Jan. 21, 2022

INSIDE: GOLDEN JUBILEE EDITION | A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT OF THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD January 21, 2022

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INDEX

Contact us...................................4A Español...................................... 8-12A Events calendar..........................4A Our Diocese............................ 3-6A Scripture readings..............2A, 11A Arts & Entertainment............... 13A U.S. news...............................14-15A Viewpoints............................18-19A World news.......................... 16-17A

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Our faith 2A

catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.’ — Luke 24:45 Pope Francis

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People’s mistakes and sins do not frighten God

od is not frightened by people’s sins, mistakes or failures, Pope Francis said.

What God is afraid of is “the closure of our hearts – this, yes, this makes Him suffer – He is frightened by our lack of faith in His love,” the pope said Jan. 19 during his weekly general audience.

Everybody must “square accounts” with what they have done, but “settling the accounts with God is a beautiful thing because we start talking and He embraces us” with tenderness, the pope said.

Pope Francis continued his series of audience talks about St. Joseph, reflecting on his tenderness.

Very little detail is found in the Gospels about St. Joseph’s fatherly approach, but “we can be sure that his being a ‘just’ man also translated into the education he gave to Jesus,” the pope said.

Jesus understood God’s tenderness and love, experiencing it first through St. Joseph, he said. “The things of God always come to us through the mediation of human experiences.”

“There is great tenderness in the experience of God’s love, and it is beautiful to think that the first person to transmit this reality to Jesus was Joseph himself.”

In fact, Jesus always used the word “father” to speak of God and His love, he said.

“Tenderness is something greater than the logic of the world. It is an unexpected way of doing justice. That is why we must never forget that God is not frightened by our sins,” he said, because God “is greater than our sins: He is the father, He is love, He is tender.”

Tenderness is “the experience of feeling loved and welcomed precisely in our poverty and misery, and thus transformed by God’s love.”

“The Lord does not take away all our weaknesses, but helps us to walk on with our weaknesses, taking us by the hand” and walking by people’s side.”

“The experience of tenderness consists in seeing God’s power pass through precisely that which makes us most fragile; on the condition, however, that we are converted from the gaze of the Evil One who ‘makes us see and condemn our frailty,’ while the Holy Spirit ‘brings it to light with tender love,’” the pope said, quoting from his apostolic letter on St. Joseph, “Patris corde.”

If the devil ever speaks the truth to people, it is because he is twisting it “to tell us a lie” and to “condemn us,” the pope said. “Instead, the Lord tells us the truth and reaches out His hand to save us. We know that God’s truth does not condemn, but instead welcomes, embraces, sustains and forgives us.”

Sunday of the Word of God Sunday, Jan. 23, will be celebrated as the Sunday of the Word of God, and it’s a good opportunity for Catholics of all ages to crack open a Bible and encounter God in His Word.

Surveys have shown that few Catholics read the Bible on their own or as a family.

But what better place is there to encounter the person of Jesus Christ than in God’s Word? As St. Jerome once noted, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”

For this reason, Pope Francis set aside a day specifically devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God – instituting the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time as the “Sunday of the Word of God” in his 2019 apostolic letter “Aperuit illis.” The title comes from St. Luke’s Gospel, where the Evangelist describes how the Risen Jesus appeared to His disciples, and how “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”

Through this celebration, the pope said he wanted to encourage people to read the Bible more often, let the Holy Spirit work in lives, and then open their hearts to the work of God’s mercy.

It is the Holy Spirit who “makes Sacred Scripture the living word of God, experienced and handed down in the faith of His holy people,” the pope wrote. God’s Word “has the power to open our eyes and to enable us to renounce a stifling and barren individualism and instead to embark on a new path of sharing and solidarity.”

Do not take God’s Word for granted, he said, “but instead to let ourselves be nourished by it, in order to acknowledge and live fully our relationship with Him and with our brothers and sisters.”

However, the Church also cautions people not to set aside only one day to open

A young woman studies the Bible at St. Mary of Celle Parish in Berwyn, Ill., in this file photo. The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – this year, Jan. 23 – is dedicated to the Word of God. CNS | KAREN CALLAWAY, CATOLICO

their Bible. People should read the Sacred Scriptures frequently if they want to grow in their faith.

God continues to speak His Word “and to break bread in the community of believers,” which is why Catholics need to “develop a closer relationship with sacred Scripture; otherwise, our hearts will remain cold and our eyes shut, inflicted as we are by so many forms of blindness,” the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments has noted.

The Sunday of the Word of God is meant to foster “an awareness of the importance

of Sacred Scripture for our lives as believers, beginning with its resonance in the liturgy which places us in living and permanent dialogue with God,” the Vatican noted, quoting Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Evangelii gaudium”: “God’s word, listened to and celebrated, above all in the Eucharist, nourishes and inwardly strengthens Christians, enabling them to offer an authentic witness to the Gospel in daily life.”

— Catholic News Service, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Vatican News

Ideas to celebrate Sunday of the Word of God at home n If you don’t already have a family Bible, get one and display it prominently in your home. n Set aside time each week to gather as a family and read aloud a brief Scripture passage, perhaps the Sunday Gospel. Allow time to reflect together and discuss its meaning. n Include Bible stories in your children’s reading, and when they are old enough, introduce them to the New American Bible revised edition (NABRE), the translation used at Mass.

n Join in the common prayer of the Church by praying parts of the Liturgy of the Hours as a family, such as Morning or Evening Prayer. n Contemplate further on Scripture through the practice of lectio divina. There are numerous websites, smartphone apps and books to help. n For older children and adults, read the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (“Dei Verbum”).

More online At www.usccb.org: Read or listen to the daily Mass readings (English and Spanish), subscribe to get the daily readings via email, watch video reflections on each day’s readings, and more

Daily Scripture readings JAN. 23-29

Sunday: Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-30, Luke 4:18, Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21; Monday (St. Francis de Sales): 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10, 2 Timothy 1:10, Mark 3:2230; Tuesday (Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul Apostle): Acts 22:3-16, John 15:16, Mark 16:15-18; Wednesday (Sts. Timothy and Titus): 2 Timothy 1:1-8, Mark 4:1-20; Thursday: 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29, Mark 4:21-25; Friday (St. Thomas Aquinas): 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17, Matthew 11:25, Mark 4:26-34; Saturday: 2 Samuel 12:1-7a, 10-17, John 3:16, Mark 4:35-41

JAN. 30-FEB. 5

Sunday: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19, 1 Corinthians 12:31—13:13, Luke 4:18, Luke 4:21-30; Monday (St. John Bosco): 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30, 16:5-13, Luke 7:16, Mark 5:1-20; Tuesday: 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3; Wednesday (Feast of the Presentation of the Lord): Malachi 3:1-4, Hebrews 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40 or 2:22-32; Thursday: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12, Mark 6:7-13; Friday: Sirach 47:211, Mark 6:14-29; Saturday (St. Agatha): 1 Kings 3:4-13, Mark 6:30-34

FEB. 6-12

Sunday: Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Luke 5:1-11; Monday: 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13, Mark 6:53-56; Tuesday: 1 Kings 8:22-23, 2730, Mark 7:1-13; Wednesday: 1 Kings 10:1-10, Mark 7:14-23; Thursday (St. Scholastica): 1 Kings 11:4-13, Mark 7:24-30; Friday: 1 Kings 11:29-32, 12:19, Mark 7:31-37; Saturday: 1 Kings 12:26-32, 13:33-34, Matthew 4:4b, Mark 8:1-10

Our diocese

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Snow day across the diocese A severe winter storm blanketed all of western North Carolina with snow and ice Jan. 16, forcing churches to cancel or reduce their Mass schedules and shift to livestreamed services.

Bishop Peter Jugis dispensed people from their Sunday Mass obligation that weekend because of the hazardous driving conditions. The diocese’s 19 schools were closed through Tuesday, and most outside the Charlotte area either shifted to remote learning or a delayed start on Wednesday. The unexpected snow day inspired people to enjoy playing in the snow and posting lots of photos on social media. Pictured are members of the Daughters of the Virgin Mother taking a walk through the snowy woods, and a scene outside St. Mary’s Church in Greensboro.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

2021 DSA campaign receives strong support SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

Help combat human trafficking KARA GRIFFIN SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — Think slavery is a thing of the past, or that today it happens only in faraway places? Think again.

Modern-day slavery, or human trafficking, is happening right here in North Carolina.

State authorities report that 260 cases of trafficking came in to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in 2020, the latest numbers available. That places North Carolina ninth among the 50 states in cases reported. But because human trafficking is a crime that hides in the shadows, the actual number of cases is probably much higher.

“Major interstate highways, a large and transient military population surrounded by sexually oriented businesses, numerous rural agricultural areas with a high demand for cheap labor, and an increasing number of gangs all contribute to making our state a hotbed for human trafficking,” the N.C. Department of Administration explains on its website.

The severity of this issue right here at home impels us as Catholics to respond.

Eliminating human trafficking – modernday slavery – is a priority for the Church because every life is a gift from God and is sacred. The Church sets aside Feb. 8 – the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, patron

saint of trafficking victims – as a day to remember and pray for survivors and victims of modern-day slavery.

Trafficking is one of the deepest wounds inflicted upon our society. According to United Nations reports, nearly 40.3 million people are victims of modern slavery, of whom 24.9 million are entrapped in forced labor and sexual slavery and 15.4 million subjected to forced marriage. Through coercion, deceit or force, they are trapped in jobs and situations from which they cannot escape. And UN officials warn that the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are forcing more people into slavery – particularly children.

“Modern slavery, in terms of human trafficking, forced labor and prostitution, and organ trafficking, is a crime against humanity,” Pope Francis has said. “Its victims are from all walks of life but are most frequently among the poorest and most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters.”

Catholics and all people of faith are called to open their eyes to this pervasive, growing criminal industry.

It is often right in front of us: in massage parlors, nail salons and in the hospitality industry. It’s also found behind the scenes, on farms and in factories where our favorite goods and products come from. It also is present online, where vulnerable women and

Who is St. Josephine Bakhita?

Bakhita

On Feb. 8, the Church celebrates St. Josephine Bakhita and raises awareness of human trafficking.

Born in the Darfur region of Sudan in 1869, she was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery. For the next 12 years she would be bought, sold and given away over a dozen times.

She spent so much time in captivity that she forgot her original name.

She eventually ended up in the custody of the Canossian

children are targeted, groomed and exploited by the pornography industry.

We each have a responsibility to fight against the violation and degradation of our brothers and sisters. Take part in National Human Trafficking Awareness Month activities, and commemorate the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita. Host or attend prayer services and educational webinars, pray for victims and survivors, and learn how to spot the warning signs of human trafficking around you.

One such event coming up in the Charlotte area is a Human Trafficking Awareness speakers panel that will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, at St. Therese Church in Mooresville. Everyone is welcome to attend this event.

You can also go online to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website, www.usccb.org, to learn more about antitrafficking awareness, download prayer resources and more.

Lastly, to report suspected human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline and Helpline: 1-888-3737888.

KARA GRIFFIN chairs the diocesan Catholic Charities Human Trafficking Awareness Committee. To find out more information on how your parish can help the fight against human trafficking, contact her at karagogreen@gmail.com.

Sisters in Italy and came to know Christ for the first time. When she was called to return to her captor, she pleaded to stay with the sisters, who took her case to court. The court found that slavery had been outlawed in Sudan before Josephine was born, so she could not be lawfully made a slave. She was declared free, and chose to stay and join the Canossian Sisters.

Canonized in 2000, St. Bakhita is the patron of human trafficking victims. Feb. 8, her feast day, is the International Day of Prayer and Awareness of Human Trafficking.

— Jessica Grabowski. Catholic Online contributed.

CHARLOTTE — Even as our communities continue to deal with the pandemic, parishioners across the Diocese of Charlotte responded generously to support the ministries and mission of the Church in western North Carolina.

The 2021 Diocesan Support Appeal “Love Thy Neighbor” saw support from 13,621 donors who pledged more than $6.2 million, surpassing the 2021 goal.

Overall, 21 percent of registered parishioners across the diocese shared an average gift of $456, up from an average gift of $425 in the previous year’s campaign.

Sixty-four percent of parishes and missions across the diocese reached or exceeded their goal for the appeal.

Parishioners in all 92 parishes and missions in the Charlotte diocese fund the DSA, which supports more than 50 ministries and programs that serve thousands of people across the diocese. Most notably, 33 percent funded social services through Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte for its counseling, food pantries, pregnancy support, refugee resettlement, elder ministry and other programs.

Another 27 percent of DSA funding went toward educating the faithful through Catholic campus ministry, Catholic schools, faith formation, and young adult/youth ministries.

Parishes that exceed their goal keep the extra funds they collect, while parishes that fall short of their goal in donations from parishioners make up the shortfall from their operating budgets.

David Walsh, the diocese’s new associate director of development, expressed excitement for the DSA and gratitude for its many supporters. “It is a blessing to be in a growing and vibrant diocese.

In my short time here, I have met so many wonderful people whose generosity changes lives every day.”

The 2021 campaign continues the trend of the people of the diocese achieving the annual DSA goal every year.

UPcoming events 4A

catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Diocesan calendar of events January 21, 2022 Volume 31 • NUMBER 8

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CONFERENCES & TALKS 22ND ANNUAL KENNEDY LECTURE: Jesuit Father Tom Gaunt, executive director of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) and the Diocese of Charlotte’s former planning director, will deliver the 22nd Annual Kennedy Lecture, “Our Journeying Together: Who are we listening to? Who are we accompanying?” starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, in Biss Hall at St. Peter Church, located at 507 South Tryon St., Charlotte. Father Gaunt brings an inside look at the Catholic Church in the U.S. and the history of growth in the Diocese of Charlotte, having served as director of the diocese’s Office of Planning and Research. During his tenure as planning director, he coordinated the Diocesan Synod that concluded in 1987. His expertise includes urban planning, demographic changes in the Church, community development and volunteerism. No reservations required. A recording of his lecture will be posted afterwards on the parish’s YouTube channel. For details, go to www.stpeterscatholic.org.

What’s coming up at our retreat centers?

“Heart of the Cross: A Women’s Lenten Retreat” “Heart of the Cross: A Women’s Lenten Retreat” with Olivia Woodford will be held Friday, March 4, to Sunday, March 6, at Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center in Maggie Valley.

Immerse yourself in the mystery, message and meaning of The Passion from the perspective of the holy women who accompanied Christ – Veronica, who witnessed Jesus carrying His cross; Mary and the holy women who stood by Him at the foot the Cross and later prepared His body for burial; Mary Magdalene at His tomb; and Martha at Pentecost.

This unique retreat will be led by actress and storyteller Olivia Woodford, founder of Healing Theatre and the ministry Bible Women Speak. This is Woodford’s third program at the Maggie Valley retreat center, and it’s sure to be a popular and powerful experience.

For details and registration information, go to www. catholicretreat.org or call 828-926-3833.

“Pottery, Pysanky, and Prayer”

‘GROWTH AND EMPOWERING’ PROGRAM: 7-8:30 p.m. the last Monday of the month until March 28, St. Mark Church’s Kerin Center, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. This seven-week program for women is presented by the Healed and Restored Ministry. Through prayer, guided exercises, testimony and professional programming, women will experience the true feminine genius as God intended for each of His beloved daughters. For details, visit www.healedandrestored. org and click on “Growth and Empowering Walk” to fill out an interest form, or contact Elza Spaedy at info@ healedandrestored.org.

CATHOLIC MEDICAL ETHICS ON SEXUALITY AND FERTILITY: Learn about sexuality and fertility in medicine from a Catholic viewpoint, in the upcoming “Converging Roads” set for Saturday, April 2, 2022, at St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte. Presenters include: Father Matthew Kauth, “Understanding the Church’s Teaching on Sexuality and Fertility: The ‘Why’ Behind the ‘No’”; Dr. Marguerite Duane, MHA, FAAP, ‘The Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign”; Father Philip G. Bochanski, “Gender Identity Discordance: Supporting Patients and Families”; Dr. Teresa Farnan, “The Gift of the Human Person: A Christian Anthropology for Understanding Gender and Sexuality”; and more. Continuing education credits offered for health care professionals. Presented by the St. John Paul II Foundation, the Diocese of Charlotte and Belmont Abbey College. For details, go online to www. forlifeandfamily.org/converging-roads.

ENTERTAINMENT BISHOP MCGUINNESS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI WEEKEND: Friday-Saturday, March 25-26, 10 a.m. Bishop McGuinness High School, 1725 N.C. Hwy. 66, Kernersville. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. Friday with a Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony honoring lme Archibong, Class of 1999, and Katheryn Lyons, Class of 2007. Brunch to follow. At 5:30 p.m. Friday, members of the classes of 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017 are invited to a Happy Hour in the courtyard. At 10 a.m. Saturday in Alumni Basketball Games, men and women will play in an odd vs. even format, with all alumni welcome to play. A Family Picnic in the courtyard will follow. To RSVP, contact Katie Williams 336-564-1009 or kwilliams@bmhs.us.

“Pottery, Pysanky, and Prayer,” a one-night sacred art retreat, will be held March 18-19 at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory Back by popular demand is this new “Art as Spiritual Therapy” retreat – just in time for Lent.

Spend a day making beautiful art, offering prayers for yourself and for others, and renewing your creative spirit. With some guidance from expert presenters, you will be invited to open yourself up to the creative powers locked within and reflect upon God’s presence acting in your life.

In the context of prayer, make your own kilnfired prayer bowl and personal prayer stones, plus pysanky eggs (Ukrainian Easter eggs), where the tradition is to pray for the person who will receive the pysanka as a gift.

These sessions will be hands-on, and attendance is limited. For details and registration information, go to www.catholicconference.org/art-retreat.

ESPAÑOL VIGILIA DE LOS DOS CORAZONES: 8 p.m. Todos los Viernes, en la Catedral San Patricio, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. Únase cada primer viernes del mes a una vigilia nocturna para honrar los Corazones de Jesús y María, orar por nuestras familias, ofrecer penitencia por nuestros pecados y pedir por la conversión de nuestra nación. Para inscribirse a una hora de Adoración, visite www.ProLifeCharlotte.org/dos-corazones.

LENT CRS RICE BOWL 2022: The upcoming 2022 Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Rice Bowl Program begins on Ash Wednesday, March 2. Parishes and schools that participated in last year’s CRS Rice Bowl will receive the same number of materials again for this year’s CRS Rice Bowl with no need to place an order. Parishes and schools that wish to participate for the first time, or participating parishes and schools that need additional materials, place an order at 1-800-222-0025 or www.crsricebowl.org. 25% of the CRS Rice Bowl collection

helps fund the CRS Mini-Grant Program sponsored by Catholic Charities, that provides grants (of up to $1,000) for social ministry projects of Catholic entities of the Diocese of Charlotte. For more info, email Joseph Purello at Catholic Charities, jtpurello@ccdoc.org.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING FREE WINTER NFP CLASS SERIES: First Tuesday of the month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. St. Margaret Mary Church, 102 Andrews Place, Swannanoa. This Fertility Education and Medical Management (FEMM) series will cover monitoring ovulation cycles as a sign of health. Learn to chart as a self-care practice, learn ways to understand and manage one’s overall health and fertility, and increase appreciation of God’s design and feminine genius through tracking of the signs of fertility. Classes will be held: Feb. 1, Understanding your body; March. 1, Family Planning; April 1, a FEMM expert to speak; and May 3, Q&A about Medical Management with Megan Blum, P.A.-C from www.mycatholicdoctor.com. For details and registration info, email the parish office at office@saintmmc.com.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: JAN. 31 – 1:15 P.M. Mass for Catholic Schools Week St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte (also streamed live on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel)

FEB. 5 – 11 A.M. Mass for World Day of Consecrated Life St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR DIOCESEI 5A

Be ‘agents of peace,’ Bishop Jugis preaches on New Year’s Day SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

Catholic Schools Week highlights faith, excellence and service CHARLOTTE — Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated Jan. 30-Feb. 5, featuring the national theme “Catholic Schools: Faith.

Excellence. Service.”

Now in its 48th year, Catholic Schools Week is organized by the National Catholic Education Association to provide the opportunity to showcase all our Catholic schools have to offer, as well as build community and encourage charitable outreach.

As part of the week’s celebrations, Bishop Peter Jugis will offer a special Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte that will be webcast to 19 of the diocese’s Catholic schools. The Mass will be streamed live to the diocese’s YouTube channel, www.youtube. com/dioceseofcharlotte, starting at 1:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31.

The bishop traditionally offers Mass during National Catholic Schools Week at various schools around the diocese. After receiving positive feedback from last year’s livestreamed Mass, offered because of the pandemic, schools officials have opted again for this liturgy as a way to unify all 19 school communities in prayer. The livestreamed Mass will enable Bishop Jugis to share his annual message about the mission of the diocese’s Catholic Schools directly with every student – as well as teachers and parents who tune in from home.

Catholic Schools Week festivities in the diocese and across the country include community service projects, open houses and other spirit-building activities for students, families and parishioners – reinforcing the positive impact Catholic school students have in their local community.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

Watch live At www.youtube.com/ dioceseofcharlotte: Watch the 2022 Catholic Schools Week Mass starting at 1:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31.

CHARLOTTE — In his first Mass of the new year, Bishop Peter Jugis encouraged people to emulate Jesus the Prince of Peace and His mother Mary, Queen of Peace in their lives.

During his homily in St. Patrick Cathedral, Bishop Jugis noted that Catholics were now eight days into the Christmas season while many others in society have already “moved on” from Christmas.

“We, with joy and enthusiasm, are still celebrating the great event of our Savior’s birth,” he said.

He pointed out that the Christmas decorations that were still hanging in churches and homes help us to remain focused on the great gift that we celebrate this season: Jesus, and the peace that He brings.

“Our first reading for this Mass today (on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God) from the Book of Numbers gives us the theme of this feast day, and it is the blessing which Aaron the priest is to give to the Israelites: ‘The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.’

And in light of what we are celebrating this season, we can truly say that God has looked upon us kindly and given us peace. That peace has a name, and His name is Jesus, the Prince of Peace.”

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the bishop explained, “just as the prophet Isaiah had foretold as we heard at the first reading at the Midnight Mass. The angels confirm that the Prince of Peace has been born when shepherds in the field hear the angels say, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.’”

Mary, the Mother of the Prince of Peace, is honored by the Church as the Queen of Peace, he added.

“It is quite appropriate during the Christmas season, especially now, on the feast of the Mother of God, that the Church celebrates the World Day of Peace. We have (celebrated this feast) since 1968 when Pope St. Paul VI instituted this day of commemoration of Mary, Mother of God,” he said.

“That theme of peace shows up in our Christmas hymns: ‘Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king, peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconcile’; and ‘Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright, holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.’”

“We know that peace comes from knowing Jesus and His Blessed Mother, and peace comes from keeping them close in your life,” he said.

“Peace is a gift, and peace is a gift that must be protected and nurtured – peace for our families, peace in the heart of our families and in the heart of our homes, and peace in the heart of every single family member.”

“If your heart is agitated or preoccupied or worried at this time of year – certainly society can do that to us – place your concerns in the hands of the Lord. Pray and He will give you peace as we celebrate this World Day of Peace and commemorate Mary, Mother of God,

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter Jugis blesses a family after Mass on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, at St. Patrick Cathedral.

Queen of Peace,” he said.

“Jesus has come to help you, to be your Savior. Jesus is on your side. He is here to help you and save you,” Bishop Jugis said. “Ask the Blessed Mother also for her intercession.”

He urged people, “Make sure that all of us are agents of peace, bringers of peace to others during this season and always.”

Former St. Ann pastor who ‘would help you find healing’ passes away HIGH POINT — Father Conrad Charles Hoover, known for his gentle counsel, eclectic life and devotion to people, died Jan. 7, 2022, at Pennybyrn at Maryfield. He was 85.

A funeral Mass will be offered by Bishop Peter J. Jugis at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at St. Peter Catholic Church in Charlotte.

He was born Aug. 7, 1936, in Takoma Park, Md., the son of Hiram Charles Hoover, a district manager Hoover for Social Security, and Dorothy Culbreth Hoover.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa., in 1958, and a master’s degree in ministry from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He later earned a doctorate in ministry from The Catholic University of America.

A Presbyterian minister who also considered becoming a monk, led silent retreats and ran a bookstore at an ecumenical church, Father Hoover converted to Catholicism and was ordained to the priesthood on May 6, 1989, by Bishop William McManus at The Oratory in Rock Hill, S.C.

In the early 1990s, Father Hoover ministered to people with HIV and AIDS, and served as a hospital chaplain and airport chaplain. In his early years, he wrote for Sojourners Magazine, a national publication devoted to racial, social and environmental justice. Known for his love of reading and music, friends say Hoover’s rich tenor voice had perfect pitch. He once remarked, “I always have music in my head.”

