3fNn
0£6£ 80 AHVM8I1 NOSUN,
MoiiDanoa UOOO-80
on
I
C3C 3c
^ATHOLIC
News & Herald erving Catholics in
Western North Carolina
Volume 3 Number 35
in the Diocese of Charlotte
•
May
13,
1994
Stern But Compassionate Priest, Msgr. Michael O'Keefe Dies At 77 CHARLOTTE — To many, he seemed stern. To those who knew him, he was kind, compassionate and, above all, loyal to the Church and its teachings. Msgr. Michael Francis O'Keefe, in failing health for the past two years, died at age 77 on Tuesday, May 10 in Sardis Nursing Home. He was a priest for 49 years.
Bishop William G. Curlin will prebody at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte, on side at the reception of the
Friday,
May
ebrate the
13 at 7 p.m.
Mass of
He
will cel-
Christian Burial on
Saturday, May Hat 1 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church. "The Diocese of Charlotte has lost a colorful personality as well as a
good
Msgr. Joseph Kerin, pastor of St. Matthew Church, Charlotte. "He was very determined, outspoken and loyal. It gave me great pain to see such an active, aggressive person decline so rap-
priest," said
idly these last two years.
It
"He was Mary Vincent Spencer
Sister Evangelist
I
Nixon looks
lercy of North Carolina in
receives
on.
Communion from Bishop William
Bishop Curlin's
first
pastoral visit, to the Sisters of
Belmont, included a day-long tour of their ministries. (See photo
Photo by
on Pajje 2)
".say
G. Curlin
JOANN KEANE
priest.
seemed so out
of character." Sister
Msgr. Michael Francis O'Keefe as a young
stand firm in the faith in
a feisty gentleman with a
strong faith in the
Church and
a real
devotion to the Blessed Mother," said Msgr. John J. McSw^eney chancellor and vicar general. "He taught me to ,
.
good times and
in bad."
At the time of his retirement in 1986, Msgr. O'Keefe spoke about his four years in the early 1 970s as administrator See O'Keefe, Page 16
Jishop Tells Priests At Jubilee
Murphy Nun Wins Local 'Nobel Prize' For Community Service
Priesthood 'Extraordinary Thing' CAROL HAZARD
By
Associate Editor
CHARLOTTE — Bishop William Curlin, in an inspirational address to
I
12 priests
bir
of the diocese, acknowledged as priests yet assured
trials
"Make
!
them
would nurture them.
<bd
a total surrender and then
the joy of
fcte
it
all in
being a priest,"
shop Curlin told the 60 or so priests
J
Mass May 9
lubilarian
at St.
at
Patrick
thedral.
Only in the complete commitment to irist can true happiness be obtained, he d. "If you don't say 'God I am yours, /ant nothing but You,' you will never a happy priest." The Mass was in honor of priests lebrating their 60th, 50th, 40th and
they
fail at
times to follow the
Christ, they
way
need only to renew
their
commitment. Life's difficult moments are God's way of asking for another surrender, he said. "Ad sum, ad sum. I am yours. I am
yours
...
We should never give up. God
knew
us before our mothers gave us birth. He chose us. He will support us." In closing, Bishop Curlin asked the priests to help him find men whom God is
calling to the priesthood.
"One happy
priest is the best vocation instrument
"We come to celebrate their priest-
God can have on earth," Bishop Curlin If you said. "I beg you to work with me think a young man in your parish or an
;es 8,
9)
od and to absorb some of their joy," hop Curlin said. "These men have
...
older brother in Christ might be called,
him over. I am not a bad cook," he
the heart for it year after year risking
bring
on Jesus Christ." Retired Bishop Michael
quipped.
lives
iir
J.
Begley,
the 60th anniversary of a priest, said er Mass
the Lord has blessed him with
iling and strength. "Who would have mght the Holy Spirit would guide us to
Together, they can sow seeds for the
Church of tomorrow, he
said.
"Ad sum, ad sum, " Spiritan Father Martin Conroy said after Mass, repeat-
point?"
ing the gist of Bishop Curlin's message. !" Father Conroy, "It was a good reminder
The priesthood
pastor of St.
is an "extraordinary BishopCurlin said in his homily, "riests hold up their hands to God ...
ting,"
Tey give 3 at
is
James Church, Hamlet,
celebrated his 40th anniversary as a priest.
"He (Bishop Curlin) is real source of
their lives asking nothing in
love of the Lord," said Jesuit Father
kingdom.
Gene McCreesh, parochial vicar at St. Peter Church, Charlotte. Father McCreesh celebrated his 40th anniver-
r'urn except a place in the
mind blowing."
Sure, there are prophets of doom and
g>om, Bishop Curlin said. But he
is
not
sary.
By CAROL HAZARD Associate Editor
MURPHY — Where
other people
see weeds, Congregation of Notre Dame Sister Therese "Terry" Martin sees flow-
North Carolina. One area winner will attend a June 14 national awards dinner in Washington. Five national winners will be named. Sister Terry,
who was
not selected
for the national ceremony, said she's
ers.
was she who befriended an alcoknack for making
received enough attention for the work of
holic, discovered his
others.
flower beds and put his talent to use. And it was she who gave a paintbrush to an
"Sister Terry will say that what happened in Texana (a community in Murphy) was not her doing ... but she was the catalyst," said Ida Timpson,
It
of
(See
th anniversaries to the priesthood.
tls
one of them. "My optimism is born of the fact that I didn't ask for the priesthood. The Lord called." Bishop Curlin told the priests to arise each morning with a "brave, strong heart" and not worry about what happened yesterday or even years ago. If
aimless person and invited tify his
him to beau-
surroundings.
Sister Terry s goal was to convert an abandoned and vandalized building in the rural town of Murphy on the Tennessee and Georgia borders into a community center. She needed all the help she could muster. Vacant for seven years, the corrugated metal building had been stripped of plumbing fixtures including toilets and electrical wiring. With Sister Terry's gentle prodding, the once divided community rallied to open within six months the Texana Com'
munity Center for education, recreational and social programs. "I envisioned it as a way to unify the community," Sister Terry said. For this accomplishment and other good deeds, Sister Terry, 65, was awarded
director of adult basic education for Tri
County Community College, Murphy. Timpson nominated Sister Terry for the award. "She involved everyone from the little kids to the older people." Moreover, the white nun gained the respect of a Southern B aptist black com-
munity, said Timpson. "The community accepted her and I think that says some-
community and for her ... She is making her presence felt not by blowing horns or building buildings but by being there and caring." As someone who comes across as an thing for the
equal, Sister Terry helps people realize their special gifts.
She brings this quality
to bear in her work at Reach, a shelter for
abused
women
and children,
at the
994 Jefferson Award for local community service. The prestigious award was started in 1972 as a Nobel Prize
Women's Resource Center for people who want to improve their basic skills and at Tri County Community College
equivalent for public service in the United
where she teaches adult basic education. "Not only does she help people get
the
1
States.
Sister Terry is one of five winners from the Tennessee Valley, which includes Cherokee and Clay counties in
their
GED
(high school equivalency),
she also helps them realize they are valuable people,"
Timpson
said.
See Jefferson,
age
7