Holy Spirit is alive and well in the Diocese of Charlotte’

Bishop gives thanks for consecrated men and women

SUEANN HOWELL sahowell@charlottediocese.org

CHARLOTTE — Consecrated religious who serve in the Diocese of Charlotte as religious order priests, brothers and sisters were honored during a special celebration earlier this year.

Bishop Peter Jugis celebrated the annual Mass for the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life Feb. 4 at St. Vincent de Paul Church – held in conjunction with the Church’s worldwide celebration – to recognize the men and women who serve the Church in the Diocese of Charlotte as consecrated religious.

More than 50 religious sisters ranging in age from the mid-20s to late 80s were present, representing nine religious orders that serve in the diocese. Among them were two 2023 jubilarians: Trappist Sister Genevieve Durcan (Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance) and Franciscan Sister Jane Russell (Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis), who are both celebrating 60 years of professed religious life this year. They currently live with the Sisters of Mercy in Belmont.

Bishop Jugis gave thanks for the gift of their religious vocation and their service to the Church in the diocese.

“It demonstrates to me, and to everyone whom you encounter, that the Holy Spirit is alive and well in the Diocese of Charlotte,” he told them. “The Holy Spirit is inspiring men and women to a total gift of self to God, following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.”

The whole body of the Church gives witness to Christ, the bishop said, yet “nothing can substitute for the special witness that you religious give both to those inside the Church and those outside the Church – a witness to the holiness of the kingdom of Christ, a witness to the holiness of the Church.”

Referring to the day’s Gospel passage from Matthew 16:24-27, the bishop reflected on Christ’s words to His followers: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”

“This is a saying of Jesus that is meant for all Christians regardless of their vocations,” he explained. “Deny oneself, put Christ first, and then follow Him. It’s true for Christian marriage, it’s true for the Christian single life.”

Yet, he added, those who consecrate their lives through religious vows and promises provide a special and powerful witness.

“It’s the way you gain the whole world and finding one’s life in the process,” he said. “The Lord has given you that very special grace of a vocation of leaving everything and following Christ, witnessing to a kingdom that ‘is in the world but not of the world.’”

Established by then-Pope John Paul II in 1997, the World Day for Consecrated Life is held in conjunction with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas, commemorating the coming of Christ, the Light of the World, through the symbolic lighting of candles. The worldwide Church commemorated the day on Feb. 2.

In a statement, Bishop Earl Boyea of

Fr. Ken was assigned to our church in 1992, and we have been blessed to have him as our pastor for 31 years. He has watched the St. Charles Borromeo Church community grow from 200 families to over 700 families.With his extensive musical background, Fr. Ken revitalized the English Choir’s repertoire, expanded the use of Hispanic choirs, and encouraged Hmong music at the Sunday noon Mass.

Father Ken has enriched our church through his teaching, the joyful celebration of the Mass, and his dedication to our multicultural communities: English, Hmong, and Spanish.

Thank you, Father Ken, for your service, your kindness, and the love shown to all of us here at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church.

Lansing, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, said the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life provides a special opportunity for Catholics to give thanks to God for people who choose a consecrated vocation.

“We give thanks to God today for continuing to call men and women to serve Him as consecrated persons in the Church. May each of us be inspired by their example to love God above all things and serve Him in all that we do,” he said.

The Parish of St. John the Baptist offers prayerful congratulations to our pastor Father Jason Christian

On the occasion of his 10th Anniversary of Ordination

Thank you for your dedication and service.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church –Tryon, NC

Please pray for the repose of the souls of these priests, deacons and religious who have died in 2023:

Benedictine Father Francis Phillip Forster: a monk and priest of Belmont Abbey, died peacefully in the Lord on May 11, 2023. He was 90. Father Francis served for 51 years in the faculty and administration of Belmont Abbey College, from 1958 to 2009.

Father James P. Cahill: served in the Diocese of Charlotte for several years, first at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte from 1986 to 1991, and then as pastor of St. Mary Mother of God Parish in Sylva from 1991 until his retirement in 2002. He passed away April 19, 2023, at his home, aged 93.

Father Joseph C. Ayathupadam: a retired priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, passed away April 8, 2023, in India, aged 89. In 1990, he was incardinated in the Charlotte diocese, where he continued to serve in various parishes before retiring in 2006.