“He was a brilliant spiritual director, providing wisdom and spiritual counsel,” said Cindy Wear, a friend of 42 years who was with him when he died. “He was kind and accepting. People could be vulnerable with him without fearing they would be judged. My whole family, even my kids, would go to him for counsel.”

Wear and husband David met Father Hoover in 1980 when he was a member of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in Washington, D.C., where he ran the Potter’s House bookstore and served as spiritual director of silent retreats.

“A silent retreat is a challenging contemplative experience where most of your time is spent in rest, silence and prayer – like Father Hoover, it is contemplative,” Wear said. “You were silent except for preordained times, such as meals, or for spiritual counsel with Father Hoover. He

would listen, and he would help you find healing.”

His apartment back then looked like a library, she said, lined with rows of bookcases you could browse. Father Hoover left an extensive collection of books, with Trappist monk and theologian Thomas Merton among his favorite authors.

After his ordination, Father Hoover served as campus minister at The Oratory for two years, then served on the faculty of Belmont Abbey College before becoming a chaplain at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, then ministering to people living with AIDS as the epidemic took off in the South.

Brother Joe Guyon, who lived with Father Hoover at The Oratory, said: “What sticks out with me was his kindness. He was opened to everybody – rich, poor, black or white. It made no difference.”

In 1996, Father Hoover was assigned as pastor of St. Elizabeth Church in Boone, where he served for four years before being assigned to serve as pastor at St. Ann Church in Charlotte in 2000.

With him, Father Hoover carted a photo of himself performing a pet blessing in Boone, and he was frequently accompanied by Nikita, his black lab mix.

PASTOR, SEE PAGE 20A

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 OUR DIOCESE

More than 300 people turned out for the 2022 March for Life Charlotte on Jan. 14, including families, local clergy and religious, and students from Charlotte Catholic and Christ the King high schools.

PHOTOS BY PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘We are standing up for the innocent’ March for Life Charlotte draws hundreds to witness to sanctity of life SUEANN HOWELL AND PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — More than 300 people from across the Diocese of Charlotte marched on uptown Charlotte Jan. 14 to demonstrate public witness to the sanctity of all human life.

The annual March for Life Charlotte recalls the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton legalizing abortion. The march and a special Mass for the Unborn, offered earlier in the day at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, are meant as a time of prayer to call attention to the more than 62 million lives lost to abortion and the need to change people’s hearts.

Students from Charlotte Catholic and Christ the King high schools were among the marchers. They joined clergy and religious, Knights of Columbus, and laity from many parishes, as well as members of several local Lutheran churches, in marching the mile from the Diocesan Pastoral Center to Independence Square – carrying pro-life signs and banners and praying as they went.

The 2022 Charlotte march – held during a time when the nation’s abortion laws and restrictions have come under intense scrutiny – was larger than in past years.

Participants were smiling, cheering, hopeful and determined as they kicked off the march following a blessing from Bishop Peter Jugis.

The bishop thanked the marchers, telling them, “We are here as advocates for the right to life of the unborn child. We are here as witnesses to the sanctity of life of the innocent child in the womb, and we are standing up for the innocent – the defenseless little ones who cannot defend themselves.”

He prayed that God would bless the March for Life. “May all that we say and do along the way be for Your honor and glory. We trust in the protection of Your angels during this march, and we ask for the prayers of all the saints – especially St. Joseph, and for the Blessed Virgin Mother, who is patroness of our diocese, Mother of God and our mother.”

This year’s march attracted attention from a small group

‘As a pro-life movement, our mission is to uphold life in all circumstances.’

Father Ernest Nebangongjoh

Parochial vicar, St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte of pro-abortion protesters, three of whom walked a short distance in front of the pro-life marchers until reaching Independence Square. As the March for Life program got under way, about a dozen pro-abortion protesters, armed with megaphones, heckled the marchers from across the street. A line of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers kept

the groups separated so that the event remained peaceful.

Father Ernest Nebangongjoh, parochial vicar at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, was one of the keynote speakers of the March for Life program. His talk garnered enthusiastic cheers and applause from the crowd.

“Human life is sacred and the intentional killing of an innocent child is a grave evil, an evil that no reason or circumstance can ever justify,” he said. “But if we are sincere to ourselves, we must also admit that just knowing that something is a grave evil does not mean we will never find ourselves in a position where we are tempted to still want to do it. It is a fact that some of the women who have considered having an abortion are Christians, some of whom have even participated in marches like this.

“What does this mean?” Father Nebangongjoh asked.

“It means that circumstances can still push people to want to do what they know is evil. This being the case, our approach must go beyond just condemning the evil, to actually taking time to listen to those who find themselves in such situations in order to understand what they are going through.

“We must approach them with compassion and love, offering them always the mercy and forgiveness of God,” he emphasized.

“As a pro-life movement, our mission is to uphold life in all circumstances,” he continued. “It is a daunting task, one that needs a collective effort. It is a mission that, if we have to be faithful to it, we must strive to bring on board all of God’s children and all people of good will. All human beings desire to live. So, all human beings must put their efforts together to fight against anything that poses a threat to human life and its inherent dignity. It is not a fight in which one group is struggling to win over another group, or to consolidate power and control. It is not a fight between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ whoever the ‘them’ may be. It is a fight to destroy evil in our society in all its forms.”

Dr. Matt Harrison, a Catholic physician who pioneered the abortion pill reversal procedure, also addressed those gathered. He shared how his vocation as a pro-life doctor evolved over decades, precipitating from the tragic loss of STANDING UP, SEE PAGE 20A

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Deacon Darren P. Balkey ENS USNR Sacred Heart, Salisbury

Deacon Aaron Z. Huber St. John the Evangelist Waynesville

Christopher A. Brock St. Vincent de Paul Charlotte

Chinonso A. Nnebe-Agumadu St. Thomas Aquinas Charlotte

Peter M. Rusciolelli Cathedral of St. Patrick Charlotte

Matthew W. Dimock, Jr. St. Thomas Aquinas Charlotte

Christian J. Goduti St. Mark Huntersville

Matthew P. Harrison II Sacred Heart Salisbury

Kevin R. Martinez St. Joseph Asheboro

José A. Palma Torres St. Joseph Asheboro

Elliott C. Suttle St. Pius X Greensboro

Kevin M. Tran St. John Neumann Charlotte

Christopher W. Angermeyer St. Thomas Aquinas Charlotte

Anthony del Cid Lucero St. Joseph Newton

Nicholas J. Kramer St. Barnabas Arden

Luke J. Martin St. Mark Huntersville

James C. Tweed Sacred Heart Brevard

Joseph G. Yellico St. Mark Huntersville

Maximilian K. Frei St. Ann Charlotte

Robert W. Bauman St. Ann Charlotte

Kolbe R. Murrey St. John the Baptist Tryon

Andrew J. Templeton St. Michael Gastonia

Noé J. Sifuentes Sacred Heart Salisbury

John W. Cuppett St. Leo the Great Winston-Salem

Seminarians

Diocese of Charlotte 2021– 2022

“As I have loved you.” — John 13:34

Marshall T. Bolling St. Ann Charlotte

Emanuel M. Martinez St. John the Baptist Tryon

Clement I. Åkerblom St. Ann Charlotte

Michael P. Camilleri St. Elizabeth Boone

Bryan Ilagor Our Lady of the Americas Biscoe

James I. Johnson IV Our Lady of Consolation Charlotte

Bradley T. Loftin St. Mark Huntersville

Gabriel T. Lugo Immaculate Conception Forest City

Michael J. Lugo Immaculate Conception Forest City

Matthew C. Stanley St. Mark Huntersville

Peter J. Townsend St. Ann Charlotte

Bailey J. Van Nosdall St. Ann Charlotte

Connor J. White St. Mark Huntersville

Carson T. Cannon Cathedral of St. Patrick Charlotte

Kolbe R. Flood St. John the Baptist Tryon

Patrick M. Martin St. Mark Huntersville

Ronan S. Ostendorf St. Michael Gastonia

John T. Harrison St. Mark Huntersville

Mateo Perez St. Francis of Assisi Lenoir

Matthew D. Brakefield St. Ann Charlotte

Ryan T. Ma Cathedral of St. Patrick Charlotte

Please pray for our seminarians as they discern their vocation to the priesthood.

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FACEBOOK.COM/ CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ESPAÑOL

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022

Padre Julio Domínguez

Feliz 50 Aniversario

N

uestro Obispo Pedro Jugis dio apertura a la gran celebración de los 50 años de nuestra diócesis con una Hora Santa y Santa Misa en la catedral.

Las parroquias, también celebrando Misas, acompañaron a nuestro Obispo en acción de gracias al Creador por este hermoso año jubilar del 50 Aniversario.

Nuestro Obispo ha querido que el lema de este año jubilar sea: “La fe es más preciosa que el oro” (1 Pedro 1:7). Por una parte, el oro hace referencia al aniversario de los 50 años, y por otro lado la fe es lo que celebramos con gran alegría, pues la misión apostólica de toda diócesis es que la fe vaya creciendo en el corazón de todas las almas, y es en realidad lo que en este año queremos celebrar.

Es maravilloso pensar en la riqueza espiritual que este año traerá a toda nuestra diócesis. Durante varios meses un comité diocesano estuvo trabajando para crear una manera de celebrar, que no fuera solamente un día, sino una continua celebración durante el año, a través de eventos, programas, recursos educacionales, peticiones mensuales y muchas otras cosas más que han sido puestas para desarrollar en todas las parroquias. Les invito a estar atentos a los avisos que sus párrocos estarán dando durante este año de celebración.

Durante el año, saldrá un pequeño librito de oraciones y enseñanzas que se distribuirá a todos los fieles para poder usarlo y profundizarlo. Y no es que solamente vayamos a estar basados en este librito, sino que cada párroco, utilizando su creatividad, irá infundiendo en su parroquia el espíritu de estos 50 años con diferentes actividades.

Se ha elaborado también una oración que es propia del 50 aniversario y que va a ser distribuida a todos los fieles de nuestra diócesis, para que como familia la recemos todos juntos.

El obispo nos anima a ofrecer el rosario familiar por toda nuestra diócesis. Sabemos que entre los hispanos es costumbre muy arraigada el rezar el Santo Rosario en familia.

Aprovechemos ese momento para darle gracias a Dios.

En colaboración con nuestro obispo, hemos querido poner una petición mensual para unirnos como diócesis. Cada mes será anunciada y todas las familias estaremos pidiendo por esa intención particular. Es hermoso que todos nos unamos en esas intenciones pues así haremos más fuerte a nuestra diócesis pidiendo por las familias, los sacerdotes, las vocaciones, los jóvenes, los religiosos, etc.

Sería muy, pero muy hermoso que, en nuestro Rosario diario en casa, podamos nombrar esas intenciones.

Nuestro obispo ha querido que la patrona de la diócesis, ‘Santa María Madre de Dios’, salga de la catedral y empiece su recorrido por todas las parroquias y misiones. Se espera que los feligreses acompañen la imagen de la Virgen de una parroquia a otra.

Sabemos que la comunidad latina es muy devota a las procesiones y sabemos que cientos de personas querrán participar. Debemos estar atentos para saber cuándo tocará a nuestra parroquia para irla a acompañar y sobre todo recibir.

Ojalá seamos nosotros, los hispanos, los que nos pongamos al servicio de nuestros párrocos para brindarles la ayuda necesaria.

Desde acompañar en la procesión a la Virgen, como organizar los eventos que se puedan hacer en las parroquias, tales como el rezo del Santo Rosario, ofrecimiento de flores, consagraciones a María, una pequeña recepción de bienvenida, etc.

En la próxima edición les continuaré explicando las acciones que realizaremos todos juntos, como comunidad, en la celebración de los 50 Años del Aniversario de nuestra diócesis.

Bendiciones para todos.

EL PADRE JULIO DOMÍNGUEZ es Vicario Episcopal del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

El Obispo Peter Jugis bendice a una familia al término de la Misa del 1 de enero, cuando se celebró la Solemnidad de María, Madre de Dios, en la Catedral San Patricio en Charlotte.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

MENSAJE DE AÑO NUEVO DEL OBISPO JUGIS:

Sean “agentes de paz” SUEANN HOWELL REPORTERA SENIOR

CHARLOTTE — En la Misa de Año Nuevo, celebrada en la Catedral San Patricio, el Obispo Peter Jugis animó a los fieles a imitar a Jesús, el Príncipe de la Paz, y a Su madre, María, Reina de la Paz. Durante su homilía, el obispo señaló que los católicos estamos en los ocho días de la temporada navideña, mientras para muchos otros ya ha pasado la Navidad.

“Nosotros, con alegría y entusiasmo, todavía estamos celebrando el gran evento del nacimiento de nuestro Salvador”, dijo.

Subrayó que las decoraciones navideñas que están en la iglesia, y quizás todavía en nuestros hogares, nos ayudan a mantenernos enfocados en el gran regalo que estamos celebrando esta temporada, el regalo de Jesús.

“Nuestra primera lectura de hoy del Libro de los Números, nos da el tema de esta fiesta, y es la bendición que el sacerdote Aarón da a los israelitas: ‘El Señor te mire con bondad y te dé paz’. Y a la luz de lo que estamos celebrando esta temporada, podemos decir verdaderamente que Dios nos ha mirado con bondad y nos ha dado paz, y que la paz tiene un nombre y Su nombre es Jesús, el Príncipe de la Paz”.

Continuó, señalando que María, la Madre del Príncipe de la Paz, es honrada por la Iglesia como Reina de la Paz. “Es muy apropiado durante la temporada navideña, especialmente ahora, en la fiesta de la Madre de Dios, que la Iglesia celebra la Jornada Mundial de la Paz. La hemos celebrado desde 1968, cuando el Papa San Pablo VI instituyó este día de conmemoración de María, Madre de Dios”.

Resaltó que la paz viene de conocer y tener cerca a Jesús y su Santa Madre en nuestras vidas. “La paz es un regalo que debemos proteger y nutrir”, añadió, y si nuestra paz se quiebra por las preocupaciones, “pongámoslas en las manos del Señor, orémosle y Él nos dará paz”.

Luego, recordó a los fieles que Jesús dice: “Vengan a mí todos los que están cansados y yo los haré descansar. Carguen con mi yugo y aprendan de mí, porque soy manso y humilde de corazón y encontrarán descanso para sus almas”.

Añadiendo que la paz espiritual es uno de los frutos del Espíritu Santo, dijo que donde éste está presente, “puede encontrarse la verdadera paz de Dios”.

Cerró su homilía diciendo: “Asegúrense que todos seamos agentes de paz, portadores de paz para los demás durante esta temporada y en todo momento”.

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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La marcha por la Vida de Charlotte de 2022 tuvo una mayor asistencia que en años pasados.

El Padre Ernest Nebangongjoh, vicario parroquial de la Catedral San Patricio, recibió vítores y aplausos de la multitud al dar su charla.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘Estamos defendiendo a los inocentes’ Marcha por la Vida de Charlotte atrae a centenares para dar testimonio de la santidad de la vida SUEANN HOWELL Y PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — Más de 300 personas de toda la Diócesis de Charlotte marcharon en el centro de Charlotte el 14 de enero para dar testimonio público de la santidad de toda vida humana.

La Marcha anual por la vida de Charlotte recuerda el aniversario de las decisiones de la Corte Suprema de 1973 en Roe vs. Wade y Doe vs. Bolton que legalizaron el aborto.

La marcha y una Misa especial por los no nacidos, ofrecida más temprano ese mismo día en la Iglesia San Vincente de Paul en Charlotte, están destinadas a ser un momento de oración para llamar la atención sobre las más de 62 millones de vidas perdidas por el aborto y la necesidad de cambiar los corazones de las personas.

Estudiantes de las escuelas secundarias Charlotte Catholic y Christ the King estuvieron entre los manifestantes. Ellos se unieron a clérigos y religiosos, Caballeros de Colón y laicos de muchas parroquias, así como a miembros de varias iglesias Luteranas locales, en la marcha de una milla de extensión desde el Centro Pastoral Diocesano hasta Independence Square, portando carteles y pancartas pro-vida y orando mientras caminaban.

La marcha de Charlotte de 2022, celebrada en un momento en que las leyes de aborto de la nación han sido objeto de un intenso escrutinio, tuvo una mayor asistencia que en años pasados. Los participantes estaban sonriendo, vitoreando, esperanzados y decididos, cuando dieron inicio a la marcha luego de la bendición del Obispo Peter Jugis.

El obispo agradeció a los manifestantes y les dijo: “Estamos aquí como defensores del derecho a la vida del niño por nacer. Estamos aquí como testigos de la santidad de la vida del niño inocente en el útero, y estamos defendiendo a los inocentes, a los pequeños indefensos que no pueden defenderse a sí mismos”.

Oró para que Dios bendijera la Marcha por la Vida. “Que todo lo que digamos y hagamos en el camino sea para Tu honor y gloria. Confiamos en la protección de tus ángeles durante esta marcha, y pedimos las oraciones de todos los santos, especialmente de San José, y de la Santísima Virgen Madre, que es patrona de nuestra diócesis, Madre de Dios y madre nuestra”.

La marcha de este año atrajo la atención de un pequeño grupo de manifestantes a favor del aborto, tres de los cuales caminaron una corta distancia frente a los manifestantes pro-vida hasta llegar a Independence Square. Cuando se puso en marcha el programa de la Marcha por la Vida, alrededor de una docena de

manifestantes a favor del aborto, utilizando megáfonos, abuchearon a los manifestantes desde el otro lado de la calle. Una línea de policías de Charlotte Mecklenburg mantuvo a los grupos separados para que el evento transcurriera en paz.

El Padre Ernest Nebangongjoh, vicario parroquial de la Catedral San Patricio en Charlotte, fue uno de los oradores principales del programa. Su charla recibió vítores y aplausos de la multitud.

“La vida humana es sagrada y el asesinato intencional de un niño inocente es un mal grave, un mal que ninguna razón o circunstancia podrá jamás justificar”, dijo. “Pero si somos sinceros con nosotros mismos, también debemos admitir que el solo hecho de saber que algo es un mal grave no significa que nunca nos encontraremos en una posición en la que estemos tentados a querer hacerlo. Es un hecho que algunas de las mujeres que han considerado abortar son cristianas, algunas incluso han participado en marchas como esta”. “¿Qué significa esto?” preguntó el Padre Nebangongjoh.

“Significa que las circunstancias aún pueden empujar a las personas a querer hacer lo que saben que es malo.

Siendo este el caso, nuestro enfoque debe ir más allá de simplemente condenar el mal, y realmente debemos tomarnos el tiempo de escuchar a aquellos que se encuentran en tales situaciones para comprender por lo que están pasando”.

“Debemos acercarnos a ellos con compasión y amor, ofreciéndoles siempre la misericordia y el perdón de Dios”, enfatizó.

“Como movimiento pro-vida, nuestra misión es defender la vida en todas las circunstancias”, continuó. “Es una tarea abrumadora que requiere un esfuerzo colectivo. Es una misión que si tenemos que ser fieles a ella, debemos esforzarnos por incorporar a todos los hijos de Dios y a todas las personas de buena voluntad. Todos los seres humanos desean vivir. Por lo tanto, todos los seres humanos deben unir sus esfuerzos para luchar contra cualquier cosa que represente una amenaza para la vida humana y su dignidad inherente. No es una lucha en la que un grupo batalla por conquistar a otro grupo o por consolidar el poder y el control. No es una lucha entre “nosotros” y “ellos”, quien quiera que sea “ellos”. Es una lucha para destruir el mal en nuestra sociedad en todas sus formas”.

El Dr. Matt Harrison, médico católico pionero en el procedimiento de reversión de la píldora abortiva, también se dirigió a los reunidos. Compartió cómo su vocación como médico pro-vida evolucionó durante décadas, precipitada por la trágica pérdida de su hermana recién

nacida, Phyllis, cuando él tenía 8 años.

“Cuando mi madre quedó embarazada de su sexto hijo, todos estábamos emocionados por conocer a nuestra nueva hermana, pero cuando llegó el momento de su nacimiento, ella había muerto a causa del cordón umbilical que la envolvía”, recordó Harrison.

“Estábamos devastados. Era noviembre de 1973, y recuerdo claramente, como niño de 8 años, que las mismas enfermeras y médicos que estaban en esa pequeña capilla llorando en el funeral de Phyllis, podrían haber estado ayudando a abortar a otros bebés que tenían el mismo derecho a la vida. Fue entonces cuando comencé a preguntarme qué podía hacer para proteger la vida, a la edad de 8 años sentí el llamado”, dijo Harrison.

Se interesó más en la ciencia y la estudió en la escuela.

A lo largo de su camino educativo, Harrison tomó un trabajo investigando la leucemia infantil en Johns Hopkins, también pasó un año con personal de Young Life, aprendiendo cómo apoyar a jóvenes con problemas y madres adolescentes embarazadas.

“Todo ese tiempo sentí el llamado a proteger la vida y luchar contra el aborto”, dijo. “Luego me comprometí a volver a la ciencia, así que acepté un trabajo en Duke en genética molecular”.

Harrison volvió a la escuela y obtuvo una maestría en biología de receptores de proteínas. Se mudó al Medical College of Virginia en Richmond y comenzó a trabajar en un laboratorio estudiando receptores cerebrales.

Y, después de tres rechazos de facultades de medicina, finalmente fue aceptado.

Harrison dice que supo desde su primera semana como residente médico que no podría recetar anticonceptivos ni derivar mujeres para abortos o esterilizaciones.

Y, afortunadamente para él, su director se mostró comprensivo.

Después de graduarse como jefe de residentes, se unió a una práctica pro-vida en Concord, Carolina del Norte, donde comenzó a brindar atención prenatal y servicios gratuitos de parto para mujeres vulnerables al aborto.

En 2006, una joven mujer entró en la oficina de Harrison deseando revertir su aborto después de arrepentirse de haber tomado la píldora abortiva. “Realmente creo que si hubiera ido directamente a la escuela de medicina después de la universidad, no habría estado preparado para resolver este problema que requería comprensión de los embarazos adolescentes en crisis, biología del receptor de proteínas y una perspectiva pro-vida de la medicina”, dijo Harrison.

INOCENTES, PASA A LA PÁGINA 20A

catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 10A CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

La última celebración pública a la Virgen de la Altagracia se realizó en 2019 en la Iglesia San Gabriel en Charlotte.

Misa, cena y bailes típicos se ofrecieron en honor de la Protectora del pueblo dominicano.

Semana de las Escuelas Católicas destaca la fe, excelencia y servicio CHARLOTTE — La Semana de las Escuelas Católicas se celebrará del 30 de enero al 5 de febrero, presentando el tema nacional “Escuelas Católicas: Fe. Excelencia. Servicio”.

En su cuadragésima octava edición, la Semana de las Escuelas Católicas es organizada por la Asociación Nacional de Educación Católica para brindar la oportunidad de mostrar todo lo que nuestras escuelas católicas tienen para ofrecer, así como para construir comunidad y fomentar el alcance caritativo.

Como parte de las celebraciones por la semana, el Obispo Peter Jugis ofrecerá una Misa especial en la Catedral San Patricio en Charlotte que se transmitirá por Internet a 19 de las escuelas católicas de la diócesis. La Misa se transmitirá en vivo por el canal YouTube de la diócesis, www.youtube.com/dioceseofcharlotte, a partir de la 1:15 p.m. del lunes 31 de enero.

El obispo tradicionalmente ofrece Misa durante la Semana Nacional de las Escuelas Católicas en varias escuelas de la diócesis. Después de recibir comentarios positivos de la Misa transmitida en vivo el año pasado, ofrecida debido a la pandemia, los funcionarios escolares optaron nuevamente por esta liturgia como una forma de unificar a las 19 comunidades escolares en oración. La Misa transmitida en vivo permitirá al Obispo Jugis compartir su mensaje anual sobre la misión de las Escuelas Católicas de la diócesis directamente con cada estudiante, así como con los maestros y padres que la sintonicen desde casa.

Las festividades de la Semana de las Escuelas Católicas en la diócesis y en todo el país incluyen proyectos de servicio comunitario, jornadas de puertas abiertas y otras actividades de espíritu constructivo para estudiantes, familias y feligreses, reforzando el impacto positivo que tienen los estudiantes de las escuelas católicas en sus comunidades locales.

— SueAnn Howell, reportera senior.

Vea en directo En www.youtube.com/dioceseofcharlotte: Vea la Misa de la Semana de las Escuelas Católicas 2022 iniciando a la 1:15 p.m. del lunes 31 de enero.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

“La celebraremos en nuestros corazones” Dominicanos en Charlotte por fiesta de Virgen de la Altagracia CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — Un año más de pandemia alejará a los dominicanos residentes en Charlotte de celebrar externamente la fiesta de su madre protectora, la Virgen de la Altagracia, que se festeja tradicionalmente cada 21 de enero en todas las iglesias en territorio dominicano y en algunos templos de la ciudad de Charlotte.

