role of vice president of publishing for Saint Benedict Press three years ago. His grandfather, Bud Gallagher, started selling Bibles door to door in 1938. His father, Bob Gallagher, has continued growing the family publishing business over the past three decades as chairman and CEO. The latest generation of the Gallagher family has overseen the development of video courses that complement their Catholic book publishing.

Their new venture, Catholic Courses, launched in December and features worldrenowned professors exploring the riches of the Catholic intellectual tradition. The video lectures, filmed with two high-definition cameras on a custom-built set, are supplemented with visual aids, special effects and lecture guides.

“Part of my father’s vision for growing the business has been adapting to changes in the marketplace while remaining faithful to our mission of publishing products you can trust with your faith,” Gallagher said. “We continue to offer faithful Catholic products – we’re

just finding new and improved ways of presenting the material.”

Starting up the video production effort from scratch, they recently remodeled an old, unused theatre on the campus of the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Belmont that was being leased by Belmont Abbey College. The theatre, in what used to be a women’s college run by the Sisters of Mercy, was originally designed for stage performances, so they invested approximately $40,000 to build a studio set with professional-grade cameras, lighting and sound-proofing panels.

The new production has gotten off the ground rapidly, Gallagher said. “We’re extremely grateful to the Sisters of Mercy and Belmont Abbey College for giving our Catholic Courses studio a home.”

“We did not even own a camera nine months ago,” he said. “Now we’ve already produced five courses – 20 hours of quality audio and video courses.”

Managing production for each of the “Catholic Courses” is another member of the Gallagher family, Kevin. He is directing “Catholic Courses” and working with a small team of professionals on writing, filming and marketing.

“I never envisioned myself doing this,” Kevin Gallagher said, but added that the multimedia venture “is very important work. We’re paying such close attention to quality here.”

To date, “Catholic Courses” offer college-level material ranging in topics such as “The Four Last Things,” “Saints With a Past,” “Seven Myths About the Catholic Church and Science,” “The Hidden Meaning of the Lord of the Rings,” and “Shakespeare’s Catholicism.”

Norbertine Father Alfred McBride, founder of the Department of Religious Education at the National Catholic Educational Association and a prolific Catholic writer, was in Belmont Dec. 11-14 to tape the latest courses in the series: “The Christ: A Complete Picture of Jesus from the Gospels” and “ Unveiling the Apocalypse: The End Times According to the Bible.”

“I admire Saint Benedict Press for wanting to do this, to make good quality presentations on the Gospels,” Father McBride said. “I have written four books on the Gospels, one for each of the Gospel writers. It’s one of my favorite topics. I am glad they wanted to do a presentation on the Apocalypse, too, which is a very powerful message for our times.”

Explaining the subjects in a way that’s easy to understand is important, Father McBride said, yet many theologians get trapped by mountains of information and fail to cut through to the “big picture.”

“Our hope is that we are making very interesting and engaging courses that will grab people’s attention to think about their faith in a way maybe they haven’t before,” Kevin Gallagher said.

For more information about “Catholic Courses” or to download a free audio course, www.catholiccourses.com.

n Sunday, Jan. 8, 2 a.m., Friday, Jan. 13, 10 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Cutting Through The Spin On Stem Cells And Cloning.” Leading Catholic Bioethicist debunks the numerous modern myths surrounding current stem cell research and cloning issues. n Sunday, Jan. 8, 2 p.m (EWTN) “O Divino Niño Jesus.” Recorded in the Presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration dedicate this program to the Divine Child Jesus. n Tuesday, Jan. 10, 3 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Alter Christus.” A look into the important aspects on the priesthood, featuring reflections from Cardinal Cláudio Hummes; Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera; Cardinal Julián Herranz and Monsignor Guido Marini. n Wednesday, Jan. 11, 1 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Maria Goretti.” St. Maria Goretti gave up her life to protect her purity; this remarkable new film explores her life in the gritty detail of family poverty and harsh living conditions. n Thursday, Jan. 12, 3 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Vietnam: Gilded Cage.” The Church in Vietnam is supposedly free, but this up close look at the situation there shows otherwise; in fact it is under constant surveillance as a threat to socialist order. n Friday, Jan. 13, 3 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “A Hidden Jewel: The Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art in Venice.” An exploration of the Diocesan Museum in Venice. n Friday, Jan. 13, 1 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 14, 5 a.m. (EWTN) “The Vitae Monologues.” Jeremy Stanbary of Epiphany Studio Productions presents a powerful and inspiring Catholic pro-life play. n Sunday, Jan. 15, 2 a.m. and Friday, Jan. 20, 10 p.m. (EWTN) “A People of Life.” The Knights of Columbus (KoC) have supported the Pro-Life Movement for years, this inspring program explores the KoC’s involvement in the movement all over North America. n Monday, Jan. 16, 3 a.m and 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues: Part 1.” Basing himself on Dante’s Purgatorio, Father Robert Barron gives a presentation on the Seven Deadly Sins, focusing this episode on Pride. n Saturday, Jan. 21, 1-3:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Walk for Life West Coast (Live).” Live coverage of the Walk for Life West Coast.

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

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Wills & Trusts - Traffic - Civil Trial - Small Business Law 1982 novel, previously made into a successful stage play, about an English farmer’s son who trains and cares for a thoroughbred horse that his father misguidedly buys just to thwart the local squire. While the intensity of the drama, the level of violence and some of the vocabulary used make director Steven Spielberg’s vast canvas unsuitable viewing for kids, mature audience members will encounter a stirring affirmation of human solidarity amid the tragedy of the trenches, a realization of shared values brought about, ironically, by the heroism and endurance of the nonhuman protagonist.

Considerable combat and other violence, including an execution and a few vague sexual references.

CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG-13

‘Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked’ This weak, slapstick-laden, but not unwholesome, third entry in the Chipmunks series has the titular rodent rap stars and their distaff counterparts the Chipettes misbehaving on a cruise ship and winding up on a remote Caribbean island, where they help another castaway and learn some lessons in maturity and responsibility.

CNS: A-I (general patronage), MPAA: G

‘Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol’ This dizzying roller-coaster ride of an espionage thriller propels viewers from the depths of urban sewers to the top of the world’s tallest building, and throws in outer space for good measure. In his live-action debut, established animation director Brad Bird oversees spectacular cinematography, with the camera swooping and soaring with each deathdefying stunt. Intense action violence, including gunplay, some rough language.

CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG-13

‘The Adventures of Tintin’ Visually sumptuous animated adaptation of Belgian cartoonist Herge’s famed comic books in which the curiously coiffed young reporter of the title finds himself drawn into a centuries-old mystery via the purchase of a model ship. His efforts to solve the puzzle are aided by a goodhearted but excessively tippling sea captain and opposed by a deliciously wicked Russian villain.

The generally family-friendly result will not only afford vigilant moms and dads a chance to relax, but the opportunity to be entertained as well.

Occasional stylized violence.

CNS: A-I (general patronage), MPAA: PG

‘War Horse’ Epic screen version of Michael Morpurgo’s

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‘We Bought a Zoo’ In this amiably tame, warmly emotional feature, based on the true-life experiences of British memoirist Benjamin Mee, a widower and his two children attempt to start over by purchasing an exurban menagerie filled with endangered animals and staffed by a clutch of oddball humans. Viewers will note that the catharsis achieved studiously bypasses the theological, that there’s an implied timetable for the grieving process, and that no one questions the idea that it’s always moral to hasten the death of a suffering creature. Yet the movie is still commendable, not least because the value of hard work is emphasized.

CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG

‘Young Adult’ Pretentiously droll and condescending examination of small-town relationships in which Charlize Theron plays a moderately successful ghostwriter of young-adult fiction. Divorced and unhappy with the direction of her life in Minneapolis, she returns to her rural Minnesota home in hopes of rekindling a romance with her high school boyfriend, despite the fact that he is now a husband and father, and in the teeth of sensible advice from another former classmate.

Two scenes of implied nonmarital sexual activity, fleeting profanity, pervasive rough and brief crass language, sexual banter.

CNS: L (limited adult audience), MPAA: R

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‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ This piercingly violent and sordid crime thriller, based on the first book in Swedish writer Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy,” follows a journalist and a talented computer hacker as they investigate a wealthy clan’s role in the murder of a female member of the family 40 years prior. Excessively graphic violence, including rape, torture and maiming; images of women sadistically murdered; antireligious undertones; strong sexual content, including explicit lesbian and nonmarital encounters and frequent nudity; and much crude and crass language.