Father Thomas Paul Clements: one of the longest-serving priests in North Carolina who was known for his kindness, passed away peacefully Feb. 24, 2023, at Pennybyrn retirement community in High Point. He was 94.

Father Andrew J. Latsko: passed away peacefully Dec. 29, 2022, at Hickory House Nursing Home. He was 89. He served for more than 20 years, first as an associate pastor at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte and then pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Swannanoa. In 2003, he retired from the Charlotte diocese and returned to Pennsylvania, where he served as a pastor from 2008 until 2019.

Father Wilbur Thomas: a trailblazing priest who served God and His people for 50 years as the Diocese of Charlotte’s first African American priest, passed away peacefully Dec. 6, 2022, in Asheville, surrounded by family and friends. He was 75. Father Thomas was ordained to the priesthood on March 26, 1973, by Bishop Vincent Waters for the Diocese of Raleigh and shortly after his ordination, he transferred to the newly formed Diocese of Charlotte as its first black Catholic priest. His tireless work as a priest encompassed parish ministry, youth and college ministry, the Catholic Charismatic Movement, Black Catholic ministry, and ecumenical outreach – laying the foundations for many of the ministries and programs in which tens of thousands of Catholics throughout western North Carolina now participate.

Father Christopher Michael Riehl: passed away Nov. 10, 2022, from medical complications related to diabetes. He had just celebrated his 45th birthday on Nov. 7, 2022, and he was a week shy of his 13th anniversary of priestly ordination. He spent several years in ministry in the Diocese of Charlotte, including as administrator and later pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Waynesville and Immaculate Conception Mission in Canton.

Father James F. Scherer: passed away Sept. 15, 2022, at AuthoraCare Collective/Beacon Place in Greensboro. He was 85. During his ministry, he served in the Greensboro area as a marriage and family therapist and certified social worker, and since the 1970s he regularly assisted with offering Masses at St. Pius X Church and other Greensboro area parishes.

Father Kurt Mathias Fohn: passed away June 6, 2022, in Winston-Salem after a short illness. He was 87. In 1978 he was accepted into the Diocese of Charlotte’s newlyestablished Permanent Diaconate Program. In 1996, following his wife’s death, he surprised his family with his application and acceptance into the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass. His children were supportive of their 62-year-old father answering the call to the priesthood. On June 2, 2001, he was ordained as a priest by Bishop William G. Curlin. His first assignment was at St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem.

Deacon Luis A. Velasquez Flores: passed away Feb. 1, 2023, after a long illness at age 62. He was ordained by Bishop William Murphy for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., on May 17, 2003, and served in N.Y., until 2007, when he moved to North Carolina. After settling in Charlotte, he was granted faculties to serve as a deacon for the Diocese of Charlotte on Sept. 20, 2007, and was assigned to Our Lady of the Assumption Parish.

Deacon Joseph C. Denzler: who formerly served at St. John Neumann Parish in Charlotte, passed away Dec. 7, 2022, in Texas. In the Brooklyn diocese, he served at Lady of Lourdes Parish in Queens Village, and in the Diocese of Charlotte, he served at St. John Neumann Parish for nine years (2013-2022) before his retirement and move to Texas.

Deacon Timothy F. Rohan: passed away peacefully at his home Nov. 22, 2022, surrounded by his family. He was 87. He was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Charlotte on June 18, 1988 and served here for more than 30 years.

Deacon Ronald Timothy Ritchey: passed away peacefully Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. He was 75. He was ordained in 1989 for the Archdiocese of Denver, where he served until moving to the Diocese of Charlotte in 2004. He had the great honor of assisting at the World Youth Day Mass in Colorado with former Pope St. John Paul II.

Deacon Bernard Wenning Jr.: passed away May 16, 2023. He was 87. On June 18, 1988, he was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Charlotte at St. Gabriel Church, and it was at that parish that he began his ministry as a deacon. He served in that calling for 22 years.

Mother Mary Louis: foundress of the Maryvale Sisters, located in Vale, entered the arms of her heavenly Father on Thursday, June 8, 2023, at age 93.

Vocations resources

If you or someone you know is contemplating a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate or religious life, check out the following general resources online.

Talk with your pastor, reach out to the diocese’s vocations promoter, read up on consecrated life and the various religious communities that exist, and contact communities that interest you. Many offer “come and see” days or retreats that are good opportunities to learn more and meet others who have already accepted God’s call to religious life.