La última ocasión en que se celebró públicamente a la Virgen de la Altagracia en Charlotte fue en la Iglesia San Gabriel en 2019. “Luego, la pandemia de COVID-19, las restricciones, el temor al contagio en las reuniones públicas, impidieron que nos reuniéramos públicamente, aunque siempre la celebramos en nuestros corazones”, dijo Lourdes Báez, nacida en Santiago de los Caballeros, República Dominicana, y parroquiana de la Iglesia San John Neumann en Charlotte.

Sin embargo, aunque este año “se va a ir en blanco nuevamente”, y “siendo conscientes que no se puede hacer nada, estamos organizándonos para llevar un encuentro y rezar el Santo Rosario via Zoom”, expresó.

Para Báez, esta devoción Mariana es “importante porque crecí en el seno de una familia católica y bajo la devoción a la Virgen que nos la inculcó mi madre”. La fecha, dijo, “es inamovible en el calendario de feriados en la República Dominicana”, cuando, “se paraliza el país”, para realizar peregrinaciones a la Basílica de Higüey, cumpliendo promesas ofrecidas a la Santísima Virgen María encarnada en la advocación de la Altagracia.

En los hogares católicos dominicanos, afirma Báez, “nunca falta una imagen de la Virgen de la Altagracia y una imagen del Sagrado Corazón”.

Fravelin Cuesta, también feligresa de San John Neumann, nacida en Santo Domingo, República Dominicana, recuerda haber asistido de niña en peregrinación a la Catedral de Higüey, que aloja la sagrada imagen de la Virgen de la Altagracia, acompañando a su madre y abuela. Hizo una larga fila para acercarse hasta la imagen y tocar con sus manos el cristal que la protege. “Es una experiencia inolvidable”, dijo.

Este año, señala, realiza la novena de manera virtual en un grupo al que se han plegado dominicanos de todo el mundo.

AÑO SIGNIFICATIVO

El próximo 15 de agosto se celebrará los cien años de la histórica

coronación canónica de esta imagen Mariana para declararla Reina y Señora del pueblo dominicano.

La Conferencia del Episcopado Dominicano, a través de un comunicado, señaló que aprobó se hagan 12 réplicas de la imagen de la Altagracia, una para cada diócesis, que recorren desde agosto de 2021, durante todo el año las parroquias y comunidades “llevando el amor de Madre a cada familia y a todos los dominicanos para levantar la autoestima y la confianza como pueblo después de tantos meses de aislamiento”.

El cuadro de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, lienzo tipo ‘Belén’ pintado probablemente en Sevilla entre 1500 y 1515, es posiblemente de la escuela de Alejo Fernández, con un elemento distinto y único: el rayo de luz. Ha tenido cinco restauraciones de importancia, la última en 1978.

¿QUÉ REPRESENTA LA IMAGEN?

A primera vista parece que la Virgen es el elemento más importante; pero al observar bien se distingue que es el Niño quien está en un primer plano. María ocupa el segundo y San José el tercer plano.

La Virgen está de rodillas y con sus manos juntas frente al pesebre expresando la devoción interior y nuestro deseo de someternos a Dios. Sus ojos están cerrados, no necesita ver más allá de Él; su boca está cerrada, no hace falta hablar; sus oídos están escondidos, no hace falta escuchar, pues todo consiste en estar, todo es presencia y gracia.

Este ícono nos presenta al menos cuatro escenas de la natividad: El momento de la concepción: representado en el manto azul; la divinidad la cubre con su sombra. El momento del nacimiento: el rayo de luz, simbolizando el traspaso del Niño Jesús desde las entrañas de María hasta el pesebre. El momento de la visita de los Reyes Magos y con ellos la presentación a toda la humanidad: simbolizado en la estrella de Belén. El momento de la muerte del Hijo de Dios: simbolizado en el bebe durmiendo y desnudo.

La corona habla de su condición de Reina, Madre de Jesús Rey del universo. Las perlas significan riqueza, pureza y virginidad.

La figura de José aparece en un tercer plano, semi oculta y pequeña. El vestido que porta es el traje de los obreros de la época en que se pintó el cuadro. La aureola sobre su cabeza es signo de su santidad. La vela que lleva en las manos es signo del servicio que ofrece a María para iluminar la noche y la oscuridad de la cueva que significa las tinieblas, símbolo del mundo en pecado, que es iluminado por la luz del mundo: Jesucristo. La columna viene a significar que la cueva de Belén se ha convertido en un templo. El templo es el lugar físico donde habita Dios, es la casa de oración.

Jesús mismo es también un templo.

El Niño ocupa el primer plano. Toda la simbología del cuadro, aunque tenga su significación, gira en torno a Él. Es el Mesías, verdadero hombre, nacido en la humildad y la debilidad de la carne, que necesita cuidado y protección.

— Contribuyó Catholic.net

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Casos de COVID se multiplican en Carolina del Norte Entérese dónde encontrar ayuda y pruebas CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — Los casos de COVID-19 alcanzaron récords históricos y el número de hospitalizaciones se incrementó sustantivamente en el estado, informó el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte.

El 10 de enero se registraron 73.688 nuevos casos en el estado, 8.343 de ellos en el condado Mecklenburg, 2.809 en Guilford, 2.653 en Forsyth, 2.575 en Durham, 1.516 en Cabarrus, 1.466 en Unión y 1.398 en Gaston, entre otros.

Recordemos que en todo el estado, según cifras oficiales, el 7 de enero de 2021 se alcanzó un pico de 10.614 casos; pero el 7 de septiembre del mismo año se registraron 24.854 casos en un solo día. El nuevo récord alcanzado este mes sobrepasa ese registro en 296 por ciento.

El gobernador Roy Cooper hizo un llamado a todos los residentes del estado a que se vacunen con todas sus dosis para protegerse de la contagiosa variante Omicron de COVID-19.

“Para las personas que han sido vacunadas y especialmente para aquellas que han recibido refuerzos, la nueva variante de Omicron ha sido menos grave que las oleadas anteriores”, dijo el gobernador Cooper. “Con estas vacunas y refuerzos, tenemos una herramienta increíble para salvar la vida de las personas y vencer esta pandemia.

Mantendremos el pie en el acelerador cuando se trate de administrar más inyecciones y refuerzos”.

AFECTA SISTEMA ESCOLAR

El sistema escolar del condado Charlotte Mecklenburg, CMS, reportó que del 3 al 9 de enero se informaron de 1.248 casos positivos en estudiantes, 615 en su personal, dando un total de 1.863 casos. Además, en el mismo reporte, indica que se han puesto 2.672 personas en cuarentena.

Las escuelas más afectadas son South Mecklenburg High (63), Rocky River High School (51), Mallard Creek High (45), Community House Middle (41), Rea Farms STEAM Academy (40) y Providence High (35).

¿QUÉ ES OMICRON?

Los CDC, Centros de Prevención y Control de Enfermedades, aseguran respecto a Omicron que es

Tras incrementarse el contagio, los CDC continúan recomendando el uso de protector facial en lugares públicos interiores y en áreas de alta transmisión comunitaria, sin importar el estatus de vacunación.

FOTO SERVICIO CATÓLICO DE NOTICIAS

probable que esta variante se propague más fácilmente que el virus original y creen que cualquier persona con la infección por Omicron pueda transmitir el virus a otras personas, incluso si están vacunadas o no tienen síntomas.

“Se espera que las vacunas actuales protejan contra enfermedades graves, hospitalizaciones y muertes debido a la infección con la variante Omicron. Sin embargo, es probable que ocurran infecciones intercurrentes en personas que están completamente vacunadas. Con otras variantes, como Delta, las vacunas siguen siendo efectivas para prevenir enfermedades graves, hospitalizaciones y muertes. La reciente aparición de Omicron enfatiza aún más la importancia de la vacunación y los refuerzos”, se afirma en su página web.

Los CDC continúan recomendando el uso de protector facial en lugares públicos interiores y en áreas de alta

transmisión comunitaria, sin importar el estatus de vacunación.

AYUDA DISPONIBLE

Información local precisa sobre el COVID-19 puede ser encontrada en español en Vacunate.nc.gov. Puede encontrar dónde se realizan pruebas gratuitas en todo el estado, o cómo conseguir kits para realizar la prueba en casa en https://bit.ly/336dEMw El website de los CDC, CDC.gov, ofrece información en español, pero si necesita ayuda lingüística puede llamar al 1-800-232-4636. Todos sus servicios de asistencia son gratuitos.

Más online En www.CDC.gov: Podrá encontrar información valiosa y recursos de prevención y cuidado

Programa asiste a familias para mejorar sus vidas CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — “Recibí mucha información que me dio las herramientas para mejorar la comunicación con mis hijas y guiarlas mejor en su educación”, dijo Araceli Herrera, una de las madres participantes del programa ‘Familia Adelante’ que se se alista a reiniciar sus actividades el próximo 14 de febrero del año en curso.

La iniciativa es un programa gratuito dirigido a padres de familia y sus hijos entre 11 a 14 años de edad. Durante 8 semanas reciben materiales educativos interactivos sobre cómo disminuir los niveles de estrés familiar, el

establecimiento de hábitos saludables, desarrollo de habilidades para la vida, el desempeño en la escuela y otros temas relevantes para la familia latina.

Padres e hijos se reúnen virtualmente cada semana en sesiones separadas y en su propio idioma, en el que se sienten más cómodos, para recibir apoyo personalizado a los dos grupos.

El programa también aborda el impacto del estrés provocado en los jóvenes y las familias por el proceso de recepción de otra cultura y de adaptación a ella, en especial con pérdida de usos y costumbres, es decir de la cultura propia.

“Todos los temas son importantes, pero uno de los que aprendí y me parece muy importante es el de los efectos de

las drogas y lo dañinas que son”, dijo Francisco Canchola, de 14 años, uno de los participantes del programa pasado.

Ana López, de 11 años, subrayó la importancia de la autoestima. “Me enseñaron que está bien ser diferente a los demás y que debes estar orgulloso de ello”, señaló.

Por su parte Blanca López, madre de familia, agradeció el entusiasmo y esfuerzo de los organizadores por compartir toda la información que cubre el programa.

“Ya sembraron una semillita en nosotros como padres para criar hijos saludables y exitosos. ¡Me anotan para un próximo programa!”, dijo.

Ricardo Torres, gerente de programas latinos del Centro de Servicios de

Lecturas Diarias 23-29 ENERO

Domingo: Nehemías 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10, 1 Corintios 12:1230, Lucas 1:1-4, 4:14-21; Lunes (San Francisco de Sales): 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10, Marcos 3:22-30; Martes (Conversión de San Pablo): Hechos 22:3-16, Marcos 16:15-18; Miércoles (Santos Timoteo y Tito): 2 Timoteo 1:1-8, Marcos 4:1-20, Jueves: 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29, Marcos 4:21-25; Viernes (Santo Tomás de Aquino): 2 Samuel 11:1-4, 5-10, 13-17, Marcos 4:26-34; Sábado: 2 Samuel 12:1-7, 10-17, Marcos 4:35-41

30 ENERO-5 FEBRERO

Domingo: Jeremías 1:4-5, 17-19, 1 Corintios 12:31,13:13, Lucas 4:21-30; Lunes (San Juan Bosco): 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30, 16:5-13, Marcos 5:1-20; Martes: 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14, 24-25, 30, 19:3, Marcos 5:21-43; Miércoles (Presentación del Señor): Malaquías 3:1-4, Hebreos 2:14-18, Lucas 2:22-40; Jueves: 1 Reyes 2:1-4, 10-12, Marcos 6:7-13; Viernes: Sirácides 47:2-11, Marcos 6:14-29; Sábado (Santa Águeda): 1 Reyes 3:4-13, Marcos 6:30-34

Prevención con sede en Charlotte, dijo que el programa se encuentra disponible únicamente para familias latinas residentes en Carolina del Norte, y es indispensable que los participantes se comprometan a asistir a las ocho sesiones de capacitación.

“Las inscripciones son limitadas, y si los padres tienen preguntas o desean más información se pueden comunicar con Nick Rios al correo electrónico Rios@ preventionservices.org”, puntualizó.

Más online En www.preventionservices.org/familiaadelante: Encontrará más respuestas a sus preguntas sobre el programa

‘La Conversión de San Pablo’, óleo en canvas de Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Sevilla, 16171682). Imagen cortesía del Museo del Prado, Madrid, España.

catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 12A CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

¿Qué es tráfico humano o trata de personas?

¿Quién es Santa Josefina Bakhita?

La trata de personas viola la santidad, la dignidad y los derechos fundamentales de la persona humana. El Protocolo de las Naciones Unidas para Prevenir, Reprimir y Sancionar la Trata de Personas la define como “la captación, transporte, acogida o recepción de personas por medio de la fuerza, el fraude o la coacción... con fines de explotación”.

Según el Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos, la trata de personas aparece “de muchas formas”, a menudo en forma de explotación sexual comercial, prostitución de menores, servidumbre por deudas y servidumbre involuntaria.

El gobierno de Estados Unidos, y cada vez más la comunidad internacional, utilizan el término general “trata de personas” para definir todas las formas de esclavitud moderna.

Cada año, millones de hombres, mujeres y niños caen en manos de traficantes en sus propios países o en el extranjero.

Ningún sector o industria es inmune a la trata de personas. Las víctimas pueden ser trabajadores en fábricas de procesamiento de alimentos, meseros o cocineros en restaurantes, trabajadores de construcción, agrícolas, pescadores, personal de limpieza en hoteles, ayuda doméstica en residencias privadas, o mujeres y hombres víctimas de la trata sexual en lenocinios, spas y salones de masajes.

Según un documento de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) de las Naciones Unidas de 2016, casi 40,3 millones de personas son víctimas de la esclavitud moderna, de las cuales 24,9 millones están atrapadas en trabajos forzados y esclavitud sexual y 15,4 millones sujetas a matrimonio forzado. A través de la coerción, el engaño

El 8 de febrero la Iglesia celebra a Santa Josefina Bakhita y advierte sobre el tráfico humano.

Nacida a fines del siglo XIX en Sudán, fue secuestrada por traficantes de esclavos y vendida en numerosas ocasiones a lo largo de su vida.

Eventualmente terminó bajo custodia con las Hermanas Canonesas y llegó a conocer a Cristo por primera vez. Cuando la llamaron para que regresara con su captor, suplicó quedarse con las hermanas y cuando su caso llegó a los tribunales, la esclavitud estaba prohibida en Sudán.

Canonizada en 2000, Santa Bakhita es la patrona de las víctimas del tráfico humano. El 8 de febrero es su fiesta y Día Internacional de Oración y Concienciación sobre la Trata de Personas.

Cada año, millones de personas en todo el mundo son víctimas de la trata de personas: la esclavitud moderna.

El 8 de febrero, los católicos de todo el mundo se reunirán en oración para crear conciencia sobre este terrible mal. A través de la oración, no solo reflexionamos sobre las experiencias de quienes han sufrido esta afrenta a la dignidad humana, sino también consolamos, fortalecemos y ayudamos a empoderar a los sobrevivientes.

Para obtener más ideas sobre cómo honrar a Santa Bakhita y orar por las víctimas de la trata de personas el 8 de febrero, visite el sitio web de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos, www.usccb.org, para conocer su programa contra el tráfico humano.

— Jessica Grabowski, especial para Catholic News Herald

o la fuerza, quedan atrapadas en trabajos y situaciones de las que no pueden escapar.

Los traficantes atraen a hombres, mujeres y niños con falsas promesas de buenos trabajos, educación, seguridad económica y amor. Una vez atraídos, los traficantes evitan que sus víctimas busquen ayuda a través de medios como la confiscación de sus documentos de identificación, amenazas de violencia contra la víctima o su familia y abuso físico o psicológico.

CIFRAS ALARMANTES

En la “Estimación global de la esclavitud moderna”, publicado por la OIT y Walk Free Foundation en 2016, se indica que: n 25% de todas las víctimas son niños de 17 años o menos, lo que representa 10 millones de niñas y niños en todo el mundo. n Cerca del 30% de todas las víctimas son hombres y niños; alcanzando el 46% de las víctimas del trabajo forzoso. n De los 24,9 millones de víctimas de trabajo forzoso y explotación sexual comercial, casi 1 de cada 4 fueron explotadas fuera de su país de origen. n De cada 1.000 personas en todo el mundo en 2016, 5,4 fueron víctimas de trata de personas.

PROBLEMA DE TODOS

Dada la naturaleza omnipresente del trabajo forzoso, cualquier persona promedio ha comprado bienes o servicios que fueron producidos, al menos en parte, por víctimas de la trata de personas. Esto incluye todo, desde pescado, algodón, arroz, cemento e incluso adornos navideños, según el Departamento de Trabajo de los Estados Unidos.

Todos podemos ayudar a poner fin a

FOTO SERVICIO CATÓLICO DE NOTICIAS

Migrantes centroamericanos hallados en Ciudad Juárez, México, en junio del año pasado, tras ser rescatados por la policía. Servicios noticiosos locales reportaron que 140 migrantes eran retenidos contra su voluntad en una casa. Otra modalidad de tráfico humano. la trata de personas. Solicite un kit de herramientas gratuito del programa ‘Conviértase en PASTOR’ para obtener más información sobre las señales de la trata de personas y cómo educar a otros.

Cada uno de nosotros puede tomar medidas para involucrarse más en el creciente movimiento para terminar con la esclavitud moderna.

— Material compilado de la página web de la USCCB

Más online Visite www.usccb.org/committees/ administrative/become-shepherd y www. usccb.org/about/anti-trafficking-program/ how-to-help-a-trafficking-victim.cfm: Para luchar contra el tráfico humano

Beata Sor Ana de los Ángeles Monteagudo El 10 de enero de 1686, la Beata Sor Ana de los Ángeles Monteagudo, con más de 80 años de edad, partió a la Casa del Padre.

Por eso, la Iglesia católica recuerda a esta religiosa ejemplar, mística, formadora de novicias y priora.

El Papa San Juan Pablo II la beatificó en su natal Arequipa, Perú, el 2 de febrero de 1985. En aquella oportunidad el Santo Padre señaló lo siguiente: “Sor Ana de los Ángeles confirma con su vida la fecundidad apostólica de la vida contemplativa en el Cuerpo Místico de Cristo que es la Iglesia”, y es que Sor Ana se educó con las madres dominicas, y a través de ellas conoció y empezó a seguir los pasos espirituales de Santa Catalina de Siena en tierras americanas.

ENAMORADA DE CRISTO

Sor Ana nació a inicios del siglo XVII. Según la costumbre de la época, fue internada para su educación e instrucción en un monasterio que pertenecía a la rama femenina de la Orden de Predicadores (dominicas). Cuando más adelante regresó al hogar a petición de sus padres quienes querían casarla, expresó su deseo de ser religiosa. Quería entregarle su vida a Cristo, incluso frente a la reacción de sus padres que intentaron disuadirla con joyas, vestidos y comodidades. Con el tiempo, su padre aceptaría su voluntad, pero su madre le pidió que no regresara más a casa.

ESPOSA DE CRISTO Y SU IGLESIA

Al hacer sus votos religiosos añadió “de los Ángeles” a su nombre. En el convento mantuvo siempre un espíritu sereno y de

sobrio entusiasmo.

Sor Ana llegó a ser maestra de novicias, y, posteriormente, priora. Se cuenta que Sor Ana siempre se sintió incapacitada para el puesto más alto en el monasterio, sin embargo, hizo siempre su mejor esfuerzo para servir a Dios en el lugar que le había confiado. Algunas historias hacen referencia a intentos de rebelión de sus hermanas y más de un complot para envenenarla. La causa: el descontento con las medidas de austeridad impuestas por Sor Ana y su orden expresa de que las religiosas sólo vistieran sus hábitos, sin ningún adorno adicional.

Sor Ana encabezó una reforma radical del monasterio que se centró exclusivamente en el deseo de santidad: “Sabía acoger a todos los que dependían de ella, encaminándolos por los senderos del perdón y de la vida de gracia. Se hizo notar su presencia escondida, más allá de los muros de su convento, con la fama de su santidad. A los obispos y sacerdotes ayudó con su oración y su consejo; a los caminantes y peregrinos que venían a ella, los acompañaba con su plegaria”, subrayó San Juan Pablo II.

LAS ALMAS DEL PURGATORIO

Un aspecto muy hermoso de la vida de la beata fue la cercana relación que mantenía con las almas del purgatorio, a quienes llamaba “sus amigas” y por las que rezaba incesantemente. “De esta forma, iluminando la piedad ancestral por los difuntos con la doctrina de la Iglesia, siguiendo el ejemplo de San Nicolás de Tolentino, de quien era devota, extendió

Ana de los Ángeles o tocar alguna de sus reliquias, recibieron la gracia de la curación. Esto motivó a las monjas catalinas a iniciar el proceso hacia los altares de la que podría ser la primera santa arequipeña.

— Condensado de Aciprensa

Más online

En santacatalina.org.pe: La página oficial del Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Arequipa

Oración por su canonización FOTOS AGENCIA ANDINA, PERÚ

Imagen del Convento de Santa Catalina. Sor Ana de los Angeles falleció el 10 de Enero de 1686. No fue necesario embalsamar su cuerpo, por el buen olor que despedía. Fue enterrada en el piso de tierra del Coro del templo del Monasterio. su caridad a los difuntos con la plegaria y los sufragios” (Homilía de la Misa de Beatificación de Sor Ana).

Sor Ana también predijo varias veces las enfermedades de sus allegados, para algunos predijo la cura y en otros casos, la inevitable muerte.

En sus últimos años de vida sufrió una ceguera que la limitó muchísimo, a la que se sumó cierta dificultad para caminar. Sin embargo, jamás se le escuchó una queja.

Diez meses después de su muerte su cuerpo fue exhumado, encontrándose en buen estado, con cierta flexibilidad de músculos y articulaciones, y expidiendo un aroma fresco.

Desde su muerte se reportaron numerosos casos de personas que por encomendarse a la intercesión de Sor

Oh Santísima Trinidad, te damos gracias por haber elegido a Sor Anita como reflejo tuyo de la serenidad y paciencia en los sufrimientos.

Ella nos ha demostrado su gran humildad en las tareas ordinarias, la dedicación diaria a la oración, el arduo trabajo apostólico y la confianza que siempre debemos tener en tu infinita misericordia.

Oh Sor Anita, concédenos por tu intercesión, y si es voluntad de Dios, el favor que te imploramos con amor: (Mencione su petición).

Ayúdanos también en la perseverancia en la fe, la salud de nuestros seres queridos, la unidad de los cristianos, la protección Maternal de la Virgen de Chapi y el crecimiento espiritual de tus hijos.

Todo esto lo pedimos con la esperanza que nuestra amada Beata Sor Ana de los Ángeles Monteagudo sea pronta incluida en el batallón de los Santos para mayor gloria de nuestro amado Dios.

Amén.

Arts & entertainment

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Every picture tells a story, including that of archbishop’s portraitist GEORGE P. MATYSEK JR. CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

BALTIMORE — An oil painting of Baltimore Archbishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the United States, has long been one of the most prized works of art owned by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

For generations, the image of a serenelooking archbishop dressed in clerical garb and a tasseled stole has peered at visitors from a wall in the archbishop’s residence attached to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore.

What most people don’t know is that Joshua Johnson, the artist who painted the portrait, was biracial, had been enslaved and became a self-taught artist regarded as the first professional AfricanAmerican artist in the newly formed nation.

Johnson’s image of Archbishop Carroll is now on loan through Jan. 23 to the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown as part of an exhibition of Johnson’s art called “Joshua Johnson: Portraitist of Early American Baltimore.”

Daniel Fulco, the museum’s curator, said Archbishop Carroll’s selection of Johnson to paint his portrait speaks volumes about the esteem in which the artist was held. The painting was completed sometime between 1810 and 1815, not long before Archbishop Carroll’s death.

“The fact that he would approach this African American portraitist in the city at that time in history is really remarkable,” Fulco said, “because Carroll was painted by the likes of Gilbert Stuart.”

Johnson was born into slavery in rural Baltimore County to a white man named George Johnson and a Black slave woman owned by William Wheeler Sr. His father purchased Johnson when he was 19 and released him from slavery several years later.

As a young man, Johnson worked as a blacksmith’s apprentice and taught

CNS | COURTESY ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE

An oil painting of Archbishop John Carroll was completed in the early 19th century by Joshua Johnson.

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In theaters

himself portraiture art. He purchased advertising in newspapers, declaring himself a “self-taught genius, deriving from nature and industry his knowledge of the art.”

He made a name for himself painting several prominent Marylanders, including politicians, doctors, merchants and sea captains. Many of his portraits are held by the Maryland Center for History and Culture in Baltimore, which loaned them for display at the current Johnson exhibition.

Fulco said Johnson likely came into contact with Archbishop Carroll because Johnson’s wife was Catholic and their five children were baptized at St. Peter’s Pro-Cathedral, the church that served as the cathedral prior to Archbishop Carroll’s commissioning of the Baltimore basilica.