CNS: O (morally offensive), MPAA: R

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Tour the Vatican including an audience (subject to his schedule) with Pope Benedict XVI! Tour Rome’s religious highlights including St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. See ancient Rome, the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore and more! Fly to Lisbon, Portugal; visit Lady of Fatima Church, celebrate private Masses at the Basilica of Fatima and Apariciones Chapel of Fatima; and tour the Batalha monastery. Travel to Salamanca, Spain; visit the Old Cathedral and New Cathedral; overnight in Valladolid, Spain. Visit Lourdes, France; celebrate Mass at the Grotto of Lourdes. Take the high-speed train to Paris for two nights.

Wednesday’s Paris highlight includes The Shrine of the Miraculous Medal with Mass at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

Thursday’s highlights include a full-day tour of Paris visiting the Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Basilica of the Sacred Heart and more! Includes 8 masses; 10 Breakfasts & 10 Dinners. *Price per person, double occupancy. Plus $299 tax, service & gov’t fees. Add only $700 for private room with no roommate. Airfare is extra.

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14

iiiJanuary 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

MARCHING FOR

LIFE

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Sixth-annual Charlotte March for Life set for Jan. 13

JOHN W. MO R

EHEAD

SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — This new year, why not make a resolution that will benefit the most vulnerable in our society: the unborn? Start making a difference by participating in the 2012 Charlotte March for Life activities on Friday, Jan. 13.

The day begins with a Mass for the Unborn at 9 a.m. at St. Peter Church on South Tryon Street, then continues with the March for Life at noon.

Come join Bishop Peter J. Jugis, priests and people from across the Diocese of Charlotte in the sixth-annual march starting at the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center on South Church Street and processing into uptown Charlotte to the corner of Trade and Tryon streets before ending at the Charles R. Jonas Federal Courthouse Building on West Trade Street.

This year Charlotte March for Life organizers have invited Father Hayden Augustine, vicar general of the Missionaries of the Poor, to serve as homilist at the Mass for the Unborn and to speak at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets during the march. Father Augustine has spent the past 20 years in the MOP India and Africa missions. A zealous teacher and preacher, he has pioneered programs for the education and rehabilitation of thousands of children afflicted by diseases and affected by disabilities in south India, Uganda and Kenya.

A powerful advocate for the sanctity of life, he is now based at the Institute’s motherhouse in Kingston, Jamaica, and is involved in their launching of the Holy Innocents Crisis Center for the counseling of pregnant women threatened by the prospect of abortion and the subsequent caring of their newly delivered babies.

Also joining the march again this year are members of Silent No More, a national organization of women and men who have been adversely affected by the tragedy of abortion, some of whom will share their experiences publicly.

Everyone is welcome to attend any or all of the events to demonstrate support for the right to life for the unborn.

For questions, contact march coordinator Tina Witt at 704-846-7361 or marchforlifecharlotte@windstream.net.

Coverage of the march Coverage and photos of the Charlotte March for Life will be posted online Friday, Jan. 13, immediately following the march. Go to www.catholicnewsherald.com.

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START HERE The March for Life will start at noon Friday, Jan. 13. Line up at 11 a.m. outside the diocesan Pastoral Center parking lot at the corner of West Palmer and South Church streets. Free parking will be in the overflow lot accessible from West Palmer Street, across from the Pastoral Center. Non-MACS buses cannot park in the overflow lot – instead, buses should park where available along the sides of West Palmer Street or elsewhere nearby. The LYNX rail stop at Carson Boulevard is also one block away.

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END HERE Marchers will then proceed down West Trade Street toward the U.S. Courthouse. After the recitation of the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the march will conclude.

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

15

Missionaries of the Poor serve the needy in Monroe Kimberly Bender ONLINE REPORTER

W. TRA D

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LYNX STATION CARSON BLVD.

e-up for the march will be as follows: cifix (carried by Brother Pius of the aries of the Poor), Father Hayden ine of the Missionaries of the Poor, Peter J. Jugis with the Knights of us, the image of Divine Mercy carried by r William of the Missionaries of the Poor, tue of the Blessed Virgin Mary carried by s of Columbus members, Silent No More ses carrying an image of an unborn child, nights of Columbus members, priests acons, and the laity.

At the corners of Trade and Tryon streets, presentations will be made, including preaching by Father Hayden Augustine followed by children chanting the Ave Maria. A time of quiet prayer will conclude the presentations.

March organizers caution everyone to be mindful of the busy uptown traffic and obey all laws for pedestrians.

Free parking is available in The Green parking deck next to St. Peter Church for the 9 a.m. Mass. (Marchers attending the Mass with Father Hayden Augustine, principal celebrant and homilist, at St. Peter Church are encouraged to park here.)

Public restrooms are available in The Green parking deck.

Marchers will proceed up South Church Street, turning right onto West Carson Boulevard.

Marchers will turn left at the intersection of South Tryon Street and West Carson Boulevard, towards uptown Charlotte, and will continue past St. Peter Church to the corner of Trade and Tryon streets.

MONROE — With food from their own garden and a warehouse of donated supplies, six brothers from an international order feed more than 60 families each week.

The U.S. branch of the Missionaries of the Poor, an international monastic order of brothers dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor, has provided food and helped those in need from their house in Monroe since 2008, said Brother Augusto Silot.

One of the founding members of the organization, Father Hayden Augustine, will be the guest speaker at Charlotte’s March for Life on Jan. 13. He will also be the main celebrant for the 9 a.m. Mass at St. Peter Church before the march.

Father Augustine, who serves as vicar general to the M.O.P., will be speaking about the value of life. The order was founded in 1981

by Father Richard Ho Fr. Augustine Lung and has grown to more than 500 brothers around the world.

A veteran missionary, Father Augustine has spent the last 20 years in his Institute’s India and Africa missions. Now in Jamaica, he is involved in the Holy Innocents Crisis Centre for the counseling of pregnant women threatened by the prospect of abortion and the subsequent caring of their newly delivered babies.

In Monroe, the brothers are busy every day bringing food to the poor, visiting nursing homes, serving food at homeless shelters and helping as many families in need as possible.

Each Saturday, whole families come to the monastery to pray, sing and study the Bible. While there, volunteers serve them meals and give them care packages.

“Our main goal with the children is to build a Christian community and to teach them to live a life following the example of Jesus Christ,” Brother Augusto said.

The brothers also work with volunteers to tend a garden that feeds nearly 50 families fresh produce, Brother Augusto said.

“Allowing these families to actively engage in raising their own food with us will provide them food and a sense of family in Christ,” he said.

Volunteers from parishes around Charlotte assist in growing vegetables.

In addition to their house in Monroe, they also opened a warehouse last May which houses a food pantry.

Want to help?

The Missionaries of the Poor, located at 1403 Griffith Road in Monroe, is in need of food, including canned meats and vegetables, toiletries and other necessities for its food pantry warehouse. To donate, call 704-6358831. For more information, go to www. missionariesofthepoor.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Other pro-life events

sueann howell | catholic news herald

Parishioners from around the Diocese of Charlotte traveled to Washington, D.C., in January for the national March for Life.

Pictured above are Tom and Heather Martin from St. Mark Church in Huntersville, praying with two of their daughters near the Capitol Building and the Supreme Court Building at the end of the march up Constitution Avenue.

St. Patrick Cathedral parish sending bus to D.C. CHARLOTTE — Father Christopher Roux, rector of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, has announced that the church will help sponsor a bus for parishioners of the Diocese of Charlotte who are interested in participating in the March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23. In previous years, St. Patrick parishioners had to reserve seats on buses from other parishes in the Charlotte area.

Tina Witt, the organizer for the St. Patrick bus this year, hopes all the seats will be filled when the group departs Charlotte on Jan. 22.

Travelers going on the St. Patrick bus will stay with other parishioners from the diocese at a Knights of Columbus Hall in Arlington, Va., after attending the vigil Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Jan. 22.

The cost is $55 per person. For more information, contact Witt at 704-846-7361 or marchforlifecharlotte@windstream.net.

Jan. 14 — Raleigh 8 a.m., Mass for Life: Bishop Michael F. Burbidge will celebrate the annual Mass for Life at St. Joseph Church in Raleigh.

1 p.m., Rally for Life: The Raleigh diocese will participate with other pro-life advocates including co-sponsor, N.C. Right to Life, beginning at Nash Square on the corner of Hargett and McDowell streets.

Headline speakers, followed by a procession to the state legislative building.

Jan. 23 — Washington, D.C. Noon, March for Life Rally: The rally begins on the National Mall west of 8th Street near the Smithsonian Castle.

1:30 p.m., March for Life: The march will begin immediately after the rally and follow its customary route up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill.

