March 30, 2012

March 30, 2012

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‘Behold the Lamb of God’ Annual Youth Lenten Pilgrimage draws hundreds to Belmont Abbey College,

EASTER 2012

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Diocesan foundation surpasses $20M mark, 5 INDEX Contact us.......................... 4 Events calendar................. 4 Our Parishes................. 3-13 Our Faith............................. 2 Schools......................... 18-19 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies...................... 20 U.S. news..................... 22-23 Viewpoints.................. 26-28 World news................. 24-25

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INSIDE: Holy Week events, Easter Masses, 17 ‘My first year as a Catholic,’ 15 Mt. Airy’s relic of the True Cross, 14 Our Faith: Holy Week’s rituals, 2

St. Joseph’s Outdoor Stations of the Cross, 16 On TV: EWTN’s live broadcasts, 20 Peggy Bowes: ‘He is Risen!

Alleluia! ... Now what?’ 27

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HOLY WEEK: April 1-7 H

into the Latin Liturgy in the seventh or eighth century, originated in the Church in Jerusalem, where a relic of the True Cross was venerated.

In the “Peregrinatio Sylviæ,” (written from 378 to 394), that early ceremony is described: “Then a chair is placed for the Bishop in Golgotha behind the Cross ... a table covered with a linen cloth is placed before him; the Deacons stand around the table, and a silvergilt casket is brought in which is the wood of the holy Cross. The casket is opened and (the wood) is taken out, and both the wood of the Cross and the Title are placed upon the table. Now, when it has been put upon the table, the Bishop, as he sits, holds the extremities of the sacred wood firmly in his hands, while the Deacons who stand around guard it. It is guarded thus because the custom is that the people, both faithful and catechumens, come one by one and, bowing down at the table, kiss the sacred wood and pass on.”

oly Week is the week which precedes the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

From the Church’s earliest times, the week has been filled with commemorations of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, His Passion, death and Resurrection.

Palm Sunday The sixth and last Sunday of Lent and beginning of Holy Week commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The main ceremonies are the benediction of the palms, the procession, the Mass and the singing of the Passion.

The blessing of palms and the Palm Sunday procession date back to the earliest Church in Jerusalem. Palm branches have always been symbols of joy and victory, and in Christianity, as a sign of victory over the flesh and the world according to Psalm 91:13, “Justus ut palma florebit.” The blessed palms are taken home by the faithful and used as a sacramental. Blessed palms are also burned to make ashes for the next year’s Ash Wednesday.

Every great feast was in some way a remembrance of the resurrection of Christ and was called “Pascha.” “Pascha” really comes from a Hebrew word meaning “passage” (of the destroying angel at Passover), but the Greeks took it to be identical with “paschein” (“to suffer”). From the custom of also blessing flowers and entwining them among the palms arose the term “Dominica Florida,” or “Flower Sunday.” One notable bit of trivia: Related terms are “Pascha floridum,” or “Pascua florida” in Spanish – and it was from this Spanish term for Palm Sunday that Florida received its name on that day in 1512.

The Gospel of the Passion is also read during the Palm Sunday Mass. As on Good Friday, and on the Tuesday and the Wednesday of Holy Week, the Passion is sung by three deacons who impersonate respectively the Evangelist (“Chronista”), Jesus, and the other speakers (“Synagoga”). This division of the Passion among three characters is very ancient, and it is even indicated by rubrical notes in early manuscripts of the Gospel.

Holy (Maundy) Thursday The oldest of the Holy Week observances, this day commemorates the institution of the Eucharist. Holy Thursday consists of a succession of joyful ceremonies: reconciliation of penitents, consecration of the holy oils (the “Missa chrismalis,” or “Chrism Mass”), washing of the feet (“pedilavium”), and commemoration of the Eucharist.

“Maundy” derives from “Mandatum” (the first word of the Office of the Washing of the Feet).

This marks the central rite of the day.

Holy Saturday sueann howell | catholic news herald

The annual Chrism Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 3, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, and all are welcome to attend. Above, Bishop Peter Jugis celebrates the Chrism Mass last year. During the annual Chrism Mass, Bishop Jugis blesses the holy oils used in the blessing of the sick and the candidates for baptism, as well as the sacred chrism used in the sacraments of initiation, holy orders and the dedication of churches and altars.

Vessels containing the blessed oils are then distributed to every parish in the diocese.

Holy Week coverage online Full multimedia coverage of Holy Week activities, from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday, will be online at www.catholicnewsherald.com, including photo galleries, video footage, audio recordings and more.

Check the site daily for the latest features as we all prepare for Easter Sunday and the celebration of the Resurrection.

What are your family’s Easter traditions? Share your thoughts and memories on Facebook at www.facebook.com/catholicnewsherald.

Share photos of your kids in their Easter finest, on our Facebook page or via email to catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org. We’ll publish a gallery of photos online at www.catholicnewsherald.com.

On that day Mass and Communion typically followed the evening meal. In the early Church in Rome, everything was carried on in daylight, whereas in Africa on Holy Thursday the Eucharist was celebrated after the evening meal, in view of more exact conformity with the circumstances of the Last Supper. This early tradition survives to the present time in that the clergy do not offer Mass privately but are directed to Communicate together at the public Mass, like guests at one table.

Also on Holy Thursday the ringing of bells ceases until the Easter Vigil, the altar is stripped, and candles remain unlit – outwardly demonstrating the sense of the Church’s

bereavement during the time of Christ’s Passion and burial. The observance of silence during these three days dates at least from the eighth century.

Good Friday This is the day of Christ’s Passion, death and burial, now primarily celebrated by a service combining a number of features.

First are the reading of three sets of lessons followed by “bidding prayers.” Secondly, there is the Adoration of the Cross. The dramatic unveiling and adoration of the Cross, introduced

Holy Saturday is also known as Great (or Grand) Saturday, the Angelic Night, and the Easter Vigil. It is not like Maundy Thursday, a day of joy, but one of joy and sadness intermingled; it is the close of the penitential season of Lent, and the beginning of paschal time, which is one of rejoicing. Its essential feature is the baptism of the catechumens, who have been preparing during Lent to enter the Church.

The Easter Vigil opens with the blessing of the paschal fire and the lighting of lamps and the paschal candle. St. Cyril of Jerusalem said this night was as bright as day, and Emperor Constantine in Rome added unprecedented splendor with a profusion of lamps and enormous torches, so that not only churches, but houses, streets and squares were ablaze with light symbolic of the Risen Christ.

The Holy Saturday ceremony has lost much of the significance it enjoyed in the early Christian centuries, owing to the irresistible tendency to celebrate it earlier in the evening.

Originally it was held only in the late hours of Saturday and barely ending before midnight.

To this day, however, the brevity of the Easter Mass preserves a memorial of the fatigue of that “watch-night” that ended the austerities of Lent.

Finally, the Vigil Mass, with its joyous “Gloria,” at which the bells are again rung, the uncovering of the veiled statues and pictures, and the triumphant “Alleluias,” which mark nearly every step of the liturgy, proclaim the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

— Source: Catholic Encyclopedia, online at www.newadvent.org

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF APR. 1 - APR. 7

Sunday (Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion), Mark 11:1-10, Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Mark 14:1-15:47; Monday, Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11; Tuesday, Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 36-38; Wednesday, Isaiah 50:4-9, Matthew 26:14-25; Thursday (Holy Thursday), Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:115; Friday (Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion), Isaiah 52:1353:12, Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42; Saturday (Easter Vigil), Exodus 14:15-15:1, Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18, Ezekiel 36:16-28, Romans 6:3-11, Mark 16:1-7

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF APR. 8 - APR. 14

Sunday (The Resurrection of the Lord), Acts 10:34, 37-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-9; Monday, Acts 2:14, 22-23, Matthew 28:8-15; Tuesday, Acts 2:36-41, John 20;11-18; Wednesday, Acts 3:1-10, Luke 24:13-35; Thursday, Acts 3:11-26, Luke 24:3548; Friday, Acts 4:1-12, John 21:1-14; Saturday, Acts 4:13-21, Mark 16:9-15

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

Sunday, Acts 4:32-35, 1 John 5:1-6, John 20:19-31; Monday, Acts 4:23-31, John 3:1-8; Tuesday, Acts 4:32-37, John 3:7-15; Wednesday, Acts 5:17-26, John 3:16-21; Thursday, Acts 5:27-33, John 3:31-36; Friday, Acts 5:34-42, John 6:1-15; Saturday (St. Anselm), Acts 6:1-7, John 6:16-21

Our parishes

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Youths ‘Behold the Lamb of God’ at pilgrimage Rain, heat can’t deter hearts set on God SueAnn Howell Staff writer

BELMONT — Youths from around the Diocese of Charlotte saw firsthand how “with God all things are possible” as what started out as a soggy Saturday morning blossomed into a hot, sunny afternoon during the course of the Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage at Belmont Abbey College March 24.

Shortly after the 400-plus teens arrived at the day-long retreat, recent Belmont Abbey grad and Charlotte Catholic High School teacher turned For more photos emcee, Patrick Jacobeen, from the Bishop’s asked those gathered to pray annual Youth for clearer skies for the day’s Lenten Pilgrimage, events. go online to www.

Just before Mass was catholicnewsherald.com. celebrated by Charlotte Bishop Peter J. Jugis, the sun broke through the clouds and the unusually warm spring weather made a comeback. Teens who had been kneeling on tarps and plastic trash can liners now found themselves in need of sunglasses and umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis explained, “a pilgrimage is a time the Lord gives us to pray to come be with Him…If you want to be holy, as Jesus wants us all to be, then the greatest source of holiness is the Mass, the Eucharist. The Eucharist is important to us because Jesus is here with us, dwelling with us.”

After Mass, the youths listened to keynote speaker Father David Miller, parochial vicar at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, who gave a dynamic talk on the Eucharist and how the physical and spiritual worlds are intertwined, illustrating how the physical world serves God’s divine plan and points to His glory. “Jesus from all eternity knew He was going to give us the Eucharist. He designed food to be like the Eucharist,” Father Miller said. “The Eucharist is the reality, the truth. When you receive Jesus in the Eucharist, He is actually making you stronger, healthier.”

Other speakers included Doug Barry, co-host of EWTN’s “Life on the Rock,” and Marla Walsh, a parishioner at St. Ann Church in Charlotte who is a wife and mother of five.

The day concluded with Adoration and Benediction in the Wheeler Center, where Bishop Jugis processed with the Blessed Sacrament among rows of adorers kneeling on the gymnasium floor.

“The Real Presence is real, so consciously decide to place that Real Presence of Christ into your soul today to transform you and make you holy,” Bishop Jugis said.

Monks welcome the young pilgrims Christopher Lux Correspondent

BELMONT — In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus tells of those who will receive God’s kingdom because, He says, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me” (Matthew 25:35-36).

MONKS, SEE page 13

Photos by sueann howell and Anthony perlas | catholic news herald

(Top) Bishop Peter Jugis gives Communion to Joseph Torres, a parishioner from St. Ann Church in Charlotte at Mass on March 26.

(Bottom left) Lauren Richards from St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin dances during the concert at the Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage.

(Bottom right) Patrick Jacobeen served as emcee during the day-long retreat.

Girls: Date with purpose, purity Mary B. Worthington Correspondent

BELMONT — It was more like having coffee with a really cool aunt.

During a talk with high school girls at the Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage, Marla Walsh frankly joked about her addiction to her iPhone and commiserated about the tortures of writing a paper.

But her point GIRLS, SEE page 13

Adoration ‘is time well spent’ Mary B. Worthington Correspondent

BELMONT — College students staying up all night – that’s typical. College students staying up all night to pray – that’s the annual Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage at Belmont Abbey College.

This year’s theme for the pilgrimage was “Behold the Lamb of God” (“Ecce Agnus Dei”). Meant as a retreat in preparation for Easter and the annual Eucharistic Congress in September, the young pilgrims’ schedule included much ADORATION, SEE page 13

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar of events CHARLOTTE

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, 6828 Old Reid Road

pastoral center, 1123 s. church st.

— Entrenamiento de Catequista en español, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 28 de abril

Bishop Peter J. Jugis

— Catechist training in Spanish, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 28 Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next two weeks: April 1 – 11 a.m.

Palm Sunday Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte April 3 – 10 a.m.

Chrism Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte April 5 – 7 p.m.

Mass of the Lord’s Supper St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte April 6 – 3 p.m.

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte April 7 – 8 p.m.

Easter Vigil Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte April 11 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Queen of Apostles Church, Belmont April 13 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Paul Church, Greensboro April 15 – 3 p.m.

Solemn Profession of vows for Sister Immaculata, PCPA St. Ann Church, Charlotte

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com — Hispanic Catholic Men’s Support Group, 7-9 p.m. April 9 and April 23 — Grupo de Apoyo para Hombres Católicos Hispanos, 7-9 p.m. 9 de abril y 23 de abril

ST. ann CHURCH, 1400 suther road — Natural Family Planning Introduction and Course, 1-5 p.m. April 28. RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230.

ST. gabriel CHURCH, 3016 providence road — Hispanic Catholic Men’s Support Group, 7-9 p.m. April 3 and April 17 — Grupo de Apoyo para Hombres Católicos Hispanos, 7-9 p.m. 3 de abril y 17 de abril ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH, 8451 IDLEWILD ROAD — Ecumenical memorial concert performance of Maurice Duruflé’s “Requiem” with small orchestra at the Palm Sunday Vigil Mass, 5 p.m. March 31 — “Just War and Peacemaking Conference,” 7 p.m.

April 20. Contact Shea Barja at sheabarja@gmail. com or 704-451-3269. Register at www.4sjnc.org/ jw_p_conference.

ST. LUKE CHURCH, 13700 LAWYERS ROAD — “Face-UP!!! (to bullying and cyberbullying), 7 p.m. April 19. Grades fourth through high school are invited.

Contact Nancy Murphy at obxnancy@earthlink.net or 704-776-4261 or Cindy Correll at ccorrell10@carolina. rr.com or 704-821-7650.

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY. — Mass in Polish, 3 p.m. April 1. Reconciliation available at 2 p.m. Contact Elizabeth Spytkowski at 704-948-1678.

— “Called to be Mom,” supports the vocation of motherhood, NLC 239/240, 10 a.m.-noon, April 18 and May 2. Childcare available by calling 704-543-7677, ext. 1011, 48 hours in advance. Contact Kerry Long at klong003@carolina.rr.com or 704-243-6319.

GREENSBORO st. pius x CHURCH, 2210 n. elm st.

— “Catholicism” Series, parish office, 10 a.m. for 10 weeks starting March 20.

— Seasons of Hope Grief Ministry, Kloster Center, 2-4 p.m. April 1, 15, 22 and 29. Register at 336-272-4681.

HUNTERSVILLE ST. MARK CHURCH, 14740 STUMPTOWN ROAD — “Romance Without Regret,” presented by national chastity speaker Jason Evert, 7:30-8:45 p.m. April 22, eighth-graders and up and parents invited.

