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News & Herald
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Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
Volume 4 Number 6 • October
Ann
St.
Bless the beasts and children
Ailing
Bosnian Child
CAROL HAZARD
By
1994
Opens Heart
Parishioner
To Help
7,
and find an apartment, clean and furnish
Associate Editor
— To
CHARLOTTE St.
it.
at least
one
"You're the only one crazy enough do this," the translator told her. While organizations have come to the aid of Bosnian war victims, Souders is the only individual to take on the responsbility, she was told.
Ann parishioner, Fatima is a miracle.
to
This Fatima has nothing to do with
Mother to
the appearance of the Blessed
three Portu-
guese children in 1917.
Fatima
This the
"They're such a loving, tender family ... One person really can make a differ-
from
arrived
ence."
Watching the evening news one night 14 months ago, Souder's heart went out
in
Charlotte last
Friday with her mother, father and 2y e a r - o 1 d
to a
in
to help these
United Nations, which put her in touch with the International Organization for
MARILYN SOUDERS
Migration.
prepared.
St.
Ann
—
-
Souders set up a "Sarajevo" tax-free account through St. Ann and raised
$2,500 for food, clothing and shelter for the Bosnian child and his or her family. A $500 check was sent with the message that the "Bethel Foundation was established as a means to use God' s monetary blessings" to help people in need. Souders thought she had her child a couple of times but plans fell through at the last minute. Then, she heard about Fatima and the child was indeed on her way. The family's home outside of Sarajevo had been shelled. They lived in abomb shelter and, for one 1 0-day stretch,
— mostly
She had called doctors
members of
who
agreed to
She had arranged free hospitalization at Presbyterian Hospital. Mostly she relied on her family and treat the child for free.
fellow parishioners for support.
Q
Somebody has
people, she said to herself. She called the
For more than a year, Marilyn Souders has tried to bring a child in need of medical attention to the United States from war-torn Bosnia. Souders didn't know who would come or what the medical condition would be. But she was.
desk of IRishap William
mother whose child was maimed
the war.
brother.
t.h,R
see the
name of
Bosnia who
from
I
smiles on their faces," Souders said.
girl
on horseback, Father Richard Hokanson, pastor of St. Joseph in Newton, blesses animals and children for the Feast of St. Francis from high in the saddle. See additional pictures on Page 2. Photo by JOANN KEANE
when
the
11 -month-old
Arriving
so worthwhile
"It's
is
Then, she waited. And waited. Finally, word came. Fatima Delic, who was born with a double cleft lip and palate, would arrive in Charlotte. Souders had two days to finalize medical plans
survived only on water. See Fatima, Page 16
P,wrl'm
Vocations Are Everyone's Business We lift our hearts
in prayerful
deacons and religious
who
thanksgiving for the priests,
from us? Pope John XXIII often
of Charlotte. Their generosity and dedication are witness to their
Is this the message our youth hear Church obtains the vocations it prays for.
daughters to consecrate their lives in His service?
serve us throughout the Diocese
Is this
deep love for Christ and His Church.
said that the
included in our daily prayers?
Do we recognize
everyone
that
in the
Diocese of
Charlotte has a vested interest in promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life?
During the past decade, our Catholic population has
Our Catholic presence
North Carolina
in
double in the next 10 years.
is
Some parishes
tripled.
expected to
If the future predicted
are already
priests
new increase in membership by erecting and parish centers. The diocese recently
and
preparing for this
vocations.
larger churches
the Harvest to send
purchased a building that will enable us to double our
Charlotte
present high school enrollment. Within the past
members a
two years, our elementary schools' enrollment has increased by 32%.
growth
in
Western North Carolina
is
to
be adequately served by
we must all join together to ensure our obtaining future each member of the diocese to join with me in begging the Lord
religious, then
invited
I
is,
more
of
laborers into the vineyard, for our harvest in the Diocese of
indeed, abundant.
I
beg you
also, especially parents, to offer
our younger
clear understanding of the invaluable service provided us by those dedicated
men and women whose lives
feed us the bread of life, heal our pain-filled souls, guide
us through our darkest hours and reach out with loving compassion to the least and
Everywhere we look, we behold growth in the Diocese of Charlotte. However, the numbers of priests, deacons and religious have not increased to
adequately meet this remarkable growth. While
for
diocesan priesthood,
we
will
we
are blessed with
need more seminarians
if
we
20 candidates
are to adequately fulfill
most vulnerable Lord
Jesus,
in
our midst.
you called us
to
be living stones in your Church on earth, hear our prayer
for an increase in priests and religious,
who uphold
us in your love.
the needs of our rapidly
a shortage in
growing diocese. Religious communities are also experiencing applicants. What explains this decrease in vocations to priesthood and
religious life? In African nations, the Far East
Communist domination, service. Is
it
go
forth
and bear
we have
failed as a people to identify a call to priesthood
from Jesus himself? "You did not choose me, but
fruit
I
am,
as
always
there exists an abundance of vocations to these ministries of
possible that
religious life as a call
With every best wish,
Prayerfully in the Lord,
and European nations formerly under
I
chose you
and to
Most Rev. William G. Curlin
abundantly."
Bishop of Charlotte
Do
we, as a diocese, speak on behalf of vocations to the priesthood and religious
Are we honored
that
God would
call forth
life?
from our homes and our parishes sons and
(See pages
8,
9 for more on Vocatioxis)