For more information about the March for Life in D.C., go online to www. marchforlife.org.

Save a life, learn more about abortion

Other opportunities to help and learn more

Any woman who is pregnant and in need can turn to the pro-life movement for help. She never has to feel that abortion is the only option. Thousands of pregnancy centers, churches and other organizations are providing counseling, medical services, legal advice, job and education opportunities, adoption services, or just the understanding ear of a friend.

n Join the prayer campaign. Prayer is the foundation of everything Catholics do in the pro-life movement.

Strengthen the movement, save lives, and change hearts and minds by praying explicitly each day for an end to abortion, for the babies and their parents, for doctors and public officials, and for all who are working in this great cause. At PrayerCampaign.org is a source for prayers to end abortion, and also check out prolifeprayers.com.

Diocese of Charlotte support services: Pregnancy Support: 1-888-789-4989 Natural Family Planning: 704-370-3230 Adoption: Asheville: 828-255-0146; Charlotte: 704370-3262; Winston-Salem: 336-714-3203 Option Line of Care Net/Heartbeat: 1-800-395-HELP; PregnancyCenters.org National Life Center: 1-800-848-LOVE

There is forgiveness after abortion Catholics who reject abortion do not reject those who have had abortions. Counseling, forgiveness and healing can be found for both men and women after abortion.

Priests for Life operates the world’s largest ministry for healing after abortion. Known as “Rachel’s Vineyard,” this ministry holds hundreds of retreats worldwide each year and provides follow-up services as well. For more information: Diocese of Charlotte, Maggi Nadol, 704-370-3229 Rachel’s Vineyard: 1-877-HOPE-4-ME; RachelsVineyard.org National Helpline for Abortion Recovery: 1-866-482LIFE; NationalHelpLine.org

Respect Life Mass at St. Pius X Church: A call for life, love and prayer GREENSBORO — The Triad area’s annual Right to Life Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St., Greensboro.

With the Jan. 22nd anniversary of Roe v.

Wade approaching, parishes are organizing prayer vigils and special Masses to pray for the restoration of the legal right to life for future generations.

“It is love that motivates us,” said Bishop Jugis at last year’s Respect Life Mass, also celebrated at St. Pius X Church. “It is the love of Christ that motivates us. Without Jesus and His love, we are nothing.”

Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X, said he was “very much pleased to concelebrate a pro-life Mass last year where love was mentioned almost as frequently as life.” “These two realities have to go together if we are to have integrity in the pro-life movement,” he said.

The Respect Life Mass will be followed by a reception in the Kloster Center hosted by the St. Pius X Respect Life Ministry.

— Georgianna Penn

Abortion Facilities within the Diocese of Charlotte

n Partner with the Silent No More awareness campaign. At SilentNoMoreAwareness.org, Catholics can join with the world’s largest movement of women and men who have lost children to abortion. Doing so spreads the word that healing and forgiveness are available to those who have had abortions. n Exercise political responsibility. The pro-life movement works across party lines and calls everyone to rediscover that the foundational principle of government is the right to life, and the duty of government is to protect life. Moreover, if Catholics want public policies to be based on that principle, then it’s necessary to participate in elections and in communicating with those who are elected.

Catholic Voice North Carolina, CatholicVoiceNC.org is the non-partisan voice of the state’s two Catholic bishops: Charlotte Bishop Peter J. Jugis and Raleigh Bishop Michael F. Burbidge. Catholic Voice North Carolina participants have sent thousands of e-mails to legislators and other public officials when life issues were under consideration. Participants receive e-mail alerts when a public policy issue regarding life is under consideration.

There is no cost to join. Also visit PoliticalResponsibility. com. n Make a tax-deductible donation. The diocesan Respect Life office welcomes donations online at cssnc. org, or by mail: Catholic Social Services, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203-4003.

— Source: www.PriestsforLife.org and staff

Femcare, 62 Orange St., Asheville A Preferred Women's Health Center, 3220 Latrobe Dr., Charlotte Carolina Center for Women, 421 N. Wendover Road, Charlotte Family Reproductive Health, 700 E. Hebron St., Charlotte A Woman's Choice of North Carolina, 201-E Pomona Drive, Greensboro Piedmont Carolina Medical Clinic, 2425 Randleman Road, Greensboro Carolina Womancare PA/Abortion Medical Services, 712 N. Elm St., High Point Planned Parenthood/Winston-Salem Health Center, 3000 Maplewood Ave., Suite 112, Winston-Salem Tim P. Faragher | catholic News Herald

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

2011

17

A year of Adoration, translation, prayer and protest

BELMONT — Bishop Peter J. Jugis blesses youth after the 2011 Lenten Youth Pilgrimage Mass celebrated at Belmont Abbey College in April. More than 400 young people attended the annual event, and Bishop Jugis encouraged them to combat the “spirit of the world” and modern relativism, instead helping to foster the spirit of new evangelization. “You are living in a world that desperately needs to be touched and healed by the beauty of Christ’s love. It needs witnesses to that love.

It needs you,” he said.

Photo provided by Ruben Tamayo

A brief look back at 10 significant stories in the Charlotte diocese 1. Despite ‘rough spots,’ Catholics adapt to revised English translation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Years of planning went into it, followed by catechesis over several months via workshops, bulletin inserts, video presentations such as “Missal Moments” by Father Brandon Jones and newspaper articles including the series “Understanding the Mystery of the Mass, Revisited” by Father Matthew Buettner.

All of it was done to prepare the faithful for a revised English translation of the Roman Missal in November.

Despite “a few rough spots here and

there, and occasional ‘and also with your spirit’ and other hybrid responses ... it looks like we made it!” reported Father Richard Hilgartner, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Divine Worship.

Also in Charlotte, a newly translated Bible hit bookstores across the U.S., thanks in part to locally-owned St. Benedict Press/TAN Books, longtime publisher of Bibles and Catholic classics. The NABRE is the first revised translation of the Old Testament since 1970, replacing the New American Bible version.

Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

3. Eucharistic Congress attracts more than 11,000 Catholics to Charlotte

Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Christ the King High School students Angela Arce (left) and Carley Murphy (right) eye religious gift items they received at the end of the first day of classes at the new diocesan high school in Mooresville.

2. Christ the King, diocese’s third Catholic high school, opens with freshman class MOORESVILLE — More than two dozen students stepped off the bus in August for what marked a milestone in the Diocese of Charlotte: the opening of a new Catholic high school.

Christ the King High School became the second high school in the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system and the third in the diocese, offering a classic Catholic education using state-of-the-art, technology-based learning for freshmen in a temporary location near Mooresville.

While enrollment interest was shaky to start, diocesan officials plan to add the other grades starting next school year as the demand for Catholic education increases in this fast-growing suburb north of Charlotte.

Cementing the project was the October purchase of approximately 107 acres for a permanent location just outside Huntersville. Construction on the school is expected to be completed for classes to start in the 2012-’13 school year.

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria pauses for a moment to bless a child after the Holy Hour during the Eucharistic Congress held at the Charlotte Convention Center in September. In his keynote address, the noted Vatican prelate and theologian stressed the importance of keeping the Sabbath and attending Mass, criticizing the “virus of secularism” that promotes weekend leisure instead of giving special attention to God the Creator.

CHARLOTTE — In his keynote address during the Diocese of Charlotte’s Eucharistic Congress in September, Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze emphasized the importance of Sunday Mass and the observance of the Sabbath as the Lord’s Day despite an increasingly secularized world.

“Religion is not an option. It is not an accessory footnote. It is the duty of the human creature in front of God the Creator,” he told Catholics gathered for the seventh-annual congress in Charlotte, hosted by Bishop Peter J. Jugis at the Charlotte Convention Center.

The congress, with its theme “Do This in Memory of Me,” attracted a record crowd of more than 11,000 people from across the Carolinas.

Raleigh Bishop Michael F. Burbidge also spoke during the two-day event, one of the few Eucharistic congresses in the U.S. held annually and one of only two held in the Southeast each year.

CHARLOTTE — Father Timothy Reid (center) reverences the altar during the Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form celebrated at St. Ann Church in Charlotte July 26, the feast day of Sts. Ann and Joachim. Bishop Peter J. Jugis was the attending prelate for the Latin-rite Mass, the first of its kind at St. Ann Church in 40 years. The celebration of the Mass in Latin grew in popularity across the diocese in 2011. More photos from the special Mass are on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel.

sueann howell | catholic news herald

Stories that made us smile in 2011 n “Centuries of Service”: Monsignor Anthony Kovacic (pictured) and Monsignor Joseph Kerin, who have a combined 118 years of service and statewide legacies of building up the Church in North Carolina, continue their priestly ministry even now in retirement.