— “How to Raise Chaste Teens,” presented by national chastity speaker Jason Evert, parish hall, 9:30-10:45 a.m. April 23.

— The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians welcomes all women who are practicing Roman Catholics, and who are Irish by birth descent, who are the wife of a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, or the mother of a junior member. Meetings are in room 200, 7:30 p.m. first Thursdays. Contact Bernadette Brady at mcbernie38@msn.com or 704-210-8060.

Is your parish or school hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Calendar is 10 days prior to desired publication date.

Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org or fax to 704-370-3382.

— “Romance Without Regret,” presented by national chastity speaker Jason Evert, 3:15-4:30 p.m. April 22, eighth-graders and up and parents invited.

— “Alive in the Spirit,” Charismatic Prayer group, 7:30 p.m. third Mondays. Contact Barbara Gardner at chlt5nc@aol.com.

ST. PATRICK cATHEDRAL, 1621 DILWORTH ROAD EAST — Scripture Study Program: “The Epistle of St. James,” 10-11 a.m. Sundays through May 6. Contact Michelle Rahilly at rahillyhome@carolina.rr.com or Margaret Gustafson at jmgusto@bellsouth.net.

ST. thomas aquinas CHURCH, 1400 suther road — Natural Family Planning Introduction and Course, 1-5 p.m. April 14. RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230.

March 30, 2012 Volume 21 • Number 11

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

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

In Brief

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

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

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

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SueANn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Abbey celebrates St. Benedict’s Day March 21 BELMONT — The Benedictine monks at Belmont Abbey celebrated the feast day of their patron March 21 with a special Mass in the historic Mary Help of Christians Abbey Basilica on the campus of Belmont Abbey College.

Students and faculty from the Catholic liberal arts college joined the monks of Belmont Abbey and clergy from the Diocese of Charlotte at the Mass, which was celebrated by Abbot Placid Solari (above).

Abbot Placid also gave the homily.

Father Frank Cancro from Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont and Father Christopher Kirchgessner from Belmont Abbey concelebrated. Bishop Peter Jugis and Bishop Emeritus William Curlin were in choir.

— Catholic News Herald

For more photos from the St. Benedict’s Day Mass, go online to www.catholicnewsherald.com.

Rome pilgrimage planned with ad limina visit CHARLOTTE — A pilgrimage to Rome and surrounding areas is planned for May 2-12 in conjunction with Bishop Peter Jugis’ ad limina visit with Pope Benedict XVI. The 11-day pilgrimage includes trips to Assisi, Siena and Orvieto, besides the pope’s general Wednesday audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Spots are still available. For details, go online to www.catholicnewsherald.com.

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

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facebook.com/ catholic news HERALD Diocese of Charlotte

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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N.C. bishops criticize president’s remarks against marriage amendment as ‘grave disappointment’ Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

CHARLOTTE — North Carolina’s Catholic bishops, the Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte and the Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh, are criticizing a statement recently made by President Barack Obama against the upcoming statewide ballot to protect marriage.

The May 8 vote would constitutionally protect traditional marriage by defining it as exclusively the union between one man and one woman – shielding marriage from being redefined through judicial

attack or shifting political trends. North Carolina already protects marriage in state law, but is the only Southern state that does not also include the same protection in its constitution. Notably, 30 states have such constitutional protection of marriage.

Obama made his remarks March 16 in a statement issued by his re-election campaign.

“While the president does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the record is clear that the president has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples,” said Cameron French, the Obama campaign’s N.C. spokesman. “That’s what the North

April 7-8 collection to support seminarians, priests’ education SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Deacons Jason Barone, Matthew Codd and Peter Shaw are completing their final months of seminary studies and God willing, they will be ordained as priests of the Diocese of Charlotte on June 2.

Deacon Barone, who is studying at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmittsburg, Md., said he is grateful for his seminary education, and he gives a glimpse into the life of a seminarian – made possible through support from the diocesan faithful in the upcoming annual collection for seminarians and priests’ continuing education.

Deacon Barone wrote in a recent email from seminary, “The opportunity to attend seminary has been indispensible in realizing my Godgiven vocation to the holy priesthood. Seminary formation goes well beyond merely learning how to say Mass. So much more is required of priests.

“First of all, the priest must be well educated.

In the first few years he must learn philosophy, catechism and several languages including Latin, Greek and Spanish. He then must spend up to four years learning theology, including Scripture, dogma and moral theology.

“The seminarian also receives what’s called “human formation,” where he learns to cultivate natural virtue and live a balanced, healthy life.

This also includes learning to become a public person and how to conduct himself accordingly.

“A third area of formation is pastoral formation. This is where the seminarian learns how to develop effective pastoral skills: teaching, visiting the sick and preaching. He must learn how to effectively apply all his philosophical and theological knowledge to pastoral situations.

“Lastly, the spiritual life. The seminarian must cultivate an unshakable relationship with Our Lord. Jesus Christ must absolutely become the center of his life, the source of all his energy, and the ultimate reason for all his works. He is helped in this regard by living in a house of photo provided by deacon jason barone prayer, praying with other seminarians daily, Deacon Jason Barone is pictured in Jerusalem this past January on a maintaining a daily holy hour where he spends trip to the Holy Land. “The Holy Land trip was organized and (mostly) an hour in prayerful meditation in the chapel, paid for by the seminary. It was truly a high point in my seminary and regularly working with a spiritual director on formation,” he said. staff at the seminary. This is perhaps the greatest responsibility of the seminary.

“As one can see, the priesthood requires my vocation to serve the Church of Charlotte as a much training and many years of formation, priest – possible through their financial support.” and the seminary is the primary place for this to Parishioners around the diocese will have an take place. As I complete the final months of my opportunity to contribute to the education of other priestly preparation, I thank God for giving me this seminarians like Deacon Barone and the continuing incredible opportunity. I am also grateful to the education of our priests by giving to the second Diocese of Charlotte, which not only accepted me as a collection at all Easter Sunday Masses, April 7-8. seminarian but made this formation – and ultimately

Carolina ballot initiative would do – it would single out and discriminate against committed gay and lesbian couples – and that’s why the president does not support it.”

In a letter issued March 21 through their public policy arm, Catholic Voice NC, the bishops called Obama’s remarks “a grave disappointment,” adding that Obama’s unusual move to insert himself into a state’s ballot initiative is a politically-motivated act that is “further escalating the increasing confusion on the part of some in our society to the very nature BISHOPS, SEE page 21

Jugis

Burbidge

Diocesan foundation surpasses 200 endowments, $20M mark Endowments at every parish long-term goal SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — As a testimony to the generosity of the people of God in western North Carolina, the endowments made to the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte – gifts that keep on giving – are on the rise.

Thirteen new endowments were created last year, and as of March, the number of endowments has surpassed 200. The foundation now has total assets of more than $20 million for the first time in its history.

“The foundation was established in 1994 to provide financial security for the diocese by generating income and helping sustain the long-term strength and viability for the Church in western North Carolina,” said Jim Kelley, executive director of the foundation and development director for the diocese.

Funds from the foundation are distributed as grants to help pay for parish maintenance, seminarian education, faith formation programs, tuition assistance, food pantries, as well as outreach programs.

The endowments that helped reach the latest milestone came as bequests from two estates and will benefit the community of Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville. One of the endowments will directly benefit the parish, and the other will help provide scholarships to Immaculata School.

“Endowments offer a unique way to continue the good work of our parishes, schools and Catholic agencies long after our lifetime and are a true legacy gift. Named endowments are also a very special way to honor family and loved ones,” said Judy Smith, director of planned giving for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Currently, 58 of the 92 parishes and missions, 13 out of 19 Catholic schools, and more than 23 diocesan agencies have at least one endowment set up to provide for their specific needs.

And almost half of them are named endowments in honor of or in memory of a particular person or family.

“Our goal is to have an endowment established in every parish, school and entity in the diocese,” Kelley said. “This all ties back to stewardship – time, talent and treasure. This is about stewardship of financial assets.”

To date, almost $6 million in income has been made available to these established endowments, and in turn, their recipients.

“Any diocesan entity can create an endowment with a minimum of $2,500. An individual or family can establish a named endowment with $25,000. Anyone can add to an existing endowment fund by making a contribution of any size at any time to the fund of their choice,” Smith added.

In his foundation annual report letter each year, Bishop Peter Jugis thanks the many endowment fund holders in the diocese for their stewardship in providing for the future of the Church and building the Kingdom of God in western North Carolina.

For details about the foundation and existing endowments, or to find out more about creating an endowment, contact Judy Smith, director of planned giving for the Diocese of Charlotte, at 704-370-3320 or email jmsmith@charlottediocese.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 OUR PARISHES

Photo provided by Phyllis Ryan

Despite the rain, the rally in Marion was a success, organizers said. Speakers included Father Carl Kaltreider, pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Mission in Marion; Rev. Tom Walker, pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church; Doug Crosby; David Walker, chairman of the McDowell County Commission; McDowell County Sheriff Dudley Greene; Rev. Tony Shirley, pastor of New Manna Baptist Church; and Denise Culley.

Hundreds turn out for religious freedom rallies in Charlotte, Marion, Winston-Salem Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

CHARLOTTE — Hundreds of people gathered outside federal courthouses in Charlotte, Marion and Winston-Salem March 23 peaceably to protest a new federal mandate that will force nearly all employers to provide free artificial contraception in their health insurance plans, despite religious objections.

The mandate is part of implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which sets up new preventative health care coverage specifically for women at no cost. That coverage includes services such as mammograms, prenatal care and cervical cancer screenings – but it also mandates free artificial birth control, sterilizations and abortifacient drugs, which are contrary to Catholic teaching.

The mandate, written by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, narrowly defines which religious employers may be exempt from the mandate as ones that serve primarily people of their own faith and hire people primarily of their own faith.

Most Catholic employers would not meet the requirements for that exemption, as they serve and hire people of any faith, so they face the stark choice of either compromising on Church teaching by providing free artificial contraception or risk shutting down.

The Obama Administration has given religious employers a year to figure out how to follow the HHS mandate, but Catholic leaders and other religious organizations have vowed to fight the mandate as an unjust restriction of religious liberty.

Several federal lawsuits, including one

by Belmont Abbey College, are seeking to strike it down as unconstitutional.

The March 23 “Stand Up for Religious Freedom” rallies were a public

Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Brice Griffin, organizer of the Charlotte Stand Up for Religious Freedom rally, encourages the crowd to get involved, contact federal legislators, and pray.

Learn more online Read more about the HHS mandate and how it would restrict religious employers, particularly in the Diocese of Charlotte: www.catholicnewsherald.com.

Watch a brief video of the Charlotte rally featuring Bishop Jugis’ opening prayer: Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel.

Get involved with the grassroots fight against the HHS mandate: www.standupforreligiousfreedom.com.

Details about Belmont Abbey College’s lawsuit are at www.becketfund.org.

demonstration of this opposition – a chance for people to speak out, get involved and pray.

HHS, SEE page 21

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

Jennifer Krawiec | Catholic News Herald

Father Tad Pacholczyk spoke recently at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory about Terri Schaivo and the lessons to be learned from her life.

Contemporary bioethics seminar explores end-of-life issues Jennifer Krawiec Corrrespondent

HICKORY — The mention of Terri Schiavo’s name is likely to spark debate about living wills, feeding tubes and euthanasia. Church teaching about endof-life care is often misunderstood, and issues surrounding advance directives (or “living wills”) can be unclear. Father Tad Pacholczyk, Ph.D., director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, wants to help Catholics “think rationally about these judgments.”

Father Pacholczyk, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Mass., has degrees in philosophy, biochemistry, molecular cell biology and chemistry, along with a doctorate in neuroscience from Yale University. He worked as a molecular biologist at Massachusetts General Hospital/ Harvard Medical School, and he studied dogmatic theology and bioethics in Rome.

Father Pacholczyk recently spoke at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory about ethical decision-making and advance planning for end-of-life issues. While Schiavo was not the main focus of his presentation, her tragic case was a tangible example of why we should discuss with our loved ones the plans we make surrounding our deaths, he noted.

Schiavo fell into a permanent vegetative state at age 26, after collapsing from unknown causes. She suffered from a chronic state of low-level responsiveness, not a coma or brain death, and her condition was not terminal. Schiavo died when a court ordered her feeding tube removed following a lengthy legal battle between her husband, who initiated the lawsuit, and her family, which fought to continue her medical care.

“The phrase ‘quality of life’ includes a judgment. Let’s avoid using that phrase.”

Father Pacholczyk emphasized. “The temptation to avoid is writing off persons with brain injuries in one fell swoop.”

The moral lesson, he said, is that it did not matter what Schiavo’s condition was – what mattered was that she should not have been

Learn more online National Catholic Bioethics Center: ncbcenter.org. In emergency situations, an NCBC ethicist is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 215-877-2660.

Terri Schaivo Foundation: terrisfight.org

allowed to die essentially of starvation.

When deciding whether to intervene in end-of-life situations, he said, the underlying cause or illness is what should result in death, not action or inaction.

When it comes to life-sustaining treatments, we are often unsure as to what is required. Father Pacholczyk clarified the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary means by discussing the “benefit vs. burden” of treatments.

There are questions to ask when making decisions about treatment: Is there reasonable hope of success? Are there side effects? What is the moral and physical state of the patient? Does treatment involve excessive expense? What burdens will be placed on others if treatment is provided?

“An advance directive is like writing a blank check,” he also cautioned, because at the time they are written, they are hypothetical and necessarily general.

He recommended that people develop an advance directive in line with Catholic teaching, such as the NCBC’s “A Catholic Guide to End-of-Life Decisions.”

The NCBC also offers free consultations for people struggling with making faithbased medical treatment decisions for themselves or their families.

End-of-life concerns need to be focused on having a “good death,” he said.

“We need to remember to have compassion, listen to the patient and allow them to participate because they are deserving of respect. We should always see the patient as a person.”

“Dying well is a stepping stone into the next life – and what a great grace that is.”

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Charlotte to host annual training for region’s tribunal staffs

An encounter with a miraculous visitor The Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe visited Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte on March 26 for Mass and veneration on the Feast of the Annunciation. Jackson DiCarlo, an 8th-grader, was among the more than 900 students and faculty who had an opportunity to touch the image and offer their prayers and petitions after Mass.

The Missionary Image toured 7 parishes and 7 schools during its 10-day visit to the Diocese of Charlotte that ends April 1, along with three abortion mills. On March 30, the image will visit St. Mark School in Huntersville and Christ the King High School in Mooresville. On March 31, the image will be displayed outside A Preferred Women’s Health Center, 3220 Latrobe Drive, Charlotte, during a prayer vigil and recitation of the rosary. Then the image will be displayed during Vigil Mass starting at 5 p.m. March 31 at St. Patrick Cathedral, followed by veneration. On its final day in the diocese, the image will be displayed during all Masses from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 1, including the 11 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis, and will be available for veneration.

SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Every year the five dioceses that comprise the Atlanta Province hold educational training for the staffs of their tribunals. This year, the Diocese of Charlotte will host that training meeting for the Atlanta Archdiocese and the Charleston, Raleigh and Savannah dioceses.

The meeting will be held April 23-25 at the Blake Hotel in Charlotte. Bishop Jugis will celebrate Mass for those attending the tribunal meeting at 5 p.m.

April 24 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

Organizers in the Charlotte diocese’s tribunal expect more than 65 fellow tribunal colleagues, judges, advocates, assessors and defenders of the bond for a series of workshops and lectures over the three-day period.

The tribunals are responsible for investigating and resolving cases that involve canon (or Church) law, which primarily means decisions regarding declarations of marital nullity and cases of laicization.

Speakers during the event will include Mercy Sister JeanneMargaret McNally, Ph.D., JCL, of Belmont and Dr. Lynda Robitaille, professor of canon law at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

Sister Jeanne-Margaret McNally is currently a judge for the Metropolitan Tribunal of Miami, has prviously acted as Defender of the Bond for the Charlotte diocese, and is an experienced court expert.

She will discuss the increasingly necessary use of expert testimony in canon law cases.

Robitaille will speak about what makes up a solid argument section within a sentence when declaring a marriage null on the grounds of error concerning the essential nature of marriage.

“The provincial meeting of tribunals has been a long tradition in the Province of Atlanta,” said Father John Putnam, JCL, judicial vicar of the Diocese of Charlotte.

As judicial vicar, Father Putnam oversees the work of the diocese’s tribunal.

“The meeting provides an opportunity for ongoing education and collaboration among the various diocesan tribunals and the court of appeals. I am very happy, with Bishop (Peter) Jugis, to be hosting the meeting this year and welcoming our colleagues to the Diocese of Charlotte,” Father Putnam added.

sueann howell | catholic news herald

Feminist speaks at Belmont Abbey, explains stance of original feminist message Mary B. Worthington Correspondent

BELMONT — “There are women who died from illegal abortion, but no one has bothered to ask what drove her to abort.”

Questioning the argument that abortion is about women’s rights, Serrin Foster, president of Feminists for Life of America, explained the pro-life stance of “original feminists” from the late 19th and early 20th centuries during a public talk she gave at Belmont Abbey College on March 14. She hailed these women as true feminist pioneers and described the true feminist ideal they inspired.

For example, suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton called abortion “murder of children, either before or after birth,” Foster said.

“I really liked the historical aspect of her talk,” said Belmont Abbey College freshman Joanna Ruedisueli. “I thought feminism was started in the ’70s and was just about birth control. I had heard of Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, and I knew they were for voting, but nothing else.”

Through Feminists for Life of America, Foster lobbies for “practical resources and emotional support” for pregnant women, especially on college campuses. Working in tandem with campus health centers, Foster helps provide pregnant students with “nonviolent” options of parenting and adoption.

After helping establish such procedures at one campus health center, Foster was

Photos by Mary B. Worthington | Catholic News Herald

Feminists for Life president Serrin Foster (right) poses with Room at the Inn president Jeannie Wray (left) and Cindy Brown (center), who serves on the boards of both organizations. confronted by the director: “I am still prochoice,” the director told her, “but you made me realize there was no choice in the choices I was giving women.”

It is the work of Feminists for Life that directly influenced the decision for Room at the Inn to open a maternity home on the campus of Belmont Abbey College. The home is ready to begin accepting pregnant students this summer, and it is believed to be the first facility of its kind in the U.S. “Before the talk, I was the ‘except’ type,” said prospective student Kristina Bailey.

“She completely changed the way I think

about abortion.”

Having read the writings of both Margaret Sanger (founder of the abortion facility chain Planned Parenthood) and Stanton, sophomore student Grant Eddy attended out of curiosity on “why some feminists don’t agree with abortion,” he said. “This talk definitely inspired me to get involved (in pro-life).”

“I enjoyed this empowering message about women,” said Peter Devlin, a member of the Knights of Columbus from St. Joseph Church in Kannapolis. “I would like to see the pro-life feminist message take a step further to encouraging chastity and rejecting contraception, because casual sex and contraception demean women. This would be a more complete package for the feminist lobby.”

“Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women,” Foster said. And Feminists for Life is working to see that those needs are met so that there can be an end to abortion.

Learn more online Feminists for Life of America is at www.feministsforlife.org.

Details about Room at the Inn and its unique maternity center at Belmont Abbey College are at www.rati.org.

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

Photos provided by Gloria Schweizer

More than 75 college students went on an Alternative Spring Break 2012 to New York, where they worked, prayed and lived with the Sisters of Life for 10 days.

Area college students go on a very different spring break Sister Eileen Spanier, GNSH Special to the Catholic News Herald

As a campus minister in the Diocese of Charlotte, I have been fortunate to have had a number of college Alternative Spring Break experiences over the past few years. Our diocesan-sponsored Alternative Spring Break 2012 was a definite departure from the “typical” ASB experience, which usually consists of traveling to a work site with a group from a school or diocese.

This year’s event afforded our college students a unique opportunity through the Sisters of Life – a contemplative/ active religious community founded by the late John Cardinal O’Connor of the Archdiocese of New York for the protection and enhancement of the sacredness of all human life.

In an effort to provide “something more” than a typical ASB experience, the Sisters of Life offered a 10-day experience that could almost be described as a “Catholic immersion

experience into the Culture of Life.”

It began with a two-day silent retreat.

The remaining days were filled with activities and opportunities for spiritual nourishment: a day visiting shrines in New York, two days of work at their motherhouse in Montebella, N.Y., a hiking day at Bear

Mountain with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, a presentation by Peter Kreeft, prayer for Dr. Emily’s Abortion Clinic in the South Bronx, and a lecture entitled “Biology of the Theology of the Body” by Vicki Thorn (founder of Project Rachel).

Additional offerings included daily Mass, praying the rosary, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, and presentations by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and the Sisters of Life.

Eleven students and three campus ministers from the Diocese of Charlotte participated in this very unique Alternative Spring Break – among about 75 students from colleges/universities in seven states.

From the morning rising bell at 6 a.m., until the bell signaling Compline (night prayer), followed by Grand Silence at 10 p.m., the students grew in faith, knowledge of pro-life issues, and compassionate ways to offer hope and healing to those experiencing an unwanted pregnancy or post-abortion trauma.

“In between moments of reflective grand silence and holy leisure, we attended conferences that taught us more about the love Jesus has for each of us, the great significance of life, and the biological effects of abortion and use of contraceptives,” said Aurora Trujillo of UNC-Charlotte.

They also developed strong ties of friendship and established a support base for themselves as they face a world that does not actively promote chastity or encourage abstinence, and where the rights of the unborn are largely ignored.

It truly was an awesome experience for me as a woman religious and campus minister to be a part of the “First Annual Sisters of Life Alternative Spring Break.”

Ten days with more than 75 college-aged young adults, and the end result was phenomenal – an attitude of renewed hope and faith and a celebration of life.

Said Tim Potkay of UNC-Greensboro, “I attended my first Eucharistic healing service and spent time with the Blessed Sacrament every day. Best spring break ever.”

Thank you to all the generous donors who support Catholic Campus Ministry in the Diocese of Charlotte, a ministry partially funded by the Diocesan Support Appeal.

Sister Eileen Spanier, professed with the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, is a Charlotte area campus minister and chairwoman of Alternative Spring Break 2012.

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Photo provided by Erin Carpenter

During a five-day retreat and seminar called “Walking Our Spiritual Paths – An Introduction to the Spirituality of the Cherokee People” on the Qualla Boundary in Swain County, participants visited the ancient mound at Kituwah, Mother Town of the Cherokee.

Learning about Cherokee values, social teaching while on retreat in the mountains Erin Carpenter Special to the Catholic News Herald

CHEROKEE — The similarities between Catholicism and traditional Cherokee beliefs inspire us to contemplate the ways God has manifest Himself to humanity throughout time. Recently I attended a seminar called “Walking Our Spiritual Paths – An Introduction to the Spirituality of the Cherokee People” on the Qualla Boundary in Swain County. For five days we learned about Cherokee culture and spirituality, past and present. We enjoyed traditional foods, visited historic places and used our new knowledge to reflect on our own life experiences and beliefs.

The number seven is sacred in the Cherokee tradition, just as it is to JudeoChristian tradition. Cherokees hold seven core values, and these mirror Catholic social teaching: Life and Dignity of the Human Person: Catholic teaching says we should make an effort to avoid war. Russell Townsend, a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer with advanced degrees in archeology, marvels at the fact that the Cherokee chose not to fight Removal in 1838, when they were armed with the same weapons the white settlers had. He credits divine intervention for guiding the leaders of his tribe to avoid a conflict that would probably have resulted in more deaths.

Call to Family, Community, and Participation: The democratic principles our country was founded on may be derived from the Greeks and Romans in theory, but Russell Townsend likes to point out that England was still, at the end of the day, a monarchy. It was not until colonists came in contact with the frontier and saw the egalitarian societies of the American Indians that democracy as we know it became a reality.

Rights and Responsibilities: This teaching involves human rights and our responsibilities to one another. Patty Grant spoke of the “Historical Grief and Trauma” of the Cherokee people and how it perpetuates family dysfunction. She

offers her mental health services through an agency called “Analenisgi” which means “they are beginning” in Cherokee and refers to the journey toward healing and wellness.

Outreach to the Poor and Vulnerable: Cherokee people look out for one another.

The North American Indian Women’s Association, who prepared a traditional Cherokee dinner for us, often do fundraising dinners for individuals in the community who have fallen under hard times.

The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers: This seminar was organized by the Catholic Committee on Appalachia, which works actively to promote workers’ rights in the coal industry. The group also fights mountaintop removal.

Solidarity: This teaching tells us to be peacemakers, for we are all one human family. Cherokee Elder Freeman Owle brought us to the sacred mound at Kituwah, once a “peace village.”

Anyone who came to Kituwah from the surrounding area would be safe from prosecution, and after a year of working in the village, that person would be pardoned for his or her crime.

Care for God’s Creation: We found hope for the future when Dr. Carmelata Monteith toured us through the Cherokee Central Schools pre-K-12 campus, which achieved the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification.

Students will be planting vegetables in garden boxes at the schools to bring them closer to God’s creation and to provide healthy food at school.

Thanks to Mary Herr and Glenmary Father John Rausch with the Catholic Committee of Appalachia for organizing this wonderful experience. The 2013 seminar/retreat will be held in Cherokee on March 5-10, 2013. For details, contact Mary Herr at 828-497-9498 or maryherr@ dnet.net or Father John Rausch at 606-6630823 or jsrausch@bellsouth.net.

Erin Carpenter is a parishioner at St. Joseph Church in Bryson City who lives in Cherokee.

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

St. Patrick’s Day celebrated in style Prayer, music, fun make feast day memorable

Photos by SueAnn Howell and Ty Reamer | Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — Catholic schools, parishes and lay organizations all took part in the 16th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in uptown Charlotte March 17, celebrating a beautiful day of Irish culture, music and food. St. Ann, Holy Trinity Middle and St. Patrick schools all participated in the parade. The Knights of Columbus, Ancient Order of Hiberians, and their auxiliaries also marched in the parade, as well as local law enforcement, fire and military personnel. The parade lasted two hours under bright sunny skies and mild temperatures – perfect weather for the celebratory day. A record crowd of more than 60,000 people was estimated for the day-long event.

See more photos from the St. Patrick’s Day parade online at the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel.

Christopher Lux | Catholic News Herald

Irish Catholics gather at historic church in Mount Holly on Feast of St. Joseph MOUNT HOLLY — Father Frank Cancro of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont celebrated Mass at Old St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly on the Feast of St. Joseph on Monday, March 19.

The doors and shutters of the little historic church were opened wide so that approximately 70 people could squeeze inside.

Old St. Joseph Church, located in Mt. Holly, is the oldest standing Catholic church in North Carolina. It was built in 1843 for Irish immigrants who had come to mine for gold along the Catawba River. Today St. Joseph Church is used for special occasions such at the feasts of Sts. Patrick and Joseph in March, and tours are available upon request through Queen of the Apostles Church.

CHARLOTTE — Parishioners of St. Patrick Cathedral observed the feast day of their patron saint with 40 Hours of Eucharistic Adoration that culminated in a Eucharistic procession around the cathedral and a Holy Hour with Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

The 40 Hours Devotion was held March 15-17, ending just before Sunday Vigil Mass. The 40 Hours Devotion is a special 40-hour period of continuous prayer, recalling the significance of the number 40 itself in the Bible, as being a sacred period of time.

After Mass, parishioners gathered in the Family Life Center with Father Christopher Roux, pastor and rector of the cathedral, for a meal of corned beef and other Irish favorites, as well as Irish dancing and music that the children of the parish thoroughly enjoyed.

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For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

SJN leads Stations for teens CHARLOTTE — A teen Stations of the Cross was recently led by Father Patrick Hoare, pastor, at St. John Neumann Church for 175 middle and high school students, youth group members, and catechists. All participants gathered for fellowship and dinner with the pastor following the Stations.

Knights donate money for ultrasound machine

— Meredith Magyar and Josh Herold

BREVARD — Grand Knight Marti Felker (second from right) and Deputy Grand Knight Ray Norris (far right) of the Jack Driscoll Council 8886 in Brevard recently presented a check for $12,056 to Wendy Kicklighter (center), executive director of The Center for Women; Nancy Elliott (second from left), nurse manager; and Buck Bake, board member. The funds – raised by the Brevard Knights council and The Center for Women, along with a match from the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council’s ultrasound program – have enabled The Center for Women to replace its outdated ultrasound machine.

Ultrasound technology shows the humanity of the unborn child to women contemplating abortion. Experience has shown that many women, once they see the ultrasound image of their unborn children, choose to continue their pregnancies instead of choosing abortion.

— Ray Norris

Teens mark 19-hour famine CHARLOTTE — Teens from St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John Neumann parishes recently attended a 19-hour famine to learn more about problems with hunger and homelessness in Charlotte, the U.S. and around the world. An evening filled with awareness, prayer and fun left teens with hearts on fire for the poor. Both groups will continue this mission with many service projects in the coming months.

— Katie Herzing

St. Margaret parishioners make Way of the Cross MAGGIE VALLEY — Roseann Pulaski, Catechist, Breyson Mallette and Eva Quigley were among faith formations students, catechists and other parishioners at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Maggie Valley who recently walked the Way of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross had been set up all along a steep hill where participants paused at each one to hear about Jesus’ journey to Calvary, followed by prayers and the hymn “Lord, Let Me Walk.” Father Richard Benonis, pastor, then led parishioners in a closing prayer and hymn in the church.