He told the Catholic Review, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, that some researchers believe Johnson may have been Catholic, although there is no confirming documentation.

Archbishop Carroll, who himself had owned enslaved persons, represented the most prominent leader Johnson painted over the course of his career.

In the past, Jeremiah Paul Jr., a contemporary of Johnson, had been erroneously credited as the painter of the Carroll portrait.

Johnson is an important figure in early federal and late colonial American portraiture art, Fulco said, whose story shows the increasing contributions of African Americans to U.S. society in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

“He provided a model for other African Americans that they, too, could be practicing artists capable of intellectual and creative achievement,” Fulco said.

Online CNS | COURTESY MARYLAND CENTER FOR HISTORY AND CULTURE VIA CATHOLIC REVIEW

Part of Joshua Johnson’s manumission papers from 1782 show his release from slavery. Johnson became a well-respected portraiture artist.

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At www.wcmfa.org: Get more information about the free Joshua Johnson art exhibition at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Md.

‘The 355’ Who needs one James Bond when you can have five Jane Bonds? That’s the premise behind this entertaining thriller featuring a quintet of lady spies, directed by Simon Kinberg. Global disaster looms when mercenaries acquire a cyber weapon that destabilizes technology with a single touch.

Governments from the United States to China unleash their best undercover spies to capture the device, including a CIA agent (Jessica Chastain), a British MI6 operative (Lupita Nyong’o) and a German spy (Diane Kruger). They are joined by a Colombian psychologist (Penelope Cruz), and tracked by a mysterious Chinese woman (Bingbing Fan).

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

On TV n Friday, Jan. 21, 5:30 p.m. (EWTN) “They Might be Saints: Father Patrick Peyton”: A look at the charismatic priest who pioneered the use of radio and TV to bring the rosary to the world, staging massive rallies and enlisting Hollywood celebrities in his singular mission. n Saturday, Jan. 22, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love.” St. Gianna Molla was a physician, wife and mother who refused an abortion despite knowing that the pregnancy could result in her death. n Saturday, Jan. 22, 10 p.m. (EWTN) “Don Bosco.” A movie about the life of St. John Bosco.

Please pray for the following priests who died during the month of January: Rev. Anselm Biggs, OSB – 2001 Rev. Maurus Buchheit, OSB – 1975 Rev. Francis T. Connolly – 2008 Rev. Vincent Erb – 2005 Rev. Msgr. Eugene H. Livelsberger – 1987 Rev. Paul Milde, OSB – 1979 Rev. Msgr. Lawrence Newman – 1981 Rev. Arthur J. Racette – 1975 Rev. Tom Stott – 2005 Rev. Edward J. Vilkauskas, C.S.Sp. – 2021

Our nation

catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 14A CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Gomez: Imitate Rev. King’s ‘example, prophetic witness’ in work for justice A man in Atlanta is seen at the crypt of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, Jan. 17, a federal holiday honoring the life and legacy of Rev. King.

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged all people of goodwill to commemorate the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the Jan. 17 holiday named for him by remembering “not only the justice he pursued, but how he pursued it.”

The civil rights leader “was driven by the biblical vision of righteousness and truth, a vision that he understood to be reflected in our nation’s founding documents,” Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a Jan. 15 statement.

“He believed in what he called the ‘American creed,’ the belief expressed by our founders that all men and women are created equal and endowed by God with a sacred dignity and undeniable rights to life, liberty and equality,” the prelate added.

Rev. King, who was assassinated in 1968 at age 39, would have turned 93 Jan. 15.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday of January each year.

Today, 54 years after his death, “America faces many challenges,” Archbishop Gomez said. Among them, he said, are “this ongoing pandemic, issues of economic inequality and racial discrimination,

Your Life’s Journey… how will you be remembered?

Establish a legacy that responds to the many gifts God has given you.

For more information on how to leave a legacy gift to your parish, Catholic school, Catholic agency, the Diocese of Charlotte or the diocese foundation, please contact Gina Rhodes, Director of Planned Giving at / gmrhodes@rcdoc.org or Foundation of the 704-370-3364 Heidi Kelley, Planned Giving Officer at Diocese of Charlotte 704-370-3348 / hmkelley@rcdoc.org.

CNS | ALYSSA POINTER, REUTERS

‘Rev. King reminds us that we are brothers and sisters, part of a beautiful web of relationships of mutual care.’ — Archbishop José H. Gomez King violence in our communities, the struggle to welcome immigrants and refugees.”

“In recent years, our nation has also become more polarized and our divisions angrier,” he said.

In looking to the future, “let us continue to draw from Rev. King’s wisdom, especially his commitment to the beatitudes of Jesus, and the principles of nonviolence and love for our enemies,” Archbishop Gomez urged.

He referenced Rev. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” an open letter written April 16, 1963, by the Baptist minister and activist while he was confined in a jail cell after he and other civil rights leaders were arrested for holding a nonviolent demonstration over the treatment of Blacks in Birmingham, Alabama.

A court had ordered that Rev. King could not hold protests there. He spent eight days in jail before being released on bail.

In his letter, “Rev. King reminds us that we are brothers and sisters, part of a beautiful web of relationships of mutual care, each of us depending on others as others depend on us,” the archbishop said. “’Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’ he wrote. “We are ... tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

“Let us go forward in that same spirit of fraternity and solidarity, and let us carry on his work for equality and justice,” Archbishop Gomez said. “As we remember Rev. King, let us continue to learn from him and imitate his example and prophetic witness.”

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief Court blocks vaccine mandate for businesses, allows it for health workers WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision Jan. 13 blocked a rule by the Biden administration that would have required employees at large businesses to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or wear masks and get tested each week for the coronavirus.

In a separate 5-4 decision issued the same day, the court said the vaccine mandate for most health care workers could go into effect. The rule for employees, at businesses with more than 100 employees, was issued last fall by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which estimated the requirement would affect about 80 million workers. In its separate decision on health care workers Jan. 13, the Supreme Court said the requirement that these workers – who treat Medicare and Medicaid patients and need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 – could go into effect.

Two Catholic universities among group sued over financial aid practices CHICAGO — The University of Notre Dame in Indiana and Georgetown University in Washington are among a group of some 16 private educational institutions named in a

lawsuit alleging a conspiracy to fix student financial aid distribution formulas among them.

The effect of the financial aid policies, according to a lawsuit filed Jan. 9 in federal court in Chicago, has been to unlawfully manipulate the way those universities calculate financial need, and in some cases favor potential students who are children of wealthy donors. Defendants are private national universities that have long been in the top 25 of the U.S. News & World Report rankings for such schools, notes the lawsuit.

“These elite institutions occupy a place of privilege and importance in American society.

And yet these same defendants, by their own admission, have participated in a price-fixing cartel that is designed to reduce or eliminate financial aid as a locus of competition, and that in fact has artificially inflated the net price of attendance for students receiving financial aid,” according to the complaint. The class-action suit was filed on behalf of former students from Northwestern, Vanderbilt and Duke universities.

The plaintiffs are represented by a group of national law firms who specialize in commercial and class-action litigation. Both Notre Dame and Georgetown indicated to CNS Jan. 13 that they had no comment on the pending litigation.

Appeals court sends challenge to Texas abortion law to state Supreme Court WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal appeals court sent a challenge to the Texas abortion law back to the state’s Supreme Court Jan. 17. The decision leaves the law in place and is expected to delay action on reviewing a challenge to this law, which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Abortion providers had asked the U.S. Supreme Court in early January to order the appeals court to send the challenge back to the federal District Court in Texas that had previously blocked the law. The 2-1 decision by

the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans, stressed that the court was being consistent with the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Texas abortion law in December. The nation’s high court said the law could remain in effect while clinics continued to challenge it.

The appeals court justices wrote in the majority opinion that they were trying to avoid causing “needless friction” with the state court over how the abortion law is interpreted. Texas Right to Life called the decision “great news for Texas because such action is more likely to ensure a just and favorable ruling, compared to that which could be expected from a pro-abortion federal district judge, to whom the abortion industry asked to send the case.”

N.J. Catholic bishops decry passage of new abortion law TRENTON, N.J. — In a joint statement Jan. 11, New Jersey’s Catholic bishops unequivocally condemned the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, an expansive abortion bill they said was passed with extraordinary haste by the state Senate and General Assembly a day earlier. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is Catholic, signed the bill into law during a Jan. 13 ceremony in Teaneck. A replacement for

the rejected Reproductive Freedom Act of October 2020, the new measure was passed by the Senate 23-15 and by the Assembly 46-22 with eight abstentions. Although abortion has long been legal and accessible in New Jersey, the new bill codifies it as constitutionally protected law, making any proposed law to limit or outlaw abortions null. The bill’s proponents have argued that it protects a legal right to abortion in the state if the Supreme Court were to overturn its 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide. “Any law, rule, regulation, ordinance, or order, in effect on or adopted after the effective date of this act, that is determined to have the effect of limiting the constitutional right to freedom of reproductive choice and that does not conform with the provisions and the express or implied purposes of this act, shall be deemed invalid and shall have no force or effect,” the bill states. In their letter, the bishops expressed their “profound disappointment and deep concern about the passage of (the bill), which codifies into state law an individual’s right to an abortion, including late-term abortions. This law departs from the fundamental Catholic teaching that all life is sacred from conception to natural death.

— Catholic News Service

Property Manager

Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina The Diocese is currently accepting resumes for the position of “Property Manager” within the Diocesan Properties & Risk Management Department. The Property Manager is responsible for the oversight, performance, operation, and facility management of all Tier 1 properties and vehicles. While maintaining a high level of expertise and professionalism, the Property Manager will address both internal and external issues impacting facility operations, including budgetary oversight, preventative maintenance, overseeing plant improvements, and responding to and resolving Diocesan/Location facility requests or concerns.

REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE: • Bachelor’s degree from accredited college/university required.

• 5+ years min. experience managing multi-building campuses and operations is preferred.

• FMA/CFM designation strongly preferred.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook • Strong proficiency in preventative maintenance/work order systems and processes.

• Ability to read and interpret Architectural and Engineering drawings.

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• Strong inter-personal communication skills – both written and verbal.

• Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills.

• Ability to work both independently and with a team.

Please submit a cover letter, resume and salary history to: Diocesan Director of Properties & Risk Management Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203, Or email directly to PropDirector@RCDOC.org.

** The Diocese of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer **

Our world

catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 16A CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis uses incense as he venerates a figurine of the baby Jesus at the start of Mass marking the feast of Mary, Mother of God, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Jan. 1. In the foreground are young people dressed as the Magi.

CNS | ROMANO SICILIANI, POOL

On New Year’s, pope says a mature faith is realistic, but hope-filled CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — As Catholics begin a new year contemplating the motherhood of Mary, they should be inspired not to let problems weaken their faith or prevent them from helping others grow, Pope Francis said.

“In her heart, in her prayer,” he said, Mary “binds together the beautiful things and the unpleasant things,” and learns to discern God’s plan in them.

Pope Francis celebrated Mass Jan. 1, the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and World

Peace Day, in St. Peter’s Basilica and then led the recitation of the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square with thousands of people, including dozens who held signs with the names of countries at war.

In his homily at the Mass, Pope Francis pleaded for an end to violence against women.

“Enough,” he said. “To hurt a woman is to insult God, who from a woman took on our humanity.”

And, in his Angelus address, Pope Francis insisted peace is a gift from God that requires human action.

“We can truly build peace only if we have peace in our hearts, only if we receive it from the prince of peace,” he said. “But peace is also our commitment: it asks us to take the first step, it demands concrete actions. It is built by being attentive to the least, by promoting justice, with the courage to forgive, thus extinguishing the fire of hatred.”

Peace also requires “a positive outlook as well, one that always sees, in the church as well as in society, not the evil that divides us, but the good that unites us,” the pope said. “Getting depressed or complaining is useless. We need to roll up our sleeves to build peace.”

Pope Francis said he could not look at Mary holding the baby Jesus in her arms without thinking of “young mothers and their children fleeing wars and famine or waiting in refugee camps. And there are many of them.”

“Contemplating Mary who lays Jesus in the manger, making Him available to everyone, let’s remember that the

world can change, and everyone’s life can improve only if we make ourselves available to others, without expecting them to begin,” he said. “If we become artisans of fraternity, we will be able to mend the threads of a world torn apart by war and violence.”

In his homily earlier at the Mass, Pope Francis asked people to consider what it must have been like for Mary, who had been told by the angel that her son would be great, to give birth in an animals’ stall and to lay her baby in a manger instead of a cradle.

“His poverty is good news for everyone, especially the marginalized, the rejected and those who do not count in the eyes of the world,” the pope said. “For that is how God comes: not on a fast track and lacking even a cradle! That is what is beautiful about seeing him there, laid in a manger.”

But for Mary, a mother, it must have been painful to see her son in such poverty, the pope said.

Pope Francis contrasted the amazement and enthusiasm of the shepherds with the quiet, pensive reaction of Mary.

“The shepherds tell everyone about what they had seen,” he said. “The story told by the shepherds, and their own amazement, remind us of the beginnings of faith, when everything seems easy and straightforward.”

“Mary’s pensiveness, on the other hand, is the expression of a mature, adult faith,” he said. Hers is “not a newborn faith, but a faith that now gives birth. For spiritual fruitfulness is born of trials and testing.”

Mary “gives God to the world” in a dark

stable in Bethlehem, he said. “Others, before the scandal of the manger, might feel deeply troubled. She does not: she keeps those things, pondering them in her heart.”

And through faith, he said, “in her mother’s heart, Mary comes to realize that the glory of the Most High appears in humility; she welcomes the plan of salvation whereby God must lie in a manger. She sees the Divine Child frail and shivering, and she accepts the wondrous divine interplay between grandeur and littleness.”

Mary, like most mothers, knew how “to hold together the various threads of life,” the glorious and the worrisome, the pope said. “We need such people, capable of weaving the threads of communion in place of the barbed wire of conflict and division.”

Departing from his prepared text, Pope Francis said the Church itself is “mother and woman,” and while women could and should have greater positions in the Church, they are “secondary” to the role all Catholic women have of giving life, including figuratively, and in combining “dreams and aspirations with concrete reality, without drifting into abstraction and sterile pragmatism.”

“At the beginning of the New Year,” he said, “let us place ourselves under the protection of this woman, the Mother of God, who is also our mother. May she help us to keep and ponder all things, unafraid of trials and with the joyful certainty that the Lord is faithful and can transform every cross into a resurrection.”

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief Pope: Synodality about listening to the Spirit, not a ‘majority consensus’ VATICAN CITY — The synodal process is a path of engagement that makes room for the Holy Spirit, and not a “majority consensus like a parliament” to guide the universal church, Pope Francis said. Speaking with leaders of the French Catholic Action movement Jan. 13, the pope said that synodality is “not a plan or a program to be implemented” but “a style to be adopted” that listens to the spirit through the word of God, prayer and adoration. The French bishops’ conference had said the purpose of the meeting was for the Catholic Action leaders to present a to the pope and other Vatican leaders a document titled “Being Apostles today.” The goal of the document, which is the culmination of two years of work by Catholic groups in France, is “to discern what unites them in their approach and their actions,” the bishops’ conference said in a press release. The French bishops’ conference also noted that the document aligns with the goals of the upcoming Synod of Bishops on synodality.

Pope hails as heroes parents who risk everything for their kids VATICAN CITY — With so many problems and challenges in the world, especially worsened by the pandemic, people can find strength

and guidance in St. Joseph, Pope Francis said.

“Precisely in this time that is so difficult, we needed someone who could encourage us, help us, inspire us, in order to understand which is the right way to know how to face these dark moments,” he said in a new interview. “Joseph is a bright witness in dark times. This is why it was right to make room for him at this time, in order to find our way again,” he said in an interview with the Vatican’s media outlets published Jan. 13. He said he was praying for all families that are suffering, and he understands how difficult it is to face “not being able to feed one’s children, feeling the responsibility for the life of others.” So many families are forced to flee war, but are rejected at borders where “no one takes seriously or willingly ignores” their great need, he added. “I would like to say to these fathers, to these mothers, that for me they are heroes because I see in them the courage of those who risk their lives for love of their children, for love of their family.”

Vatican announces ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ as motto for Holy Year 2025 VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis approved “Pilgrims of Hope” as the motto for the Holy Year 2025. The motto aims to give a concise sense of the full meaning of the jubilee journey, Archbishop Rino Fisichella told Vatican News Jan. 13. The words “pilgrims” and “hope” also represent key themes of Pope Francis’ pontificate, said the archbishop, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, which is in charge of the Holy Year planning efforts. The archbishop said the pope approved the motto Jan. 3 and that he is awaiting further instructions from the pope. In the meantime, the council already is working with Vatican and Italian authorities on the best way to welcome a large number of visitors during the year. Traditionally for holy years, the celebrations begin with the pope opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve

DISCOVER THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE

and ends with the sealing of the door one year later. The holy doors of St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major are opened for the year, too.

Kazakh bishops’ official: Catholics ‘shocked’ by riots WARSAW, Poland — A Kazakh church leader said Catholics were left “shocked and disorientated” when early January riots shattered Kazakhstan’s image as an oasis of peace and stability. “I’ve never known such ill-will and aggression here – after so many years of excellent cooperation between faiths, and between the Catholic Church and the government,” said Father Peter Pytlovani, secretary-general of the bishops’ conference, based in the capital, Nur-Sultan, formerly Astana. “This is why everyone is so shocked.

Just as we were marking the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence, everything we’d gained in peace and dialogue was suddenly overturned and ruined. It’s reminded us we must not only celebrate our richness in unity and mutual understanding, but also make greater efforts to protect it,” Father Pytlovani told Catholic News Service Jan. 14. The violence that erupted Jan. 2 was the worst since Kazakhstan’s 1991 secession from the Soviet Union. During the riots, at least 160 were killed and more than 700 injured, mostly in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city. The riots were triggered by fuel price hikes. Father Pytlovani told CNS while conditions were almost normal in the capital, tighter police and army restrictions

were being applied in Almaty, where many buildings had been looted and burned.

Ukrainian priests appeal for prayers as Russian threat grows WARSAW, Poland — Two priests in Ukraine asked Western church leaders for support, especially in anticipation of a widely expected Russian invasion. “While our TV news shows tanks and army units deployed on our borders, the war in eastern Ukraine is continuing – but the church in the West is saying little,” said Monsignor Gregory Semenkov, chancellor of the Kharkiv-Zaporizhia Diocese. “As faithful Catholics, we’ve nothing against Russians and provide regular Russianlanguage Masses, while our bishops’ conference, being nonpolitical, has never taken a position on whether Ukraine should join NATO or the European Union. But these invasion preparations are posing severe hazards for us.” The priest spoke to Catholic News Service Jan. 14 as talks between NATO and Russian officials, the first in two years, failed to reach agreement on Moscow’s demands for an end to Western military backing for countries formerly belonging to the Soviet Union. Monsignor Semenkov said most Catholics believed a “major Russian show of force” was likely after the failure of East-West talks. He told CNS that Ukraine’s Catholics were uncertain how Russian forces would treat their church, but added it had been agreed that priests and nuns should decide for themselves whether to leave or stay in the event of a “military aggression.”

— Catholic News Service

Auditor Sr. Accountant The Diocese of Charlotte is seeking a full-time Auditor and Senior Accountant.

Essential areas of responsibility include: • Performs annual school audits for compliance with established diocesan financial policies & procedures. Prepares detailed reports on findings and makes appropriate recommendations.

• Oversees the accounting functions for the Seminary College – including monthly reconciliations and reporting, assisting with annual budget and year-end reporting.

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• Assists with selected Central Administration accounting functions, including: monthly reconciliations, month-end journal entries, health insurance billings, sales tax refund requests and other accounting assistance.

Requirements include: • At least three years’ experience in accounting and auditing; preferably with a not-for-profit organization.

• Strong written, verbal, analytical and interpersonal skills.

• Excellent computer skills - specifically with Excel.

• Experience with ParishSOFT software - a plus.

• This position requires moderate travel; may require some evening or weekend work.

• CPA or MBA preferred.

Please send resume and salary history/requirements by January 28th, 2022 to: Meredith Paul, Director of Internal Audit, Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church Street, Charlotte, NC 28203-4003, or email to mmpaul@rcdoc.org.

The Diocese of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

ViewPoints

catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 18A CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Dr. Holly Ordway

April Parker

Trading noise for silence, and how to use it

T

he word “noise” in English comes from about the 11th century and, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, most probably derives from the Latin words “nausea” (upset, seasickness) or possibly “noxia” (harmful behavior). From its earliest uses, “noise” has had a negative connotation: disturbance, quarrels, discordance, general unpleasantness.

We may not fully realize that the exhortation in Psalm 100 to “make a joyful noise to the Lord,” as it is rendered in many translations, is a paradoxical challenge, a reframing of the negative to the positive. However, the term “noise pollution” did not enter the language until very recently; the OED marks its first usage in 1970. The phrase “background noise” is likewise recent: the earliest appearance of it in the OED’s illustrative quotations is from 1942.

Noise used to be something that happened, an intrusion; today, it is part of the ambient environment. We sometimes cancel it out with “white noise” (a term whose first appearance in the OED is in 1943), but mostly, I venture to say, we take it for granted.

There’s plenty of noise around us that we can’t personally affect. Cars. Leaf-blowers and lawn-mowers. Televisions on in restaurants (and at gasoline pumps). Music always playing in stores. And we have, today, the ability to fill every moment of our own time with sounds. We can listen to music anytime via earbuds that let us keep up a background soundtrack to life wherever we may be. We can listen to podcasts and audiobooks on the commute to work or while doing the laundry. We can watch videos and television anywhere. It’s possible to go from waking to sleeping without ever having had any silence in the day.

Let me be completely clear: Music, podcasts, videos and audiobooks are all good things, providing ways for us to enjoy good, true, beautiful things and to be informed, edified, encouraged, entertained and refreshed.

The problem here is not the media, but its increasing ubiquity. We have the ability to occupy our attention with something in every waking moment. And this has the result of excluding silence from our lives.

We need silence; we need mental quiet and space to think. Indeed, we are starving for it, culturally and individually.

This isn’t just about finding time to pray or to listen for God’s word in our lives. It’s more fundamental than that: it’s about finding time to think. How can we even know what to pray

‘We need silence; we need mental quiet and space to think.’

about, at the deepest level, if we do not allow ourselves time to consider our own thoughts, desires, needs, fears? How can we grow more Christ-centered if we do not allow ourselves mental space to assimilate what we learn from Scripture, from homilies, from devotional reading? And how can we evangelize – truly listening to others and speaking to their genuine questions and concerns – if we don’t have the internal steadiness that comes from being at home in the quietness of our own hearts and minds?

About 15 years ago, I started doing a silentreflection activity with my students. One beautiful spring afternoon, I told my freshman composition class to leave their books in the classroom and come outside with me to sit on the hillside overlooking the ocean. I directed them to disperse themselves over the grass and gave one simple direction: We would sit in silence for 15 minutes, then go back to class and write brief reflections on the experience.

Most of them found it challenging; many found it revelatory. Some found it alarming, as even this brief stretch of silence was enough to reveal to them how they had been distracting themselves, even anesthetizing themselves, rather than facing their own fears and anxieties.

Nearly all of them were shocked at the realization of how little they allowed themselves simply to think. (Semester after semester, I was impressed with the capacity of these young people to reflect honestly and searchingly upon their own inner life when given the opportunity to do so.)

The implications of this activity for evangelization are significant. How can we expect people to think seriously about the claims of Christianity – claims that, if true, may require a total reorientation of one’s life – if they do not have any leisure to think about these new and unsettling claims? It may well be that what we perceive as indifference is, in fact, cognitive overload: They simply have no mental space to take in what we are saying. I would venture to say, then, that a profoundly important pre-evangelistic activity is to provide opportunities for silence and reflection.

In my teaching of Christian graduate apologetics students at Houston Baptist University, where I am a visiting professor, I kept up this activity in my Modern Culture and Philosophy class. At the start of each term, I assigned them to spend three 20-minute periods simply sitting in silence, then write a reflection on what they had learned from it. Many of my graduate students were confident, going in, that this would be easy – unlike my college freshmen, they were already culture-savvy and self-aware … right? But year after year, my students discovered that they were more affected by the culture than they thought, that they had filled up every available moment so there was no silence in their lives, no space really to think or reflect, no time even to be present to God. And SILENCE, SEE PAGE 20A

A new year, a new path

W

hen we think about New Year’s resolutions, we usually reflect upon what is most important to us, what we desperately want to achieve, or what we have spent the most time obsessing over in the past year.

If you have yet to make your own resolution, take a moment right now and try to answer those three questions.

Now, let’s analyze our answers.