For young men and women, there are also summer discernment retreats offered by the Diocese of Charlotte and hosted at Belmont Abbey College: Quo Vadis Days for young men, and Duc In Altum for young women. Information about the 2024 retreats will be posted next spring online at www.charlottediocese.org/vocations

Overall, remember: Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions!

Diocesan Vocations Office

n Father Christopher Gober, Vocations Director: vocationsmail@rcdoc.org n Father Brian Becker, Vocations Promoter: bjbecker@rcdoc.org

General information

n www.foryourvocation.org: Set up by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, dedicated to the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life for both men and women. They are also on Facebook and YouTube. There are resources for parents and teachers, questions to ask yourself if you feel God is calling you, videos of vocation stories from priests and religious all over the U.S., and more.

n www.religiouslife.com: The Institute for Religious Life’s website, with plenty of resources for both men and women interested in a vocation or those who wish to support religious life.

n Not sure what religious communities are out there that might be a good fit for you? Check out www.religiousministries.com. Search this database to find a men’s or women’s religious community, whether you wish to become a priest, nun, brother or lay missioner, or just want to find out more about living a religious life.

n www.cloisteredlife.com: Aims to bring to attention the gift of cloistered and monastic life in the Church, sponsored by the Institute for Religious Life.

Religious communities for men

n www.cmsm.org: The Conference of Major Superiors of Men serves the leadership of the Catholic orders and congregations of the more than 17,000 vowed religious priests and brothers in the U.S. n www.religiousbrotherhood.com: Sponsored by the Institute for Religious Life specifically to increase awareness of the specific charism of religious brotherhood in the U.S.

Religious communities for women

n www.cmswr.org: The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) is a canonically approved organization, founded in 1992, to promote religious life in the U.S.

n www.lcwr.org: The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is an association of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the U.S.

Interested in becoming a permanent deacon?

If you would like to know more about deacons and their ministry or feel you may have a calling, please contact Deacon Bill Schreiber, director of formation, at cwschreiber@rcdoc.org or Deacon David Faunce, assistant director of formation, at dmfaunce@rcdoc.org. Details are online at www.charlottediocese.org/permanent-diaconate.

— Catholic News Herald

Support seminarians’ education, priests’ retirement

Our seminarians’ education is possible thanks to the generosity of parishioners who give to the annual Diocesan Support Appeal, through Seminarian Education second collections in November and on Easter Sunday, distributions from seminarian endowments in the diocesan foundation, and those who contribute gifts to the Seminarian Education Campaign. The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte has 24 endowments designated for seminarian education, totaling over $20.7 million: n The Msgr. Thomas Burke Seminarian Endowment Fund n The Conklin Endowment Fund n The A. Loraine Cox and C. Richard Cox

Seminarians Education Endowment Fund n Doris & Walter Dietrich Endowment Fund n The Mr. A. Steven and Dr. Donna S. Ellington Endowment Fund (benefiting St. Joseph College seminarians) n The Fabrey Endowment Fund n FFHL Vocation and Seminarian Endowment Fund n Dick Kelly Fund n Seminarian Michael G. Kitson Memorial Endowment Fund n The Lee Endowment Fund n Don and Teresa Meanor Endowment Fund n William and Rosalie Rabil Family Endowment Fund n The Reverend Timothy S. Reid Endowment Fund n Eugene & Carmen Rossitch Seminarian Fund n The Matthew Scheible Endowment Fund n Dr. Marvin L. Schrum and Paula B. Schrum Education Endowment Fund n The Seminarians Education Endowment Fund n The Abdou J. and Edna S. Showfety Seminarian Endowment Fund n Stephen D. Showfety Endowment Fund n The St. Lawrence Council (#1695) RSVP Endowment Fund n St. Lucien Seminarian Scholarship Fund n The Valentine Family Seminarian Education Endowment Fund n Vocations Endowment Fund n James and Elizabeth Hedgecock Seminarian Endowment Fund

Each year, people also have the opportunity to celebrate the faithful service of our retired diocesan priests, as well as show gratitude to the priests currently serving in the diocese, by contributing to the diocese’s Priests’ Retirement and Benefits second collection.

For information about establishing an endowment for seminarian education or priests’ retirement, contact Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development, at 704-370-3301 or jkkelley@rcdoc.org.

— Catholic News Herald

Knights