College students pitch in on home work MAGGIE VALLEY — On March 10, 15 students from Western Carolina University’s Catholic Campus Ministry participated in a Habitat for Humanity work day, helping to clean and restore a Maggie Valley home which had recently been donated to Habitat. The students hope to foster a relationship with Habitat and organize volunteer work days each semester.

— Matt Newsome

— Betsy McLeod We welcome your parish’s news. E-mail items to Editor Patricia Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

MONKS: FROM PAGE 3

It is for this reason that St. Benedict, in chapter 53 of his rule, advised his monks to welcome strangers into the monastery. He wrote, “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ.”

This Benedictine hospitality – the hallmark of Western monasticism – is always witnessed at the annual Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage. Once again, hundreds of youth gathered March 24 in front of Belmont Abbey, home for the community of Benedictine monks for more than 100 years.

Father Kieran Neilson and Father Arthur Pendleton are two of the monks of Belmont Abbey who regularly help during the youth pilgrimage. Besides welcoming the crowd of guests and talking with

GIRLS: FROM PAGE 3

was to encourage the girls in “making the right choices in life without complaint,” she said. “The things you do are really of small value, but to do them – even doing that really boring calculus, neatly and thoroughly – is good for your soul!”

Walsh, member of St. Ann Church in Charlotte, admitted that her entire talk was based on what her five children tell her girls nowadays need to hear about holiness and purity.

“Imagine if we only texted or emailed on Sundays,” she said. “We would miss a lot and be totally disconnected. If you’re not talking to and listening to God every day, then it’s like you’ve totally turned off your ‘technology.’”

The girls, however, said they most appreciated the encouragement for dating with “purpose and purity.”

“Your big purpose right now is to figure out who God wants you to wed,” Walsh told them. “It must include purity, and that will be tested when you meet a really cute guy.”

She warned against serial dating, as it forms the habit of breakups that have the

ADORATION: FROM PAGE 3

time for Adoration and prayer besides 12 hours of Adoration kept by Belmont Abbey College students for the intention of students making the pilgrimage.

Friday night’s events, attended by more than 60 students from other colleges and universities in the Diocese of Charlotte plus Belmont Abbey students, closed with a holy hour. Abbey students also took individual holy hours throughout the night at St. Joseph Adoration Chapel on the Belmont Abbey College campus. Freshman Daniel Kurtz took the 3 a.m. slot: “Yeah, I get antsy,” Kurtz said. “But that’s why I go at night: after a long day, I like to wind down and truly rest and relax my soul with God.” On Saturday during several programs, middle and high school students were given opportunities to reflect on the Blessed Sacrament, and the day culminated with an hour of silent Adoration in the Wheeler Center led by Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

“If you want to be holy,” Bishop Jugis preached to the young people at Mass,

students, Father Neilson says the two of them “help with confession out by a tree in the front.”

The monks are willing and happy to help with the pilgrimage and to open up their home to the young pilgrims. Father Neilson recognizes it as “a wonderful opportunity for young people to see the abbey (and the college) and participate, to some degree, in the spiritual life of the monastery.”

The monks also welcome the public to their daily liturgies, and they are regularly joined by the students of Belmont Abbey College for daily Mass. However, for some of the monks, Mass is the only time they have a chance to see many of the students.

Because of this, Father Pendleton said he is happy to see the college students helping put on the pilgrimage.

“It’s nice to see all the young people out there,” he says. “It shows the place is alive.

The students are very important to me, and I like to see them more than just in the church.”

emotional consequence of “mini-divorces,” and she drew a pyramid to demonstrate the correct attitude toward dating: “Friends are at the bottom, then he meets your family, then you date, get engaged, then marry. Then, you have sexual intimacy.

The world turns the pyramid upside-down and says that sex is no big deal, but it is hugely powerful!”

“In dating, you are responsible to get his soul to heaven,” Walsh added, encouraging the girls to look to St. Maria Goretti for example of the “strength and resources a courageous woman can have to get others to heaven.”

Clara Davison, member of St. Michael Church in Gastonia, said she appreciated Walsh’s advice “not to date for fun or for the label of having a boyfriend.”

“I really liked the pyramid (analogy),” added Bonnie Aberle from St. Dorothy Church. “That really put things in a new perspective.”

“That’s really hard in high school,” admitted Rosy Olvera from St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson. “Girls want to be ‘in’ with the other girls.”

“Purity is setting yourself up to love for the right reasons,” Walsh said. “One little breech in purity opens up the door to do bad things, but being pure feeds on itself in a good way.”

“then the greatest source of holiness is the Eucharist.”

In his keynote talk, Father David Miller, parochial vicar at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, compared the spiritual sustenance of the Eucharist with nutritious food.

“You can’t look at broccoli and tell it’s healthy,” Father Miller said. “They studied it, and they discovered that veggies are good for you.” The Blessed Sacrament is similarly an intellectual work, he said.

During the holy hour, teens knelt on the wood floor of the gymnasium for the hour, grateful for the opportunity to worship.

“We aren’t able to attend Adoration often,” said Hannah Moore and Ashley Hanna, students from St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville. “That’s why we like to come here.”

“I love Adoration. I go once a month,” added Benjamin Gareis from Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. “I focus on God and the silence doesn’t bother me.”

“The Church says, ‘Come back later because in His presence we are changed,’” said Father Roger Arnsparger, pastor at St. Michael Church and the diocese’s vicar of education, who helps to organize the annual youth pilgrimage. “It is time well spent.”

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FROM TH

‘Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world.’

– Good Friday liturgy, new translation

Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy has a relic of the True Cross that is brought out on Good Friday and the Feast of the Holy Cross on Sept. 14.

Peggy Bowes | Catholic News Herald

Mary B. Worthington Correspondent

E

Mount Airy Catholics to venerate True Cross relic on Good Friday Peggy Bowes Correspondent

MOUNT AIRY — Shortly before I moved to Mount Airy, I read a fascinating book called “The Living Wood” by Louis de Wohl, which tells the story of St. Helena and her son Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome. According to legend, Helena discovered the True Cross, hidden for centuries under the ruins of a pagan temple in Jerusalem.

“The Living Wood” also introduced me to the fascinating “Golden Legend” – the story of the tree which would eventually become the cross on which Jesus died.

According to the legend, it begins at the time of Genesis when St. Michael the Archangel gives Seth (the son born to Adam and Eve after Cain slew Abel) a seed from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to plant in the mouth of Adam when he was buried. The seed eventually became a tree which grew for centuries. When it was chopped down, its wood was deemed unusable, so the trunk was thrown across a stream as a bridge. The Queen of Sheba, on her way to visit Solomon, approached the bridge and received a vision that the wood would be used to crucify the Savior.

The queen knelt in reverence and told Solomon about her vision. Solomon saw

this vision as a warning of the destruction of his kingdom and had the tree removed and buried. More than a thousand years later, at the proper time, it was discovered and used to fashion the cross that Jesus carried to Calvary.

After the True Cross was discovered, pieces of it were quickly dispersed throughout the world. One of the largest is preserved at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and many churches and individuals claim to have a piece of this “living wood.”

With such a colorful history fresh in my mind, I was in awe to discover that as I knelt in front of the tabernacle at my new parish in Mount Airy, Holy Angels Church, I was praying just a few feet from a relic of that True Cross. It was displayed in a niche above the altar but has since been locked away for safekeeping. The relic is brought out on Good Friday and the Feast of the Holy Cross (Sept. 14) to be venerated by parishioners and visitors to the parish.

Father Eric Kowalski, pastor, says the relic was obtained by his predecessor, Father Thomas Stott. Father Stott had connections with several bishops in Rome and he already possessed an extensive collection of relics, along with documentation as to their authenticity.

Unfortunately, Father Stott has passed away and cannot give an account as to how the True Cross relic came into his possession.

Father Kowalski attests to the blessings the relic has brought to Holy Angels.

“I was very happy, upon my arrival, to learn of the presence of this relic here in our parish. I consider our parish family quite blessed because of it. In addition to the wonderful gift and privilege of being able to spend time in adoration of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist during our weekly Holy Hour and Eucharistic Benediction, we are fortunate to be able to venerate the relic of the True Cross not only on Good Friday, but also on the Feast of the Holy Cross.

“The presence of the relic has borne much spiritual fruit in the lives of our parish family members through their understanding of the Cross as what it truly is: the instrument of our salvation.”

Holy Angels parishioner Erik Moledor simply and eloquently vocalizes the range of emotions one experiences at venerating a relic of the True Cross, “This wood held God!” The True Cross relic will be venerated at the Good Friday liturgy at 3 p.m. on April 6 at Holy Angels Church, 1208 North Main St. Visitors are always welcome.

ach Lent, Catholics watch as hundreds of people go through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and join the Church at Easter. Last year, 949 people entered the Church at Easter in the Diocese of Charlotte – among 150,000 people nationwide.

Each of these new Catholics has a unique story and a different reason for choosing the Catholic Church as their home.

What happens after they are baptized or brought into full communion with the Church at Easter, when their lives begin to blend with the lives of their fellow parishion News Herald spoke with several people who jo Easter about their first year as Catholics:

the biggest change

Shaun Keady says the biggest change in his morning was that “there wasn’t a huge chang after his baptism, Keady, now a new member in Charlotte, woke up and life seemed almost he understands that the grace of his newfoun strength to face “all the temptations and stru there. There’s the realization – that God gives keep making more steps daily,” he says.

“Becoming Catholic isn’t just about changin in on Sunday, but changing your whole life!” s Miller, a Belmont Abbey College student. Mil herself” and the Catholic faith through a nov Padua, which led her to the Abbey.

“I had lost myself and was praying to him t again,” she says.

Miller hails the education she receives at Be for forming her in her newfound faith. Fellow Kensinger also attributes Catholic education She had attended a Catholic high school in Ca there was recruited for Belmont Abbey’s socc “I have many Catholic friends, and my siste Catholic. I went to Mass for at least a year bef Becoming Catholic, the biggest change was: I able to fully participate in Mass. That’s proba thing,” Kensinger says.

“It has been one of the most peaceful and jo life!” exclaims Christie Dvorak from St. Ann C the Church with her daughter.

Dvorak’s daughter started coming home fro ago saying, “Mom, I want to become Catholic!

HE COVER

ners? The Catholic oined the Church last

s life on Easter ge.” The morning of St. Ann Church the same – but nd faith gives him uggles that are still s you opportunities to

ng the church you’re says Ashley Faye ller had “found vena to St. Anthony of

to help me find myself

elmont Abbey College w Abbey student Carly with her conversion. alifornia and from cer team. er had become fore starting RCIA. was able to finally be ably the most exciting

oyous years of my Church, who entered

om school two years !” Raised Baptist,

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

15

My first year as a

Catholic

Thoughts from recent converts to the faith

Dvorak began attending daily Mass when she would drop her off at school.

“Don’t get me wrong, though; life stressors are as usual. I just feel more prepared to deal with things that come my way. I feel like I have direction and purpose for the first time.”

“I love my wife, but I never considered her faith when we first married,” he admits. “But when I felt God pulling me toward the faith, it made our marriage stronger.”

For Angelina McArthur, a member of St. Michael Church in Gastonia, the greatest joy of entering the Church has been “supporting my husband, who is going through RCIA and will be confirmed this Easter.”

“We are all attending Mass every Sunday. It enables us to focus on what is most important,” she says. “I grew up in a family that attended church regularly. I always wanted to be Catholic.”

Affirmation

Tradition solid as a rock

“Catholic – now that’s a good faith!” said Kelly Rusk’s Baptist grandfather when Rusk broke the news of his conversion. For Rusk, this endorsement from the Baptist who had been “my spiritual rock and guide through life” confirmed his decision to enter the Church.

“My parents were happy and supportive,” explains Mark Brown, UNC-Charlotte graduate student and member of St. Ann Church. He was raised Methodist, and his mother witnessed his conversion journey. She even helped it by “church shopping” with Brown during school breaks.

Miller was surprised when her mother attended the Easter Vigil. “My mom attended my baptism,” she recalls. “She says she had never done anything so ritualistic, but she was so happy she came.”

For Daniel Diaz, however, the affirmation came only from the new friends in his life like Father Richard DeClue. “I found myself alone and without friends for a long time. In fact, many people didn’t believe me because of my past hatred for the Catholic Church. One frat brother even said, ‘You’re lying to me!’ when I told him I was becoming Catholic!”

But Kensinger has had a different response from friends. “One of my favorite things is when a Catholic – whether practicing or not – hears that I became Catholic. They are so happy for me; there is an amazing sense of family from other Catholics – which was a nice welcome.”

Adds fellow convert Lesha Sabio, “My circle of friends has always been a big group that included a few Catholics, lots of Protestants and some people who aren’t particularly religious. But everyone was supportive of my decision to convert.”

stronger marriages

Sabio – who describes her first year as a Catholic as “wonderful!”

– was married shortly after she entered the Church. She had grown up in a small community, attending the same Methodist church since she was born.

“We got married last July in a Catholic ceremony. Since we were both Catholic, we had the full nuptial Mass,” she says proudly. She and her new husband Hernan now attend St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem.

“I think it makes my relationship with my husband even better than it would be if I had remained Protestant,” Sabio reflects. “To share our faith, worship together, be active in the Church and approach family and social issues from a common understanding of God’s Word is very unifying.”

Madeline Keeter also found that her wedding just a few months following her baptism was “everything I had imagined growing up.

I have always been very faithful and knew I wanted my wedding in a church, and the Catholic ceremony was very meaningful,” she says. Keeter was raised a Mormon and is the first person in her family to openly leave the Mormon religion.

Rusk, however, was married for nearly four years before his conversion.

“As an individual, I can’t possibly know everything there is to know,” Kensinger admits. “It is comforting to have the Church because they know better as a whole. It is comforting to know you can’t pick and choose what to believe,” as she had been taught to do as a nondenominational Christian.

For Miller – who had been thinking about converting from a Pentecostal and Baptist background since he was a senior in high school – becoming Catholic has been important because “so many things in my life were transient, and I wanted the ‘Peter Rock.’

I was so confused and didn’t like to hear one thing one weekend and then go to another church and learn something else the next weekend. I wanted something more solid, tradition, a foundation, more continuity.”

Keady, raised Presbyterian and Wesleyan, says he had been “always very spiritual, and even found ways to go to church with friends in high school,” but he began seeking answers to life’s intellectual challenges about four years ago.

Keady laughs as he recalls how his journey to Catholicism began: A priest and some friends came into the bar where Keady worked.

Keady peppered him with questions. “I guess the priest wanted to chill with his friends, so he said to me, ‘Look, if you want to know more, you need to read St. Jerome.’”

Brown’s conversion started with reading a classic work of fiction

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “Crime and Punishment.” He then began to seek God more fervently.