These men of God have made history, yet they especially value their pastoral work, caring for the people of the diocese.

During the past year, the Catholic News Herald featured many people across the Diocese of Charlotte doing amazing work. Some of our favorites: n “Seeing God Dogs”: A number of diocesan priests have pet dogs as companions and pastoral helpers, and we profiled a handful of them – including Bishop Emeritus William Curlin and his three Chihuahuas, and Father Carmen Malacari of Holy Spirit Church in Denver (pictured with Random).

“The Beer Brewing Brother”: Benedictine Brother Tobiah continues the ancient monastic tradition of brewing beer – for the monks at Belmont Abbey, at least.

n “Place of Peace and Prayer”: St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville has such a strong demand for pilgrims seeking solitude and connection with God – more than 30,000 people since it opened in

2005 – that the center, staffed by Franciscan Father Louis Canino (pictured) and more than 100 volunteers, is planning a dramatic expansion to double in size on its 140acre campus north of Greensboro.

n “Mission to Misery”: Redemptorist Father Vang C. Tran of St. James Church in Concord travels to Vietnam twice a year to aid the country’s persecuted Montagnard minority and leper colonies. The trips, organized through the U.S.based Viet Toc Foundation, support scholarships, job training, medical care, food aid, and protection of Montagnard culture.

n “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”: Bellamy Homes co-founder Frank Hereda (pictured with his parents) drew upon his Catholic values in leading the construction of a 4,000-square-foot home in less than a week for a needy Lincolnton family with eight foster children.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, SueAnn Howell, Christopher Lux and Annette Tenny Editor’s note: Find these stories online at www.catholicnewsherald.com.

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

4. Diocese blessed by vocations to priesthood, consecrated religious

Other news of note

CHARLOTTE — Joshua Voitus of Lewisville became the newest priest of the diocese in June, when he was ordained by Bishop Peter J. Jugis at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

“The knowledge that it is God who has called me to this and that I will be given the grace and privilege to act in His person when offering Mass and hearing confessions is too much for words,” said the 29-year-old a few days before his ordination. Father Voitus now serves as parochial vicar at Fr. Voitus St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte.

Three other young men – Jason Barone, Matthew Codd and Peter Shaw – were ordained to the transitional diaconate in 2011, the final step toward their priestly ordinations in June 2012.

In addition, six men from many different walks of life were ordained to the permanent diaconate in January.

Two young women professed vows with the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, a contemplative Franciscan community that moved to Charlotte in 2010, and the Benedictines of Belmont Abbey welcomed Brother Andrew Spivey making his solemn profession of vows in July.

Seminary education funding for the diocese’s 17 seminarians also got a boost from two substantial financial gifts in 2011, one from Asheville philanthropist George Pfaff and another from retired Winston-Salem physician Dr. William Rabil.

5. Federal contraception mandate worries Catholic leaders; Belmont Abbey College files lawsuit BELMONT — Belmont Abbey College filed suit in November against the federal government over a new regulation requiring employer health insurance plans to provide free contraception and sterilization, even if that runs contrary to their religious tenets.

The regulation – part of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – would force Catholic institutions and employers to violate their religious beliefs, stop serving nonCatholics, or drop health insurance coverage altogether for their employees and students, the college and Catholic leaders nationwide insisted.

They criticized the mandate as an unconstitutional violation of religious liberty. It sets up new preventative health care coverage specifically for women at no cost, including mammograms, prenatal care and cervical cancer screenings, but also includes services that Catholics consider immoral, such as contraception, sterilizations and abortifacient drugs.

If the federal government does not revise or drop the regulation, it is set to go into effect in August 2012.

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Photo provided by Tracy Winsor

CHARLOTTE — Kathy Schmugge, director of the Family Life Office in the Charleston diocese, holds baby Pearce Harp, whose family was helped by the Charlotte diocese’s Be Not Afraid Ministry. The first national conference for Be Not Afraid, a network of professionals that assists parents who have received poor prenatal diagnoses, was held in Charlotte in October for diocesan leaders from around the nation.

Several firsts were marked in the Diocese of Charlotte in 2011, including: n Ground was broken at Belmont Abbey College in June for a maternity center run by the nonprofit Room at the Inn of Charlotte, believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S. The $3 million, 10,000-square-foot maternity home sueann howell | catholic news herald will shelter and counsel college-aged pregnant women and their children.

photo provided by Donna F. Smith

HUNTERSVILLE — More than 200 young people gathered last summer at St. Mark Church in Huntersville for the annual Totus Tuus (“Totally Yours”) summer catechetical camp, promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship. On the final day of camp, students enjoyed a water extravaganza with an opportunity for making “human Sundays.” Pictured is the Totus Tuus team leader, Teresa Ptak, being drenched in chocolate sauce.

Two Totus Tuus teams held camps at 16 parishes around the diocese this summer.

6. Legal actions in clergy sex abuse cases continue Paul Berrell, former music minister of St. Eugene Church in Asheville, was sentenced in March to 28 years in prison on one federal charge of child pornography after he pleaded guilty.

Berrell was arrested in 2009 and was fired from his position at the church shortly afterwards.

Father John Schneider, former pastor of St. Eugene Church, pleaded guilty in June to a misdemeanor in connection with Berrell’s case.

Father Schneider was fined, ordered to perform community service and placed on probation.

In addition, two civil lawsuits were filed against the Diocese of Charlotte by a North Carolina law firm representing three men who say they were abused as children by two priests and who claim that the diocese was negligent in its oversight.

The first lawsuit, filed in July, claims that the diocese concealed knowledge of alleged child molestation in the mid-1980s by Richard Blair Farwell, 63, a suspended priest who now lives in Florida.

The second lawsuit, filed in September, involves two men who contend they were abused by Father Joseph Kelleher – one at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle in 1977, the other in about 1980 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte.

Father Kelleher, now retired after more than 40 years in ministry, has been under criminal investigation in Albemarle and Charlotte since the diocese alerted authorities to an anonymous abuse allegation in 2010 and placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigations. His case has yet to be heard in court.

Finally, unsealed court documents in Wilmington, Del., revealed an admission of sexual abuse by a priest who formerly served at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro. Father James O’Neill, OSFS, 71, was removed as pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church in 2002 when an allegation of sexual misconduct was made by a Delaware man. The abuse allegation did not involve O’Neill’s assignment in North Carolina.

n The annual Diocesan Support Appeal, supporting more than 30 ministries, hit the $5 million mark for the first time in 2011 – more than 10 percent over its goal. The DSA campaign was the most successful ever thanks to above-average donations from a slightly smaller pool of donors. n Approximately 650 men gathered at Charlotte Catholic High School in February for the diocese’s first Catholic men’s conference, “Being a True Catholic Man,” sponsored in part by the Knights of Columbus.

Men were challenged to live up to their spiritual leadership potential.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor

BRYSON CITY — Bishop Peter J. Jugis greets parishioners at St. Joseph Church in September, marking the church’s 70th anniversary.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis said it was “a good day to rededicate yourselves to service to this church.”

Joanita M. Nellenbach | Catholic News Herald

Parishes marking anniversaries in 2011 n St. Vincent de Paul n St. John the Baptist Church in Charlotte, 50 Church in Tryon, 100 n St. Margaret Mary Church n St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, 25 in Swannanoa, 75 n St. Joseph Church in Bryson City, 70

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

7. ‘Voices of experience’ reverberate in Charlotte during March for Life CHARLOTTE — Participants may have forgotten about the ice they sloshed through to get to uptown for the Charlotte March for Life last January, but they probably didn’t forget the booming voices

of Father Frank Pavone and the Silent No More witnesses who poured out their hearts with the truth of the horror of abortion.

Father Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, took the stage at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets during the lunch rush and captured people’s attention with his powerful words.

“We’ve got a disaster on our hands in this country that too many people feel free to ignore,” he declared. “Too many people feel

that this is something that we ought to just agree to disagree about. We’re here today to give a message. This is not an issue that we can agree to disagree on, because when somebody is perpetrating violence against someone else, you don’t sit back and agree to disagree with the perpetrator. You stop the perpetrator!”

More than 500 people, including students from Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte, took part in the annual march to pray for an end to abortion.

8. Catholic Social Services makes changes to food pantry, ends some adoptions CHARLOTTE — People coming to Catholic Social Services’ food pantries used to be handed pre-packed bags filled with groceries they might not need or use.

That’s no longer the case.