How does God factor into your most fervent wants and desires for the new year? Although weight loss and healthier life habits, even better finances or a new job, all strengthen us as members of society, what resolutions help us grow as citizens of God’s kingdom? If our resolutions focus on earthly, material goals, how can we add in a few spiritual goals that might be of more benefit to us along our journey of faith? What if we set a resolution to try getting to know God, to seek answers, to look deeper into our faith?

I recently finished an amazing novel, “If I Were You” by Lynn Austin, based on two young women of opposite social classes surviving World War II in London.

Throughout the book the author depicts how the victories and horrors of the war create an ebb and flow in the religious faith of each character. The fiance of one of the women expressed that all his life religion had been more of a formality – church on Sunday and special occasions, with no deeper understanding or personal connection. Yet, finding himself in the midst of the strife of war, he truly wanted to know and understand God on a deeper level. He went on to reflect upon the parable of the rich young man from Matthew 19. Through the character’s dialogue, Austin takes the reader’s focus away from the stark totality of this parable and replaces it with something more tangible that might help us in making our own resolutions in this new year.

Most of us know the parable of the rich young man who comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to attain eternal life. After answering in the affirmative to faithfully following the commandments, Jesus tells the young man to go sell all he has and follow him.

The character in Austin’s book muses that Jesus specifically told the man to sell all he owns, not necessarily to just give it away.

This actually involves a greater mentality. In order to sell something you own, you must first take stock

of it. Rather than simply giving up his assets, the young man was asked

by Jesus to use what he had for a greater purpose. Thus, the young man could use his greatest talents and gifts, those worth the most in value, to serve Christ and achieve the ultimate goal of building the kingdom of God. If taken literally, this parable seems too difficult a mountain to climb. If we give up everything, where would we sleep? What would our children eat? What would we wear? Yet, when given a little wiggle room, taking stock of our most valuable assets that can be used for Christ seems a bit more doable.

Before making our resolutions this year, could we first take stock of what we have: our talents, gifts and blessings? Then we can shape our resolutions around using what we have been given for God instead of shaping them around what we want more of. This strategy frees us up from falling prey to the fears, greed or jealousy that may feed our current desires and refocuses our eyes on a new path, one that is more pure and selfless. It allows us to center our days around God, not forgetting who He is or what He has given us. It allows us to focus on His love for us.

Remember the Israelites of old, the people God wanted for Himself.

Before the exodus, the sons of Israel had been living in a foreign land with other gods for so long that they had forgotten who God was. Their immersion in a pagan society had rubbed off on them. But what about us? In our rat race to keep up with what’s trending and what everyone else in society is doing, have we lost sight of God? Have we lost sight of Christ?

It may take stepping out of the circle to find where He is, to take the steps needed toward a different path than the rest of society seems to be on. Remember: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many” (Mt 7:13).

In forming your New Year’s resolutions, also remember to take stock of what is everlasting in Christ: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mt 24:35).

In 2022, let us find a new hope, a new path, a new resolution that will lead us to a new resurrection of Christ in our heart and soul.

APRIL PARKER is a member of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, as well as a teacher and curriculum director at St. Pius X School.

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Deacon Matthew Newsome

A season of blessings

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n many ways, the holidays can be considered a season of blessings; and I don’t just mean the blessing of spending time with family and friends to celebrate Our Lord’s birth. This time of year is marked by many special blessings in the life of the Church.

We begin the liturgical year with a blessing of the Advent wreath. The Christmas season is ushered in with the blessing of creches and Christmas trees.

It is common to bless families within Mass on the Feast of the Holy Family. Other traditional holiday blessings are less well known, such as the blessing of wine for St. John’s Day on Dec. 27.

There are an abundance of blessings associated with Epiphany. It is a tradition to bless Holy Water on the Vigil of Epiphany, in association with the Baptism of the Lord and Christ’s first public miracle of turning water into wine. There are Epiphany blessings for gold, frankincense and myrrh, as well as for chalk, which is used to mark the doors of the homes of the faithful as part of the Epiphany home blessing. Because the dates of Easter and the moveable feasts are announced on Epiphany, there is also a tradition of blessing calendars on this day.

The blessings extend beyond the Christmas season to the blessing of candles on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (popularly known as Candlemas) on Feb. 2.

Candles are blessed on this day because the infant Christ is called “light for revelation”

by Simeon (Lk 2:32). The blessed candles are used the next day on the feast of St. Blaise, patron against throat ailments, to bless people’s throats. We Catholics don’t just bless things, we bless things with blessed things!

These annual blessings are special, but blessings are a daily occurrence in the lives of many Catholics. We bless our meals. We bless ourselves with holy water as we enter our churches. We are blessed by the priest at the conclusion of each and every Mass.

Truly we are a people of blessing.

All of this begs the question: What is a blessing? And why are some blessings only performed by ordained clergy (such as blessing holy water or other objects for devotion), while other blessings are offered by lay people (like the blessing before meals)? Is there a difference?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a blessing simply as “a prayer invoking God’s power and care upon some person, place, thing or undertaking.” In this broad sense of the word, anytime anyone prays for God to do something good either for themselves or someone else, that is a blessing. Anyone can bless in this sense, and the Catechism says, “Every baptized person is called to be a blessing and to bless” (CCC 1669). But in that same paragraph, a distinction is made between blessings a lay person may offer and those blessings reserved for clergy: “the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more its administration is reserved to the ordained ministry.”

While any prayer invoking God’s favor is a blessing, the official blessings of the Roman Rite are found in the Book of Blessings (or in the Roman Ritual prior to 1984). Some

blessings in this text may be presided over by lay people who, by virtue of their baptism and confirmation, participate in the universal priesthood. Others are reserved for deacons, priests or bishops.

The distinction has to do with the type of blessing being offered. Invocative blessings ask for God’s favor upon a person, place or object without any change of condition to what is being blessed. Examples would be a blessing before meals, or a parent blessing a child. Constitutive blessings involve the permanent dedication of a person or object for a sacred purpose. Examples would be the blessing of a rosary or holy water.

Constitutive blessings are reserved for ordained ministers.

The effectiveness of a blessing is a matter of spiritual authority. All members of the Church, by virtue of their baptism, possess spiritual authority to some degree, so we can bless ourselves and pray for God’s blessings upon one another. Some exercise a higher degree of spiritual authority because of their relationship to the one being blessed. For example, a parent’s prayer of blessing for their child is more powerful than that of a stranger. Personal holiness also matters, as the scriptures teach that “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (Jas 5:16).

In this way blessings are quite different from the sacraments which operate “ex opere operato,” regardless of the personal holiness of the minister.

Constitutive blessings are reserved for clergy who have broader spiritual authority by virtue of their holy orders.

Bishops enjoy the fullness of this authority, which is why some solemn blessings are reserved to them. For example, while any priest or deacon can bless a rosary, it belongs to the bishop to consecrate a new church building.

Once an object has been blessed with a constitutive blessing, it can no longer be used for profane purposes. If a blessed object, such as a rosary, holy card or statue becomes damaged beyond repair or otherwise can no longer be used, it should not be thrown away with the trash.

The proper way to respectfully dispose of blessed objects is to either bury or burn them. Blessed items should not be sold. The attempt to purchase or sell God’s blessing is called the sin of simony, after Simon Magus who was cursed for attempting to buy Apostolic authority from St. Peter (see Acts 8:18-24).

All blessings ultimately come from God, who is eternally blessed. The fullness of God’s blessing is found in the Person of Jesus Christ, whose abundant blessings are ministered to us today through the Church, principally in the sacraments, but also in the many sacramental blessings we celebrate throughout the year. Marking important days and seasons with special blessings helps us to participate more fully and with greater joy in the everyday blessings God makes available to us throughout our lives.

DEACON MATTHEW NEWSOME is the Catholic campus minister at Western Carolina University and the regional faith formation coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Vicariate.

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From online story: “Denying dignity of work is an ‘injustice,’ pope says” Through press time on Jan. 19, 13,164visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 19,497 pages. The top 10 headlines in January so far have been: n Bishop Jugis opens diocese’s 50th anniversary year with call to prayer, action...................... 988 n Why do we pray for the dead?................................................................................................................... 755 n 16th annual March for Life Charlotte draws hundreds to witness to sanctity of life.................. 671 n No Mass obligation this Sunday................................................................................................................ 577 n Tradición mexicana resalta Fiesta de la Presentación del Señor.....................................................514 n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald.............................................................492 n With death anniversaries many find comfort in rituals.....................................................................398 n Bishop establishes Family Life office......................................................................................................390 n 2022 Eucharistic Congress planning underway..................................................................................286 n Learn more about poverty in January .................................................................................................... 231

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 20A CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

SILENCE FROM PAGE 18A

having recognized this, they could do something about it, make changes in their lives – and also, they could engage with the culture in a more thoughtful, sensitive way.

I wholeheartedly commend this activity to you. Perhaps you think you don’t need to do it because you have plenty of silence and self-reflection in your life already. Try it anyway.

Perhaps you think you don’t need to do it because you are already aware that your life is filled with too much noise, and you don’t need to be reminded of it.

Try it anyway. It will be good for you.

Here are the directions.

Over the course of a week, on three separate occasions, set aside a 20-minute period to sit in silence without activity. I recommend choosing three different times of the day and different contexts: a room in your house, a spot outdoors (weather permitting) and, if you can manage it, an Adoration chapel or church. You do not need to ensure total absence of noise, but you should try to avoid high-traffic places such as a coffee shop, where there are many distractions. If you have small children, you’ll probably need to get up early to do this!

Don’t combine this with any activity: no media consumption, of course (no music, Internet or books), but also no other activity (no walking, doing housework or driving to work). Silence your cell phone, but do set a timer so you can know when your 20 minutes is up without checking your phone or watch.

Do not occupy yourself with anything during this time. That includes writing notes about your thoughts (save that for later!) or even such things as praying the rosary or interceding for other people. It is indeed very good to pray during a time of silence, and likewise silent time is often very good for generating ideas for one’s writing or to-do list, but this particular time of silence has a specific purpose, which is to allow you to discover what’s going on in your mind and heart when you’re not keeping busy. You may find yourself offering spontaneous prayer, which is perfectly fine and in tune with this

PASTOR FROM PAGE 5A

Charlotte parishioner Clay Presley remembers Father Hoover’s homilies “presented with deep understanding and wonderful wit” at St. Ann’s in the mid2000s. He also recalls the particularly steep price of taking Father Hoover to lunch on one occasion.

“I went to lunch with every intention of paying the bill, and I came out with sticker shock: Somehow he had sweet talked me into leading the church’s $2.2 million fundraising campaign to finish work at St. Ann’s that had begun 50 years earlier,” Presley said.

Presley’s daughter, Leann McDevitt, and her fiancé went through premarriage counseling with Father Hoover, and says: “I guess it worked.

We’re still married and now have three beautiful daughters. Father Hoover was a blessing in our lives.”

activity – just don’t deliberately occupy your attention in this way.

Let me emphasize that the goal is not to “empty your mind.” Not at all!

The goal is to set aside, for a certain time period, all the things that usually occupy your attention, so that your mind is free to just think. Pay attention to where your thoughts go, but don’t try to direct them in any particular way.

Allow your mind to follow its own train of thought and notice where it goes; find out what really is on your mind.

The experience may be quite difficult; it may be boring, stressful, or even distressing or anxiety-producing.

This is OK! Pay attention to your own reactions, so that you can reflect on them afterwards.

Prayer should be the frame and context for this activity. Before you begin, ask the Holy Spirit to bless this time and to guide your thoughts in whatever way is best so that you will learn and benefit from it. Then just sit quietly. When your 20-minute period is complete, pray again. Ask God to guide you to gain insight from this experience, and pray for any intentions, needs or concerns that have come up in your thoughts during your time of silence.

After you’ve concluded your prayer, spend a few minutes jotting down any thoughts or observations you had about your experience. What was it like? What was on your mind?

Then do it twice more that week – and then reflect on what you have experienced.

What will it be like for you? I can’t say, but I will say that this has been a tremendously fruitful experience for many, many of my students over the years. Speaking for myself, periodically having silent reflection times has been, and continues to be, an important part of my own intellectual and spiritual life.

For one thing, it helps me more clearly discern about media the difference between what is genuinely valuable in my life (for my work or for relaxation) and what is merely an addictive sort of noise.

Silence is a kind of well, a deep water that we need to dip into frequently for refreshment, and I daresay most of us are thirstier than we realize.

DR. HOLLY ORDWAY is the Fellow of Faith and Culture of the Word on Fire Institute and a visiting professor at Houston Baptist University.

Father Hoover also served as the diocese’s director of ecumenism and was chaplain to the Knights of Columbus Council 770 in Charlotte. He retired from active ministry in 2006.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister JoAnn C. Hunsicker; brother Richard W. Hoover Sr.; and nephews Howard B. Hunsicker Jr. and Richard W. Hoover Jr. He is survived by nephews Gerald H. Hunsicker of Houston, Texas, and David R. Hunsicker (Louise) of Collegeville, Pa.; niece Phyllis Hoover Theriot of Jennings, La.; six great-nieces and -nephews; and seven great-great-nieces and -nephews.

Memorial donations can be made to the L’Arche of Greater Washington, D.C., P.O. Box 21471, Washington, D.C. 20009, or online at www.larche-gwdc.org/ donate.

Tribute & Tallent Funerals and Cremations of Charlotte is in charge of the arrangements.

— Catholic News Herald

STANDING UP FROM PAGE 6A

his newborn sister, Phyllis, when he was only 8 years old.

“When my mother become pregnant with her sixth child, we were all excited to meet our new sister, but when the time came for her birth, she had died from the umbilical cord wrapping around her,” Harrison recalled.

“We were devastated.

It was November of 1973, and I distinctly remember as an 8-yearold that the same nurses and doctors that were in that little chapel, crying at Phyllis’ funeral, might be helping abort other babies who had just as much a right to life.

That’s when I started wondering what I could do to protect life, at the age of 8. I felt the call,” Harrison said.

He became more interested in science and studied it in school. Along his educational path, Harrison took a job doing research in childhood leukemia at Johns Hopkins, he also took a year on staff with Young Life, learning how to support troubled youth and pregnant teen moms, “All this time I still felt the call to protect life and fight abortion,” he said. “I then made a commitment to go back to science, so I took a job at Duke in molecular genetics.”

Harrison went back to school and got a master’s degree in protein receptor biology.

He moved to the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond and started working in a lab studying brain receptors. And, after three rejections from medical schools over the years, he finally was accepted.

Harrison says he knew within the first week of his residency that he would not be able to prescribe birth control or to refer women for abortions or sterilizations.

And, fortunately for him, his director was sympathetic.

After graduating as chief resident, he joined a pro-life practice in Concord, N.C., where he started delivering free prenatal care and delivery services for abortionvulnerable women.

In 2006, a young woman came into Harrison’s office wanting to reverse her abortion after regretting taking the abortion

INOCENTES VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 9A

Compartió que desde que nació ese primer bebé en 2007, la red para revertir la píldora abortiva se ha extendido a más de 1.100 proveedores en 65 países. Más de 3.000 bebés sanos han nacido después que sus madre tomaron la píldora abortiva, dijo, a lo que la multitud vitoreó con entusiasmo.

Harrison dijo que Dios “tomó una persona que fue llamada y motivada, y luego me capacitó con entrenamiento y educación, que en ese momento ni siquiera sabía que necesitaría”. Animó a los reunidos a amar a su prójimo.

“Pueden ver a Cristo en estas madres y pueden ser Cristo para ellas… Estás aquí hoy porque has sido llamado, llamado

pill. “I truly think, that if I had gone straight to medical school out of college, I wouldn’t have been equipped to solve this problem that took an understanding of crisis teen pregnancies, protein receptor biology, and a pro-life perspective on medicine,” Harrison said.

He shared that since that first baby was born in 2007, the network for abortion pill reversal has spread to more than 1,100 providers in 65 countries. More than 3,000

healthy babies have been born after their mother took the abortion pill, he said – to which the March for Life crowd cheered enthusiastically.

Harrison said God “took a person that was called and motivated, and then qualified me with training and education that, at the time, I didn’t even know I would need.” He encouraged those gathered to love their neighbor.

“You can see Christ in these moms and you can be Christ to them. … You are here today because you are called – called to end abortion by loving your neighbor.”

Also in attendance at the March for Life Charlotte were women and men from the Silent No More awareness campaign, which encourages post-abortive women and men to seek help and healing. Andrea Hines, a longtime pro-life advocate, stood up to speak about regretting the abortion she had in college and how she felt she had “come back alive” later in life after discovering the Catholic faith and going to confession.

“My dead bones received flesh and I came alive again. Thank you, God! Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for Your Church!”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from the March for Life Charlotte

a terminar con el aborto amando a tu prójimo”.

También asistieron a la Marcha por la Vida de Charlotte mujeres y hombres de la campaña de concientización Silent No More, que alienta a las mujeres y hombres que han abortado a buscar ayuda y sanación. Andrea Hines, defensora pro-vida por mucho tiempo, se puso de pie para hablar sobre su arrepentimiento del aborto que tuvo en la universidad y como sintió que había “vuelto a la vida” después de descubrir la fe católica y confesarse.

“Mis huesos muertos recibieron carne y volví a la vida. ¡Gracias Dios! ¡Gracias Jesús! ¡Gracias por Tu Iglesia!”

Más online En www.catholicnewsherald.com: Vea más fotos de la Marcha por la Vida Charlotte

GOLDEN JUBILEE EDITION | A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT OF THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD | JANUARY 21, 2022

Celebrating 50 years Celebrando 50 Años

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘The 50th anniversary celebration is not an event of only one day – Jan. 12, 2022 – but a celebration that lasts an entire year.’

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter Jugis incenses a statue of Mary, Mother of God during the start of a special Mass held Jan. 12, to open the Diocese of Charlotte’s 50th anniversary year. The diocese, which spans the 46 counties of western North Carolina, was founded on Jan. 12, 1972.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘There is so much to celebrate’ Bishop Jugis opens diocese’s 50th anniversary year with call to prayer, action SUEANN HOWELL AND PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s 50th anniversary in 2022 will be a year of faith, thanksgiving, charity, and prayer and devotion, Bishop Peter J. Jugis declared as he formally opened the celebration Jan. 12.

Bishop Jugis, the first native son to serve as Bishop of Charlotte and the diocese’s longest-serving bishop, inaugurated the anniversary celebration exactly 50 years from the date of the diocese’s founding in 1972.

Approximately 100 people joined the bishop at the cathedral for a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration and recitation of the rosary, followed by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which was also watched by another 800 people live online on the diocese’s YouTube channel.

The Mass also featured the debut of a statue of Mary, Mother of God – patroness of the diocese – that will be taken on an unprecedented pilgrimage to 100-plus locations of significance to Catholics in western North Carolina during the anniversary year. The bishop blessed and incensed the statue, which was then placed in the sanctuary of the cathedral for the opening celebration.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis noted that the theme for the diocese’s 50th anniversary – “Faith More Precious Than Gold” – comes from 1 Peter 1:7. In it, St. Peter encourages people to rejoice in their faith, considering it a gift “more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire.” The connection between the diocese’s golden anniversary and the Scripture verse describing our faith as more valuable than gold is meaningful, he noted.

“You could call this 50th anniversary year a ‘Year of Faith,’” he said. Referring to Matthew 16:16, the Gospel reading chosen for the opening Mass, he said, “We are proclaiming along with St. Peter in today’s Gospel: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’” The anniversary year is also a “Year of Thanksgiving to God” for His faithful love through all these years, blessing the amazing growth of the Charlotte diocese, Bishop Jugis said.

“Like a tiny mustard seed the Lord planted so long ago, the Catholic faith put down roots in our state, and is growing and maturing, spreading forth its branches,” he said.

This year will be a “Year of Mission” to bring the Light of Christ to others, Bishop Jugis also emphasized. “This is

CHECK IT OUT: 50th anniversary website A special website, www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com, launched Jan. 7 to be a go-to resource for information about all upcoming anniversary events, the diocese’s “50 Acts of Charity” campaign, and the Marian Pilgrimage around the diocese throughout the year.

It also showcases milestones in the diocese’s 50-year history, profiles must-see treasured sites around the diocese, and offers a collection of Marian prayers and devotions for you to deepen your faith.

Also find monthly prayer intentions, rosaries to be recited on special dates of historical significance in the diocese, Saints of the Month and a Marian art monthly series (coming soon).

The website will be updated regularly, so please be sure to come back again and again to keep up on the latest as the diocese commemorates its golden anniversary.

a ‘Year of 50 Acts of Charity’ to demonstrate the vibrancy of our faith by living the corporal and spiritual works of mercy,” he said.

The diocese is encouraging parishes, ministries, schools and families to engage in “50 Acts of Charity” – commemorating the founding of the diocese by participating in greater outreach, service and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in need. Progress toward the goal will be tracked on a special website for the anniversary year, www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

The bishop recalled Jesus’ words during His Sermon on the Mount: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-16).

“By bringing the Light of Christ to others,” the bishop continued, “we will have an important impact on our local communities through our 50 Acts of Charity. Everyone will know that the Catholic Church is here, and that Christ is alive in the community of faith.”

The 50th anniversary year will also be a “Year of Prayer and Devotion to the Spiritual Life,” he suggested.

“Good works of charity and faith arise from our personal communion with Christ. Jesus is our Way, our Truth and our Life.”

The 50th anniversary celebrations at the cathedral in Charlotte were echoed at other churches around the diocese, where clergy were encouraged to offer Holy Hours and Masses Jan. 12 in a spirit of unity and communion.

The Jan. 12 events kick off a year full of celebrations and programs spotlighting the diocese’s shared faith, history, diversity and progress.

The 2022 Eucharistic Congress, planned for Aug. 5-6 at the Charlotte Convention Center, will be a particular highlight this year. Started by Bishop Jugis in 2005, the Congress serves as a “family reunion” that now draws more than 10,000 Catholics to celebrate Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith.

Other programs include monthly prayer intentions and rosaries on days of special significance in our history, a Catholic Family Day at Carowinds in July, and a Charlotte Knights baseball game.

“The 50th anniversary celebration is not an event of only one day – Jan. 12, 2022 – but a celebration that lasts an entire year,” Bishop Jugis emphasized.

“It is a Year of Faith, a Year of Thanksgiving to God, a Year of Mission, a Year of 50 Acts of Charity, a Year of Prayer and Devotion to the Spiritual Life,” he reiterated.

“There is so much to celebrate. There will be so many opportunities. It cannot all be contained in a single day.”

Bishop Jugis concluded his homily saying, “In this our 50th anniversary year, let us all glorify the Lord by our lives of faith, giving thanks to God for His faithful love.”

The Diocese of Charlotte was founded Jan. 12, 1972, when Bishop Michael Begley was ordained and installed as the first Bishop of Charlotte. The diocese was carved out of the Diocese of Raleigh, which previously encompassed the entire state – splitting North Carolina into two dioceses, each with approximately 30,000 Catholics at the time. Now with more than 515,000 Catholics, the diocese is among the fastest growing in the country.

More online At www.youtube.com/dioceseofcharlotte: Watch Bishop Jugis’ full homily from the anniversary opening Mass

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

‘Hay mucho que celebrar’ Obispo Jugis abre el año del 50 Aniversario con un llamado a la oración y acción SUEANN HOWELL Y PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — El 50 aniversario de la Diócesis de Charlotte en 2022 será un año de fe, acción de gracias, caridad, oración y devoción, declaró el Obispo Peter Jugis al inaugurar formalmente la celebración el 12 de enero.

El Obispo Jugis, primer nativo en servir como obispo de Charlotte y con más años de servicio en la diócesis, inauguró la celebración del aniversario exactamente 50 años después de la fecha de la fundación de la diócesis en 1972.

Aproximadamente 100 personas se unieron al obispo en la catedral para una Hora Santa de Adoración Eucarística y el rezo del Santo Rosario, seguido del Santo Sacrificio de la Misa, que fue visto por otras 800 personas online, en vivo, por el canal YouTube de la diócesis.

La Misa también contó con la presentación de una estatua de María, Madre de Dios, patrona de la diócesis, que durante el año del aniversario será llevada en una peregrinación sin precedentes a más de 100 lugares de importancia

‘La celebración del 50 Aniversario no es un evento de un solo día, 12 de enero de 2022, sino una celebración que dura todo un año’.

Obispo Peter J. Jugis para los católicos en el oeste de Carolina del Norte. El obispo bendijo la estatua, que luego fue colocada en el santuario catedralicio para la celebración de apertura.

En su homilía, el Obispo Jugis señaló que el tema del 50 aniversario de la diócesis, ‘La fe es más preciosa que el oro’, proviene de la Primera Carta de Pedro 1:7. En ella, San Pedro anima a las personas a regocijarse en su fe, considerándola un don “más precioso que el oro, que es perecedero aunque probado con fuego”.