“All my thoughts were confirmed and took shape in the Faith, where they had just been speculation,” Brown explains.

“Everything the Church taught was always in line with what I had always thought, even though I didn’t know how to express it.”

Diaz, on the other hand, says he first struggled to accept the Church’s teachings, especially about the Blessed Mother. “I chose St. Thomas Aquinas as my patron because he also struggled with the teachings on the Immaculate Conception.”

Diaz, currently a graduate student at Regent University in Virginia, calls his conversion an “intellectual pursuit” that he never expected to happen.

“There is so much to learn when you haven’t grown up in the Church,” adds McArthur. “I am constantly growing in that respect.”

“Absolutely, without a doubt I have found home,” Keady says.

“If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it. The Church’s teachings aren’t broken, so why would I want to go anywhere else? I just have to allow the Church’s teachings to absorb into me.”

Talk with a Catholic priest Becoming a Catholic is a spiritual journey that each person must decide to make for themselves. The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a process to help people grow in their relationship with God, become familiar with Catholic teachings and get involved with parish life. To learn more, talk to the pastor of the Catholic church nearest you.

‘Becoming Catholic isn’t just about changing the church you’re in on Sunday, but changing your whole life!’

‘I feel like I have direction and purpose for the first time.’

‘I wanted something more solid, tradition, a foundation, more continuity.’

16

catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 FROM THE COVER

Follow Jesus on the Way of the Cross A

s we prepare for Holy Week, we would like to share as a pictorial Lenten meditation for you the new outdoor Stations of the Cross at St. Joseph Vietnamese Church in Charlotte. These 16 larger-than-life Stations of the Cross – unique in our diocese – depict the 14 Stations of the Cross that every church has plus two more: the birth of Jesus and His Resurrection.

They were donated by an anonymous family at St. Joseph Church and they were crafted in Saigon, Vietnam. Each Station stands 6 feet tall or more, weighs more than 16 tons and took 10 months to create. Each sits on a large concrete base and is individually lit with spotlights. The 16 statues ring

the church’s property, from the church’s front door all the way around the expansive parking lot.

The monumental feature is one not to be missed during this holy season if you live in the Charlotte area.

The Stations of the Cross at St. Joseph Church are open daily, located at 4929 Sandy Porter Road near Arrowood Road and I-485 in southwest Charlotte.

For details and directions, go to www. charlottediocese.org and search Charlotte parishes for the St. Joseph information page, or call 704-5889022.

More online Share these photos with your friends through email, Facebook and Twitter – this collection is online at www. catholicnewsherald.com.

— SueAnn Howell, staff writer, and Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor

On the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel, see photos from the dedication of the Stations by Bishop Peter Jugis last summer.

I The birth of Jesus

II Jesus is condemned by Pilate

III Jesus carries His cross

IV Jesus falls the first time

V Jesus meets His Mother

VI Simon helps Jesus carry the cross

VII Veronica wipes Jesus’ face

VIII Jesus falls the second time

IX Jesus meets the women

X Jesus falls a third time

XI Jesus is stripped of His garments

XII Jesus is nailed to the cross

XIII Jesus dies on the cross

XIV Jesus is taken down from the cross

XV Jesus is laid in the tomb

XVI The Resurrection

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

The Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross have long been a popular and beneficial part of Christian devotion. On Fridays during Lent, the faithful are encouraged to join with the priest or deacon in recalling 14 important events from our Lord’s Passion and death.

As the Catechism explains, “Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior’s steps.

The Stations from the Praetorium to Golgotha and the tomb trace the way of Jesus, who by His holy Cross has redeemed to world” (Catechism 2669).

That is precisely why, with prayerful devotion, we commemorate the Stations in the first place: to share in the saving mission, redemptive suffering and true love of Jesus Christ. As He walked the unimaginably painful and exhausting road to Calvary, the Cross held firmly on His shoulder, our God and Savior was spurred on by His infinite love for all mankind, regardless of creed, race or religion.

After washing the feet of His Apostles, Christ affectionately asked, “Do you know what I have done to you?

(I) have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (John 13:12, 15).

St. Alphonsus Liguori’s “Way of the Cross” is a particularly inspiring one to use. The saint ends each station with a profoundly humble and beautiful request of God: “Grant that I may love You always, and then do with me as You will.”

As Lent draws to a close and we approach the wondrous joy of Easter, may God strengthen our virtue – and our hearts – with greater love for each other and for Him. — Joseph Bruck

FROM THE COVERI

17

Schedule of Holy Week and Easter observances ARDEN ST. BARNABAS CHURCH, 109 Crescent Hill Dr. — April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.

(Bilingual); Adoration, 8 p.m.-midnight (Chapel) — April 6: Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, 3 p.m.: Stations of the Cross, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Blessing of Easter baskets, 9 a.m.; Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m. (Bilingual); Easter Egg Hunt, noon

BELMONT QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES CHURCH, 503 N. MAIN ST. — April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper and washing of feet, 7:30 p.m.; Veneration of the Blessed Sacrament, 8:45 p.m.

— April 6: Belmont Cross Walk, noon; Solemn Passion and Veneration of the Cross, 7:30 p.m.

— April 7: Super Saturday celebration for children, 10 a.m.; Blessing of Easter food, noon; Easter Vigil, 8:30 a.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

BOONE st. elizabeth of the hill country CHURCH, 259 Pilgrims Way — April 5: 7 p.m. (Bilingual) — April 6: 7 p.m.

— April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. (Spanish)

BRYSON CITY st. JOSEPH CHURCH, 316 Main St. — April 8 Mass: 11:15 a.m.

CANTON IMMACULATE CONCEPTION MISSION, 42 Newfound Road — April 8 Mass: 8:30 a.m.

CHARLOTTE our lady of consolation church, 2301 statesville ave.

— April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.; followed by Adoration until 11 p.m.

— April 6: Stations of the Cross, 3 p.m.; Liturgy of the Passion and Veneration of the Cross, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass (Parish Life Center): 8 a.m., 11 a.m.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE church, 6212 Tuckaseegee Road — 5 de abril: Misas, 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.; Adoracion hasta la medianoche — 6 de abril: Via Crucis mediodia, 3 p.m.; Celebracion de Adoracion de la Cruz, 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

— 7 de abril: Vigilia Pascual, 8 p.m.

— 8 de abril: Misas, 8 a.m., 10 a.m., mediodia, 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m.

ST. ann church, 3635 park road — April 5: Mass of the Last Supper, 7 p.m., followed by Adoration until midnight — April 6: Stations of the Cross, noon; Reconciliation, 12:30-2 p.m.; Passion of the Lord, 3 p.m.; Tenebrae, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Blessing of the Food, noon; Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.

(Bilingual) ST. BASIL THE GREAT EASTERN CATHOLIC MISSION, 7702 PINEVILLE-MATTHEWS ROAD, — April 6: Good Friday Matins Service, 10 a.m.; Good Friday Vespers Service 5 p.m.

— April 7: Holy Saturday/Jerusalem Matins Service, 10 a.m.; Paschal Vespers and Typica Service with Holy Communion 5 p.m.

— Visit www.stbasil.weebly.com

ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, 306 PROVIDENCE ROAD — April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.; Adoration 8 a.m.-midnight — April 6: Stations of the Cross, noon; Solemn Good Friday Service, 1 p.m.; Las Siete Palabras, 3-5 p.m.; Under the Wood of the Cross, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Blessing of the Food, noon; Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. (Spanish) ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH, 8451 IDLEWILD ROAD — April 6: “The Passion of Jesus Christ,” multilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese), live Stations of the Cross, 7 p.m. sT. luke church,13700 lawyers road — April 5: Mass of the Last Supper, 7 p.m.

— April 6: Stations of the Cross, noon; Veneration of the Cross, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m.

(Porter Ridge H.S.), 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. sT. matthew church, 8015 ballantyne commons pkwy.

— April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7:30 p.m., followed by Adoration until 11 p.m. (Incense) — April 6: Stations of the Cross, 3 p.m.; Service of the Lord’s Passion, 7:30 p.m.

— April 7: Blessing of the Easter Foods, noon; Easter Vigil, 7:30 p.m. (Incense) — April 8 Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m.

(Charlotte Catholic H.S.), 10:45 a.m. (Church and parish center gym); 11:15 a.m. (Charlotte Catholic H.S.), 12:30 p.m. (Church and parish center gym), 5:30 p.m.

ST. PATRICK cATHEDRAL, 1621 DILWORTH ROAD EAST April 3: Chrism Mass, 10 a.m.

April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.; Adoration, 8 p.m.-midnight (Family Life Center); April 6: Stations of the Cross, noon; Veneration of the Cross, 3 p.m.

April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

April 8 Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m.

ST. thomas aquinas CHURCH, 1400 suther road — April 1: Presentation of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Stabat Mater,” 2:30 p.m.

— April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.; Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament following Mass until midnight (Chapel) — April 6: Solemn Liturgy of the Passion, 3 p.m.; Lenten Penitential Supper, 6 p.m.

(Aquinas Hall); Living Stations of the Cross 7:30 p.m.

— April 7: Blessing of Easter food, noon; Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m.

(Aquinas Hall), 11:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m. (Aquinas Hall) ST. vincent de paul CHURCH, 6828 old reid road — April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7:30 p.m.

(Bilingual) — April 6: Stations of the Cross, 3 p.m.; El Via Crucis (Spanish); Good Friday Liturgy, 7:30 p.m. (Bilingual) — April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. (Spanish), 5 p.m.

CHEROKEE OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE MISSION, 82 Lambert Branch Road — April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.

— April 6: Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 9 a.m.

DENVER

MOUNT AIRY

holy spirit church, 537 hwy. 16 north — April 5: Mass and footwashing, 7 p.m.; Adoration until 11 p.m. in Overflow (Incense) — April 6: Service of the Lord’s Passion, 3 p.m.; Stations of the Cross, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Easter Vigil, 7 p.m. (Incense) — April 8 Mass: 9 a.m. (PAC), 11 a.m. (PAC)

HOLY ANGELS CHURCH, 1208 N. MAIN ST. April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Msgr.

Duncan Center), 7:30 p.m.

— April 6: Stations of the Cross, noon (Daily chapel); Proclamation of the Passion/ Veneration of the Cross/Holy Communion, 3 p.m. (Msgr. Duncan Center) — April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m.

(Mass in the Extraordinary Form)

GREENSBORO st. pius x CHURCH, 2210 n. elm st.

— April 5: Mass, 7 p.m.; Adoration until midnight — April 6: Stations of the Cross, outdoors, 3 p.m.; Service, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Easter egg hunt and basket blessing, 9 a.m.; Vigil Mass, 8:30 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

SAPPHIRE ST. JUDE MISSION, 3011 U.S. HWY 64 East — April 5: Holy Thursday, 7 p.m. (Bilingual) — April 6: Living Passion in Spanish, noon — April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m. (Bilingual) — April 8 Mass: 8 a.m.

HAMLET

SHELBY

ST. JAMES THE GREATER CHURCH, 1018 W. Hamlet Avenue — April 5: Mass of the Lord, 7 p.m., 9 p.m.

(Spanish) — April 6: Passion of the Lord, 3 p.m.; Via Crucis, 5 p.m. (Spanish) — April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m. (Bilingual) — April 8 Mass: 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. (Spanish)

ST. MARY CHURCH, 818 McGowan Road — April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.; Adoration, following Mass to 11 p.m. (Parish Hall) — April 6: Reconciliation, 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Divine Mercy Chaplet/Stations of the Cross, 3 p.m.; Celebration of the Passion of the Lord, 6 p.m.; Stations of the Cross, 7:30 p.m. (Spanish, outdoors) — April 7: Reconciliation, 10:45-11:45 a.m.; Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 10 a.m., 12:45 p.m. (Spanish)

HIGHLANDS OUR LADY OF THE MOUNTAINS MISSION, 315 N. 5th St. — April 6: The Lord’s Passion, 3 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 11 a.m.

HUNTERSVILLE ST. MARK CHURCH, 14740 STUMPTOWN ROAD — April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.; Adoration, 8 p.m.-midnight — April 6: Passion of the Lord, 3 p.m.; Spanish Stations of the Cross/Procession/Passion of the Lord/Veneration of the Cross, 6 p.m.; Tenebrae Service, 7:30 p.m.

— April 7: Blessing of Easter Food, 3 p.m.; Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m.

(Bilingual)

KINGS MOUNTAIN CHRIST THE KING MISSION, 714 Stone St. — April 8 Mass: 8 a.m.

LEXINGTON OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY church, 619 s. Main St. — April 5: Adoration, 7 p.m.-midnight — April 6: Passion of Christ, 3 p.m.; Stations of the Cross, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Easter Vigil, 7 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m.

(Spanish)

MOCKSVILLE ST. francis of assisi church, 862 Yadkinville Road — April 5: Adoration, 7 p.m.-midnight (Bilingual) — April 6: Stations of the Cross 2 p.m., Passion and Communion 3 p.m., Via Crucis with Passion and Communion (Spanish) to follow 5 p.m.

— April 7: Blessing of the Food, 9 a.m., Easter Vigil (Bilingual) 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.

(Spanish)

MOORESVILLE ST. THERESE church, 217 Brawley School Road — April 5: Holy Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

— April 6: Seven Last Words, 1 p.m.; Outdoor Stations of the Cross, 2:30 p.m.; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, 7:30 p.m.

— April 7: Blessing of the Food, noon; Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 2:30 p.m. (Spanish), 5:30 p.m.

SWANNANOA ST. MARGARET MARY CHURCH, 102 Andrew Place — April 5: Bilingual Mass/The Last Supper, 7 p.m.; Eucharistic Adoration, 8:15 p.m.

— April 6: Stations of the Cross, 6 p.m.; The Lord’s Passion, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Easter Vigil, 7:50 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m.

(Spanish)

THOMASVILLE OUR LADY OF THE HIGHWAYS CHURCH, 943 Ball Park Road — April 5: 7 p.m. (Bilingual) — April 6: Stations of the Cross, outdoors, 3 p.m. (Spanish); Liturgy, 7 p.m.

— April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. (Spanish)

WADESBORO SACRED HEART MISSION, 205 s. Rutherford St. — April 8 Mass: 8:30 a.m.

WAYNESVILLE st. john the evangelist church, 234 Church Street — April 7: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 11 a.m., 5 p.m. (Spanish)

WINSTON-SALEM our lady of mercy CHURCH, 1730 link road — April 5: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7:30 p.m.

— April 6: Passion of the Lord Service, 3:30 p.m.; Via Crucis, 5 p.m. (sports field), followed

by Passion of the Lord Service — April 7: Easter Vigil, 8:30 p.m.

— April 8 Mass: 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m.

(Spanish) ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CHURCH, 1625 E. 12th St. — April 4: Scriptural reflection and Stations of the Cross, 5:30 p.m.

Note: This is a partial list. Check with your local parish for more information.