CSS launched “Providing Food With Dignity” in 2011, enabling clients to choose the foods they want at the food pantry and empowering them to make healthier choices – a shift in philosophy that emphasizes their human Carter dignity.

CSS also hired coordinators to lead its flourishing volunteer efforts in Charlotte, Asheville and Winston-Salem, yet shuttered its dwindling international adoption program in the wake of the sluggish economy.

Midway through the year, interim executive director Dr. Gerard A. Carter was officially appointed to lead the 63 employees at CSS, the diocesan affiliate of Catholic Charities USA. In the 2010-’11 fiscal year, Catholic Social Services in western North Carolina provided more than 291,000 pounds of food to 10,427 people; provided 2,554 hours of counseling to 355 individuals; served 502 couples through marriage classes; provided pregnancy support and adoption services to 25 families; helped 71 at-risk youth; resettled 298 refugees and 14 asylum seekers from 14 countries; and hosted 750 seniors at 11 prayer and renewal events.

During a powerful address in uptown Charlotte last January, Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life exhorted the people of Charlotte and the participants in the March for Life to defend the dignity of all human life and speak out against abortion.

Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — Members of the award-winning Perpetual Hope Gospel Choir and band at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte perform at the closing Mass of a four-day revival on Aug. 14 that was led by Father Tony Ricardi, the chaplain for the New Orleans Saints NFL team. The choir celebrated its 31st anniversary Nov. 20 with a special concert directed by Erick Massey.

George A. Hoffman Jr. | Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — About 150 Catholic faithful attended a special Mass of healing at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte in May to receive the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. Capuchin Franciscan Father Remo DiSalvatore, pastor, embraces Renee Ramkissoon, 6, after she gave him flowers to be placed upon the altar. The daughter of Dirk and Allana-Rae Ramkissoon, principal of Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte, Renee was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in February and passed away Dec. 26 at home with her family by her side.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

DENVER — Chloe Clark receives first Communion from Father Carmen Malacari at Holy Spirit Church in Denver in May. She was among more than 5,550 people who received first Holy Communion at parishes across the diocese in 2011, according to diocesan vital statistics.

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

21

In memoriam Father J. Paul Byron, the founding pastor of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, died March 15, 2011, at 89.

Sister Julia Dennehy, SMG, who served as a nurse at Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point for more than 40 years, died May 24, 2011, at 99.

Jesuit Father James. A. Devereux, the former pastor of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, died Dec. 19, 2011, at 83.

Archbishop Emeritus John F. Donoghue of Atlanta, who served as the second bishop of Charlotte from 1984 to 1993, died Nov. 11, 2011, at 83.

Deacon Nicholas Fadero, who served at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte for 25 years, died Feb. 10, 2011, at 82.

Deacon Gerald Hickey, a member of the first class of permanent deacons for the Diocese of Charlotte, died June 6, 2011, at 83. He served at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte for nearly three decades.

photo provided by Barbara Markun

Father John Eckert, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, instructs children on prayer during a special children’s Eucharistic Adoration time. The parish began the children’s Adoration time over the summer as a way to encourage children to pray and

9. Participation in Adoration grows, two more Perpetual Adoration chapels open For decades, Catholic churches across the diocese have offered Adoration so that the faithful may spend time in prayer before the Lord. More than 40 parishes in the diocese now offer regular hours of Adoration, and two parishes added Perpetual Adoration in 2011.

spend time listening quietly to God. Many parishes stepped up their efforts to encourage Eucharistic Adoration, and two more churches opened Perpetual Adoration chapels.

Following months of prayer and preparation, St. Aloysius Church in Hickory and St. Mark Church in Huntersville inaugurated aroundthe-clock Eucharistic Adoration – doubling the number of Perpetual Adoration chapels in the diocese from two to four.

Father Robert Ferris, pastor at St. Aloysius Church, said he knows the presence of Our Lord goes beyond the altar where the Most Blessed Sacrament is placed. “I think this will revitalize our parish, the people of our church, and even the community that we are in,” he said.

10. Sacred art adds beauty to churches old and new Stained glass, hand-carved altars, delicately painted murals – churches in the diocese were made more beautiful last year thanks to the efforts of parishioners, volunteers and pastors.

In Tryon, St. John the Baptist Parish celebrated its centennial year by completely transforming the church’s interior. Most of the work was done on a shoestring budget by parishioners and a local college student, led by their pastor, Father Patrick Winslow.

In Forest City, intricate stained-glass windows were installed at the new Immaculate Conception Church. Designed by Father Herbert Burke, pastor, and crafted by Statesville Stained Glass Inc., the 10 traditional window designs depict scenes from the life of Jesus and His mother.

In Charlotte, St. Joseph Vietnamese Church installed 16 larger-than-life, outdoor Stations of the Cross – the first ever such art in the diocese and the dream of Father Peter Tan Van Le, who retired this year as pastor. The gleaming white statues – each standing at least 6 feet tall and weighing more than 16 tons – were made in Saigon.

Also in Charlotte, St. Ann Church commissioned 12 large statues of Catholic saints, hand carved and painted in Italy and installed just before Christmas in gilded niches encircling the church’s interior.

And in Franklin, St. Francis of Assisi Church members and local businesses donated their time and labor to build an outdoor shrine to St. Joseph.

— Catholic News Herald staff

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

A statue of St. Clare is positioned into a special niche 14 feet above the floor inside St. Ann Church in Charlotte, among 12 statues of saints hand-made in Italy and designed especially for the church, thanks to an anonymous donor.

Editor’s note: Find these stories online at www.catholicnewsherald.com.

Conventual Franciscan Father Edgar Holden, known as “Father Ed” to a generation of Our Lady of Fatima parishioners and Winston-Salem Journal readers, died Sept. 15, 2011, at 93.

Father Conrad Kimbrough, beloved pastor and “priest of priests” who fervently fostered vocations, died July 5, 2011, at 84.

Vincentian Father Arthur Kolinsky, CM, parochial vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Charlotte, died Sept.

20, 2011, at 67.

Sister Helen Elizabeth Latour, RCE, distinguished comparative languages professor and longtime literacy advocate, died Jan. 4, 2011, in North Wilkesboro at 85.

Providence Sister Anne Scott, a teacher who served at the parishes of Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte and St. Joan of Arc in Asheville during the 1970s, died Sept. 5, 2011, at 82.

Redemptorist Father John “Jack” Smyth, former pastor of St. James Church in Concord and long-time missionary, died Nov. 3, 2011, at 73.

Our nation 22

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

National Vocations Awareness Week takes place Jan. 9-14 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Catholic Church will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week Jan. 9-14 to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education.

This distinctive week gives Catholics an opportunity to renew prayers and support for those who are considering one of these vocations.

“It is our responsibility to help children and young people develop a prayerful relationship with Jesus Christ so they will know their vocation,” said St. Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

“Through a culture of vocation in families, parishes, schools and dioceses, Catholics can nurture an environment of discipleship, commitment to daily prayer, spiritual conversion, growth in virtue, participation in the sacraments and service in community,” the archbishop said. “Without this environment, promoting vocations becomes simply recruitment. We believe we have much more to offer our young people.”

People can visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Facebook page – www.facebook. com/usccb – during the week to see examples of clergy and religious. They also can view

Former Episcopal bishop to head new U.S. ordinariate for ex-Anglicans

Call for more info Is God calling you to a religious vocation? For assistance and guidance about the priesthood or consecrated life, contact Father Christopher Gober, director of the diocesan Vocations Office, at 704-370-3327 or vocationsmail@charlottediocese.org.

For information about the permanent diaconate, contact Deacon Ronald Steinkamp, director of the diocese’s permanent diaconate ministry, at 336-882-9717.

reflections under the vocation retreat tab where each day a Scripture passage, reflection and prayer will be posted.

Resources for promoting National Vocations Awareness Week, such as prayer cards, Holy Hour materials, prayers of the faithful and bulletin-ready quotes, are available at www.usccb.org/ beliefs-and-teachings/vocations.

Also check out the site www. foryourvocation.org.

National Vocation Awareness Week began in 1976 when the U.S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year for this event.

In 1997, the celebration was moved to coincide with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which is on Jan. 9.

— Catholic News Service

Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pope Benedict XVI has established a U.S. ordinariate for former Anglicans who wish to become Catholics and named a married former Episcopal bishop to head it.

The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter – functionally equivalent to a diocese, but national in scope – will be based at Our Lady of Walsingham Parish in Houston and led by Father Jeffrey N. Steenson, the former Episcopal bishop of the Rio Grande ordained a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, N.M., in 2009.

The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter is the first structure of its kind in the U.S. and the second in the world. The other ordinariate is Our Lady of Walsingham, established in 2011 to serve England and Wales.