La conexión entre el aniversario de oro de la diócesis y el versículo de las Escrituras que describe nuestra fe como más valiosa que el oro es significativa, subrayó.

“Se podría llamar a este año del 50 aniversario un ‘año de fe’”, dijo. Como dice la lectura del Evangelio de Mateo 16:16 elegida para la Misa de apertura, “Estamos proclamando junto con San Pedro en el Evangelio de hoy: ‘Tú eres el Cristo, el Hijo del Dios vivo’”.

El año del aniversario es también un “Año de acción de gracias a Dios” por su fiel amor durante todos estos años, bendiciendo el asombroso crecimiento de la diócesis de Charlotte, dijo el Obispo Jugis.

“Como una pequeña semilla de mostaza que el Señor plantó hace largo tiempo, la fe Católica echó raíces en nuestro estado, y está creciendo y madurando, extendiendo sus ramas”, dijo.

Este año será un “Año de Misión” para llevar la Luz de Cristo a los demás, enfatizó también el Obispo Jugis. “Este es un ‘Año de 50 Actos de Caridad’ para demostrar la vitalidad de nuestra fe al vivir las obras de misericordia corporales y espirituales”, dijo.

La diócesis está alentando a las parroquias, ministerios, escuelas y familias a participar en los ‘50 Actos de Caridad’, conmemorando la fundación de la diócesis, participando en un mayor alcance, servicio y solidaridad con nuestros hermanos y hermanas en necesidad. El progreso hacia la meta será seguido en un sitio web especial para el año del aniversario, www. faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

El obispo recordó las palabras de Jesús durante el Sermón de la Montaña: “Ustedes son la luz del mundo. Una ciudad situada sobre un monte no se puede ocultar; ni se enciende una lámpara y se pone debajo de una vasija, sino sobre el candelero, y alumbra a todos los que están en la casa. Así brille la luz de ustedes delante de los hombres, para que vean sus buenas acciones y glorifiquen a su Padre que está en los cielos” (Mateo 5:14-16).

“Al llevar la Luz de Cristo a los demás”, continuó el obispo, “tendremos un impacto importante en nuestras comunidades locales a través de nuestros 50 Actos de Caridad. Todos sabrán que la Iglesia Católica está aquí y que Cristo está vivo en la comunidad de fe”.

El año del 50 aniversario también será un “Año de oración y devoción a la vida espiritual”, sugirió.

“Las buenas obras de caridad y fe surgen de nuestra comunión personal con Cristo. Jesús es nuestro Camino, nuestra Verdad y nuestra Vida”.

Las celebraciones del 50 aniversario en la Catedral de Charlotte tuvieron eco en otras iglesias de la diócesis, donde se animó al clero a ofrecer Horas Santas y Misas el 12 de enero en un espíritu de unidad y comunión.

Los eventos del 12 de enero dieron inicio a un año lleno de celebraciones y programas que destacan la fe, historia, diversidad y progreso compartidos de la diócesis.

El Congreso Eucarístico de 2022, planeado para el 5 y 6 de agosto en el Centro de Convenciones de Charlotte, será particularmente destacado este año. Iniciado por el Obispo Jugis en 2005, el Congreso sirve como una “reunión familiar” que ahora atrae a más de 10,000 católicos para celebrar la Presencia Real de Cristo en la Eucaristía, la fuente y cumbre de nuestra fe.

Otros programas incluyen intenciones de oración mensuales y rosarios en días de especial importancia en nuestra historia, un Día de la Familia Católica en Carowinds en julio y un juego de béisbol de los Charlotte Knights.

“La celebración del 50 aniversario no es un evento de un solo día, el 12 de enero de 2022, sino una celebración que dura todo un año”, enfatizó el Obispo Jugis.

“Es un Año de la Fe, de Acción de Gracias a Dios, de Misión, de 50 Actos de Caridad, un Año de Oración y Devoción a la Vida Espiritual”, reiteró. “Hay mucho que celebrar. Hay tantas oportunidades. Todo no puede realizarse en un solo día”.

El Obispo Jugis concluyó su homilía diciendo, “En este año de nuestro 50 aniversario, glorifiquemos todos al Señor con nuestras vidas de fe, dando gracias a Dios por Su amor fiel”.

La Diócesis de Charlotte fue fundada el 12 de enero de 1972, cuando el Obispo Michael Begley fue ordenado e instalado como el primer Obispo de Charlotte. La diócesis fue forjada desde la Diócesis de Raleigh, que anteriormente abarcaba todo el estado, dividiendo a Carolina del Norte en dos diócesis, cada una con aproximadamente 30,000 católicos en ese momento. Ahora, con más de 515.000 católicos, la diócesis se encuentra entre las de más rápido crecimiento en el país.

Más online En www.youtube.com/dioceseofcharlotte: Vea la homilía completa del Obispo Jugis

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Prayer for the 50th Anniversary The 50th anniversary year will bear great spiritual fruit if we ask God for the graces we hope to receive. Please offer the 50th anniversary prayer daily for many graces to be poured on our diocese during this jubilee anniversary: Heavenly Father, accept our humble prayer of praise and gratitude as we joyfully celebrate 50 years as the Diocese of Charlotte. Throughout our history the faithful of western North Carolina, under the watchful care of esteemed bishops and abbots, have been nurtured by Your providential hand. Confident that You invite Your children to implore Your constant blessings, we pray that You continue to pour forth Your heavenly grace upon us. With filial affection and devotion, we further ask that You look kindly upon the prayers we seek through the intercession of our venerable patroness, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who with motherly attention tends to the needs and concerns of the Church. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Oración por el 50 Aniversario Padre Celestial, acepta nuestra humilde oración de alabanza y gratitud mientras celebramos con alegría los cincuenta años de la Diócesis de Charlotte. A lo largo de nuestra historia, los fieles del oeste de Carolina del Norte, bajo el cuidado de estimados obispos y abades, han sido alimentados por tu mano providencial.

Confiamos en que invites a tus hijos a implorar tus constantes bendiciones, te pedimos que sigas derramando tu gracia celestial sobre nosotros. Con afecto y devoción filial, te pedimos además que veas con buenos ojos las oraciones que pedimos por la intercesión de nuestra venerable patrona, la Santísima Virgen María, que con atención maternal atiende las necesidades y preocupaciones de la Iglesia.

Te lo pedimos por nuestro Señor Jesucristo, tu Hijo, que vive y reina contigo en la unidad del Espíritu Santo, y es Dios por los siglos de los siglos.

Amén.

At www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com: Download a PDF of the 50th anniversary prayer card, available in English and Spanish

About the prayer card The Diocese of Charlotte 50th anniversary prayer card features an image of “The Immaculate Conception” by Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Painted between 1655 and 1600, this oil on canvas is one of many images of the Immaculate Conception painted by Murillo. Seville, the cosmopolitan capital of southern Spain where the artist spent his life, was the epicenter of devotion to the Immaculate Conception at that time. The image is in the Algur H. Meadows Collection at the Meadows Museum, located on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Monthly Prayer Intentions Please consider adding these monthly intentions when you pray: n January: For peace. May the merciful Father bring an end to all discord between peoples of good will and grant His peace among all members of our local church. n February: For religious vocations. May God grant an increase to all religious orders who serve in the Diocese of Charlotte and grant zeal to all who are being called to a life of religious consecration. n March: For families. May God pour out an abundance of grace to every family in the diocese, that they may be domestic churches and dwellings of loving sacrifice. n April: For the homeless. May Christ, who had nowhere to lay His head, act in and through all the faithful in the diocese to provide for the needs of their brothers and sisters who lack housing. n May: For Mary’s intercession. May Mary, the patroness of our diocese, always look favorably upon our church and pray unceasingly for every member of Christ’s faithful. n June: For vocations to the priesthood.

May the Lord give courage and strength to those who are being called to the ministerial priesthood, and may those who are called respond generously and faithfully. n July: For parishes. May God bless and enrich each and every parish in the diocese

with His choicest graces and special protection, that they may be a visible expression of Christ’s body at work in the world. n August: For the sick and suffering. May God give comfort to the afflicted and suffering souls of the diocese and to those who are needy, that they may find in the generosity of faithful souls a remedy for their ailments. n September: For caregivers. May God grant all who care for the sick, needy, elderly and imprisoned an outpouring of His love and mercy, that they may be strengthened in their apostolate and remain steadfast in living the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. n October: For parents. May God, through the intercession of Sts. Anne and Joachim, give strength and virtue to parents, that they may be true witnesses of faith and charity to their children. n November: For the faithful departed.

May the Lord give eternal rest for all the faithful departed of the Diocese of Charlotte who lived and served faithfully united to the Church of God. n December: For children and youth.

May Christ, who came among us as a child, strengthen the hearts and minds of our children, that they may faithfully receive the word of God by their ears and eyes, and profess their faith by their mouths.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘We delight to call Mary our Mother’: Diocese to be placed under patronage of ‘Mary, Mother of God’ CHARLOTTE — Diocesan officials are planning to ask the Vatican to formally approve “Mary, Mother of God” as the patroness of the Diocese of Charlotte.

The move is part of the diocese’s official 50th anniversary celebration in 2022.

During historical research in preparing for the 50th anniversary, officials discovered that over the years, bishops have invoked various Marian titles, but no title has ever been made official. They brought the matter to the attention of Bishop Peter Jugis, who decided to formalize Mary’s patronage of the diocese.

The process entails making a written request to the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments for approval of the official designation.

Bishop Jugis said that when he became bishop in 2003, Mary, Mother of God had already been listed for some years as the principal patroness of the diocese in the annual Ordo: The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist. Because the title “Mother of God” was already in use in the diocese, it seemed reasonable to continue with that title for Mary as the patroness of the diocese. Bishop Jugis said this particular title of Mary

honors the motherly relationship between her and the People of God in western North Carolina.

This title “implies a loving family bond of a mother to her child,” he explained. “We delight to call her our mother,” he said, because she “is very much present in our prayer and our spiritual life.”

We invoke the name of “Holy Mary, Mother of God” at least 54 times when we pray the rosary, and we unite ourselves in prayer as the priest invokes her name in the Eucharistic Prayer at every Mass, he noted.

In addition to the rosary and the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, the title also appears in the Litany of Loreto and in the closing prayer of the Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God every New Year’s Day. The phrase “Mother of God” goes back to the third or fourth century, but the Greek term “Theotokos” (“The God-bearer”) was officially consecrated as Catholic doctrine at the Council of Ephesus in 431, thus becoming the first Marian dogma. At the end of the Council of Ephesus, crowds of people marched through the streets shouting: “Praised be the Theotokos!”

This Catholic doctrine is based on the doctrine of the

Incarnation, as expressed by St. Paul: “God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4).

In its chapter on Mary’s role in the Church, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution “Lumen Gentium” (“Light of the People”) calls Mary “Mother of God” 12 times.

In artwork and statues depicting Mary, Mother of God, she is usually depicted holding the Infant Jesus.

“Seeing the Infant Jesus with His mother reminds us of our own loving dedication to the spiritual and faith formation of our children and youth,” Bishop Jugis noted.

“The Child with His mother also recalls for us in the Diocese of Charlotte our five decades of work for the right to life of the unborn and our commitment to ongoing prolife work in the future.”

“The entire Church rejoices to proclaim Mary as Mother of God and Mother of the Church,” he said, “and we in the Diocese of Charlotte delight in the special privilege to proclaim many times over in our daily prayer our own special loving bond with her as our mother and patroness of our diocese.”

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

“Estamos encantados de llamar a María Nuestra Madre”: Diócesis puesta bajo el patronato de ‘María, Madre de Dios’ CHARLOTTE — Autoridades diocesanas han solicitado al Vaticano que apruebe formalmente a ‘María, Madre de Dios’ como patrona de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

La medida es parte de la celebración oficial del 50 aniversario de la diócesis.

Durante la investigación histórica en preparación para el 50 aniversario, las autoridades descubrieron que a lo largo de los años los obispos han invocado varios títulos Marianos, pero nunca se hizo oficial ninguno. Llevaron el asunto al Obispo Peter Jugis, quien decidió formalizar el patronato de María a la diócesis.

El Obispo Jugis dijo que cuando se convirtió en obispo en 2003, María, Madre de Dios, ya había sido incluida durante algunos años como la principal patrona de la diócesis en el Orden anual: El Orden de la Oración en la Liturgia de las Horas y Celebración de las Eucaristía. Debido a que

el título Madre de Dios ya estaba en uso en la diócesis, parecía razonable continuar con ese título para María como la patrona de la diócesis.

El obispo dijo que este título particular de María honra la relación maternal entre ella y el Pueblo de Dios en el oeste de Carolina del Norte.

Este título “implica un vínculo familiar amoroso de una madre con su hijo”, explicó. “Estamos encantados en llamarla nuestra madre”, dijo, porque ella “está muy presente en nuestra oración y vida espiritual”.

Invocamos a ‘Santa María, Madre de Dios’ al menos 54 veces cuando rezamos el Rosario, y nos unimos en oración cuando el sacerdote invoca su nombre en la Plegaria Eucarística en cada Misa, señaló.

Además, el título también aparece en las Letanías de Loreto y en la oración de

clausura de la Misa de la Solemnidad de María, Madre de Dios cada Año Nuevo.

El título ‘Madre de Dios’ se remonta al siglo III ‘ IV, pero el término griego ‘Theotokos’ (‘La portadora de Dios’) fue consagrado oficialmente como doctrina Católica en el Concilio de Éfeso en el año 431, convirtiéndose así en el primer dogma Mariano. Al término del Concilio de Éfeso, multitudes de personas marcharon por las calles gritando: “¡Alabada sea Theotokos!”.

Esta doctrina católica se basa en la doctrina de la Encarnación, expresada por San Pablo: “Dios envió a Su Hijo, nacido de mujer, nacido bajo la ley” (Gálatas 4:4).

En su capítulo sobre el papel de María en la Iglesia, la Constitución Dogmática del Concilio Vaticano II ‘Lumen Gentium’ llama a María ‘Madre de Dios’ 12 veces.

En las obras de arte y estatuas que representan a María, Madre de Dios, la

Madre y el Niño se muestran juntos.

“Ver al niño Jesús con Su Madre nos recuerda nuestra propia dedicación amorosa a la formación espiritual y de fe de nuestros niños y jóvenes”, señaló el Obispo Jugis. “El Niño con Su Madre también nos recuerda en la Diócesis de Charlotte nuestras cinco décadas de trabajo por el derecho a la vida de los no nacidos y nuestro compromiso con el contínuo trabajo pro-vida en el futuro”.

“Toda la Iglesia se regocija en proclamar a María como Madre de Dios y Madre de la Iglesia”, dijo, “y nosotros en la Diócesis de Charlotte estamos encantados de contar con el privilegio especial de proclamar muchas veces en nuestra oración diaria nuestro vínculo amoroso especial con ella como nuestra madre y patrona de nuestra diócesis”.

— SueAnn Howell, reportera senior

Pray the rosary on these special days To unite our diocesan family in prayer, please consider praying the rosary with these intentions on the following days connected to our history: : n January 12 – Consecration of Bishop Michael J. n May 17 – Incorporation of Catholic Charities n September 6 – Begley, first bishop of Charlotte (1972) (formerly Catholic Social Services) (1973) Establishment of the Catholic News Herald Intention: For those faithfully departed bishops who led Intention: For all who seek help from the parishes and (1991) the diocese in the past agencies in the Diocese of Charlotte, that they may find in us hearts of ready generosity and service Intention: For all who n February 1 – First Spanish-speaking Mass work in ministries of celebrated early in 1980 (date uncertain) n May 29 – First permanent deacon class ordained evangelization, that God (1983) give them the gift of clarity Intention: For our Spanish-speaking population, that in their spreading of the they may find a welcoming embrace in our parishes and Intention: For all deacons, that the Holy Spirit may renew Word of God communities within them love for the poor and reverence for the mysteries at which they serve n September 8 – n March 19 – Founding of St. Joseph College Creation of the Office for Seminary (2016) n June 6 – Opening of the first Diocesan Pastoral Hispanic Ministry in the Assembly (1975) Intention: For an increase in vocations to the priesthood Diocese (1972) from our families and parishes Intention: For our priests, that they may be zealous in Intention: For all immigrants, that they their preaching, adroit in their leadership, and eminently prosper as members of our community and n April 13 – Installation of Bishop William G. Curlin, holy in their daily lives diocesan family third bishop of Charlotte (1994) n June 13 – Mother Teresa visits Charlotte and Intention: For continued fidelity to the Magisterium of the n September 15 – Opening and blessing of establishes a Missionaries of Charity convent (1995) Church, that through our bishop and priests we may cling St. Joseph College Seminary building (2020) more faithfully to God’s revealed truths Intention: For the end of abortion in our land and for all Intention: For our seminarians, that God strengthen their who work in the pro-life ministries within the Diocese of hearts, enlighten their minds and sanctify their souls n April 20 – First affordable housing project for Charlotte seniors through the Diocesan Housing Corp. (2010) n September 24 – Inaugural diocesan Eucharistic Intention: For our elderly, that those who have grown weak n June 21 – Faithful Servant Catholic Leadership Congress (2005) under the burden of years may know our compassion and Institute, a high school students’ Christian leadership Intention: For greater love, honor, worship and reverence loving support program, begins (1981) of the Blessed Sacrament in our parishes Intention: For our youth, that they may grow in wisdom and grace before God n October 24 – Consecration of Bishop Peter J. Jugis, third bishop of Charlotte (2003)

Intention: For our bishop, Peter, may God give him a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of knowledge and love, so that, by governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care, he may build God’s Church as a sign of salvation for the world n November 12 – Papal bull of Pope Paul VI establishing the Diocese of Charlotte (1971) Intention: For our Holy Father, Francis, may the Lord preserve him, give him life, make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him from the will of his enemies n December 18 – Consecration of Bishop John F. Donoghue, second bishop of Charlotte (1984); and dedication of the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory (1988) Intention: For all diocesan apostolates, that they faithfully extend the ministry of the Church by forming hearts to be faithful to the Gospel in daily life

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Pilgrim image of Mary to visit 100-plus sites across diocese this year SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — A custom statue of Mary, Mother of God will travel throughout the diocese to parishes, missions, Catholic schools and other locations over the course of the diocese’s 50th anniversary year so people may venerate Mary as our patroness and pray for special graces for the Church in western North Carolina.

In his proclamation of the 50th anniversary year, Bishop Peter Jugis noted that as “Mary, the patroness of our diocese is so closely connected with her Son’s work for our salvation, we also draw close to her in this special year of grace.”

The Marian Pilgrimage is one of the signature events of the diocese’s 50th anniversary activities. The statue will travel to more than 100 locations across the diocese during the year – visiting churches, schools, events and sites of significance to Catholics in western North Carolina.

The statue was blessed by Bishop Jugis Jan. 12, just before the start of Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral to open the anniversary year.

Made of linden wood, it was hand carved in Germany about 20 years ago. It stands 52 inches tall and weighs approximately 41 pounds.

Imagen peregrina de María visitará más de 100 lugares en la diócesis este año SUEANN HOWELL REPORTERA SENIOR

At www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com: Track the progress of the pilgrim statue of Mary, Mother of God When the statue arrived in Charlotte earlier this month, local artist Lisa Autry gave it a thorough renovation before it was unveiled by the bishop at the opening Mass.

“I believe it was perfectly timed,” Autry said. “I had six days and it took six days.”

“It is a very high honor to be asked to work on such a piece of art that will be seen and venerated by so many,” she said.

“The Almighty has once again raised the bar for me. I cannot put into words how humbled and honored I am when I am asked to bring glory to God through my work.

“I felt close to Mary, and small in her presence while I worked on her. This brings me one step closer to realizing my purpose as an artist, and I am grateful for the opportunity.”

A committee led by Bryan Somerville, special assistant to the chancellor and also a member of St. Patrick Cathedral, is coordinating the pilgrimage route over the course of the year, leading up to the closing Mass on Jan. 12, 2023.

The statue will be escorted from location to location by members of the faithful in a circuit around the diocese, Somerville said. A special program of prayers and music has been created for each pilgrimage visit, to receive the statue and venerate Mary, Mother of God as patroness of the diocese.

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAMES SARKIS

This statue of Mary, Mother of God was unveiled during the Jan. 12 opening Mass for the diocese’s 50th anniversary at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. The statue will make a pilgrimage to more than a hundred sites during the golden anniversary year. (Below) Artist Lisa Autry thoroughly refurbished the 52-inch statue, which arrived only a couple weeks ago – changing the color of her robes, making necessary repairs, and touching up other details.

CHARLOTTE — Una estatua de María, Madre de Dios, viajará a parroquias, misiones, escuelas católicas y otros lugares de la diócesis en el transcurso del año del 50 aniversario de la diócesis, así la gente podrá venerar a María como nuestra patrona y rezar por gracias especiales para la Iglesia en el oeste de Carolina del Norte.

En su proclamación del año del 50 aniversario, el Obispo Peter Jugis señaló que como “María, la patrona de nuestra diócesis, está tan estrechamente relacionada con la obra de su Hijo por nuestra salvación, también nos acercamos a ella en este año especial de gracia”.

La Peregrinación Mariana es un evento emblemático en las actividades del 50 aniversario de la diócesis. Durante el año, la estatua viajará a más de 100 lugares por toda la diócesis visitando iglesias, escuelas, eventos y sitios de importancia para los católicos en el oeste de Carolina del Norte.

La estatua fue bendecida por el Obispo Peter Jugis el 12 de enero, justo antes del comienzo de la Misa de apertura del año de aniversario realizada en la Catedral San Patricio.

Hecha con madera de tilia, fue tallada a mano en Alemania hace aproximadamente 20 años. Mide 52 pulgadas de alto y pesa aproximadamente 41 libras.

Cuando la estatua llegó a Charlotte a principios de este mes, la artista local Lisa Autry la renovó rápidamente antes que fuera develada por el obispo en la Misa de apertura.

“Creo que el tiempo estuvo perfectamente sincronizado”, dijo Autry. “Tuve seis días y tomó seis días”.

“Es un gran honor que me pidan trabajar en una obra de arte que será vista y venerada por muchas personas”, dijo. “El Todopoderoso una vez más me puso una meta más alta. No puedo expresar con palabras lo humilde y honrada que me siento cuando se me pide que glorifique a Dios a través de mi trabajo”.

“Me sentí cerca de María y pequeña en su presencia mientras trabajaba en ella. Esto me acerca un paso más a la realización de mi propósito como artista, y estoy agradecida por la oportunidad”.

Un comité liderado por Bryan Somerville, asistente especial del canciller y también miembro de la Catedral San Patricio, es responsable de coordinar la ruta de peregrinación durante el transcurso del año del aniversario, hasta la Misa de clausura que se realizará el 1 de enero de 2023.

La estatua será escoltada en su traslado de un lugar a otro por miembros de la feligresía en un circuito alrededor de la diócesis, dijo Somerville.

Se ha creado un programa especial de oraciones y música para cada parada de la peregrinación, para recibir la estatua y celebrar a María, Madre de Dios, como patrona de la diócesis.

Siga el progreso de la peregrinación de la estatua de María, Madre de Dios online en www. faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

50th Anniversary Rally Flag

Banderola por el 50 Aniversario

Show your diocesan spirit with this 33 x 33 inch “rally flag,” modeled after those of Italian city wards – a festive sign of identity and celebration, each uniquely representing a neighborhood or community. Designed to be draped around the neck at special events or hung on display, the flag is a thick, durable and stretchy fabric perfect for versatile uses.

Display your rally flag at home, wave it during the 2022 Eucharistic Congress, wear it as a scarf, or show it off at special events at your parish and school in celebration of our diocesan family.

Get purchasing details online at www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

Muestre su espíritu diocesano con esta banderola de 33 x 33 pulgadas, inspirada en las de los barrios de las ciudades italianas: un signo festivo de identidad y celebración, cada una de ellas representa de manera única a un vecindario o comunidad. Diseñada para colocarse en el cuello en eventos especiales o ponerse en exhibición, está hecha de una tela gruesa, duradera y elástica, perfecta para múltiples usos. Muestre su banderola en casa, agítela durante el Congreso Eucarístico de 2022, úsela como bufanda o muéstrela en eventos especiales en su parroquia y escuela para celebrar a nuestra familia diocesana.

Detalles de compra online en www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishops of the Diocese of Charlotte T

he Diocese of Charlotte has grown under the leadership of four bishops since our founding in 1972 – with rapid multicultural growth a hallmark during the tenure of each. With different styles and passions,

each bishop has brought a unique vision, deep love for the Lord, and pastoral care for the people, priests and parishes that share the love of Jesus Christ in communities large and small across western North Carolina.

More online At www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com: Read more about each of the diocese’s four bishops

Outgoing Bishop Begley lays hands on incoming Bishop John Donoghue at his ordination Mass in 1984.

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

Bishop Michael Begley, pictured with children in this undated photo, was director of the statewide Bureau of Catholic Charities for 25 years, superintendent of the Church’s orphanage in Raleigh for eight years, and superintendent of diocesan schools for two years. When he became bishop in 1972, he moved quickly to establish a Catholic Charities agency for the new diocese and he strengthened youth education programs. He also formalized pastoral outreach to Hispanic immigrants, helped bring national awareness to the plight of the Appalachian poor, and built bridges with other faith communities.

Most Rev. Michael J. Begley January 12, 1972 – May 29, 1984 Diligimus Fratres (We Have Loved the Brethren)

The founding bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte was ordained Jan. 12, 1972. He served until retiring on May 29, 1984, and he passed away Feb. 9, 2002, aged 92.

He studied at Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Md., earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1930. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas Michael O’Leary on May 26, 1934, for the Diocese of Raleigh.

His first assignments were at the Basilica Shrine of St. Mary in Wilmington and at St.

Edward Church in High Point.

After earning a master’s degree in social service from the University of North Carolina, he became director of the statewide Bureau of Catholic Charities, serving for 25 years.

Later as Monsignor Begley, he was sent

by Bishop Vincent Waters of Raleigh to Charlotte, where he established St. Ann Parish and served as its first pastor.

He was serving as pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensboro when the pope appointed him the first bishop of what would become the Diocese of Charlotte.

Bishop Begley oversaw the complex process of transferring land and parish assets from the Raleigh diocese and creating the first offices and agencies of the new Diocese of Charlotte, including the diocese’s Hispanic Ministry program. He also strengthened diocesan youth ministry and Campus Ministry programs.

In 1975, he led 25 bishops from 13 states in issuing the pastoral letter “This Land is Home to Me,” which shed a spotlight on problems of the people of the economically depressed Appalachian region.

During his tenure as bishop, he championed the ecumenical movement in North Carolina, and his efforts earned praise from leaders of many denominations.

After Pope Paul VI approved the United States bishops’ request in 1968 to revive the permanent diaconate in this country, Bishop Begley established the diocese’s permanent diaconate program. In 1983, he ordained the diocese’s first class of permanent deacons.

During his episcopacy, he established the diocese as a nurturing place for spiritual growth, as a helping hand to the poor and oppressed, and as a welcoming evangelizer.

Most Rev. John F. Donoghue December 18, 1984 – June 22, 1993 To Live in Christ Jesus

The second bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, Bishop John F. Donoghue, served from Dec. 18, 1984, to June 22, 1993, before he was elevated as the fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

He passed away aged 83 on Nov. 11, 2011, after a lengthy illness.

All of his studies were in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas.

Following study at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and Roland Park, Md., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a graduate degree in theology, he was ordained a priest of the Washington Archdiocese on June 4, 1955, by thenArchbishop Patrick O’Boyle.

While he often said that he expected to serve all his life as a parish priest, he was asked in 1964 to study for a licentiate in canon law and then assigned to the archbishop’s office. For the next 18 years,

he served on the staffs of three successive Washington cardinals: Cardinal O’Boyle, Cardinal William Baum and Cardinal James Hickey.

From 1972 until 1983, he served as chancellor, vicar general and secretary for support services of the Archdiocese of Washington. In 1984, he was also named moderator of the curia for the Archdiocese of Washington, where he served until being appointed Bishop of Charlotte by Pope John Paul II. He brought these years of administrative experience from Washington, D.C., to Charlotte, which was experiencing rapid growth.

During his nine years as bishop, he strategically bought land across western North Carolina to accommodate growth of the Church and opened new churches to serve the growing Hispanic and Vietnamese communities.

He oversaw the reorganization of the Charlotte-area Catholic schools into the regional Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system.

He established the Catholic News Herald, and he opened the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory.

Bishop Donoghue convened the first Synod of the Diocese of Charlotte (19861987) to help guide the Church through its next phase of growth.

He led an emphasis on evangelization toward inactive Catholics and people not connected with church.

He played a leading role in the development of the North Carolina Lutheran-Catholic Covenant, signed in 1991 by the Charlotte and Raleigh dioceses and the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

He also signed a follow-up pastoral letter to “This Land is Home to Me” by the Catholic bishops of Appalachia – the 1995 “At Home in the Web of Life.”

He had a deep devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and to encouraging people to draw closer to Jesus in the Eucharist.

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Bishops of the Diocese of Charlotte

Most Rev. William G. Curlin April 13, 1994 – September 10, 2002 Sentire Cum Christo (To Think With Christ)

Bishop William G. Curlin was the third to lead the Diocese of Charlotte. He was ordained April 13, 1994, and served until retiring Sept. 10, 2002. He passed away Dec. 23, 2017, aged 90.

Champion of the poor, comforter of the sick and the dying, friend of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Bishop Curlin preached the love of Jesus Christ during more than 60 years of priestly ministry, first in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and then 23 years in the Charlotte diocese.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1957, by Cardinal Patrick O’Boyle at St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington, D.C. In Washington, he ministered mostly

Most Rev. Peter J. Jugis October 24, 2003 – present Caritas Christi Urget Nos (The Love of Christ Impels Us)

Bishop Peter Jugis is the fourth to lead the Diocese of Charlotte. He was ordained Oct. 24, 2003. Now in his 19th year, he is the longest serving bishop of the diocese.

A Charlotte native whose vocation was encouraged by the diocese’s first bishop, Bishop Michael Begley, he has seen firsthand the growth of the Church in

in poor parishes, opening a women’s shelter and 20 soup kitchens and homeless shelters. He also led the opening of Gift of Peace Home, the first home in the nation’s capital for people with AIDS. Before becoming Bishop of Charlotte, he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Washington by Cardinal James Hickey on Dec. 20, 1988, and appointed regional bishop of the counties of Southern Maryland. In other appointments, Bishop Curlin was named vicar of permanent deacons from 1968 to 1981. He was vicar for Theological College, The Catholic University of America from 1974 to 1980. He was appointed chaplain to Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Prelate of Honor by Pope John Paul II in 1978. He also served as chairman of Associated Catholic Charities. He received the 1984 Community Service Award from the Office of Black Catholics.

During his first visit to the Charlotte diocese after the news of his appointment, Bishop Curlin characterized himself as a parish priest who wanted to remain out among the people.

Bishop Curlin published the 1997 pastoral letter “Of One Heart and One Mind” with Raleigh Bishop F. Joseph Gossman, highlighting disparities in economic opportunities in the state. He initiated a study of the needs and assets of the diocese’s far western region, resulting in the creation of the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1999. He opened the Bishop Begley Center for Economic Development in Murphy in 2000, and in 2001 founded the diocese’s housing initiative to provide affordable housing for people in need, especially senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Bishop Curlin brought Mother Teresa to visit Charlotte in 1995, as part of his longtime friendship with now St. Teresa of Calcutta.

western North Carolina. The Jugis family was among the 11,200 registered families in the diocese when it was established in 1972.

As bishop, he has guided the diocese through unprecedented growth among Catholics and communities across western North Carolina.

He was educated in Catholic and public schools in Charlotte, earning a degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1979. After college he entered the seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and then studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1983, by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In 1993, he became the first priest of the diocese to earn a doctorate in canon law from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. With his canon law training, he served as judicial vicar of the diocesan tribunal until becoming bishop.

As bishop, he established the diocese’s annual Eucharistic Congress in 2005, which now draws more than 15,000 people to Charlotte to celebrate our Catholic faith.

He led the diocese through the aftermath of abuse revelations, installing robust safety protocols and embracing the U.S. bishops’ 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

Bishop Jugis has also issued numerous statements on public policy and Church related matters, including embryonic stem cell research, the death penalty, and protection of marriage.

He also joined with the bishops of the

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE ORDER OF MALTA

Bishop Curlin had a longtime devotion to Lourdes, France, and to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Knights of Malta) which leads annual pilgrimages for the sick to this shrine and miraculous place of healing.

During his eight years as Bishop of Charlotte, he ordained 28 men to the priesthood, including seven men in 2000 – one of the single-largest groups of ordination classes for the Charlotte diocese and among the largest in the South that year.

Caring for the sick remained one of his particular charisms even after becoming Bishop of Charlotte. He had a longtime devotion to Lourdes, France, and to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Knights of Malta), which leads

annual pilgrimages for the sick to the Marian shrine and miraculous place of healing. He accompanied them on numerous pilgrimages to Lourdes and served as chaplain for the order’s Federal Association, ministering to the “malades” on each pilgrimage.

He expanded pastoral outreach to the growing Hispanic Catholic community and enhanced ministries by consolidating diocesan offices and moving them to the Pastoral Center.

Bishop Peter Jugis visits one of the children’s tracks during the Eucharistic Congress in 2015.

He inaugurated the annual Eucharistic Congress in 2005 to foster deeper devotion to Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist.

DOREEN SUGIERSKI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Atlanta Province in 2004 to issue a pastoral letter on the reception of Holy Communion by political leaders, and, in 2005, a pastoral letter calling for comprehensive immigration reform.

He affirmed the Lutheran-Catholic Covenant – a commitment to Christian unity between North Carolina’s Catholic and Lutheran leaders first iterated in 1991 – with the Bishop of Raleigh and the bishop of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2007 and again in 2019.

He founded St. Joseph College Seminary in 2016 to form priests for the diocese from among the parishes they will one day serve.

In 2020, he opened a permanent home for

the seminary program in Mount Holly, with capacity for 40 seminarians and room to grow.

Bishop Jugis has encouraged and fostered women religious communities to be established in the diocese, and he has enhanced ministries, services and administration through successful fundraising, including the unprecedented “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign that received $54 million from generous parishioners and other donors.

He has also led the diocese through the COVID-19 pandemic, harnessing technology to minister to people at home, while also carrying on safe in-person worship, education and charitable work.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

DID YOU KNOW? Two saints have visited western North Carolina

Saints who came among us SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

Watch Mother Teresa’s talk At www.youtube.com/ dioceseofcharlotte: Watch the full video and more highlights of Mother Teresa’s talk at the Charlotte Coliseum on June 13, 1995, and find a link to special coverage in the June 23, 1995, edition of the Catholic News & Herald.

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estern North Carolina may have been mission territory for much of its history, yet that missionary spirit attracted two women here who are now saints: St. Katharine Drexel and St. Teresa of Calcutta. Not only did they visit, they made a permanent impact on the local Church that we remain blessed with today.

St. Katharine Drexel Katharine Drexel was a Philadelphia heiress who shocked high society by becoming a nun and spending her family’s fortune on serving the nation’s impoverished African American and Native American populations.

She gave away the bulk of her inherited millions to build churches, found missions, and establish and operate schools throughout the South and West. The religious order she founded – the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament – provided education to people of all races and creeds, insisting on equality and racial justice but renouncing assimilation. The first saint born a U.S. citizen, her feast day is March 3.

The extraordinary philanthropist and advocate for the poor generously contributed funds to help build four churches in western North Carolina – all with the stipulation that black and white Catholics should be able to worship together.

When the Benedictines were building the second St. Peter Church in Charlotte in 1892 (after the first one was demolished), Drexel gave them money to buy the pews that parishioners of all backgrounds, races and ethnicities continue to use today. Her image is memorialized in the sanctuary.

“St. Katharine had the obedience and the courage to see that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven,” notes Jesuit Father John Michalowski, parochial vicar of St. Peter Church.

“Today her example and gift are honored at St. Peter’s in a bas-relief to the left of the altar. There St. Katharine is caught up in prayer and ecstasy as she contemplates a Jesus and Mary with African-American features. She knew that God’s will is to reconcile all peoples Drexel into the one Body of Christ, and she acted to carry out His will.”

In 1892, Abbot Leo Haid, the first abbot of Belmont Abbey, set out to build a cathedral. Within months, however, he ran out of money. He reached out for help from Benedictine Father Francis Meyer, then pastor of St. Peter’s in Charlotte. The priest helped the abbot write a letter to the same benefactor who had bought pews for his new church.

Drexel generously replied, sending him $4,000 in 1893 to help fund the construction of Church of Maryhelp (today called Mary, Help of Christians Basilica), with the requirement that an appropriate number of pews be reserved for the use of Black Catholics.

A few years later, she also sent $1,500 to St. Benedict Parish in Greensboro to help build a church for its growing congregation, which had sorely outgrown a church built two decades earlier. Again, she mandated that a number of pews be designated for Black Catholics.

With this declaration – more than 60 years before the famous sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter just down the road – a glimmer of an integrated Greensboro in a thensegregated South could be found at the city’s first Catholic parish. A few of those original pews remain in place today, lining the back of the church near the Pièta statue.

And in 1900, Drexel sent another $1,500 to the Benedictine monks at Belmont Abbey so they could build a church in nearby Gastonia. They named it St. Michael Church.

Drexel traveled to the state in March 1904 to inspect the results of her largesse. While she was unable to visit all the churches she had financially supported, she paid a visit to Abbot Haid and the monks at Belmont Abbey. There she was pleased to see an entire row of pews running the length of the abbey church for Black Catholics’ use.

Mother Teresa speaks before an audience of thousands at a special ecumenical event held at the Charlotte Coliseum on June 13, 1995, entitled “A Celebration of Faith with Mother Teresa.” The Catholic News & Herald reported that she marveled at the crowd: “Look at all the people. How wonderful to see all of God’s people here.”

(Below) Bishop William Curlin welcomes Missionaries of Charity Sisters Maria Shanti, Maria Elvira (assistant superior), Maria Cecil Ann and Maria Christy (convent superior) in the chapel of the convent in Charlotte that Mother Teresa opened during her visit. “This is to be a house of love,” he tells the sisters during his homily for the first Mass in their convent. “Don’t just bring your hands that help the poor and suffering. Bring us your hearts.”

PHOTOS BY JOANE KEANE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Teresa of Calcutta Mother Teresa’s visit to the Charlotte Coliseum on June 13, 1995, drew a lot of fanfare and publicity, but there was also a quieter moment during her visit: on the east side of the city, where she officially established a convent for four of her sisters, the Missionaries of Charity, with her longtime friend and confessor, Bishop William Curlin. It was the first convent in North Carolina for the Missionaries of Charity, who serve in more than 100 countries around the world.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner and famous nun was frail – just two years later she would die at the age of 87 – but she retained her characteristic smile, earnestness of spirit, and hands ever-clasped in prayer.

The private dedication of the convent was held after she had finished speaking to a crowd of thousands at an ecumenical service where TV cameras and reporters captured her every move. She accompanied Bishop Curlin and her sisters to South Torrence Street, where Bishop Curlin celebrated the first Mass, enthroned the Blessed Sacrament and blessed the convent.

The Missionaries of Charity now live in a different location, yet 25 years later, members of her order still care for the poorest and most vulnerable in Charlotte.

“She saw with an inner vision,” said Bishop Curlin during a memorial Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral two years after the saint’s death. “She saw with her heart. It was her belief that if you want to touch God, you reach down and touch a crying child, a dying person, you feed the homeless or just reach out to the broken-hearted.” That, he recalled, is where Mother Teresa said you would find Jesus, in the least among us.

“Mother believed that Christians should be possessed

by Jesus alone, and that love drives them out to the streets to serve the most needy,” he said. “She said the greatest hunger is not physical hunger; it is the emptiness of God in us crying out for the fullness of God. The greatest hunger is for God, even if we don’t know Him.” She was canonized in 2016, and her connection to Charlotte didn’t end with Bishop Curlin. St. Peter’s parishioner and renowned American artist Chas Fagan was commissioned to create the official portrait for her canonization Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.

During a Mass that week in Charlotte offered in thanksgiving for her canonization, Sister M. Shilanand, M.C., told the Catholic News Herald that Mother Teresa was specific about how she would help others if she were

to become a saint.

“I remember what she said: ‘If I will be a saint, I will be one of darkness. I will be continually absent from heaven because I want to help. I want to come back to light the light of those who live in darkness.’

“My message to all of us is that we ask for her intercession. She has promised she will come to help us.”

— Catholic News Agency, www.Catholic.org, www.KatharineDrexel.org, Jesuit Father John Michalowski and Shawn Flynn contributed.

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Treasured Sites: Special places for all Catholics to visit

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here are historical, architectural and spiritual places of significance to our faith located throughout western North Carolina. Two such “treasured sites” are St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, the principal church of the diocese, and Old St. Joseph’s Church in Mount Holly, the first Catholic church built west of Raleigh.

Learn more about the history of Catholicism in western North Carolina by visiting these and other significant points of interest being showcased this anniversary year – treasured places that attest to the faith, hope and perseverance of people who helped plant the roots of our local Church.

St. Patrick Cathedral CHARLOTTE — The construction of Mount Holly’s St. Joseph Church in 1843 and Charlotte’s St. Peter Church in 1852 marked a growing presence of Catholics in the Charlotte region. It also made way for the building of St. Patrick Church, which would become the cathedral church of the future Diocese of Charlotte.

John Henry Phelan of Beaumont, Texas, donated funds to have a church built in Charlotte in memory of his parents.

Construction of St. Patrick Church began in March 1938.

Frank Frimmer, an Austrian native known for remodeling famous Old World churches, designed and supervised construction of the church featuring a 400-seat nave, balcony and 77-foot tower.

The altar contained relics of St. Jucundius and St. Justina, and two side chapels were crafted as shrines honoring Mary and Joseph. Stained glass windows, designed in Syracuse, N.Y., depict the Annunciation, St. Patrick, Joseph’s deathbed scene, and more.

On Sept. 4, 1939, Raleigh Bishop Eugene McGuinness consecrated the church – the first church in the state to be consecrated immediately upon completion. In 1942 it became a parish, with Goldsboro native Monsignor Arthur R. Freeman as pastor.

A rectory and convent were completed in 1941, and a Catholic grade school built on the property in 1930 was expanded in 1943 to include high school grades.

On Jan. 12, 1972, Pope Paul VI established

More online At www.faithmorepreciousthangold. com: Discover some of the most interesting Catholic sites in western North Carolina in our “Treasured Sites” collection

the Diocese of Charlotte, and St. Patrick Church was elevated to become the cathedral church.

The building was greatly renovated in 1979 as the church was brought up to new Vatican II liturgical standards. A new altar was constructed from the original, and artwork of local and religious significance was added. A locally built pipe organ was also installed in the balcony.

Bishop Michael Begley presided over the reopening celebration on June 10, 1979.

Further work was done in the mid-1990s.

The altar, baptismal font, statues and ambo were moved or given new prominence.

Dark oak wainscoting from the 1979 renovation was removed to restore the interior’s 1939 appearance.

On March 28, 2007, a 700-pound bell was raised in the bell tower – a gift from Herb and Louise Bowers and family. Later, a Family Life Center was built and dedicated to former rector Father Paul Gary.

More recent renovations include restoring the tabernacle to the center of the sanctuary, on an enlarged high altar made of marble from the original 1939 altar, and restoring the baptismal font to its near-original state. The ambo was also given new prominence opposite the cathedra, or bishop’s chair.

In October 2013, a new, larger front staircase was constructed and dedicated to Bishop Emeritus William Curlin.

— Catholic News Herald

(Above) The cornerstone of St. Patrick Church is laid in 1939. The church was elevated to a cathedral when the Diocese of Charlotte was founded in 1972.

The interior of St. Patrick Cathedral features stunning stained glass windows and a Gothic arch ceiling featuring gold stencils of symbols meaningful to our Catholic faith.

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

Old St. Joseph Church MOUNT HOLLY — A piece of our nation’s history and a place dear to Irish Catholics in western North Carolina lies along a busy curve of N.C. 273 – Old St. Joseph Church. The humble wooden church is easy to miss, yet it’s a quiet place filled with evidence of our Catholic past.

Built in 1843 for and by Irish immigrants, who had come to mine for gold along the Catawba River, St. Joseph Church is the first Catholic church built west of Raleigh and is an official state and national historical site. The cemetery contains the grave of the church’s beloved founder, Father T.J. Cronin, surrounded by the graves of early parishioners.

William Gaston, a Catholic politician who served as a judge, state legislator, and congressman who helped enshrine religious freedom for Catholics early in the state’s history, contributed to its construction.

The wooden structure is a vernacular temple-form, Greek Revival style frame church clad in white clapboard. It has a gable roof, and its front façade features a tetrastyle portico. Renovations by the diocese in the 1970s and in 2018 have helped to protect the historic church.

Today St. Joseph Church is used for special occasions such at the feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph in March. Tours are available upon request through Queen of the Apostles Church in nearby Belmont.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

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The exterior and interior of Old St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly. The lettering above the altar reads: “Habemus Altare” – “We have an altar” from Hebrews 13:10.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 21, 2022 10B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

History of Catholics in the Carolinas A story of perseverance, priests on horseback, and growth in numbers and in faith

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ith more than half a million Catholics, the Diocese of Charlotte may be only 50 years old but the roots of Catholicism in western North Carolina run much deeper – from colonists who came from Europe to the “New World” in search of freedom and adventure, to Benedictine monks who helped nurture Catholicism in western North Carolina in the late 1800s.

From our earliest days, growth has been our defining narrative – in numbers, in diversity and in faith.

With God’s grace, the Church in western North Carolina now encompasses 92 parishes and missions, 19 schools and more than 50 ministries and programs. Yet our story begins in more sparse and humble circumstances met with the perseverance and faith of pioneering Catholic.

Devotion to the Eucharist is on display during a 2021 Corpus Christi procession outside St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin. Parishioners worked for hours to create colorful sawdust carpets (in Spanish, “tapetes de aserrín”) laid out in 32 large, intricate designs on the ground to decorate the path of the Eucharistic procession.

EARLY YEARS

The faith was introduced to the Americas by Spanish and French colonists, yet the founding of the Province of Maryland in 1632 is generally considered the birth of Catholicism in English-speaking America.

“Before the American Revolution, Catholicism scarcely existed in the Carolinas, except for a few exiled Acadians who were still here at the beginning of the Revolution,” recounts Sister Miriam Miller, O.S.F., in her book, “A History of the Early Years of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.” Catholics were treated with suspicion, and “Catholics kept their faith so secret that they were not even known to one another.”

The 35,000 Catholics in the colonies looked to Church leaders in England until 1784, when Pope Pius VI established a hierarchy here, installing Father John Carroll as “Superior of the Missions” in the United States.

Five years later, the Diocese of Baltimore was created to govern the Church across the fledgling country.

Within just a few years, Church leaders in Baltimore realized they were too distant to oversee the Carolinas effectively. So in 1820, the Holy See created a new Diocese of Charleston, encompassing the sparsely populated, mostly wilderness area of three states: Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

A handful of priests “rode the circuit” back then to reach the few Catholics scattered across 142,000 square miles, saying Mass and administering the sacraments in private homes. The diocese then had just two churches and six priests.

Catholics in the region were often treated with hostility, but in 1835, William Gaston – a much-respected North Carolina Catholic who served as judge, state legislator and congressman – helped remove official discrimination Gaston against Catholics from the North

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

Irish immigrants, who had come to mine for gold along the Catawba River, built Old St. Joseph Church near Mount Holly in 1843. Now a state and national historic site, it was the first Catholic church built west of Raleigh.

FILE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Carolina Constitution.

At the same time, more Catholics began putting down roots in the Carolinas: mostly Irish stonemasons and tradesmen who found work with the railroads, in construction and in mines – where prospectors had struck gold.

In 1843 Irish miners, who had come to search for gold along the Catawba River during the nation’s first gold rush, built St. Joseph Church near Mount Holly – the first Catholic church west of Raleigh. Now a state and national historic site, this humble wooden church still stands today, thanks to the sacrifices of those early Catholic families.

As the South began its recovery following the Civil War, Pope Pius IX established the “Apostolic Vicariate of North Carolina” in 1868, a jurisdictional territory initiated in missionary regions. Bishop James Gibbons, who would later become the first cardinal in the U.S., was appointed to lead the Church across North Carolina as apostolic vicar.

He was just 34.

THE BENEDICTINES

No history of the Church in North Carolina can be told without describing the foundational role of the Benedictines.

During his tour of the state in the late 1860s, Bishop Gibbons realized that religious education was critical to shepherding the faithful. At the urging of his priest traveling companion, he wrote “The Faith of Our Fathers,” which became a popular religious text in its day. He also knew that the state’s Catholics needed a religious college to educate the faithful and encourage vocations. But where?

Around the same time, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah J. O’Connell – a trailblazing priest and missionary who ministered throughout the Carolinas and Georgia – made the buy of a lifetime: 500 acres of farmland, near what now is the town of Belmont, for $10 in a bankruptcy sale.

The Rev. Dr. O’Connell was no stranger to this area. In 1851, he had traveled two days by stagecoach from Charleston to lay the cornerstone for St. Peter in O’Connell Charlotte. Much of the money needed to build the church was donated by nonCatholics who had been impressed by his preaching.

The Rev. Dr. O’Connell approached Bishop Gibbons with a pitch. He offered to donate the land if the bishop would agree to use it for a Catholic college for young men run by a religious order. All he asked in return was to be able to live on the land, which he did until his death in 1894.

Gibbons The bishop petitioned St. Vincent’s

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

A march organized by the Office of Justice and Peace.

Archabbey in Latrobe, Pa., to form a community of Benedictine monks and a college there.

In 1876, the first Benedictines arrived: Father Herman Wolfe and two students from Richmond, Va. A religious brother and two more students from Charlotte soon joined.

Besides their religious studies and missionary work, the monks made the bricks used to build the abbey.

Within two years there were 12 students and four faculty, and the college was chartered by the state in 1886 as St. Mary’s College. (The name changed in 1913 to Belmont Abbey College.)

In 1884, Pope Leo XIII elevated the Benedictine priory to an abbey. Father Leo Haid was elected as the first abbot of the growing community and soon also Haid was appointed Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina – making him responsible for the Church across the state while also sending out monks from the Abbey to say Mass and administer the sacraments to far-flung communities of Catholics.

Like the circuit-riding priests before them, the Benedictine monks had a pioneering spirit and unwavering missionary zeal. Together with the Sisters of Mercy, who arrived in the 1880s, they established parishes and parochial schools, girls’ boarding schools in Belmont

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

and Asheville, and hospitals in Asheville, Charlotte and Greensboro.

DIOCESE OF RALEIGH

From the 1880s to the 1920s, North Carolina’s Catholic population tripled to more than 8,000 people – served by 52 priests. This growth prompted Pope Pius XI to make North Carolina a diocese in its own right in 1924.

The new Diocese of Raleigh encompassed the entire state, except for a limited territory governed by Belmont Abbey. Its first bishop was William Joseph Hafey from Baltimore – at 37, then the youngest bishop in the U.S. Through the early to Hafey mid-20th century, the number of white and black Catholic families continued to grow.

Home Masses – the norm in those early years – continued even as more churches and schools were built.

One of those new churches was St. Patrick Catholic Church in Charlotte. Built by local Irish families in 1939, years later it would become the cathedral for the Diocese of Charlotte.

The statewide Diocese of Raleigh gradually absorbed nearly all of the territory governed

by Belmont Abbey, as popes transferred Burke, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell, Polk and Rutherford counties in 1944 and Gaston County in 1960.

DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

By 1971, Raleigh’s visionary Bishop Vincent Waters realized the Church in North Carolina had grown too large for him to shepherd alone. With more than 60,000 Catholics spread across nearly 50,000 square miles, it was time to split North Carolina into two dioceses – putting each “on a human scale” as called for by the Second Vatican Council. Pope Paul XI agreed, issuing an apostolic letter, “Qui divino,” in November of 1971, decreeing the Waters establishment of a new diocese.

“When the family of God grows and matures in any place, in the plan of God a new family is set up,” Bishop Waters wrote in a pastoral letter announcing the new diocese on Nov. 30, 1971. “Rejoice with me at this Good News.”

Just six weeks later, on Jan. 12, 1972, the Diocese of Charlotte was officially founded, with just over 34,000 Catholics in 75 parishes covering the western half of the state.

Monsignor Michael Begley, a Greensboro priest, was consecrated the first bishop during an installation Mass at the newly elevated St. Patrick Cathedral. The next morning, “we were open for business,” Begley later recalled.

Begley’s appointment Begley was a sign of God’s providence. The son of an Irish immigrant himself, he was also distantly related to Bishop Hafey – the first bishop of North Carolina.

Begley led the new diocese through its formative years with wisdom and pragmatism, establishing the foundational ministries and structures for the diocese and its 75 parishes and missions. His work on behalf of the Appalachian poor gained

national attention for the plight of those in remote reaches of the diocese.

In 1977, Pope Paul VI transferred authority for the remaining territory of Belmont Abbey to the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Charlotte, establishing its current configuration.

(Belmont Abbey had existed as an “Abbatia Nullius Dioecesis” (“abbey of no diocese”) since 1910 – the only abbey in the United States ever to hold that rank. In 1998, the abbey’s church was elevated to the rank of a minor basilica.

Funded in large part by a donation from St. Katharine Drexel, Mary, Help of Christians Basilica is one of only three minor basilicas in North Carolina.)

FILE | DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHIVES

(Top) An image of Pope Paul VI’s apostolic letter, “Qui divino,” declaring he is carving a new diocese out of the then-statewide Diocese of Raleigh.

The papal bull, written in Latin, announces: “We establish in this territory a new diocese, to be called Charlotte (Carolinana) from the city of that name.” Also pictured is a pectoral cross worn by the diocese’s first bishop, Bishop Michael Begley. (Above) Archbishop Luigi Raimondi, the pope’s apostolic delegate to the United States, signs the formal documents during Mass on Jan. 12, 1972, acknowledging the new Diocese of Charlotte.

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and elder ministry, campus ministry, antipoverty efforts, refugee resettlement, teen pregnancy support, pro-life advocacy, and new in 2022, a Family Life Office to deepen support for families who have made the diocese what it is today.

The number of priests has grown, too: nearly double the number at our founding in 1972. And the diocese is forming a new generation of priests right here at home.

That initiative is among Bishop Jugis’ top priorities. He established St. Joseph College Seminary in 2016, with an inaugural class of eight young men from the diocese who could pray and learn more about becoming a priest while also attending Belmont Abbey College.

In 2020, the diocese opened a permanent home for the thriving college seminary, now with 24 students in the program.

Located in Mount Holly, the seminary is not far from where those early pioneers built Old St. Joseph Church and Belmont Abbey – where Catholicism first took root in western North Carolina.

Ever diverse and growing, the Diocese of Charlotte remains grounded in faith in God – and nowhere is this more on display than at the annual Eucharistic Congress.

Each fall thousands of Catholics from across western North Carolina gather for this “diocesan family reunion.” Started by Bishop Jugis in 2005, the event includes a stirring Eucharistic procession, Mass and Adoration, educational talks, music and multicultural fellowship. Above all, the gathering expresses our love for the Eucharist – the source and summit of our Catholic faith.

In 2022, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our founding as a diocese, this year’s Eucharist Congress will highlight our faith and devotion to God and give thanks to Him for all the faithful who came before us to make this milestone possible.

— Sources: “A History of the Early Years of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte,” by Sister Miriam Miller, O.S.F., 1984; “Voices and Places of the People of God,” by David Hains, 2006; Diocese of Charlotte website and archives.

NARRATIVE OF GROWTH

Bishop Begley served until his retirement in 1984. Since then, the Diocese of Charlotte has had three bishops, all appointed by Pope John Paul II: n Bishop John Donoghue, 1984-1993, who had the vision to buy land for future growth and to lead a Synod in 1987 that would guide the diocese for years to come. n Bishop William Curlin, 1994-2002, who called attention to North Carolina’s economic disparities, founded the diocese’s affordable housing initiative, and showed a special love for ministry to the elderly, sick and dying. n Bishop Peter Jugis, our current and longest-serving bishop, appointed in 2003, who has led the diocese through significant multicultural growth and modern complexities.

Baptized and mentored by Bishop Begley, Jugis is the first native son to serve as bishop of the Charlotte diocese – fulfilling the hopes of those pioneering missionaries long ago who prayed for local vocations to build up the Church in North Carolina.

And what a growing, vibrant and diverse family the diocese is today.

Just as the Church reached out to Irish immigrants in earlier times, the diocese now embraces many new immigrant groups: Catholics from Mexico, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Lebanon, India and Africa.

In total, our diocesan family totals more than 500,000 Catholics, spread across 46 counties in 92 parishes and missions.

Among the diocese’s 50 ministries and programs are food banks, counseling, affordable housing, prison ministry, youth

A highlight of the annual Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress is a Eucharistic procession through the streets of uptown Charlotte.

It draws thousands of Catholics from across western North Carolina.

FILE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

22 Arctus Ave., Mt. Holly, NC 28120

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Since 1903, the Knights of Columbus has been a part of Catholic communities in North Carolina.

We exist to be lay leaders of the Church, support our parishes, be charitable, grow in faith, and lend a hand to the least among us. We have been a part of the first fifty years of the Diocese of Charlotte, and, God willing, will be a part of the Charlotte Diocese for years to come.

Happy 50th Anniversary, Diocese of Charlotte!

http://www.KofC.org/JoinUs

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Key dates in the history of 1970s n Nov. 12, 1971 — Pope Paul VI issues an apostolic letter, “Qui divino,” declaring he is carving a new diocese out of the then-statewide Diocese of Raleigh. It names the 46 counties of western North Carolina that will comprise the new diocese and announces: “We establish in this territory a new diocese, to be called Charlotte (Carolinana) from the city of that name.”

n Nov. 25, 1971 — Father Michael Begley, 62, is officially appointed by Pope Paul VI as the first Bishop of Charlotte. “You, Beloved Son, seemed to us to be the most suited to undertake the government of that diocese because of your outstanding gifts of mind and character,” the pope writes. Bishop-designate Begley replies, “I hope to continue to serve the people of God in the Diocese of Charlotte. … I ask all my friends, Catholic and non-Catholic, to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our efforts in this new apostolate.” n Jan. 12, 1972 — Bishop Michael Begley is ordained and installed at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, the act officially establishing the Diocese of Charlotte. n Sept. 9, 1972 — During a Mass in honor of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre (“Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre,” patroness of Cuba), Bishop Begley inaugurates a Hispanic Catholic Center (El Centro Católico Hispano) to serve the growing number of Hispanic Catholic immigrants. n May 17, 1973 — Bishop Begley sets up a Catholic Social Services agency for the new diocese, continuing the Church’s organized charitable outreach in North Carolina begun over a century earlier by Benedictine monks and the Sisters of Mercy.

Father Thomas Clements is appointed director in collaboration with a team of Trinitarian sisters. The agency is renamed Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte in 2013. n 1973 — A Diocesan Board of Education is established to advise the diocese’s Department of Education (now the Education Vicariate), which oversees all religious education in the diocese. n Sept. 29, 1974 — John McSweeney is ordained the first priest for the diocese by Bishop Begley. He goes on to serve as the diocese’s vicar general and chancellor before becoming pastor of what would become our largest parish, St. Matthew in Charlotte. n Feb. 1, 1975 — “This Land is Home to Me,” a landmark pastoral letter issued by the 25 Catholic bishops of the Appalachian region including Bishop Begley, is a call to action to give a voice to the oppressed people of Appalachia. n June 6-7, 1975 — Following a two-year planning process, Bishop Begley convenes a Diocesan Pastoral Assembly that, among other things, divides the diocese into vicariates (now totaling 10), strengthens the role of parish councils, establishes a Diocesan Pastoral Council and announces the diocese’s mission statement: “We, the people of God, in the Diocese of Charlotte, fortified in the Father, redeemed in the Son, and empowered in the Spirit are called to grow ever more perfectly into a community of praise, worship and witness. We seek to become ever more enthusiastically a leaven of service and a sign of peace, through love, in Piedmont and Western North Carolina.” n 1975-1976 — The first refugees from Southeast Asia are resettled in the diocese by Catholic Social Services (now Catholic Charities) in coordination with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Since then, the agency has resettled over 14,000 refugees representing 61 nationalities. n June 6, 1977 — Father Joseph L. Howze, a priest who served in both the Raleigh and Charlotte dioceses, is installed as Bishop of Biloxi – the first African American bishop to lead a U.S. diocese in the 20th century. n August 1977 — 173 young people attend the diocese’s first youth conference, held at Our Lady of the Hills Camp near Hendersonville.

Two years later, the diocese forms a Diocesan Youth Council.

1980s

n May 29, 1983 — Befo special Mass at Ovens A ordained permanent dea Begley. Two more are or first such ordination for approved the U.S. bishop permanent diaconate.

n Dec. 18, 1984 — Bish and installed as the seco Bishop Begley retires ea

n May 17, 1985 — Follow 10-member committee o diocese’s African Americ celebrate the diversity a Black Catholics in weste

n May 23, 1987 — Bish documents coming out of a two-year diocesan synod addressing the issues facing the growing Church in western North Carolina. n 1988 — Bishop Donoghue elevates the Charlotte-based Hispanic Catholic Center to a diocesan ministry and appoints Sister Pilar Dalmau, ACJ, as director. Its role expands from ministering to mostly migrant workers to broader evangelization through Spanish-language Masses, youth and adult catechesis, and greater lay involvement. The Charlottebased ministry flourishes, developing into today’s diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, encompassing a comprehensive pastoral care network to serve Hispanic Catholics throughout the diocese. n Dec. 18, 1988 — The Catholic Conference Center in Hickory, established using proceeds of the sale of Our Lady of the Hills Camp near Hendersonville, is dedicated by Bishop Donoghue. It is to be a place for training, renewal and growth for the growing number of Catholics in western North Carolina.

1990s

n 1991 — Charlotte-area parish Mecklenburg Area Catholic Sch of education and make it availa announced by Bishop Donoghu 1992-93 school year.

n Sept. 6, 1991 — Bishop Don & Herald, separate from the Ra The North Carolina Catholic. It evangelization” and “vigorous the name is shortened to Cath

n April 13, 1994 — Bishop Wil Bishop of Charlotte, after Bish Archbishop of Atlanta in June all around you,” he tells people Mass, celebrated at St. Gabriel of the Church is the mission of

n 1994 – The Foundation of th Charlotte is established to provide endowments to bolster the long-term financi western North Carolina. The foundation has grown to over $74 million in assets a support the future of our diocese, its parishes, schools and agencies. More than remembered the Church or will remember the Church in their estate plans.

n June 13, 1995 — Mother Teresa of Calcutta visits Charlotte and establishes a Before a crowd of thousands at the Charlotte Coliseum, the 85-year-old Nobel la have no gold and silver to give you. What I have, I give with my whole heart. I giv

n Nov. 21, 1997 — Bishop Curlin and Raleigh Bishop Joseph Gossman pen “Of O pastoral letter urging their flocks and all North Carolinians to address chronic ec

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

f the Diocese of Charlotte 2000s

ore a crowd of 2,000 during a Auditorium in Charlotte, 19 men are acons for the diocese by Bishop rdained shortly afterwards. It is the r the diocese since Pope Paul VI ps’ request in 1968 to revive the

n Feb. 9, 2002 — Bishop Begley, founding bishop of the diocese, dies aged 92. “The Diocese of Charlotte was truly blessed with this good and holy man of God,” his successor Bishop Curlin notes. “All who knew him can testify to his deep love for Christ and his zealous dedication to his priestly ministry.” n Oct. 24, 2003 — Bishop Peter Jugis, a native North Carolinian and priest of the diocese, is consecrated the fourth Bishop of Charlotte, succeeding Bishop Curlin who retired in September 2002. The installation Mass at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte includes Bishop Emeritus Curlin and Atlanta Archbishop John Donoghue, the diocese’s second bishop. Archbishop Donoghue calls the new bishop “a man for the times and for the place.”

hop John Donoghue is ordained ond Bishop of Charlotte, after arlier in 1984.

owing extensive work by a of concerned Black Catholics, the ican Affairs Ministry is formed to and promote the contributions of ern North Carolina.

hop Donoghue promulgates

h schools are consolidated to form chools, to strengthen the quality able to more children. The plan, ue in July, will take effect for the

noghue founds the Catholic News aleigh diocese’s publication, ts mission: to be “a voice for s in expounding the truth.” In 2010, holic News Herald.

lliam Curlin is installed as the third hop Donoghue is elevated to be 1993. “I hope you will see Jesus e in his homily at the installation l Church in Charlotte. “The mission f Jesus.”

he Roman Catholic Diocese of ial stability for the Church in and 300-plus endowments that 1,400 individuals have either

2010s

n Sept. 23-24, 2005 — The inaugural Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress – themed “Come Let Us Adore Him” – is held at the Charlotte Convention Center, drawing approximately 3,500 people. In a procession through the streets of uptown Charlotte, Bishop Jugis carries a monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II, who ordained him a priest and appointed him bishop. He tells participants, “What better avenue to bring us together than the Eucharist, the sacrament of unity, which makes us the living Body of Christ.”

n April 20, 2010 — The Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp. opens Curlin Commons in Mooresville, its first affordable housing project for seniors. It is named for Bishop Emeritus Curlin, who established the diocese’s housing ministry in 2001 to provide affordable housing for people in need. Three more open in subsequent years: two in Charlotte and one in Salisbury. n Nov. 11, 2011 — Archbishop Donoghue dies in Atlanta, aged 83. Bishop Jugis notes, “Archbishop John Donoghue was a great leader during his nine years of service in the Diocese of Charlotte. He saw that rapid growth was going to take place … and he prepared for it. His devotion to the Eucharist and perpetual adoration, as well as his guidance in the establishment of the Eucharistic Congress, are testaments to his service to God that will live on in both Charlotte and Atlanta.” n 2013 — “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love,” an unprecedented diocese-wide campaign, is launched and raises $54 million to provide transformative funding for parish life and ministries, clergy support, Catholic education, Catholic outreach, and pastoral and temporal needs. It also aims to solidify the diocese’s future through endowments and major capital projects. n March 19, 2016 — Bishop Jugis founds St. Joseph College Seminary, appointing Father Matthew Kauth as rector. The special ceremony, held at Belmont Abbey on the Feast of St. Joseph – a nod to the diocese’s historical roots – includes Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari. The first class of eight men enters the formation program in August. n Dec. 23, 2017 — Bishop Emeritus Curlin dies, aged 90. “When Bishop Curlin smiled at you, it was Jesus smiling. And when he embraced you, it was the embrace of Jesus,” his close friend Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore recalls during the funeral.

2020s n Sept. 15, 2020 — A permanent home for St. Joseph College Seminary is opened and blessed by Bishop Jugis on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows – two years to the day since ground was broken amid the wind and rain of Hurricane Florence, and despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gothic-style building is only a couple miles from Belmont Abbey, where in 1876 Benedictine monks planted the roots of Catholicism here. n Dec. 26, 2021 — Bishop Jugis announces the formation of an Office of Family Life “to strengthen and magnify our ministry and outreach to families.” Services previously under the umbrella of Catholic Charities are moved to the new ministry, including Marriage Preparation, Respect Life and Natural Family Planning.

a Missionaries of Charity convent. aureate and future saint says, “I ve you my sisters.”

n Jan. 12, 2022 — The diocese launches its golden anniversary year, themed “Faith More Precious Than Gold” (1 Peter 1:7). As the diocese turns 50, the Catholic population in western North Carolina is now estimated to be 515,000.

One Heart and One Mind,” a conomic disparity and inequality.

At www.faithmorepreciousthangold.com: See more key dates in the diocese’s history

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Monsignor A nthony Marc accio and the Parish Family of Saint Pius the Tenth join the entire Diocese of Charlotte in celebrating this historic milestone of our

Golden Jubilee

S a i n t p i u s t h e t e n t h r o m a n c at h o l i c c h u r c h g r e e n s b o r o, n o r t h c a r o l i n a w w w. s t p i u s x n c .c o m

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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SAINT PIUS X -

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CATHOLIC SCHOOL Accepting Applications Grades PK - 8th for the 2022-2023 School Year

ST. PIUS X CATHOLIC SCHOOL

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For over 65 years, St. Pius X Catholic School has welcomed children of all faiths from across the Triad. Our mission is to educate and nurture students to develop children of faith, compassion, and intellect who are commited to independent thinking and service to others. We provide a joyful learning environment that allows each child to confidently grown in grace and individuality. At St. Pius X we believe in empowering children to reach both their educational and personal potential.

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Exceptional Academics/Nationally Accredited Outstanding Fine Arts, Athletics, and Extracurricular Opportunities Education in virtues and Christian values Global Language Lab and STEM Lab Before and after school care available Offering Scholarships and Financial Aid

2200 N Elm St. I Greensboro, NC I 336.273.9865 I www.spxschool.com

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A true inspiration.

A cause for celebration.

We join the Diocese of Charlotte in celebrating its 50th anniversary. Thank you for making a difference in the community — and for being a brilliant example of what care can do.

0047406A 01/22

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Celebrating 50 years of growing together in faith.

St. Jude Catholic Church 3011 Highway 64 East Sapphire, NC 28774 stjudeofsapphirevalley.org

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We are called as one by Christ to embrace a spirit of stewardship and engagement to Grow in Christ, Serve One Another, Share Our Gifts and Connect in Faith.

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

CONGRATULATIONS ON

50 YEARS OF FAITH YOUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS AT UNITED MAILING SERVICE

Congratulations!

D I O C E S E of CHARLOTTE

50th Anniversary

Edifice would like to express our sincere gratitude for the many project opportunities the Diocese of Charlotte and the faith community have provided us over the past 20 years. We are blessed and thankful for the strong partnership we have forged and look forward to celebrating this “Golden Anniversary” with you.

With over 43 years of building for the faith community we have a diverse portfolio, from churches and parish centers to award-winning Christian schools and educational buildings. Our team of dedicated professionals provide you with the integrity, vision and expertise to take your project from concept to reality.

4111 South Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina 28209 | 704.332.0900 | www.edificeinc.com

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50

congratulations on your

th

anniversary May God continue to bless the Diocese of Charlotte with vocations and good, holy priests.

Most Reverend Stephen D. Parkes and the Diocese of Savannah

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Celebrating 50 Years of Faith and Service to the Mission of the Catholic Church

In celebration of our diocese’s 50th year as a Catholic family, inspired to serve one another, our 19 schools will dedicate a minimum of 950 hours of service and prayer in commitment to “50 Acts of Charity” in 2022.

Our Schools. Our Future.

Charlotte Catholic High School

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Contratulations to the Diocese of Charlotte on the occasion of your 50th Anniversary

Proudly serving the Diocese of Charlotte since 1994!

A safe haven and source of hope for pregnant mothers and their children.

Estate Planning | Probate Help Proudly serving the people of the Diocese of Charlotte for more than 20 years We would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your needs.

Please contact our office to schedule an appointment.

6406 Carmel Road, Suite 301 Charlotte, North Carolina 28226 swinters@sabrinawinterslaw.com (704) 843-1446

IS GOD CALLING YOU? "If some of you hear the call to follow Christ more closely, to dedicate your entire heart to Him, like the Apostles John and Paul...

DID YOU KNOW? Pregnant students from 12 colleges and 9 states have come to MiraVia to say “yes” to life while pursuing their higher degrees. Our College Residence at Belmont Abbey College offers on-campus housing, meals, childcare, and professional support.

DID YOU ALSO KNOW? MiraVia’s Outreach Center in Charlotte provides thousands of diapers, groceries, clothing items and material goods to at-risk pregnant women and their children each year.

Since the first pregnant mother's admission in 1994, MiraVia's residential and nonresidential outreach programs have served more than 10,500 women and children.

MIRAVIA.ORG 704-525-4673 (HOPE)

INFO@MIRAVIA.ORG

/ MIRAVIALIFE

Deo Gracias

The parishioners and staff of St. Ann Church congratulate the people of the Diocese of Charlotte on the Golden Jubilee of the creation of our Diocese.

We trust that God will continue to renew us in faith, hope, and charity as we carry out the mission of the Church.

be generous, do not be afraid, ...because you have nothing to fear when the prize that you await is God Himself, for Whom, sometimes without ever knowing it, all young people are searching." - Saint John Paul II The Office of Vocations Diocese of Charlotte Father Christopher Gober Director of Vocations (704) 370-3327 1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203-4003 vocationsmail@rcdoc.org STA 50thAd.indd 1

12/17/21 2:53 PM

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Room At The Inn On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Diocese of Charlotte, Room At the Inn would like to express our pride in being located in one of our nation's most vibrant, faithful and growing dioceses. We are grateful to the Diocese of Charlotte for always being supportive of the work we do serving single, pregnant homeless women and their children in North Carolina.

Jesus said "Let the children come to me." Will you help Room At The Inn support the women and children that come knocking on our door?

Donate at www.roominn.org

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Congratulations to the Diocese of Charlotte on your 50th Anniversary Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School’s primary mission is to develop students holistically to serve in a world in need of peace, love and justice. We encourage students through academic and co-curricular opportunities to excel personally, academically, spiritually, and to build their own unique mission in life.

Bishop McGuinness is fully accredited and a college preparatory high school that is widely recognized for high academic standards and the excellence of their graduates. Students are guided by an exceptional faculty and college counseling team, not only as they work towards college goals, but in all aspects of their experience at Bishop. We offer a full AP program, aviation STEM courses, and a thriving arts program with over 40 courses.

Financial assistance and transportation are available.

Please call the Admissions Office for your private tour. 336.564.1011 or kknox@bmhs.us

1725 NC Hwy 66 | Kernersville, NC 27284 | 336.564.1010 | www.bmhs.us

January 21, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde

and the Clergy, Religious and Laity of the Diocese of Arlington

Extend Congratulations and Prayerful Best Wishes to

B ISHOP P ETER J. J UGIS and the Faithful of the

D IOCESE OF C HARLOTTE as you celebrate your

Golden Jubilee

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