Our schools 18

catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

In Brief

St. Pius X students enjoy Irish dancing

Photo provided by Anne Runkle

Charlotte Catholic honors choir knows how to get to Carnegie Hall Charlotte Catholic High School’s Honors Choir, directed by Dottie Tippett, made their New York debut at Carnegie Hall March 19 as part of the National Youth Choir, when they performed before a full house in the Isaac Stern Auditorium on the Ronald O. Perelman Stage. Above, they are pictured in front of Lincoln Center. The 64 students traveled to New York City for the weekend to rehearse selections under the direction of conductor Dr. Lynne Gackle, associate professor of ensembles and associate director of choral activities at Baylor University. The CCHS choir, combined with 150 other high school choral students from around the U.S., form the National Youth Choir. They performed five selections: “Te Deum”

by Mozart, “The Ground” from “Sunrise Mass” by Gjeilo, “Vox Populi” by Svilainis, “I am in Need of Music” by Brunner, and “Let Everything That Hath Breath” by Ames. Students in Charlotte Catholic’s two choral honors classes were invited to join the National Youth Choir after winning two first place-gold awards last spring from Field Studies/Heritage Foundation while performing in Orlando, Fla.

Spelling bee champ at St. Michael School GASTONIA — Sixth-grader Catherine “Catie” Wilkinson (seated at left) won St. Michael School’s spelling bee Feb. 21.

Wilkinson has won the spelling bee at St. Michael School for the past three years.

Also pictured are: Bailey Roca, eighth-grade runner-up; Schaefer Rimmer, third grade; Karlie Nielson, fifth grade; and Cecelia Tolbert, fourth grade (third-place winner).

— Pat Burr

GREENSBORO — On March 16, the students of St. Pius X School in Greensboro enjoyed an exciting Irish dance performance from the Walsh-Kelly School of Dance. This is an annual tradition at St. Pius X School, and many of the dancers who performed are students. Colleen King, Irish dance instructor, is also a St. Pius X School parent.

— Jean Navarro We welcome your school’s news. Please e-mail photos and story suggestions to Editor Patricia Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Photo provided by Meredith Paul

Middle school students enjoy lock-in CHARLOTTE — A group of 70 middle school students and catechists gathered March 3 for a “Run the Race” lock-in. Middle school students from St. John Neumann and St. Thomas Aquinas parishes in Charlotte shared their faith and fellowship through small groups, Eucharistic Adoration, Mass and confession. Students also enjoyed games, food and a Wii “Just Dance” tournament, and they stayed up into the early hours of the morning watching sport-themed movies such as “Mighty Macs” and “Soul Surfer.”

Photo provided by Jane Mathews

ACS advances in Battle of the Books competition ASHEVILLE — Asheville Catholic School won the Battle of the Books Competition for Region 9-Independent Schools March 6. The school will now advance to the regional competitions in Chapel Hill on April 17. Team members pictured are: (front row) Millie Etheridge, Elizabeth Mangone, Melissa Cavagnini, Claire Cole, Sarah Elizabeth Michalets and Annalise Mangone; (back row) Lana Camille, David Mathews, Ilze Greever, Genevieve Wiedeman, Hailey Judson and Benjamin Greever.

19

Mix 20

catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

On TV n Sunday, April 1, 3:30-6:30 a.m.

(EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Palm Sunday From Rome (Live).”

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the liturgy for Passion Sunday.

In theaters

n Sunday, April 1, noon-2 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Palm Sunday From the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Live).”

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States, will be the celebrant and homilist at this celebration of the Eucharist.

‘October Baby’ A college freshman plagued by chronic medical problems learns from her devoted parents that they adopted her as an infant after she had survived an attempted abortion.

Devastated and bewildered by the revelation, she sets out in search of her birth mother (Shari Rigby), accompanied on her journey by her best friend since childhood. Adeptly shot bucolic settings and a strong performance

by Jasmine Guy as a retired nurse who once worked in the abortion mill where the young heroine was almost killed are undeniable assets.

Mature subject matter, potentially disturbing references.

CNS: A-II (adults and adolescent), MPAA: PG-13

‘21 Jump Street’ Two bungling police partners find their friendship strained when they’re assigned to pose as high school students in an undercover operation designed to bust a drug ring. Codirectors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s bigscreen version of the once-popular television series, which first aired on Fox in 1987, starts out as a good-hearted, albeit relentlessly foulmouthed, buddy comedy. But, as the vulgarities continue to fly, the desire to be outrageous leads to scenes of gruesome violence and debased sexuality. Intensely gory gun violence, strong sexual content, including graphically depicted aberrant and nonmarital activity as well as brief rear nudity, drug use, irreverent humor, about a half-dozen uses of profanity, pervasive rough and crude language.

CNS: O (morally offensive), MPAA: R

‘The Hunger Games’ Dystopian adventure tracking two teens as they participate in the titular event, a televised survival tournament in which youthful combatants from oppressed outlying districts are forced to battle one another until only one remains alive for the entertainment of their society’s decadent urban elite. Director and co-writer Gary Ross’ screen version of the first volume in Suzanne Collins’ best-selling trilogy of novels is an effective combination of epic spectacle and emotional drama during which humane values are pitted against Darwinian moral chaos. But sensibilities are not spared in the portrayal of the grim contest, so parents need to weigh carefully whether to allow targeted teens to attend. Considerable, sometimes gory, violence and graphic images of bloody wounds.

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

Amber Mellon | Catholic News Herald

Ricky Kovacs, the music minister at St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church, is heading off to an internship with the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

St. Elizabeth’s music minister departs for Vatican internship with United Nations Amber Mellon Correspondent

BOONE — Ricky Kovacs, the music minister at St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church, is leaving the place he calls home for an internship an ocean away. Switzerland will become his home for the next three months as he completes an internship with the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, which is led by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer for the Vatican at the U.N. Kovacs has been involved with the music program at St. Elizabeth Church since 2004. He came to Appalachian State University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in religion and philosophy with a minor in criminal justice. During his junior year, he served as music chair for the Catholic Campus Ministry.

Father Joseph V. Mulligan, pastor of St. Elizabeth Church, approached Kovacs to serve as music minister for the parish during the young man’s senior year. What started out as a college internship soon became a permanent job with the parish. He continued serving as music minister as he started studying for a Master of Arts in theology from the University of Notre Dame through a distance-learning program in 2009, followed by a Masters of Arts in political science and international relations from Appalachian

State University in 2010.

To complete his graduate work, Kovacs said he sought an internship that combined his passions for both religion and political science. He found two opportunities: one with the State Department and the other at the U.N. Permanent Mission.

After he applied, he was ranked among the top 10 finalists for the State Department internship; he was awarded the Vatican internship in Switzerland.

He said he never thought he would have such an opportunity abroad.

While he is in Switzerland working at the Vatican’s Permanent Mission, Kovacs will attend U.N. hearings and write reports on issues related to the Church – specifically on international religious freedom and human rights. He will also participate in other duties given to him until his internship ends in late June.

After he completes his internship, Kovacs will come back to the United States to complete his comprehensive exams at the University of Notre Dame and finish his graduate degree.

After that, he said, he does not have any firm plans, remaining open to wherever God may lead him.

He said he is excited about his internship, but sad to be leaving Boone and St. Elizabeth Church.

The parish has become a real family to him, he said, and he will miss the parishioners’ daily presence in his life.

n Thursday, April 5, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper From Rome.” Pope Benedict celebrates the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which commemorates the institution of the Eucharist. n Friday, April 6, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Celebration of the Lord’s Passion From Rome (Live).” In Vatican City, Pope Benedict presides over this liturgical commemoration of the Lord’s Passion. n Saturday, April 7, 3-6 p.m. (EWTN) “Easter Vigil Mass From Rome (Live).”

The Holy Father celebrates the Easter Vigil Mass in Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica. n Saturday, April 7, 8-10:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Easter Vigil Mass From the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Live).”

Archbishop Vigano is scheduled to preside and preach at this Eucharistic celebration commemorating the Resurrection.

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

BISHOPS: FROM PAGE 5

of marriage itself.”

The bishops also rejected Obama’s claim that the marriage amendment unfairly discriminates against people with same-sex attraction, and they reiterated Catholic teaching to uphold and protect the dignity of all human beings.

They also reiterated Catholic teaching that the sacrament of marriage “is a vocation in which God calls couples to faithfully and permanently embrace a fruitful union in a mutual self-giving bond of love, according to His purposes. It is not

More online Read more about the upcoming marriage amendment from Catholic Voice NC, online at www.catholicvoicenc.org.

Check out the series of videos that the North Carolina bishops have produced to explain Church teaching about the sacrament of marriage. Go to the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel or www. catholicnewsherald.com.

only the union itself that is essential to these purposes, but also the life to which spouses are called to be open, the gift of children.”

HHS:

What it says Voters will consider the following constitutional amendment at the polls on May 8: “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.”

The Winston-Salem rally included the Pledge of Allegiance, along with talks by Father John Eckert, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, Pastor Michael Carbone of Crossbound Community Church in Clemmons, and Debra Conrad.

FROM PAGE 5

Demonstrations were held nationwide, with the largest held in Washington, D.C. In Charlotte, guest speakers outside the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building included Bishop Peter Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte, the Rev. Dr. Mark Harris of First Baptist Church in Charlotte, Jeannie Wray of Room at the Inn in Charlotte, and Dr. William Thierfelder of Belmont Abbey College.

Thierfelder spoke about the college’s lawsuit against the federal government – a legal fight the college hopes will kill the HHS mandate before it goes into effect in 2013 and 2014. Their lawsuit is among several filed against HHS and being coordinated by the non-profit Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in Washington, D.C. Thierfelder described the battle as one akin to that of Daniel in the lion’s den.

Wray said the HHS mandate directly threatens Room at the Inn’s ability to continue its ministry of helping pregnant women in need – all women, whether they are Catholic or not.

“This is a very dangerous precedent,” Wray told the enthusiastic crowd. “This is about religious intolerance. And make no mistake, if we don’t stand up now, Catholic hospitals, schools and colleges could become a thing of the past, and we will be fighting religious persecution.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she

And they pointed out that in all of the discussion about people’s rights, the rights of children – their right to grow up with both a mother and a father, as well as to understand the “proper place” of human sexuality – must be at the forefront of this discussion.

The bishops are encouraging Catholics to go out May 8 and vote for marriage.

Photo provided by Pattie Curran

continued, “I love my country and I am proud to be an American, but I am being forced to choose between my faith and my country.”

Holding his Bible and preaching loudly for all to hear, First Baptist Church’s pastor Harris emphasized that this battle is not just a Catholic one – all Christian believers must stand up and fight this mandate, as our Christian duty.

Christians all have a responsibility to speak up when their government is forcing them to do something in violation of their faith in God, he said. Christians must be politically involved, they must vote, they must advocate for what they believe is right, and they must pray for their government leaders.

“Jesus Christ never said keep quiet and just ignore the government,” Harris said.

21

Our nation 22

catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com Msgr. William Lynn, left, leans on a counter before entering the courthouse for the opening day of his trial in Philadelphia March 26. Msgr.

Lynn being tried on charges of having failed to protect children from two priest-abusers who were under his direction when he served as secretary of the clergy for the Philadelphia Archdiocese from 1992 to 2004.

In Brief Judge: Government violated Constitution in USCCB contract WASHINGTON, D.C. — Religiously based restrictions on reproductive health services for victims of human trafficking cannot be imposed by the Department of Health and Human Services, a federal judge has ruled.

By delegating to the U.S. bishops the decision on which services to offer or not offer to trafficking victims, HHS violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, Judge Richard G. Stearns ruled March 23 in the case filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in federal court in Massachusetts. A USCCB spokeswoman called the ruling a disappointment March 26 and said they may appeal.

$3.1 million approved for Haiti rebuilding WASHINGTON, D.C. — One of the iconic symbols of the Catholic Church in Haiti’s earthquake-battered capital will be rebuilt starting this year under a program administering millions of dollars in donations. Construction on Sacred Heart Church in the middle-class community of Turgeau in Port-au-Prince will receive $1.8 million in funding under a joint program involving the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Relief Services and the Haitian bishops.

The project’s total cost is estimated at $2.5 million. The funding for the church was approved March 21 by the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America. The grants were announced in conjunction with Pope Benedict XVI’s March 23-28 pastoral visit to Mexico and Cuba. Sacred Heart Church was destroyed in the magnitude 7 earthquake that claimed more than 300,000 lives in a matter of seconds in January 2010.

Philadelphia ex-priest admits abuse PHILADELPHIA — As two of his former colleagues prepared to face trial on abuse-related charges, a former priest of the Philadelphia Archdiocese was sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison March 22 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and sexual assault of a 10-year-old boy.

Edward V. Avery, 69, who was removed from the priesthood in 2006, admitted in a court appearance that he was guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse in the 1999 assault. He also said he conspired with co-defendant Msgr.

William J. Lynn, then secretary for clergy in the archdiocese, to endanger children. Msgr. Lynn, who is not charged with any sexual wrongdoing, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and endangering children. Another codefendant, Father James J. Brennan, is accused of raping a boy in 1996 and has also pleaded not guilty. Their trial began March 26.

Bishop Lori named to Baltimore; new bishops named in Ill., Fla. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., to be the new archbishop of Baltimore, and he also named new bishops for the dioceses of Rockford, Ill., and Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla. Msgr. David J. Malloy, 56, general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2006 to 2011, has been named bishop of Rockford. He is currently pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church in Lake Geneva, Wis. Father Gregory L. Parkes, vicar general of the Diocese of Orlando, Fla., and pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Celebration, Fla., was named bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee.

Archbishop Lori, 60, has been the bishop of Bridgeport since March 2001. He is chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty. Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, named grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem Aug. 29, will remain as apostolic administrator of the Baltimore Archdiocese until Archbishop Lori’s installation May 16.

— Catholic News Service

CNS | Tim Shaffer, Reuters

Landmark clergy sex abuse trial begins in Philadelphia Matthew Gambino Catholic News Service

PHILADELPHIA — State prosecutors and defense lawyers for Msgr. William J. Lynn and Father James J. Brennan all decried the issue of sexual abuse of children at the start of a criminal trial March 26 in Philadelphia.

Despite that apparent agreement, the attorneys embarked on sharply divergent paths as they made opening arguments before presiding Judge M. Teresa Sarmina and jurors at the beginning of the trial for Msgr.

Lynn, 61, former secretary for clergy of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Father Brennan, an archdiocesan priest.

Msgr. Lynn is the highest-ranking diocesan official ever charged with alleged crimes in connection with the scandal of sexual abuse of children by clergy that has roiled the Church in the U.S. for the past decade. He faces two charges of endangering the welfare of a child.

Father Brennan, 48, is accused of attempting to rape a 14-year-old boy in 1996.

Both priests remain free on bail and on administrative leave from the archdiocese, so they may not function publicly as priests.

A third defendant in the trial, former priest Edward Avery, 69, pleaded guilty March 23 to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a boy in 1999, as well as to a charge of conspiracy.

Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Coelho in her opening argument emphasized the alleged conspiracy of archdiocesan officials, especially Msgr. Lynn. Coelho repeatedly referred to the “secrets” and the archdiocese’s “secret archive files” of priests accused of sexual assault or misconduct dating to the 1940s, and to Msgr. Lynn as the keeper of those secrets.

As archdiocesan secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, his role, Coelho said, was as a “human resources manager” charged with “investigating crimes committed against children by priests” and to “protect the Church, protect children and protect priests’ privacy.”

Coelho cited the cases of 12 archdiocesan priests and their alleged sexual abuse of minors. The cases were all part of the 2005 grand jury report that widely exposed the crisis of sexual abuse by priests in the Philadelphia Archdiocese over more than 60 years.

The cases have become notorious and underscored what Coelho termed a conspiracy to endanger children in a “concerted effort to protect the Church from scandal.”

Msgr. Lynn’s defense attorney, Thomas Bergstrom, echoed Sarmina’s opening injunction to the jurors that

the defendants are presumed innocent during the trial, and that the jury must find his client guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Bergstrom acknowledged that sex abuse occurred in the archdiocese, but said he does not represent the Church or the archdiocese, but only Msgr. Lynn.

His client, Bergstrom said, “knows (sexual abuse of a child) is awful, but he and perhaps he alone is the one who tried to correct it.”

Bergstrom said Msgr. Lynn met with victims and priests accused of abuse, and documented everything in memorandums and letters. Msgr. Lynn forwarded that information and recommendations on priestly assignments “to the chain of command,” but had no authority to assign priests as secretary for clergy.

“The only man in the archdiocese that can assign priests is Cardinal (Anthony J.) Bevilacqua,” Bergstrom said.

The late cardinal led the archdiocese from 1988 to 2003.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput is the current head of the Philadelphia Archdiocese.

Bergstrom said evidence in the trial would show that Cardinal Bevilacqua rejected Msgr. Lynn’s recommendation for assignment of then-Father Avery.

The cardinal instead assigned him to hospital ministry and residence in a parish where Avery would later be accused of sexual assault of a boy, in the incident to which he pleaded guilty.

Bergstrom then described how his client tried to address the issue of priest misconduct.

More than a year after Msgr. Lynn took the helm of the clergy office, reports started to surface about allegations of priest sex abuse from past decades. The priest and an aide began an investigation of priest personnel files and in locked document archives at the archdiocesan headquarters in Philadelphia. They wanted to assess, Bergstrom said, “how bad is this problem?”

Their result, he said, were 323 files from which they compiled 35 names of priests with accusations or credible evidence of sexual abuse.

Their memo of Feb. 18, 1994, attached a list with the names, which was sent up through the archdiocesan administration of the time to Msgr. Lynn’s superiors, including Cardinal Bevilacqua.

Although the cardinal ordered the memo shredded, a copy was placed in a locked box not discovered until 2006 and not produced for the court in the trial until recently.

All attorneys suggested the trial might last from several weeks to several months.

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Catholics, ‘all people of faith’ urged to pray for religious liberty org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/ conscience-protection/resources-onconscience-protection.cfm.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. bishops “Prayer for Religious Liberty” cards are are urging Catholics and “all people of available on the site as a downloadable PDF faith” across the nation to join them in prayer and fasting for religious freedom and file.

“Prayer is the ultimate source of our conscience protection. strength – for without God, we can do Among current threats to religious nothing; but with God, all things are liberty, they said, is the U.S. Department possible,” the bishops said in a March of Health and Human Services mandate 14 statement titled “United for Religious that forces employers, including religious ones, to provide coverage of contraception/ Freedom.”

In a letter addressed to Catholics in sterilization in their health plans. their state, Pennsylvania’s bishops called The bishops have asked Catholics and for a day of prayer March 30, saying the others to join them in “prayer and penance observance was planned in response “to for our leaders and for the complete the assault by the federal government protection of our first freedom – religious on constitutionally guaranteed religious liberty – which is not only protected in liberty.” They, too, cited the federal the laws and customs of our great nation, contraceptive mandate, saying it “punished but rooted in the teachings of our great the Church for its firmly held beliefs and tradition.” consistent teaching.”

Prayer and other resources have been posted on the USCCB website, www.usccb.

Catholic News Service

‘Unified, focused’ bishops pledge to keep up religious liberty defense WASHINGTON, D.C. — Declaring themselves “strongly unified and intensely focused,” the nation’s top Catholic bishops vowed to continue their multipronged defense of religious liberty in the courts, Congress and the White House. The five-page statement titled “United for Religious Freedom” was approved March 14 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Administrative Committee, made up of the USCCB officers and committee chairmen and an elected bishop representative from each of the geographic regions of the USCCB. The bishops opened their statement with thanks for “all who have stood firmly with us in our vigorous opposition to this unjust and illegal mandate,” referring to the Department of Health and Human Services’ requirement that nearly all employers must provide free coverage of contraceptives and sterilization to their employees through health insurance plans.

23

Our world 24

catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Chinese officials take bishop, chancellor for ‘learning classes’ HONG KONG — Coadjutor Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou and his chancellor were taken into custody March 19 by government officials in mid-March to attend “learning classes,” sources told UCA News. Bishop Shao, 49, was appointed by the Holy See to lead Wenzhou’s unregistered, or underground, Catholic community in 2007 and is not recognized by the government. If Bishop Shao and Father Jiang are “intelligent enough in their learning,” they will be allowed back soon; if not, they will be detained longer, local Church sources quoted government officials as saying.

Sources also said a few of Wenzhou Diocese’s 17 underground priests were summoned to meet with religious officials in mid-March.

Vatican: Despite past shortcomings, Irish Church is fighting abuse VATICAN CITY — A Vatican-appointed investigation of the Church in Ireland recognized serious shortcomings in the handling of accusations of the sexual abuse of minors, yet found that bishops, clergy and lay faithful are doing an “excellent” job in creating safe environments for children today. The investigators found that Irish bishops need to update their child protection guidelines, establish “more consistent admission criteria” for seminarians, and formulate policies on how best to deal with clergy and religious accused of abuse. In a summary of findings from the probe, formally known as an apostolic visitation, the investigators also warned of a “fairly widespread” tendency among priests, religious and laity to hold unspecified unorthodox views.

Church officials decry suicide bombing at Nigerian parish LAGOS, Nigeria — Nine high-ranking Nigerian Church leaders called upon the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to step up actions against an Islamic sect accused of targeting Christians in the northern part of the country. Led by Lagos Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, the bishops of Lagos and the Ibadan region issued a statement March 14 denouncing the March 11 bombing of St. Finbar Church in Jos as Mass was being celebrated. The attack killed three worshippers and led to retaliatory violence that resulted in at least seven deaths around the city. To salvage Nigeria’s unity, the statement said, government security forces must do more to rein in the actions of Boko Haram.

— Catholic News Service

Pope Benedict XVI kneels in prayer at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre in Cuba March 27.

CNS | Esteban Felix, pool via Reuters

At Mass, pope recognizes Cubans’ struggles, calls freedom a necessity Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba — Celebrating an outdoor Mass on his first day in Cuba, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the struggles of the country’s Catholics after half a century of communism and described human freedom as a necessity for both salvation and social justice. The pope spoke March 26 in Antonio Maceo Revolution Square, in Cuba’s second-largest city. He had arrived in the country a few hours earlier, after spending three days in Mexico.

The Vatican had said the square would hold 200,000 people and it was full; several thousand also filled the streets leading to the square. Cuban President Raul Castro, who welcomed the pope at the airport, sat in the front row for Mass.

Before the pope arrived in the popemobile, the original statue of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Cuba’s patroness, was driven atop a white truck through the cheering crowd. The statue then was enthroned near the papal altar.

In his homily, Pope Benedict recognized the “effort, daring and self-sacrifice” required of Cuban Catholics “in the concrete circumstances of your country and at this moment in history.” Though now more tolerant of religious practice than in earlier decades, the communist state continues to prevent the construction of new churches and strictly limits Catholic access to state media.

In a possible allusion to reports that the regime had prevented political opponents from attending the Mass, Pope Benedict extended his customary mention of those absent for

reasons of age or health to include people who, “for other motives, are not able to join us.”

The pope painted a dire picture of a society without faith.

“When God is set aside, the world becomes an inhospitable place for man,” he said. “Apart from God, we are alienated from ourselves and are hurled into the void. “Obedience to God is what opens the doors of the world to the truth, to salvation. Redemption is always this process of the lifting up of the human will to full communion with the divine will.”

Taking his theme from the day’s liturgical feast of the Annunciation, when Mary learned that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, the pope emphasized that fulfillment of the divine plan involved Mary’s free acceptance of her role.

The most specific advice in the pope’s homily regarded a topic familiar to his listeners in the prosperous capitalist countries of Western Europe and North America: the sanctity of the “family founded on matrimony” as the “fundamental cell of society and an authentic domestic church.”

Despite his challenges to Cuban society, Pope Benedict concluded his homily by repeating an earlier call for patience with the Church’s policy of dialogue and cooperation with the communist regime, a process initiated by Blessed John Paul II during his 1998 visit to Cuba.

“May we accept with patience and faith whatever opposition may come,” he said.

“Armed with peace, forgiveness and understanding ... strive to build a renewed and open society, a better society, one more worthy of humanity, and which better reflects the goodness of God.”

St. Matthew rosary makers donate 6,000 rosaries for papal visit to Cuba CHARLOTTE — When His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba March 26–28, he no doubt saw many enthusiastic people in the crowds waving rosaries as he passed by in the “popemobile.”

Some of those rosaries just might have been among 6,000 handcrafted rosaries made by Our Lady’s Rosary Makers Guild at St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte.

Judy Enderle, president of the guild, was contacted by a church in Florida to help supply rosaries for the papal visit.

The goal was to collect 50,000 rosaries to send with pilgrims from the Sunshine State to Cuba. The rosaries were sent with Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami and another auxiliary bishop on two planes from Miami along with the sisters of Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Each sister carried a box of rosaries to distribute to the people.

The St. Matthew rosary guild of 23 members made more than 23,000 rosaries last year – an average of 1,000 handmade rosaries per person, almost 20 rosaries a week per guild member.

Judy and her husband Art mailed the 6,000 rosaries in 11 boxes. They also mailed out 3,000 rosaries to missions around the world for prayers for peace.

“I just want to extend a big thank you to all the members of Our Lady’s Rosary Makers Guild at St. Matthew Catholic Church, who dedicated their time and talent for this effort,” Enderle said.

— SueAnn Howell, staff writer

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Pope Benedict XVI’s messages in Mexico Trust in God to help change society, pope says

Social change will come with revival of faith, pope says

SILAO, Mexico — Celebrating Mass in the Catholic heartland of Mexico, Pope Benedict XVI told a nation and a continent suffering from poverty, corruption and violence, to trust in God and the intercession of Mary to help them bring about a “more just and fraternal society.

When addressing the deeper dimension of personal and community life, human strategies will not suffice to save us,” the pope said in his homily during the outdoor Mass at Guanajuato Bicentennial Park March 25, the second full day of his second papal visit to Latin America.

“We must have recourse to the One who alone can give life in its fullness, because He is the essence of life and its author.”

The pope made note of the monument to Christ the King visible atop a nearby hill and observed that Christ’s “kingdom does not stand on the power of His armies subduing others through force or violence. It rests on a higher power that wins over hearts: the love of God that He brought into the world with His sacrifice and the truth to which He bore witness.” That message was consistent with Pope Benedict’s frequently stated objections to strategies for social progress that blend Christian social doctrine with Marxism or other secular ideologies. “The Church is not a political power, it is not a party,” the pope told reporters on his flight to Mexico March 23. “It is a moral reality, a moral power.”

SILAO, Mexico — In his second visit to Latin America as pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI offered a message of hope for social progress rooted in a revival of Catholic faith. The overriding message of the pope’s public statements during his three days in Mexico, March 23-26, was that this troubled country, and the region in general, cannot solve their problems – which include poverty, inequality, corruption and violence – by following the prescriptions of secular ideologies.

Instead, the pope said, peace and justice in this world require a divinely inspired change in the human heart.

Yet the pope made it clear that he was not encouraging believers to withdraw into a private kind of piety uninvolved with worldly affairs.

“The first job of the Church is to educate consciences,” he said, “both in individual ethics and public ethics.”

— Catholic News Service

25

ViewPoints 26

catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Guest editorial

David Hains

Honoring the Communion line In the Communion line, the only statements to be made are Jesus’ saving action for us and our ‘Amen.’

Editor’s note: This editorial was published in the March 20 edition of The Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., following an incident last month in which an archdiocesan priest refused Communion to a lesbian at her mother’s funeral Mass. The incident was widely publicized, prompting questions about how we should approach Communion.

R

ecently there has been discussion about receiving holy Communion, what it means, when a person should not receive Communion or even not be given Communion.

To start we have to recognize what the Catholic Church means by the Eucharist and, therefore, the reception of holy Communion.

In his last encyclical letter, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” Blessed John Paul II reminds us, “When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, the memorial of her Lord’s death and resurrection, the central mystery of salvation becomes really present and the work of our redemption is carried out” (11).

The celebration of the Eucharist culminates in the reception of holy Communion. The Church teaches us that “at the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ’s body and blood. ...

The signs of bread and wine become, in a way surpassing COMMUNION, SEE page 28

T

Marriage – more than a word

he latest deception from opponents of the upcoming statewide constitutional marriage amendment is the use of the expression “Amendment One.” Like much of the rhetoric from the other side, this latest term is likely to confuse rather than inform the voting public.

The term “Amendment One” started appearing on signs and bumper stickers in late March. Apparently the long-winded and inaccurate previous reference, “the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage,” wouldn’t fit on a yard sign.

The problem with the term “Amendment One” is that it doesn’t exist. The ballot for the primary, produced by the N.C. Board of Elections, does not associate a number with the only amendment under consideration, which is the last item voters will see on the May 8 ballot.

So, it doesn’t have a number and it’s last, not first. So why would opponents of the marriage amendment use the term?

They don’t share strategy with me. But my guess is that they are afraid of the word “marriage” and want to avoid using it. There is so much goodwill associated with that single word, so many hopes and dreams, so much happiness and, with children, a promising future. The word simply cannot be demonized or mocked.

Marriage pre-dates the state of North Carolina and even our 2,000-year-old Catholic faith. In His wisdom God created man and woman differently, and from that beautiful and loving difference comes the whole human race. Without it the Bible would end about halfway through the Book of Genesis. God knew what He was

doing when he created Adam and Eve and the complementary natures of men and women.

I’ve yet to speak with an opponent of the marriage amendment who has an underlying philosophy or theology for their arguments that is as deep or as broad as natural law, Scripture, Church teaching and thousands of years of human experience in support of traditional marriage.

Without a logical argument for their opposition to marriage, the opponents have chosen to play word games. They substitute “Amendment One” for “Marriage Amendment” and – presto – people who support traditional marriage can now be miscast as bigots.

Sadly, even President Barack Obama has chosen to jump in to what essentially is a local event by declaring his opposition to the amendment. His re-election campaign office released a statement on March 20 saying, “While the president does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the record is clear that the President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples.”

Putting aside the fact that North Carolina’s marriage amendment will not deny rights and benefits to anyone, the weakness of the president’s argument is made clear when you realize that he couldn’t bring himself to utter the word marriage.

David Hains is the diocesan director of communication.

Most-read stories on the web Through press time on March 28, 1,518 page titles on www.catholicnewsherald.com were viewed a total of 14,393 times. The top 10 local headlines in March have been: n Poor Clares and Te Deum Foundation buy land for monastery, seminary.......................................847 n Catholic OB-GYN opened ‘pro-life’ practice March 1...............................................................................286 n Rally against the federal Health and Human Services mandate set for March 23......................... 261 n Medjugorje visionary coming to Charlotte March 16............................................................................... 251 n North Carolina Catholic bishops promote protecting marriage in state constitution................... 155 n ‘Regular’ family answers call to ‘Come, follow Me’...................................................................................148 n Hundreds turn out for religious freedom rally in Charlotte, Marion and Winston- Salem............. 141 n David Hains: Catholics and the media: Let’s inform people, not confuse them................................ 121 n Feminist speaks at Belmont Abbey, explains original group message................................................ 114 n Year-long coverage for 40th anniversary...................................................................................................100

March 30, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Letters to the editor

With NFP, couples can follow God’s calling in their marriages Peggy Bowes

He is Risen!

Alleluia! ... Now what?

W

hen I was in high school, my devout mother made a huge Easter banner out of colored burlap and felt that read “He is Risen! He is alive! Alleluia!”

She hung it on the front porch for everyone to see. I was completely mortified. What if one of the popular kids from school who lived in my neighborhood drove by? They would think my family was a bunch of religious fanatics. (Never mind the fact that I attended a Catholic high school.)

My mother photographed my four sisters and me standing by the banner. Ironically, in the photo I am wearing the same dress I wore for confirmation the previous year.

It is obvious from the expression on my face that I just didn’t get the fact that confirmation makes me a solider of Christ, that I should be shouting from the rooftops, “He is risen! He is alive! Alleluia!”

Even today, as an adult who professes to be a devout Catholic, I still don’t quite “get” the Resurrection, despite studying the Gospels and repeatedly meditating on the First Glorious Mystery of the rosary. I have come to understand and even embrace Lent with its sacrifices and penance. Yet once Easter arrives, I’m not sure what to do – at least spiritually.

In such cases, I always turn to Scripture for guidance. I find comfort in the fact that even the Apostles, who had actually seen the Risen Christ, didn’t initially “get” the Resurrection.

In fact, Peter, who was instructed by Jesus to spread the gospel throughout the world, actually returns to his old profession and goes fishing! It is not until Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles truly understood their calling.

Pope Benedict XVI helps shed light on our calling. “In the Epistle to the Colossians, St. Paul says, ‘If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.’

“It is true that we are citizens of another ‘city,’ our true home, but the path toward this goal must be traversed every day in this land. To participate, from this moment, in the life of the resurrected Christ, we must live as new men and women in this world, at the heart of this earthly city.”

We can never fully understand a heavenly mystery in this life, but I’m starting to see a little light. After a fruitful Lent spent in penance, prayer and almsgiving, we prepare to renew our baptismal promises at Easter, a sign of our new lives. The Holy Father tells us to live as new men and women, and the sacrifices of Lent help us to do this, we hope, in a better way each year. At Easter, our new selves burst forth, a little closer to the image of Christ, a little better prepared to be in the world but not of it. Now where did I put the burlap and felt?

Peggy Bowes is a member of Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy and author of “The Rosary Workout” (www. rosaryworkout.com).

As Natural Family Planning (NFP) teachers, my husband and I have witnessed several wonderful things about couples who learn NFP. Initially there is an immediate awe regarding the intricate nature of their bodies, and what charting can tell them regarding their fertility, or lack of. Many couples express frustration at having not been previously told about NFP, which is particularly true in terms of the health care available to women. Secondly, couples develop a complete picture of God’s plan for them, and learn why our faith promotes NFP and not contraceptives or sterilization procedures. This awareness and knowledge comes gradually as couples begin to practice NFP and to see the positive effects in their daily lives.

Many misconceptions surround NFP, and fellow Catholics are encouraged to learn the facts and to find a class to learn NFP. This first step will supply couples with the confidence and tools needed to follow God’s calling in their marriages.

We sincerely thank Dr. Lewis Lipscomb for truly caring about women’s health and marriages, and for providing this necessary support with his new WinstonSalem practice, Triad Obstetrics and Gynecology, which was reported in the March 2 edition of the Catholic News Herald.

Todd and Stephanie Brown live in Winston-Salem.

HHS mandate reveals our own contradictions Regarding the HHS mandate to the Catholic Church to pay for contraception and abortion, Jesus gave us guidelines: “Jesus said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” (Mark 12:17) This administration has decreed that it will determine what things are Caesar’s, even to the extent of rewriting the theology of the Church and requiring that the Church pay for things it regards as morally wrong. As far as the administration is concerned, all things are Caesar’s and no things are God’s.

The American bishops must reexamine the contradictions of their alliance with government. On page 26 of the March 16 edition of the Catholic News Herald, Bishop Stephen Blaire, as chairman of the U.S. bishop’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, petitions Congress to provide funding for the needs of the poor. On the next page, Cardinal Timothy Dolan is “dismayed that White House rebuffs religious freedom concerns.” Connect the dots. On Bishop Blaire’s story on page 26, I wrote, “If you lie down with dogs, ...”

On Cardinal Dolan’s story on page 27, I wrote, “... you get up with fleas.”

The bishops have just been forcibly reminded that “he who pays the piper calls the tune.” Since the federal government has funded many causes at the behest of the bishops, now the federal government feels entitled to call the tune – even so far as to rewrite Catholic theology. The American bishops should ask American Catholics to fund their causes, not the federal government or any other level of government.

When you lie down with the government, you get up with mandates.

Michael McCarthy lives in Brevard.

Nothing can replace a good teacher I am writing regarding the March 16 Catholic News Herald story “Belmont Abbey freshmen to receive iPads.” The student-teacher dynamic has long been epitomized by the profound influence of Socrates on his followers, only to be surpassed by Jesus Christ. Given all the progress over the past 3,000 years, no technology has replaced the personal influence of the great teacher on his or her students. This personal influence is of such immense import, it is no wonder that the greatest Teacher left us His presence in the Eucharist for all time.

The admonishments in the story of the very good professors, Drs. Travis Cook and Al Benthall, pertaining to the use of and reliance on such technology as the iPad cannot be overstated, and need to be heeded by academic institutions and parents alike.

As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in “Spe Salvi”: “Without doubt, (progress) offers new possibilities for good, but it also opens up appalling possibilities for evil – possibilities that formerly did not exist.”

Joseph P. Lindsley Sr. lives in Charlotte.

The message of Medjugorje is a simple one I am replying to a letter in the March 16 edition of the Catholic News Herald regarding the “alleged” appearance of the Blessed Mother at Quail Hollow Presbyterian Church on March 16, which urged caution against accepting such apparitions before they’ve been approved by the Church.

Nothing terrible has happened as a result of the visit by Medjugorje’s Ivan Dragicevic. What happened was that several hundred people consisting of Protestants, Catholics and other Christians gathered together as one and reverently prayed the rosary on their knees. During his brief talk, Dragicevic said the following: n We are all God’s children – people of every race, every nationality and every religion. n Jesus loves us and cares for us.

LETTERS, SEE page 28

Gireesh Gupta

Prayer is a gift from God to us

P

rayer is a beautiful and polite way to talk to our Maker. Prayer is a way to cultivate our personal relationship and friendship with God. Prayer is the way to connect to God. Prayer is our direct link to God’s Kingdom.

Prayer is the quality time that we spend in the company of God to feel close to Him. Prayer is also to praise and thank God for His beautiful creation and for His merciful protection of us. Prayer is to ask for God’s blessings, guidance and direction to lead us on the right path and to be true to ourselves and to others. Prayer is a time to ask for God’s forgiveness for our wrongdoings and plead for His mercy. Prayer inspires us to help those in need and brings us closer to God, because serving the needy is to serve God. Prayer cultivates the love of God’s creation and helps us to be thankful. Prayer puts us on the path that leads us to our Creator.

God gave us the gift of prayer with many benefits in return. Prayer calms our minds in times of despair. Daily prayer helps us to focus on what’s important each day amid all of our daily activities and tasks. Prayer brings relief from stress, pain, sorrow and anxiety. Prayer engenders peace in mind and body, and cultivates love for others and for God’s creation. To forgive is divine, and it is the daily practice of prayer that brings out the divine in us and gives us the strength and will to forgive those who have hurt us. Prayer subdues our conceit and fosters humility.

Prayer enables us to subjugate our material attachments and elevates our spirituality.

Humility and spirituality are two important traits to foster in order to lead a life of contentment, gratitude, happiness and love.

Churches are the sacred and formal places of prayer for Christians, synagogues for Jews, mosques for Muslims, and temples for Hindus.

Praying formally with a congregation in these places has the power of uniting people and fostering a community of brotherhood and sisterhood.

However, prayer can be offered at any time and in any place, as many times each day as we wish. We can pray briefly before getting up in the morning and before going to sleep, while working in the office, while doing chores around the house, and even while walking or jogging.

Some of us pray and plead for God’s mercy only when we are needy, sad, fearful or sick.

But God wants us to think of Him in a humble manner at all times, especially during the good times and not just the bad times. Just as parents love when their children share their happiness and not just their sadness, we should share our happiness with God our Father in prayer as well.

Our prayers may be simple or short, because praying from the heart is what is important. It is not important how long we pray for, or how formally we pray. A short prayer with a pure and innocent heart will win blessings, but a long prayer without heart is meaningless.

I encourage you to pray with a sincere heart and to pray often, to cultivate your personal relationship with God and seek closeness to Him. Gireesh Gupta is an associate professor of computer information systems at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 30, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

COMMUNION: FROM PAGE 26

understanding, the Body and Blood of Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1333).

When a person presents himself or herself for Communion, such an action is on the part of the recipient of Communion a public declaration, among other things, of the following: n The person is a baptized member of the Catholic Church. n The person accepts and tries to live the teaching of the Church in matters of faith and morals. n The person has received sacramental absolution in confession if conscious of a serious failure in living out the teaching of the Church. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of reconciliation before coming to Communion” (1385).

Thus an enormous responsibility falls on the shoulders of the person coming forward to receive Communion. The Church is being asked to take this person at his or her word that all of the above conditions are, in fact, realized.

It would be disingenuous, not to say dishonest, for persons to claim to be Catholic and to wish to receive holy Communion if in fact they did not accept or follow the Church’s teaching or, if having failed in the teaching, they did not receive absolution in confession.

For example, a person who violated the Fifth Commandment and had participated in an abortion, or had violated the Sixth Commandment and had sexual activity outside of marriage or was unfaithful to a spouse, or who violated the Seventh Commandment by continuing to embezzle from the company for which he or she worked, or the Eighth Commandment by simply bearing public false witness against a neighbor, could not in good conscience get into the Communion line. Presence in the Communion line under such circumstances would simply be dishonest.

Getting in line to receive holy Communion carries with it a grave responsibility before God. There are objective moral norms by which one’s conscience must be formed. To conscientiously receive Communion, one must try to live those norms. St. Paul tells us, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:27).

On the part of the one distributing holy Communion there should be the presumption of the integrity of the persons presenting themselves to receive the Body and Blood of the

Lord. That trust can be presumed until it is proven to be misplaced.

However, there are instances when the one distributing Communion is to refuse Communion. The two most notable examples are if a person is excommunicated, that is publicly declared not to be a member of the Church, or if a person publicly attempts to use Communion for purposes other than its intended spiritual benefit – that is, if one were to use it publicly for political purposes.

Thus, if a person had been publicly excommunicated as, for example, was the Louisiana politician Leander Perez years ago for publicly attempting through his political office to physically impede the Church in the exercise of its ministry when the Archdiocese of New Orleans began the desegregation of its schools, that person should not be given Communion. Excommunication is meant for a grave crime and is rarely declared by the Church. This penalty is not intended as a punishment, but as a remedy for serious sin.

Public excommunication is imposed and removed only by those in the Church authorized to do so.

Another example would be for a person wearing a sign or symbol indicating rejection of Catholic teaching on some aspect of faith and morals to insist on receiving Communion as an act of religious defiance. Here Communion is being misused.

The reception of the Body and Blood of our Lord in Communion is an integral part of the celebration of the Eucharist and, as such, the communicant participates in the greatest of all of the actions of the Catholic Church – her Eucharist. It is out of her faith in the Lord and her love for Him and the desire to celebrate the mystery of our redemption that the Church calls everyone to sincerity of heart as they approach the altar. At Mass we are reminded that what we are doing we do “in spirit and in truth.”

Everyone involved in distributing and receiving Communion is called to recognize the power of the Spirit present, a Spirit of love, and our obligation to walk in the truth – the revelation proclaimed by the Church.

The Communion line is that moment when we approach to have Christ join Himself with us, “mingling His Body and Blood with ours, sharing His soul and divinity with our poor humanity” (Cardinal Donald Wuerl, “The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition”). It is a time to be prepared. So if we are not prepared, we must wait and return when we can receive Him most worthily. In the Communion line, the only statements to be made are Jesus’ saving action for us and our “Amen.”

The Catholic Standard is the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

LETTERS: FROM PAGE 27

n Mary loves us and cares for us as a Mother does for her children. n If we want peace in our families, we shouldn’t look to politicians and elected officials to provide it, because it won’t happen that way. Husbands and wives should pray together, families should pray together. That is the way to bring peace. n We should read the Bible. n We should pray three hours each day. How do we do that? Not by spending a three-hour block of time in prayer, but periodically, throughout each day, turning our minds and hearts to Jesus – going to Mass, praying the rosary, reading and meditating on Bible passages, doing good works. n The more time we make for Jesus, the better and more loving our lives will become.

These are only some of the messages of Medjugorje. Are we getting it? I think not.

Maybe we are too cautious. Yes, I believe the Church needs to investigate thoroughly the events of Medjugorje, but the rest of us can certainly make this world a better place by putting into practice what Our Lady has always asked of us.

Helen Kelleher lives in Matthews.

Letters policy The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers.

We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be written from a perspective of Christian charity.

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

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