The ordinariates are the result of appeals from Anglican communities to become Catholic as groups. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI issued an apostolic constitution, “Anglicanorum coetibus,” authorizing the ordinariates.

More than 100 former Anglican priests have applied to become Catholic priests in the ordinariate and 1,400 people from 22 communities have expressed interest in joining. In 2011, the members of St. Luke’s in Bladensburg, Md., and St. Peter of the Rock Community in Fort Worth, Texas, were received into the Catholic Church with the intent of joining the ordinariate.

Parishes and communities accepted into the ordinariate will be fully Catholic but retain elements of their Anglican heritage and traditions, particularly in the liturgy.

Father Steenson, 59, and his wife Debra have three grown children and a grandson.

Because he is married, he will not be ordained a bishop and will not be able to ordain priests. He

Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte Executive Director: Gerard A. Carter, Ph.D. (704) 370-3250 Refugee Office: Cira Ponce (704) 370-3262 Family Life: Gerard Carter (704) 370-3228 Justice and Peace: Joseph Purello (704) 370-3225 OEO/CSS Murphy Satellite Office (828) 835-3535 Charlotte Region: 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Area Director: Sharon Davis (704) 370-3218 Your Local Catholic Charities Agency

Western Region: 50 Orange Street, Asheville, NC 28801 Area Director: Michele Sheppard (828) 255-0146 Piedmont-Triad: 627 W. Second St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Area Director: Diane Bullard (336) 727-0705 Greensboro Satellite Office (336) 274-5577

For information on specific programs, please call your local office.

www.cssnc.org

Providing help. Creating hope. Changing lives.

CNS file | Celine Baca Radigan, Archdiocese of Santa Fe

Former Episcopal Bishop Jeffrey N. Steenson, right, blesses Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of Santa Fe, N.M., during Father Steenson’s ordination to the Catholic priesthood in 2009. Father Steenson spent 24 years as an Episcopal priest and three as a bishop in New Mexico before converting to Catholicism. He will now lead the new U.S. ordinariate for former Anglicans who wish to become Catholics. will, however, otherwise function as a bishop and will be a voting member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

He will be installed as the ordinary Feb. 19 in Houston.

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief U.S. bishops awarded grant to study Latino vocations WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been awarded an $85,000 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to explore why Hispanics are underrepresented in the U.S. clergy and religious. The survey aims to identify common and distinctive cultural traits that affect the openness and ability of Catholic youth to respond to a call to a vocation to the priesthood or religious life.

The secretariat has commissioned the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University to conduct a national survey of never-married Catholics, aged 14 and older, to study their views about vocations and their own consideration of a vocation.

The one-year grant from the Los Angelesbased group will also be used to fund a seminar on consecrated life for the U.S. bishops.

N.J. nurses don’t have to assist in abortion in new agreement NEWARK, N.J. — A group of 12 nurses who sued the University Hospital in Newark over a policy requiring them to care for patients before and after abortions can no longer be compelled to assist in these procedures, under an agreement reached in federal court. The nurses in the same-day surgery unit of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey can remain in their current jobs and will only be required to help patients with abortions in a life-threatening emergency when no other nonobjecting staff members are available and only until someone can be brought in to relieve them, according to the Dec. 22 agreement.

U.S. District Judge Jose Linares, who mediated the agreement, said the nurses would be allowed to remain in the unit and would not be discriminated against because of their stance on abortion.

U.S. bishops to study 50-state approach to immigration at Utah conference SALT LAKE CITY — A three-day conference on issues faced by Catholic advocates of comprehensive immigration reform is scheduled for Jan. 11-13 in Salt Lake City, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. The

conference’s title, “Immigration – A 50-State Issue: A Focus on State and Local Immigration Initiatives,” reflects the USCCB’s position that immigration is a federal issue, said Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City.

Immigration must be dealt with on a federal level, said Kevin Appleby, USCCB director of migration policy. “If you have 50 different state policies and untold number of local policies on immigration, you’re not going to have an effective system. Instead of putting energy into passing bills that are unconstitutional and build fear in communities, we should put energy into getting our federal delegation to do the right thing and reform the immigration system.”

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Pew study: Percentage of Americans who are married reaches all-time low WASHINGTON, D.C. — With cohabitation, single-person households and single parenthood on the rise, the percentage of Americans who are currently married has reached an all-time low. A new report from the Pew Research Center analyzing Census Bureau data found that only 51 percent of Americans 18 and older were married in 2010, compared with 72 percent in 1960. Among Hispanics and AfricanAmericans, the decline is even more steep.

“If current trends continue, the share of adults who are currently married will drop to below half within a few years,” said the report

by Pew senior writer D’Vera Cohn, senior demographer Jeffrey S. Passel and research associate Wendy Wang.

Fifty-five percent of white Americans were married in 2010, down from 74 percent 50 years earlier. But among Hispanics and blacks, married people are already in the minority.

Forty-eight percent of Hispanics and 31 percent of African-Americans were married in 2010, compared with 72 percent and 61 percent, respectively, in 1960.

The authors said it was “beyond the scope of this analysis to explain why marriage has declined,” but they noted that its popularity has fallen less sharply among college graduates.

They said a recent drop in the number of new marriages could have to do with the economic recession, but the linkage “is not entirely clear.”

The Pew report found that the median age at first marriage has been steadily rising for both men and women over the past five decades, from 22.8 for men and 20.3 for women in 1960.

The median age in 2010 was 26.5 for women and 28.7 for men in 2010. Reinforcing the trend of a rising median age for marriage was the percentage of Americans aged 20 to 24 who had ever been married. In 1960, 60 percent of that age group had married, while in 2010 only 14 percent had. Among those between the ages of 35 and 39, 93 percent reported having ever been married in 1960, compared to 77 percent in 2010.

— Catholic News Service

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THE PLAINS OF AFRICA — KENYA SAFARI — June 14-27, 2012

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A few highlights of this smaller, more personal travel experience, limited to only 24 people : • Samburu National Reserve - home to many exotic African wildlife • Mt Kenya Safari Club - once the private hunting lodge of William Holden • Great Rift Valley at Kigio - experience breakfast in the bush and look for Lake Elementeita’s flamingos • Masai Mara Game Reserve and tribal village – most stunning game viewing spot in Kenya!

• Optional hot air balloon ride – catch the wildlife at sunrise over the plains!

• Farmhouse of Karen Blixen, author of “Out of Africa” • Feed endangered Rothschild giraffes on their level at their sanctuary • Famous Amboseli National Park – open plains near snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro • Visit youngsters in their school outside Nairobi – they’ll teach us!

And these give just a glimpse of your African safari experience! Price per person (double occupancy) is $6,819 – INCLUDING roundtrip air from Charlotte; all air fees, taxes, surcharges (subject to increase until paid in full); all attraction fees/taxes ($645 per person) and 33 meals!! (almost all of your food is pre-paid); all accommodations; transfers, transportation, local guides and a fulltime escort.

For a brochure or questions, call Cindi Feerick at the diocese: (980) 230-7430.

To register: call Collette Vacations (877) 894-1245, ext. #3129.

Our world 24

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Nigerian bishops announce day of prayer following attacks LAGOS, Nigeria — The Nigerian bishops’ conference described several Christmas church bombings as the equivalent of war and declared Dec. 31 a day of fasting and prayer to ask God’s forgiveness for the acts. The Islamic extremist group Boko Haram took credit for the Christmas bombings that left more than 40 people dead.

One of the churches targeted on Christmas was St. Theresa Church, just outside of Abuja.

Death toll tops 1,000 as agencies aid Philippine flood victims MANILA, Philippines — Catholic agencies and officials in the Philippines are working to provide housing for victims of recent flooding that left more than 1,200 people dead and hundreds of thousands more homeless following flash flooding caused by the powerful Tropical Storm Washi in December.

For World Day of the Sick, pope stresses value of anointing VATICAN CITY — Anointing of the sick is not a minor sacrament, said Pope Benedict XVI, but one that “deserves greater consideration today” because of its spiritual benefits. The pope’s message for the 2012 World Day of the Sick, released by the Vatican Jan. 3, is for the celebration set for Feb. 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Pope Benedict noted that the sacrament, formerly known as extreme unction, may be administered in “various human situations connected with illness, and not only when a person is at the end of his or her life.”

Anointing with olive oil recalls the “double mystery of the Mount of Olives,” the pope said, as both the location of the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus confronted His passion, and the place where He ascended into heaven. Oil thus acts “as God’s medicine ... offering strength and consolation, yet at the same time (pointing) beyond the moment of the illness toward the definitive healing, the resurrection.”

Anointing of the sick is one of the Church’s two “sacraments of healing,” together with the “medicine of confession,” penance, he said.

Pew study: Global Christian population is 2.18 billion WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to a new study, there are currently 2.18 billion Christians in more than 200 countries around the world, representing nearly a third of the estimated 6.9 billion 2010 global population. The study, conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, found Christians to be so geographically widespread that no single continent or region can indisputably claim to be the center of global Christianity.

The study also breaks down where Catholics – numbering 1.1 billion worldwide and half of the global Christian population – reside. Brazil, with 134 million Catholics, has the world’s largest Catholic population.

— Catholic News Service

Pope says Christians look to new year with hope, commitment to peace Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Christians should look toward the New Year with hope and a commitment to working for justice and peace, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“God is love, He is just and peaceable, and anyone wishing to honor Him must first of all act like a child following his father’s example,” the pope said Jan. 1 during a Mass marking the feast of Mary, Mother of God and World Peace Day. The pope ended 2011 by celebrating an evening prayer service Dec. 31 in the basilica and offering God thanks for the past year. The next morning, he celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s and recited the Angelus with visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

He told the crowd in the square that thanks to Mary’s openness to God’s will, “the true light that illuminates every human being appeared and the path to peace was reopened.”

“I invite all of you to join me in praying earnestly for peace throughout the world, for reconciliation and forgiveness in areas of conflict, and for a more just and equitable distribution of the world’s resources,” he said.

Earlier, during his homily at Mass, the pope said Jesus’ birth changed human history, filling it with hope and promise.

“He is the mercy and the peace that the world, of itself, cannot give, and which it needs at least as much as bread,” the pope said.

For World Peace Day 2012, Pope Benedict focused on the theme of educating young people in justice and peace.

“In the face of the shadows that obscure the horizons of today’s world, to assume responsibility for educating young people in knowledge of the truth, in fundamental values and virtues, is to look to the future with hope,” the pope said.

With the ease of communications, travel and globalization, he said, the world seems smaller in many ways and people come into contact more often with others from a different race, religion or culture.

“Now, more than ever, it is indispensable to learn the importance and

CNS | Paul Haring

Pope Benedict XVI blesses children participating in the offertory procession during Mass on the feast of Mary, Mother of God, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Jan. 1. the art of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, dialogue and understanding,” he said.

While young people naturally are open, the pope said they often are targets of manipulation by those who are intolerant and violent, so “a solid education of their consciences” is important.

Education begins in the family, which must help children “develop a personality that combines a profound sense of justice with respect for their neighbor, with a

capacity to address conflicts without arrogance, with the inner strength to bear witness to good, even when it involves sacrifice, with forgiveness and reconciliation,” he said.

Religious leaders must contribute to the process as well, he said, because “every pathway of authentic religious formation guides the person, from the most tender age, to know God, to love Him and do His will.”

Pope will meet Mexican, Cuban presidents during visit in March Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI will meet with Cuban President Raul Castro, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and bishops and Catholics from the region when he visits Mexico and Cuba March 23-28. He will also deliver a message to the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as pray at the shrine of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre in Cuba.

Vatican Radio released the pope’s itinerary as detailed by the Mexican and Cuban bishops’ conferences Jan. 2.

The pope will visit three cities in the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico.

In Cuba, he will make stops in Santiago de Cuba and Havana.

From Rome, the pope will arrive in Mexico March 23 in Guanajuato, where he will be received by Calderon and Archbishop Jose Guadalupe Martin Rabago of Leon for his four-day visit.

The pope will meet government officials and Calderon March 24 at the Guanajuato state government house of Conde Rul. He will celebrate Mass March 25 in Silao’s Bicentennial Park, at the foot of the Cerro del Cubilete hill and its 67-foottall monument of Cristo Rey.

The pope will head to Cuba on March 26, when he will be welcomed at the airport

by Castro, Archbishop Dionisio Guillermo Garcia Ibanez of Santiago de Cuba and Cuban bishops’ representatives.

The pope will celebrate Mass in Antonio Maceo Revolution Square later that day and make a private visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre March 27.

Afterward, he will go to Havana to meet with religious, government and civil leaders as well as meet with Castro.

The pope will celebrate Mass March 28 in Jose Marti Revolution Square before leaving later that day to return to Rome.

January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Pope Benedict XVI delivers his Christmas message “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 25.

CNS | L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters

Pope says Christmas shows God’s will to save people from sin Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — God sent His son into the world to save it from evil, pride and violence, Pope Benedict XVI said in his Christmas message “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world).

“The child whom we contemplate is our salvation! He has brought to the world a universal message of reconciliation and peace,” the pope said Dec. 25 as he stood on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and gave his solemn Christmas blessing.

In his Christmas message, like in his homily at Mass the night before, Pope Benedict spoke about God’s desire to save humanity and His decision to do that by being born in Bethlehem, living among people, dying for them and rising from the dead.

“Come to save us! This is the cry raised by men and women in every age, who sense that by themselves they cannot prevail over difficulties and dangers,” the pope said. Jesus “is the hand God extends to humanity to draw us out of the mire of sin and to set us firmly on rock, the secure rock of His truth and love.”

Pope Benedict said most of the world’s problems are caused by human sin, “the evil of separation from God, the prideful

presumption of being self-sufficient, of trying to compete with God and to take His place, to decide what is good and evil, to be the master of life and death.”

Jesus came to earth to bring people back to God, to turn them from their sin and to promote reconciliation, dialogue and cooperation, he said.

Pope Benedict used his message to ask Christians to pray and offer concrete help to people suffering this Christmas: from famine in the Horn of Africa; flooding in Thailand and the Philippines; tensions between Israelis and Palestinians; violence in Syria and Nigeria; a lack of peace and security in Iraq and Afghanistan; the struggle for democracy and human rights in across North Africa and the Middle East; and for the people of Myanmar, South Sudan and Africa’s Great Lakes region.

Christmas is about the birth of the savior, the prince of peace – not some sappy sentimentality. “Today Christmas has become a commercial celebration, whose bright lights hide the mystery of God’s humility, which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity. Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season, and to discover behind it the child in the stable in Bethlehem, so as to find true joy and true light,” he said.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Letter to editor

By the numbers

Thank you for your support

PAPAL VISITORS In 2011, 2.5 million people saw Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.

Pope held 45 weekly general audiences on Wednesdays in 2011, speaking to a combined total of about 400,000 people VATICAN CITY — The Prefecture of the Papal Household, the office responsible for handing out free tickets to papal events, estimated more than 2.5 million people saw Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in 2011.

The prefecture estimated 500,000 people attended a liturgy celebrated by the pope in May. Pope Benedict beatified Pope John Paul II May 1. While there may have been only 500,000 people with tickets in St. Peter’s Square and on Vatican territory, Italian police had said more than 1 million people were gathered in and around the Vatican and in front of large video screens in several parts of Rome for the Mass.

Almost half of the visitors and pilgrims at papal events in 2011 were members of the crowds gathered on Sundays for the pope’s recitation of the Angelus. The Vatican said more than 1.2 million people joined the pope for the noon prayer at the Vatican or in Castel Gandolfo, his summer residence.

The pope held 45 weekly general audiences on Wednesdays in 2011, speaking to a combined total of about 400,000 people.

Special papal audiences for groups drew about 102,000 people to the Vatican and papal liturgies were attended by about 846,000 people, the papal household said.

The 2.5 million figure for 2011 marked an increase in participation compared to 2010, when the office estimated the crowds at a total of just under 2.3 million people.

The Vatican estimated that just more than 18 million people joined Pope Benedict for an audience, Angelus or Mass from his election in April 2005 through his weekly general audience Dec. 28, 2011.

— Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

POPE BENEDICT XVI has been joined by 18 million people for an audience, Angelus or Mass in the time of his papacy. In 2011...

2.5 MILLION saw Pope Benedict XVI

400,000

SPECIAL AUDIENCES DREW

people attended weekly general audiences

102,000

500,000 PEOPLE held tickets to Pope John Paul II’s beatification

846,000

45

-and-

PAPAL LITURGIES DREW

TO THE VATICAN

Regina P. Moody is the president and CEO of Holy Angels in Belmont.

Letters policy

Source: The Prefecture of the Papal Household

©2011 CNS CNS | Emily Thompson

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In December, 1,046 page titles www.catholicnewsherald.com were viewed a total of 11,804 times. The top five local headlines in December were:

Are you planning on making any resolutions this year? n Yes

Holy Angels would like to thank the many individuals, companies, churches, schools and other groups from throughout the Charlotte diocese who supported us so generously during the recent Christmas season. Countless residents from around the surrounding community brought presents for our residents, as well as gifts of money, equipment and other necessities. Every gift, every visit and every prayer brought love and joy to our residents and their families.

We feel incredibly blessed through the support we receive from this community throughout the year with our special events such as the annual Angel Bowl and your assistance on needed projects around our campus.

You make it possible for us to offer a home of unconditional love and unlimited possibilities for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities, many of whom are medically fragile. Our prayer for you is a joyous and healthy 2012.

The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.

The Catholic News Herald does not publish poetry, form letters or petitions. Items submitted to the Catholic News Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

n ‘Extreme Makeover’ surprises Lincolnton family........................................................708

n No

Go online to www.catholicnewsherald.com to respond. And join the conversation on our Facebook page about New Year’s resolutions and why you are or why you are not making resolutions this year.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor

n Larger than life saints grace St. Ann Church for Christmas................................... 405 n Belmont Abbey College hosts ‘Extreme Makeover’ pep rally.................................292 n Court papers claim Fr. Kelleher admitted to abuse allegation................................289 n Belmont Abbey College makes ‘Extreme’ gift to Lincolnton family..................... 234

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January 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Fr. Benjamin Roberts

Rev. Msgr. Mauricio W. West

Miserere. Te Deum Laudamus. Ave Maria.

T

here is a fairly old tradition in the Church, how old exactly I am not certain, that on the final day of the year, and even perhaps on the first day of the New Year, three kinds of prayers be offered. The Latin titles, which are really the first words, for these prayers are “Miserere,” “Te Deum Laudamus” and “Ave Maria.” The Miserere refers to Psalm 51, the great canticle of repentance offered by King David after his great sin, that begins so beautifully “Have mercy on me God, according to your great kindness.” The Te Deum Laudamus refers to the Church’s great hymn of praise sung in the Liturgy of the Hours, a complement to the Gloria sung at the Mass, which begins with the words, “You are God, we praise you.” And Ave Maria, the words the Angel Gabriel used to greet Our Lady, “Hail Mary.”

Asking for mercy, giving God praise, and turning to Mary; this is not a bad way to end a year. It is in fact not a bad way to end each day.

Today we celebrate the solemn feast of Mary, the Mother of God. We recall today, one week since Christmas day, the naming of the child Jesus. In that holy name through which the dawn and fulfillment of salvation have broken upon us, we receive the blessing of God and the true meaning of life.

Today we hear of the visit of the shepherds to the manger scene. These shepherds (the poor of the world who lived far from the center of society and activity, who are not busy about many things, but concerned only with the care of the flock) are the first to greet the child Jesus. Through the message of an angel and the songs of the choirs of the heavenly host, these shepherds received the good news of great joy to all people that the Savior of the world had been born in the city of David. With haste, the scriptures tell us, the shepherds traveled to Bethlehem.

With haste they travelled, and so nothing unnecessary could be taken with them.

The heavy burdens must be left behind, for Jesus Christ desired to sanctify the world by His coming. These shepherds have known mercy. And coming to the Bethlehem, finding Mary and Joseph and the child in the manger, the shepherds proclaimed the message that they had received, and glorified God for all that they had heard and seen. These shepherds have shown us praise. And these shepherds, these simple men, have brought us to Mary, and she has shown us Jesus.

Mary, the Mother of God and Mother of the Church, ponders the great mystery of salvation and redemption in her immaculate heart. So we turn to her at the year’s transition that we might be transformed.

Mercy, praise and Mary: let us take these words for our New Year’s resolution. Let us implore the mercy of God that we can leave the heavy burdens behind us and go with haste to Bethlehem. Let us join our voices to the song of praise that the Church on earth and the Church in heaven sings in praise of the Father’s glory. And let us turn to Mary, asking her to keep us in her heart, that we may be brought ever closer to her Son. Father Benjamin A. Roberts is the parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. He gave this homily on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.

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D

Combined Mission Collection reaches out to help people across the world

ear Friends in Christ, Over the past few weeks we have joined in celebrations of the birth of Our Lord and the revelation of the Christ Child to the magi on the feast of the Epiphany. We recognize the importance of spreading the Good News of our Lord to people of all nations. The 2012 Combined Mission Collection, which will be taken at all Masses on the weekend of Jan. 15, gives each of us an opportunity to reach out to people throughout the world.

There are five appeals that have been combined into this single second collection: n The Collection for the Church in Latin America funds formation programs for priests, religious, lay leaders, missionaries and pastoral workers, and supports the Church’s work with the poor in the poorest areas of Latin America. n The Collection to Aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe helps to rebuild the Church in those countries where communism once prohibited public acts of religion. n The Catholic Home Missions Appeal provides funding for evangelization efforts in remote parishes throughout rural America. n The U.S. Mission Collection supports evangelization programs among African Americans and Native Americans in almost every diocese in our country. n The Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa supports the pastoral works of the Church through grants for projects like pastoral care for the sick, evangelization, youth ministry, religious education and peace-building workshops.

Please take the time to learn more about the many missionary works of the Catholic Church throughout our own country and the rest of the world and support their efforts through prayer, generosity and commitment. Thanks so much for all that you already do!

Rev. Monsignor Mauricio W. West is the vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.

A few facts Collection for the Church in Latin America The theme “One Church, One America” continues to call attention to the apostolic exhortation “The Church in America.” In that historic plea, which he delivered in Mexico City, Blessed John Paul II urged all Catholics in the Americas to take responsibility in compassion and solidarity for their brothers and sisters throughout the hemisphere. That plea is echoed today by Pope Benedict XVI. Monies from the collection are given as grants for pastoral programs initiated by local bishops in Latin America. These grants assist in the formation of priests, religious, lay pastoral leaders, missionaries, pastoral workers, catechists, and youth ministers, and strengthen the Church’s work towards peace and reconciliation.

The Collection for the Church in Latin America gives concrete witness to the ever-increasing solidarity the faithful in the U.S. have with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Collection to Aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe While the countries of central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union endured decades of communist oppression, the Church suffered grave wounds to its spiritual life and pastoral capacity to serve its people. For generations, Church leaders were killed or imprisoned. Catechists were persecuted, and churches, monasteries and seminaries were closed or destroyed.

As a result of this severe repression, the Church was greatly weakened. The region’s bishops are faced with the formidable task of restoring their church structures and, more importantly, rebuilding the spiritual centers of their communities.

The Office to Aid the Catholic Church in Central and Eastern Europe provides a focal point for U.S. Catholics to express our compassion and solidarity with our brothers and sisters whose faith has endured such great suffering.

Catholic Home Missions Appeal “Strengthening the Church at Home” is the theme of the Catholic Home Mission Appeal. The annual Catholic Home Missions Appeal provides for poor and isolated Catholics – in such areas as Alaska, Appalachia, the Deep South, the Southwest, the Mountain West, and the “young dioceses” of the Caribbean and the Pacific – who

find it difficult to receive the sacraments or to participate in parish religious education programs because of long distances, few resources or a lack of priests. Here in the U.S., 85 dioceses have benefited from Catholic Home Missions funding for evangelization, outreach, religious education, campus ministry, seminarian education, diaconal formation, lay ministry training, and Hispanic ministries.

Approximately 45 percent of U.S. dioceses are simply unable to provide the basic pastoral ministries of word, worship and service for their people without funding from the Catholic Home Missions Appeal.

U.S. Mission Collection The U.S. Mission Collection supports evangelization programs funded through the Office of Black and Indian Missions in almost every archdiocese and diocese in the U.S. From inner cities in the rural South to deserts of the Southwest to Alaska’s cold wilderness, some of the neediest people in the nation are helped by the U.S. Mission Collection.

Within the Diocese of Charlotte, some of the past evangelization projects partially funded by the U.S. Mission Collection include Native American evangelization programs in the Smoky Mountain Vicariate and workshops, revivals and special programs sponsored by the diocesan office of African American Affairs Ministry.

Your donation to the U.S. Mission Collection will make a difference in the lives of many of your brothers and sisters throughout the U.S. and here in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa The Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa supports the pastoral works of the Church through grants for projects like pastoral care for the sick, evangelization, youth ministry, religious education and peace-building workshops. In Africa today, approximately 24.5 million people have HIV or AIDS, one in four Zambian children are orphaned, and nearly 2.8 million people are displaced. Amid personal and community struggles, the people of Africa need our help to support their faith communities.

Our help is essential. Your donation to the Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa will help us “Be one with the Church in Africa.”

— Source: Diocese of Charlotte Office of Stewardship and Development

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD