March 16, 2012

March 16, 2012

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org S E RV I N G C H R I ST A N D C O N N EC T I N G C AT H O L I C S I N W E ST E R N N O R T H C A R O L I N A

2012 Bishop’s Youth Lenten Pilgrimage Youths, young adults go on retreat to focus on God’s love,

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On Holy Ground

North Carolina’s first saint?

Raleigh diocese officially opens cause for famed ‘Tarheel Apostle,’

6 INDEX Contact us ......................... 4 Events calendar ................ 4 Our Parishes ................ 3-15 Our Faith ............................ 2 Schools ....................... 20-22 Scripture readings ........... 2 TV & Movies ......................24 U.S. news .................... 26-27 Viewpoints ..................30-31 World news ................ 28-29

Poor Clares and Te Deum Foundation buy land for cloistered monastery, future regional seminary,

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New blog seeks to ‘build women up’ ‘Catholic View for Women’ blogger and NFP educator Batrice Adcock believes, ‘Women deserve more than what our culture is shoving at them. We need to be advocates for ourselves and raise the bar.’

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Miraculous image comes to diocese Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe will visit parishes, schools – and 3 abortion mills,

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Our faith 2

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

A saintly life

Pope Benedict XVi

Pope rings bell symbolizing call to turn out for Eucharistic Congress Pope Benedict XVI blessed and rang the official International Eucharistic Congress bell, which has been on tour across Ireland for nearly a year, in preparation for the world meeting in June. An Irish delegation, led by the 2012 congress president Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, presented the pope with the small brass bell before the start of his weekly general audience March 14. Before the pope was driven into St. Peter’s Square, he met with the delegation and rang the bell.

Congress organizers said a quarter of a million Irish pilgrims have rung the bell since the start of its pilgrimage March 17, 2011. The bell has been brought to parishes, schools, nursing homes and hospitals throughout Ireland to raise awareness about the eucharistic congress and to call people to attend the event.

According to tradition, St. Patrick left a bell in every church he consecrated as a way to call people to the Eucharist, congress organizers said.

The delegation also presented the pope with a medal commemorating the congress, and a bowl of Irish shamrocks to mark the March 17 feast of St. Patrick.

The 50th International Eucharistic Congress is in Dublin June 10-17. Pope Benedict will not be attending.

During his Wednesday audience with about 10,000 pilgrims from all over the world, the pope continued his cycle of talks on prayer and started a new chapter looking at prayer depicted in the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul.

He spoke about Mary and her “privileged place in the Church, of which she is the ‘exemplar and outstanding model in faith and charity.’ He said people can learn how to pray from Mary: listening patiently and humbly, and freely and fully accepting God’s will.

Often people turn to prayer when facing great difficulty, anxiety or fear, he said, because by turning to the Lord, people can find “light, comfort and help.”

Mary also invites people to experience another dimension of prayer and “to turn to God not just when in need and not only for oneself,” but to pray together as a Christian community, united in faith “with one heart and one soul,” he said. “Mary teaches us the necessity of prayer and shows us how, only with a constant and intimate bond of love with her Son, we can leave ‘our home’ and step outside of ourselves with courage, in order to reach the ends of the earth and everywhere proclaim Lord Jesus, Savior of the world.”

The facts of faith

St. Turibius de Mogrovejo: Champion of indigenous people’s rights Feast day: March 23 BENjAmIN mANN CATHOLiC NEWS AgENCY

Catholics in Latin America and throughout the world will celebrate the life and ministry of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo on March 23. The 16th century bishop upheld the rights of Peru’s indigenous peoples, and became one of the first canonized saints of the Americas.

Turibius was born in Spain during 1538, to a noble family in the kingdom of Leon. Even as a child, he frequently prayed, fasted and gave to the poor, and he eventually developed the daily habit of praying the rosary along with the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

He went on to study law at the University of Salamanca and eventually served as a judge for five years in the territory of Granada.

His judicial wisdom and diligence drew the attention of King Philip II, who wanted Turibius – who was still a layman – to be consecrated as a missionary archbishop for the Spanish colony of Peru.

Turibius became greatly dismayed, protesting to the king and Church authorities that he was not even a priest and could not possibly accept the charge. In a series of letters, he pleaded that he was not personally capable of serving as the archbishop of Lima – nor, he reminded them, did canon law permit a layman to become an archbishop.

Eventually, however, he had little choice but to comply. The 43-year-old was consecrated as a bishop in 1581 and immediately left for Lima, Peru.

The new archbishop undertook to travel

throughout the rugged and mountainous diocese, where he observed many of the worst effects of colonialism – both upon the enslaved and oppressed natives, and on many of the colonists who seemed to have lost their souls in the pursuit of wealth.

He responded with constant prayer and penance as he traveled throughout his territory administering the sacraments, teaching the Catholic faith and establishing schools, seminaries and hospitals.

To the indigenous Peruvians, the archbishop was a herald of the Gospel who held their lives as more precious than their country’s supplies of gold and silver. But to the many colonists whose behavior showed no sign of their Catholic origins, he was a prophetic scourge – whose efforts to awaken the public conscience earned him rebukes and opposition.

Turibius ultimately managed to make three visitations of his diocese, under rugged and dangerous conditions, which occupied about half of his 25 years as archbishop of Lima. He united the Peruvian Church at an administrative level by holding several local councils of its clergy, but he was also known to spend days traveling to reach a single person with the message of Christ.

The archbishop became seriously ill in 1606.

He sensed that his death was imminent, and he decreed that his possessions should be distributed to the poor. St. Turibius died on March 23, and his body was found to be incorrupt the next year. He was declared a saint in 1726, and is now regarded as the patron of native peoples’ rights and Latin American bishops.

Why is missing Mass such a terrible sin?

Q: Why is skipping Mass such a grievous sin as opposed to murder, which directly harms the life of another person? Skipping Mass affects no one but myself and God. A: “Skipping Mass affects no one but myself and God.” AND God? Since when are human persons more important than God? There is an infinite difference between measuring God by our standards and measuring ourselves by his. We have to start with God when we look at everything. Since He came first, He comes first. He is not just a bigger version of us.

He has commanded us to “Keep holy the Lord’s day,” and He has a right to demand this of us.

Anything of value in our lives (including human life) has value only because of His infinitely greater value.

But Mass is not just a matter of acknowledging His sovereignty, which is what worship is. It is being present at the foot of the cross and giving thanks for the Passion and death that He endured for our benefit.

He loves us so much that He underwent all that suffering to demonstrate His love for us in a way we could somewhat understand.

To skip Mass is one of many ways of turning our backs on that love.

— Father Vincent serpa, o.p., for catholic answers, online at www.catholic.com

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF mAR. 18 - mAR. 24

Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23, Ephesians 2:4-10, John 3:14-21; Monday (St. Joseph), 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24; Tuesday, Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, John 5:1-16; Wednesday, Isaiah 49:8-15, John 5:17-30; Thursday, Exodus 32:7-14, John 5:31-47; Friday (St. Turibius de Mogrovejo), Wisdom 2:1, 12-22, John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30; Saturday, Jeremiah 11:1820, John 7:40-53

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF mAR. 25 - mAR. 31

Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Lent), Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:7-9, John 12:20-33; Monday (The Annunciation of the Lord), Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38; Tuesday, Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30; Wednesday, Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95, Daniel 3:52-56, John 8:31-42; Thursday, Genesis 17:3-9, John 8:5159; Friday, Jeremiah 20:10-13, John 10:31-42; Saturday, Ezekiel 37:21-28, Jeremiah 31:10-13, John 11:45-46

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 13:2133, 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 13:1-15; Friday (Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion), Isaiah 52:13-53:12, 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

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March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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2012 BISHOP’S YOUNG ADULT AND YOUTH LENTEN PILGRIMAGE

in Brief

bishop peter J. Jugis blesses middle school and high school youths during the recessional after Mass at belmont abbey college in belmont during the bishop’s lenten youth pilgrimage last year on april 9, 2011.

Development in lawsuit involving the diocese CHARLOTTE — On March 6 a Superior Court judge in Mecklenburg County, in a lawsuit against the Diocese of Charlotte concerning the alleged activities of Father Richard Farwell, formalized his ruling on a motion to dismiss filed by the diocese.

He partially granted the motion by dismissing one claim for relief based on an allegation of unfair and deceptive trade practices. The judge also advised the parties that he would be entering a case management order which would, in part, restrict the scope of discovery for the immediate future to statute of limitations concerns that have been raised by the diocese.

The civil lawsuit, which was filed in July of 2011, is based on acts alleged to have taken place in the early 1980s at St. Ann Parish in Charlotte.

Father Farwell, who is no longer in ministry, pleaded no contest to one count of the misdemeanor of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2004.

— David hains

Fr. hoyt appointed to clemmons CHARLOTTE — Capuchin Franciscan Father Stephen Hoyt has been appointed by Bishop Peter J. Jugis as parochial vicar of Holy Family Church in Clemmons, effective March 12.

Father Hoyt has most recently served as parochial vicar at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. He is a Philadelphia area native who has served in the Diocese of Charlotte in various capacities starting more than a decade ago when he was chaplain at Charlotte Catholic High School while also being assigned to St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

Fr. cruz appointed to boone area CHARLOTTE — Father Francisco Cruz has been appointed by Bishop Peter J. Jugis to Hispanic Ministry for the Boone vicariate effective Feb. 6, from ministry outside the Diocese of Charlotte.

seminarians instituted as acolytes ROME — Diocese of Charlotte seminarians Noah Carter and Paul Buchanan were instituted as acolytes March 4 during Mass at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where they are pursuing studies.

They joined 53 other seminarians from across the U.S. who are studying at the Pontifical North American College who were instituted to the Ministry of Acolyte, one step on their path towards the priesthood.

Archbishop John C. Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., celebrated the Mass and instituted the new acolytes.

After handing to each seminarian the gold paten used in the celebration of the Eucharist, Archbishop Nienstedt said, “Take this vessel of bread for the celebration of the Eucharist. Make your lives worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of His Church.”

These seminarians have now received both the ministry of Lector and Acolyte in anticipation of their diaconal ordinations and, God willing, priestly ordination. As the rite indicates, an acolyte is charged with assisting at the celebration of the Eucharist, purifying the sacred vessels and, when needed, assisting with the distribution of Holy Communion.

— Pontifical North American College, online at www.pnac.org

PHOTO PROViDED

BY RUBEN TAMAYO

Bishop Jugis invites youth to ‘Behold the Lamb of God’ at Lenten pilgrimage SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

BELMONT — Young adults and youths from around the Charlotte diocese are encouraged to join Bishop Peter J. Jugis on a Lenten pilgrimage March 23 and 24 at Belmont Abbey College.

Since 2005, Belmont Abbey College and the Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress committee have hosted hundreds of young adults and youths from across western North Carolina for this spiritually enriching event.

“The theme this year, ‘Behold the Lamb of God’ (John 1:29), puts the focus squarely on the Eucharist in preparation for the Eucharistic Congress in September,” Bishop Jugis said.

“We are being asked to behold the Lamb of God, that is, Jesus, who is truly, really and substantially present in the Eucharist. He is here with us, the Savior, who by His Real Presence nourishes us and strengthens us. The Lenten pilgrimage reminds our young adults and teenagers to draw strength for their daily living from our Lord’s Real

Belmont Abbey students plan, volunteer for annual pilgrimage SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

BELMONT — Craig Taffaro, student coordinator for this year’s Lenten pilgrimage at Belmont Abbey College, is no stranger to the Bishop’s Lenten Young Adult and Youth Pilgrimage. Last year he was heavily involved in the LEADERSHiP, SEE PAgE 18

Go online To register, go to www.dioceseofcharlotte.wildapricot.org.

See photos and coverage following the 2012 Lenten youth pilgrimage online at www.catholicnewsherald.com.

Presence.”

Mass will be celebrated for the pilgrims on Friday, March 23, at the abbey basilica at 5 p.m. A fish fry, vespers, praise and worship music and Adoration will follow, concluding with Benediction at 9 p.m. Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Father Isaac Spinharney will provide the meditation during Adoration.

On Saturday, March 24, middle school and high school youths are invited to Belmont Abbey for a day of fellowship, PiLgRiMAgE, SEE PAgE 18

Student coordinator discusses youth pilgrimage ROSS j. mCKNIgHT CORRESPONDENT

BELMONT — Craig Taffaro, a junior at Belmont Abbey College and student coordinator for the 2012 Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage, has been involved with the pilgrimage team over the past two years. Now, he has taken on a major Q&A, SEE PAgE 18

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OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

Diocesan calendar of events ARDEN

GREENSBORO

st. barNabas chUrch, 109 crEscENt hill Dr.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next two weeks: March 20 – 1:30 p.M. DiocEsaN bUilDiNg coMMissioN MEEtiNg Pastoral Center, Charlotte March 21 – 10:30 a.M. st. bENEDict’s Day Mass (bENEDictiNE calENDar) Belmont Abbey College, Belmont March 23-24 bishop’s lENtEN yoUth pilgriMagE Belmont Abbey College, Belmont March 25 – 10 a.M. Mass For boy scoUt catholic caMporEE Camp grimes March 29 – 11 a.M. DiocEsaN capital coNcEpts coMMittEE Catholic Conference Center, Hickory March 30 – 10 a.M. DiocEsaN FiNaNcE coUNcil MEEtiNg Pastoral Center, Charlotte

— Women’s Lenten Program: “The Book of Ruth – A portrayal of faith, loyalty and trust,” 9:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. March 24. Stations of the Cross. Lunch provided.

Contact Marcia Torres at johnandmarciatorres@ yahoo.com or 828-697-1235.

— Programa de Cuaresma para Mujeres: “El Libro de Ruth – Un retrato de la fe, la lealtad y la confianza,” 9:30 am-2: 15 pm 24 de marzo. Almuerzo incluido.

Comuníquese con Marcia Torres al 828-697-1235 o johnandmarciatorres@yahoo.com.

BELMONT

— Ecumenical memorial concert performance of Maurice Duruflé’s “Requiem” with small orchestra at the Palm Sunday Vigil Mass, 5 p.m. March 31

CHARLOTTE

— “The Passion of Jesus Christ,” multilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese), live Stations of the Cross, 7 p.m. April 6

pastoral cENtEr, 1123 s. chUrch st.

— Entrenamiento de Catequista en español, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 24 de marzo y 28 de abril — Catechist training in Spanish, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 24 and April 28 st. aNN chUrch, 3635 parK roaD — “Put out into the deep”: A Plunge into St. Teresa of Avila’s Mystical Mansions (4-7) of the interior Castle, presented by Sister gertrude gillette, PhD, STL, of the Benedictines of Mary, cafeteria, 7-9 p.m. March 21 and March 28. RSVP to Molly Beckert at mvbeckert@ carolina.rr.com.

— St. Peregrine Healing Prayer Service, 7:30 p.m. March 22.

Contact 704-543-7677.

— “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

— Holy Saturday/Jerusalem Matins Service, 10 a.m. April 7. Visit www.stbasil.weebly.com.

— Stations of the Cross, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Lenten Fridays

— Paschal Vespers and Typica Service with Holy Communion, 5 p.m. April 7. Visit www.stbasil.weebly. com.

— Lenten Vespers, 6 p.m. Sundays

— Hispanic Catholic Men’s Support group, 7-9 p.m.

March 20, and April 3 and 17 — grupo de Apoyo para Hombres Católicos Hispanos, 7-9 p.m. 20 de marzo, y 3 y 17 de abril st. JohN NEUMaNN chUrch, 8451 iDlEWilD roaD

PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte

— “Called to be Mom,” supports the vocation of motherhood, NLC 239/240, 10 a.m.-noon, March 19, 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 704-2436319.

— Lenten meal, Fridays, followed by Stations of the Cross, 6:30 p.m.

— Lenten Retreat: “Out of Darkness,” 6:30-8 p.m. March 20 and 27. Contact Cathy Esposito at cesposito@ stgabrielchurch.org.

704-370-3333

st. MatthEW chUrch, 8015 ballaNtyNE coMMoNs pKWy.

— good Friday Vespers Service, 5 p.m. April 6. Visit www.stbasil.weebly.com.

st. gabriEl chUrch, 3016 proViDENcE roaD

1123 S. CHURCH ST. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

— Stations of the Cross, noon and 6:30 p.m. Fridays. st. piUs x chUrch, 2210 N. ElM st.

— Walking with Purpose (for women), 8-10:30 a.m. March 17, followed by brunch and Lenten reflection with Father John Eckert. Contact Patty Disney at 336-3822558. Visit www.walkingwithpurpose.com.

— Stations of the Cross, 7 p.m. Lenten Fridays

HUNTERSVILLE st. MarK chUrch, 14740 stUMptoWN roaD — Natural Family Planning introduction and full course, 1-5 p.m. March 24. RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-3703230.

— “The Journey to the Cross” presentation, 7 p.m.

March 30 — Stations of the Cross, 7 p.m. Lenten Fridays — Estaciones de la Cruz, 7:45 p.m. viernes de Cuaresma

LEXINGTON oUr laDy oF thE rosary chUrch, 619 s. MaiN st.

— Hispanic Day of Reflection, Gondek Center, 2:30 p.m.

March 18 and 25

— Mass in Polish, 3 p.m. April 1. Reconciliation available at 2 p.m. Contact Elizabeth Spytkowski at 704-948-1678.

— good Friday Matins Service, 10 a.m. April 6. Visit www. stbasil.weebly.com.

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

oUr laDy oF gracE chUrch, 2205 W. MarKEt st.

— Seasons of Hope grief Ministry, Kloster Center, 2-4 p.m. March 18 and 25, April 1, 15, 22 and 29. Register at 336-272-4681.

QUEEN oF thE apostlEs chUrch, 503 N. MaiN st.

— Stations of the Cross, 1 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. March 23 and March 30

st. basil thE grEat EastErN catholic MissioN, 7702 piNEVillE-MatthEWs roaD

Volume 21 • NUMbEr 10

THE mARCH 30 EDITION will be the last publication before Holy Week and Easter. Please tell us about your related news items and Mass schedules, ads, etc., as soon as possible to make that edition. Contact catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org.

— Parish Mission: “got Christ? ...He does a body and soul good,” 7 p.m. March 26-28

— Missa Cantata, 7 p.m. March 26

March 16, 2012

Holy Week and Easter

— Scripture Study Program: “Jesus’ Passion – The Story of Redemptive Suffering,” 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays (through March 27) and “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. ViNcENt DE paUl chUrch, 6828 olD rEiD roaD — Hispanic Catholic Men’s Support group, 7-9 p.m.

March 26, and April 9 and 23 — grupo de Apoyo para Hombres Católicos Hispanos, 7-9 p.m. 26 de marzo, y 9 y 23 de abril

THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 28 times a year.

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MOORESVILLE st. thErEsE chUrch, 217 braWlEy school roaD — Lenten Meditation service, 7 p.m. March 21 — Stations of the Cross, 7 p.m. March 23 and March 30

MURPHY st. WilliaM chUrch, 765 aNDrEWs roaD — Lenten worship service, noon-12:30 p.m. Wednesdays, followed by soup and sandwiches — Stations of the Cross, following 5 p.m. Mass, Fridays in March

SWANNANOA st. MargarEt Mary chUrch, 102 aNDrEW placE — Lenten Prayer Service followed by soup and bread meal, 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

WINSTON-SALEM st. bENEDict thE Moor chUrch, 1625 E. 12th st.

— Scriptural reflection and Stations of the Cross, 5:30 p.m. March 21, and April 4.

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.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $15 per year for all registered parishioners of the Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all others.

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FacEbooK.coM/ catholic NEWs hEralD DiocEsE oF charlottE

OUR PARISHESi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

(From left) billie Mobley, Mother Dolores Marie, pcpa, and bishop peter J. Jugis look over a topography map of the newly-acquired property for the te Deum Foundation and the poor clares on March 1.

Future monastery awaits financing to become reality SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

PHOTO PROViDED BY THE POOR CLARES OF PERPETUAL ADORATiON

(pictured from left) sister Marie thérèse, pcpa, and Mother Dolores Marie, pcpa, admire the view from their newly–acquired property on the south side of the broad river in cleveland county, where they hope to build the monastery in which they will live their vocation of a hidden life of prayer for priests and in spiritual support of the church.

Poor Clares and Te Deum Foundation buy land for monastery, seminary SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

CHARLOTTE — A community of cloistered nuns and the Te Deum Foundation have jointly acquired land in Cleveland County for a new monastery and a future seminary.

Mother Dolores Marie, PCPA, abbess of St. Joseph Monastery, and Wilhelmina (Billie) Mobley, president of the Te Deum Foundation, have announced the purchase of 484 acres in Mooresboro, about 60 miles west of Charlotte. The property is about 20 miles from St. Mary Church in Shelby. It is situated on the south side of the Broad River, adjacent to a county-protected greenway.

The land will be split between the Poor Clares, for a permanent monastery, and the Te Deum Foundation, for a future regional seminary.

The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, who moved their community to the Diocese of Charlotte from Ohio in 2010, have been living in a temporary monastery on the St. Ann Church campus on Willow Oak Road in Charlotte. They are now raising money to build a chapel and monastery on the 333 acres they will occupy. The Poor Clares are part of the religious order of famed EWTN founder Mother Angelica, located in Hanceville, Ala., at the monastery at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

The other 151 acres are being set aside for a future regional seminary – a project being spearheaded by the Te Deum

How can you help?

FOR mORE INFORmATION about donating to the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration or to the Te Deum Foundation, go to www.stjosephmonastery.com or www. tedeumfoundation.org, or call Billie Mobley at 336-765-1815.

Foundation, a non-profit organization which operates separately from the Diocese of Charlotte and which supports seminarians in their education.

The proposed seminary would be the only one in the Southern region of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennesee and Mississippi.

Right now, seminarians for the Diocese of Charlotte attend schools in Maryland and Ohio; including Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmittsburg and The Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus. Several also attend the Pontifical North American College in Rome. The Diocese of Charlotte has 17 seminarians currently training for the priesthood.

Both the Poor Clares and the Te Deum Foundation had been searching for land somewhere in the Diocese of Charlotte for some time, and Mother Dolores Marie and Mobley say they are thankful to have found

a mutually beneficial piece of property.

Through a combination of the generosity of the non-Catholic landowner and money from the Te Deum Foundation and the Poor Clares, they succeeded in acquiring the piece of property valued at $2.9 million, Mobley said.

Mother Dolores Marie and Mobley met with Charlotte Bishop Peter J. Jugis on March 1 to discuss the project and to show him a topographic map of the site.

The two also shared a video presentation of their complementary mission of assisting priests and seminarians through prayer and sacrifice. They are currently visiting parishes and groups, showing the video, and discussing how donations can be made to the Poor Clares and the Te Deum Foundation to further this work.

“It is great news that the sisters have been able to acquire the land for their monastery,” Jugis said. “I pray that God continue to bless them as they move forward with their plans. Their witness of a life devoted to contemplative prayer is a great blessing for the Church in North Carolina.”

The Poor Clares spend hours each day in Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, praying and interceding for the whole world, with a particular charism of spiritual motherhood, especially for priests.

The Te Deum Foundation is also dedicated to prayer and the support of current and future priests in their educational needs.

CHARLOTTE — Prayer is a powerful thing. The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, who just celebrated their second anniversary in the Diocese of Charlotte, can attest to that. In just two years their prayers for the acquisition of land to build a more suitable monastery to live their hidden life of service to God and His Church have been answered.

Now they need a permanent chapel and cloister to complete their dream.

Mother Dolores Marie, PCPA, abbess of St. Joseph Monastery, hopes it won’t be much longer before they can break ground on the sacred space where she and eventually 20 other cloistered nuns will pray, work and live.

POOR CLARES, SEE PAgE 18

Foundation prepares way for Southern seminary SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

WINSTON-SALEM — It has been more than eight years since the Te Deum Foundation was formed to support vocations in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Specifically, the foundation provides for the material and spiritual needs of diocesan seminarians in formation for the Roman Catholic priesthood.

Billie Mobley, president of the Te Deum Foundation, now hopes to expand the fostering of vocations in another way: by preparing the way to build a regional seminary which would address the educational and formational needs of seminarians who will be serving Catholics in the “Bible Belt.”

Mobley was guided by Blessed John Paul II’s 1992 apostolic exhortation “Pastores Dabo Vobis” (“I Will Give You Shepherds”), in which he elaborates on what a seminary should be.

TE DEUM, SEE PAgE 18

OUR PARISHES

6

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe coming to Charlotte diocese CHARLOTTE — A digital replica of the original Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe will visit the Diocese of Charlotte for 10 days starting March 23, visiting numerous parishes and Catholic schools as well as three abortion facilities.

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been venerated by hundreds of millions of people over the past 500 years, and many conversions, healings, reconciliations and graces have been reported through Mary’s intercession.

Since 1991, the Missionary Image has visited more than 1,000 parishes in all 50 states as well as 18 other countries, being present during hundreds of Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, rosary and prayer services. It has spurred many people to seek the sacrament of reconciliation, and many abortions have been prevented and at least 20 abortion facilities have been closed through Mary’s intercession, those involved with the Missionary Image have reported.

“We are truly blessed and delighted to have this visitation of the Missionary Image of our Lady of Guadalupe in our diocese,” said Paul Deer, director of the Missionary Image’s “guardian team,” six area Catholics who are responsible for coordinating the 10day visit and protecting and shepherding the image.

Also on the team are Mary “Annette” Morales, Joseph Castillo, Kathy Sanders, and Mark and Mary Myers. They all have been working for three years to bring the Missionary Image to the diocese.

In 1531, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was imprinted miraculously on the tilma, or cloak, of St. Juan Diego, an illiterate Aztec Indian who lived near Mexico City. On Dec. 9, 1531, Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego as the pregnant Mother of God, and asked him to go to the local bishop and request that a church be built in her name. The bishop asked Juan to ask Mary for a sign, and on Dec. 12, Mary appeared again to Juan and asked him to pick some Castilian roses for the bishop. Juan found the flowers where Mary had told him, despite it not being the season for roses to bloom, and he gathered them up in his tilma. He went to see the bishop, and when he opened his tilma to give the bishop the roses, the image of Our Lady was imprinted on it.

The bishop built the church as Our Lady requested and 8 million natives were converted within the next seven years. Juan Diego was canonized in 2002.

— catholic News herald

go see the missionary Image The Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be in the diocese from Friday, March 23, to Sunday, April 1:

FRIDAY, MARCH 23 6:30-8:30 p.m. — St. James the Greater Church, 139 Manor Ave. S.W., Concord, procession from Gill Hall to the church, followed by a prayer service and veneration, as well as an overnight prayer vigil and Eucharistic Adoration

SATURDAY, MARCH 24 9 a.m. to noon — Family Reproductive Health Clinic, 700 East Hebron St., Charlotte, for a prayer service and recitation of the rosary 4:30-7 p.m. — St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte, for veneration

SUNDAY, MARCH 25 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. — St. Thomas Aquinas Church, for veneration, with a prayer service at 2 p.m.

MONDAY, MARCH 26 9-10:30 a.m. — Holy Trinity Middle School, 3100 Park Road, Charlotte, for Mass and veneration 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — St. Ann School, 600 Hillside Ave., for a prayer service 1-3:30 p.m. — Charlotte Catholic High School, 7702 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte, for a prayer service, rosary and veneration

TUESDAY, MARCH 27 9 a.m. to noon — Planned Parenthood Clinic, 3000 Maplewood Ave. #112, Winston-Salem, for a prayer vigil with parishioners of Holy Family Church 7-8:30 p.m. — St. Vincent De Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte, for veneration and a prayer service

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28

a prayer service, rosary and veneration 2-3:30 p.m. — Sacred Heart School, 385 Lumen Christi Lane, Salisbury, for a prayer service, rosary and veneration 6-8 p.m. — Sacred Heart Church, 385 Lumen Christi Lane, Salisbury, for Mass

THURSDAY, MARCH 29 9-11 a.m. — Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 4225 Shamrock Dr., Charlotte, for Mass 2-3:30 p.m. — St. Michael School, 704 St. Michael’s Lane, Gastonia, for a prayer service and veneration 6-8:30 p.m. — St. Michael Church, 704 St. Michael’s Lane, Gastonia, for Mass

FRIDAY, MARCH 30 8:30 a.m. to noon — St. Mark School, 14750 Stumptown Road, Huntersville, for a prayer service, rosary and veneration 1-2:30 p.m. — Christ the King High School, 753 Oak Ridge Farms Hwy., Mooresville, for a prayer service, rosary and veneration

PHOTO PROViDED BY THE DiOCESE OF RALEigH

raleigh bishop Michael F. burbidge signs the Edict for the opening of the cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Thomas F. Price. It was also signed and notarized by rev. Msgr. David D. brockman, vicar general of the raleigh diocese (right).

Raleigh diocese officially opens cause for famed ‘Tarheel Apostle’ Fr. Price first native North Carolinian ordained a priest RALEIGH — The diocesan phase for the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Thomas Frederick Price was opened March 9 with the official installation of a tribunal that will begin the formal study of the life, virtues and the reputation of the sanctity of the North Carolina priest known as the “Tarheel Apostle.”

The opening of the diocesan phase of the cause took place within the context of solemn vespers at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh.

To emphasize support for the cause beyond the Diocese of Raleigh, Bishop Peter Jugis attended the installation and stated, “Father Price’s missionary zeal is a great inspiration for us today as we dedicate ourselves to the New Evangelization of our modern society.”

The tribunal to study Father Price will be led by the Very Reverend James F. Garneau, pastor of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Mount Olive, whom Raleigh Bishop Michael Burbidge has appointed episcopal delegate for the Cause of Father Price. The tribunal also includes Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, appointed by the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints as postulator of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Price, and other members, assisted by a historical commission and a theological commission.

As part of the diocesan phase of the Cause, Bishop Burbidge signed an edict for the Opening of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization for Father Price. It requests that all those who can give valid testimony regarding the life, virtues and the reputation of the sanctity of Father Price, even if they have negative proof, are to contact the tribunal. They may do so by contacting Father Garneau at the Office of the Episcopal Delegate for the Cause of Father Price, P.O. Box 1145, Mount Olive, N.C. 28365.

PRiCE, SEE PAgE 15

More online

SATURDAY, MARCH 31

Read more about the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Thomas Price online at www.dioceseofraleigh.org

9 a.m. to noon — A Preferred Women’s Health Center, 3220 Latrobe Drive, Charlotte, for a prayer service and recitation of the rosary 5-7 p.m. — St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road E., Charlotte, for Mass and veneration

Read the Edict for the Opening of the Cause online at www.dioceseofraleigh.org/docs/news/Edict-forOpening-of-Cause-FrPrice.pdf.

SUNDAY, APRIL 1 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. — St. Patrick Cathedral, for Mass and veneration (11 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis)

price

8:30 a.m. to noon — Charlotte Catholic High School, for

Long-time deacon at Sacred Heart Church dies

burke

BREVARD — Deacon John “Jack” Burke Jr., 77, of Flat Rock died Feb. 29, 2012, in Benson, Ariz.

A funeral Mass was celebrated at Sacred Heart Church in Brevard on March 8, 2012, with Bishop Peter J. Jugis as the main celebrant and Father Carl T.

DelGiudice as homilist.

He was born Dec. 2, 1934, to the late John James Burke Sr. and Yolanda Ganguzza Burke in Bronx, N.Y. He retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel after serving 22 years.

He served as a deacon for 30 years, including 16 years in Connecticut and 14 years at Sacred Heart Church in Brevard.

Deacon Burke was ordained June 27, 1981, as part of the first ordination class for

the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He moved to Hendersonville in 1995 and was granted faculties and assignment to Sacred Heart Church in Brevard in July 1995.

Although he remained busy with church ministry, he and his wife found the time to travel the United States in their recreational vehicle, which they both enjoyed.

Survivors include his wife Frances Hughes Burke; two sons, Thomas Burke of

Bristol, Conn., and Stephen Burke of Lake Mary, Fla.; one daughter, Theresa Girard of Lake Mary, Fla.; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Society, 120 Executive Park #1, Asheville, N.C. 28801; or to Transylvania County Hospice, 90 Hospital Dr., Brevard, N.C. 28712.

OUR PARISHESi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

7

National leaders join 40 Days for Life campaign outside Charlotte abortion mill SUEANN HOWELL AND PATRICIA L. gUILFOyLE CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — Shawn Carney, the national campaign director for 40 Days for Life, paid his firstever visit to Charlotte March 8, joining in the prayer vigil outside one of the city’s three abortion mills.

Carney gathered with more than 30 pro-life supporters in front of the abortion mill at Family Reproductive Health, at 700 E. Hebron St., at noon. The facility is one of eight in the Diocese of Charlotte and three in the Queen City – two of which pro-life activists have been praying at during the semi-annual 40 Days for Life campaign, which will continue until April 1.

40 Days for Life campaigns are also being held in 225 cities across the country, including Asheville and Winston-Salem. This is the largest spring campaign to date. The campaign features prayer and fasting, community outreach, and 40-day prayer vigils in cities across the United States.

Carney’s visit was followed up with a similar visit March 10 from Bryan Kemper, youth outreach director for Priests for Life. Kemper is the founder of Stand True Ministry and a layperson who works with Priests for Life in speaking up for the pro-life cause, especially among youth.

He also prayed outside the Hebron abortion mill, followed by a visit to St. Mark Church in Huntersville for a pro-life event that evening.

The faithful are encouraged to join the 40 Days for Life campaigns in Asheville, Charlotte and Winston-Salem: n In Asheville, the 40-day prayer vigil is being held outside the abortion mill Femcare at 62 Orange St., the only western North Carolina clinic that performs medical as well as surgical abortions. The vigil is held daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. n In Charlotte, prayer vigils are being held daily outside two abortion mills in the metropolitan area: A Preferred Women’s Health Center at 3220 Latrobe Drive and Family Reproductive Health at 700 E. Hebron St. The vigils are held daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. n In Winston-Salem, the 40-day prayer vigil is being held daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. outside Planned Parenthood Health Systems, 3000 Maplewood Ave.

Learn more online Visit www.40daysforlife.com. Click on a city name – Asheville, Charlotte or Winston-Salem – for specific details about the campaign and local contacts.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

Education efforts continue for constitutional amendment to protect marriage CHARLOTTE — As the May 8 referendum date draws near, the constitutional amendment to protect marriage is becoming a hot topic of discussion in parishes around the diocese and in the media. Two Charlotte parishes are holding discussion forums in April, and the diocese took to the public airwaves in Charlotte March 8.

Parish forums are scheduled for Tuesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. at St. Peter Church in uptown Charlotte, and Wednesday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. at St. gabriel Church, also in Charlotte. The forums are being held to explain Church teaching as it relates to the marriage amendment and to answer questions from those in attendance.

David Hains (left), director of communication for the Diocese of Charlotte, and Keep up with the latest news about the amendment at www.catholicvoicenc.org.

another supporter of the constitutional amendment to protect marriage also appeared on WFAE 90.7’s morning talk show “Charlotte Talks” with host Mike Collins March 8.

The constitutional amendment defines marriage as being only between one man and one woman. it elevates what is existing state law into the constitution, where it would be protected from political or judicially mandated changes.

To set up a public forum in your parish, contact Hains at dwhains@ charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3336.

— catholic News herald go to the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel to view a series of videos Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte and Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh have created to explain Church teaching about marriage.

Stand up for religious freedom at rally March 23 SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

Go online

CHARLOTTE — Concerned citizens in Charlotte and Winston-Salem will join people around the United States on Friday, March 23, to rally support for religious freedom in light of the challenges presented by the HHS contraception mandate.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule dictates that most employers will soon have to provide free contraceptives, abortifacients and sterilization coverage for their employees, regardless of the employers’ conscientious objection to these services.

Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic

For details about the nationwide rally efforts, go to www. standupforreligiousfreedom.com.

college in the Diocese of Charlotte, has already filed a lawsuit against the federal government challenging the mandate as a violation of religious liberty.

Nationwide, rallies will be held at federal courthouses at noon on March 23.

In Charlotte, citizens will gather at the Charles R. Jonas Federal Courthouse at 401 West Trade St.

Brice Griffin, local coordinator and parishioner at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, is hoping to join thousands of others to voice support of religious freedom and opposition to the controversial mandate.

Pattie Curran is the coordinator of the corresponding Winston-Salem rally, which will be held at the Hiram H. Ward Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse at 251 North Main St. in Winston-Salem.

Father John Eckert, parochial vicar at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, will offer an opening prayer at the rally in Winston-Salem.

Forsyth County Commissioner Debra Conrad will offer closing words and a prayer.

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For more information or to receive a brochure, please contact the St. Ann parish office 704-523-4641 ext 221 stanncharlotte@charlottediocese.org.

8

OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

Growing in their faith

PHOTOS PROViDED BY DR. CRiS V. ViLLAPANDO

Rite of Election held for hundreds on path to becoming Catholic Nearly 800 people in the Diocese of Charlotte have taken a step forward on their path to becoming Catholic – a journey that will culminate with them being received into the Church during the Easter Vigil next month.

During what is called the Rite of Election, people who wish to be baptized into the Church, called catechumens, are designated as elects by Bishop Peter J. Jugis. The rite is combined with the Call to Continuing Conversion for non-Catholic baptized people, called candidates, who wish to be received into the Catholic Church.

The ceremony is traditionally held on the first Sunday of Lent, but given the large number of catechumens and candidates, their sponsors, guests and families, the Diocese of Charlotte usually opts to conduct it in three locations: Asheville, Charlotte and the Triad area.

On Feb. 26, more than 500 people from parishes in the Triad area came to support the 150 catechumens and candidates at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville.

On March 3, more than 1,100 people came out to St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte to

support the 450 catechumens and candidates of the area who will be fully initiated into the Church at the Easter Vigil.

On March 4, approximately 600 people from various parishes of the western region came to support the 180 catechumens and candidates at St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville.

Diocesan officials counted 2,250 people coming out to support the 770 catechumens and candidates at all three events. The 770 does not include those who were not able to come, or those who will also be initiated during Pentecost. Last year, the diocese received 950 new members and diocesan leaders hope to attract the same number this year.

The diocesan Commission on the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) assisted the bishop and the parishes in preparing for this Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion. — Dr. cris V. Villapando

OUR PARISHESi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

9

St. Vincent de Paul Parish youth group ‘fasts for the poor’ CHARLIE jACKSON iNTERN

CHARLOTTE — A potluck buffet may not sound penitential, but after 30 hours of fasting the youth of St. Vincent de Paul in Charlotte were more than ready to eat. It was a well-deserved end to a full day’s worth of prayer, fasting and work that the youth group looks forward to enduring each Lent.

From Friday afternoon, March 9, until 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, St. Vincent de Paul Parish’s youth group observed its annual Fast for the Poor. Ruben Tamayo, director of youth ministry at St. Vincent de Paul Church, explained that the fast is intended to help the teens recall the plight of the disadvantaged during Lent.

Fast for the Poor was developed locally at St. Vincent de Paul Church to help the youths strengthen their Catholic spirituality through prayer (including Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Liturgy of the Hours, and praying the rosary, Angelus, and Stations of the Cross), fasting, and almsgiving (supporting the Missionaries of the Poor).

“A lot of people go home and don’t have food. To sacrifice one thing is not that big of a deal,” said one participant from Charlotte Catholic High School, adding, “We grew in our faith through Adoration and going to confession. You have to rely on God to provide.”

Time was also set aside during the fast for contemplation and journaling, allowing the youths to reflect on their experiences and the needs of the world’s poor.

Throughout the weekend, St. Vincent de Paul Parish’s youth group joined together for Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, following an almost monastic schedule of prayer and work.

“We had a Holy Hour, we did the Liturgy of the Hours, we had confession, we went to Mass twice,” said Kevin Acken, also a sophomore at Charlotte Catholic. “My favorite part of the weekend was going to (see) the Missionaries of the Poor. I like the brothers there.”

Lack of food did not tire the youths. While not at prayer, they were actively engaged in service projects – doing yard work and other chores for the Missionaries of the Poor Guardian Angels Monastery in Monroe. During their visit with the brothers, the youths listened to a talk about vocations and prayed the Stations of the Cross.

“The most challenging part of the weekend was the work, but it was probably the most fun,” noted 17-year-old John Mark. And as photos from the event showed, the youths did manage to have some fun, too, despite the lack of food for the day. There were games, praise and worship music, small and large group discussions, and more.

The youth group also raised money for the Missionaries of the Poor, who minister to the poor and disadvantaged in and around Monroe.

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From Friday afternoon, March 9, until 7 p.m. on saturday, March 10, st. Vincent parish’s youth group observed its annual Fast for the poor. the youths prayed, attended Mass and went to confession, played games and had small group discussions, and did some work at the Missionaries of the poor guardian angels Monastery in Monroe.

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Thomas Merton American Mystic: Retreat and Retrospective

Saturday, April 28, 2012 9:30 am – 4:00 pm Sr. Donna Lareau, OLM This day reviews the effects of Merton’s life and ministry in the American Church.

Cost: $40 (lunch included)

10

OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

Holy Cross Columbiettes provide ‘Ministry of Mercies’ ANNETTE TENNy CORRESPONDENT

KERNERSVILLE — Holy Cross Church in Kernersville has two close-knit ministries to help those grieving the death of a loved one. From helping families with funeral arrangements to serving during the funeral Mass and providing enough food at the reception, the Parish Cares’ Bereavement and Columbiettes’ Reception ministries continue to bring blessings to the families, to each other and to the entire parish.

STARTED OUT OF LOVE

Eleven years ago, the Columbiettes found themselves dealing with and grieving for the death of their own sisters: within 15 months, three of their founding members had passed away. The parish’s bereavement ministry had always done a small coffee reception after each funeral, but now the Columbiettes felt they needed to do more.

The women hosted a full reception after each of their friend’s funerals. The grateful and loving response and feedback they received afterwards led them to form a new funeral reception ministry that would work in cooperation with their bereavement ministry.

The Columbiettes developed a budget, divvied up responsibility for specific organizational aspects, formed a team and compiled a small list of volunteers. It didn’t take long for that list to grow. Many parishioners have been inspired to join the Columbiettes in this ministry. Some joined after experiencing the kindness and care offered during a reception for their loved ones; for others, the ministry simply calls to their hearts.

“There’s not a lot we can do for someone when they’ve lost a loved one, besides pray for them,” says Sharon Ladd, reception ministry coordinator, “but we can sure feed them.”

Traditionally, people gather together after a funeral to comfort each other, reminisce and often share a meal. In most instances, however, this puts an enormous strain on the family of the deceased and sometimes, finding enough room for everyone is simply not possible. The Columbiettes’ receptions not only relieve families of these added responsibilities, they enable the friends and fellow parishioners of the one who has passed to be the merciful hands of Christ for those who need those loving hands the most.

CALLED TO PRACTICE mERCy

The Columbiettes agree that they and their band of volunteers are in a sense really not doing anything extraordinary.

They are simply practicing their faith.

What they are doing in the bereavement ministry and the funeral reception ministry is simply offering the corporal and spiritual works of mercy to others, as all Catholics are taught to do.

They are people like Wilma Tilley, who, like a great short-stop in baseball, “plays” many positions. She can be counted on to cook food, give a hug, set up tables, wash dishes – a lot of dishes – or do anything else that’s needed. Her favorite words? “What

do you need me to do?”

Or people like Dottie Saffer, who has done the laundry since the Columbiettes held their first funeral reception. Not long ago, the Columbiettes held three receptions in a week. Saffer had the linens washed, ironed and back at the church in time for each one. She doesn’t ask for anything, but her work reflects the beauty, dignity and respect the Columbiettes show for the deceased and their families.

THERE’S ALWAyS ENOUgH

Putting together a funeral reception requires love, empathy, extraordinary logistical ability and, above all, faith in the Holy Spirit.

The reception always provides a full meal. Determining how many people will be attending, sending out “what we need” e-mails, coordinating dishes offered by volunteers, and shopping for whatever else may be needed is a huge job.

“Sharon (Ladd) has it down to an art form,” says Elizabeth Thomas, a parish volunteer. Ladd shops throughout the year, explained Thomas – if, for example, she finds hams on sale, she might buy three or four and put them in her freezer.

“The Columbiettes have allocated money to cover any expense,” adds Melanie Feeney-Lewis. This includes dinnerware and linens. Feeney-Lewis is the co-coordinator of the parish care ministry. They have a budget and they get donations, she explains, so there is no cost to the families for each reception.

Many times, the majority of the food is cooked and brought in by members of the Columbiettes’ funeral reception team.

To Sharon and the rest of the team, the work they do would not be successful without the Holy Spirit working through them and with them. No matter the situation, they have never found themselves with too little food – they always have enough.

For example, they once held a reception for family and friends grieving the death of a teenager. At some point someone was moved to order ”a bunch of pizzas.” For a time there was a worry that there would be too much food, but as they’ve found time and again, the pizzas saved the day and there was just the right amount of food for everyone.

On another occasion, the amount of food at a reception was quite a lot more than they needed – but the Spirit was at work again. In this case, the extra food was a blessing in disguise, gratefully accepted by a family in need.

The Columbiettes’ funeral receptions always have just the right amount of food, the women laughingly explain. That is the point, though. With the Spirit’s help, there is no food left on the plates – and everyone is fed.

REACHINg OUT IN FAITH

“There are always so many non-Catholics present at these receptions,” says Jennifer Grecco, co-coordinator of the parish care ministry, “and I think it blows their minds!”

So many people have come up to the

ANNETTE TENNY | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

Members of the holy cross the columbiettes funeral reception team are (from left) Elizabeth thomas, Melanie Feeney-lewis, sharon ladd, Wilma tilley and Jennifer grecco. women after the reception is over to thank them and tell them how surprised and inspired they have been because of what they’ve experienced, Grecco points out.

People who don’t know anything about the Catholic Church or worse, who have been misinformed, have the opportunity to engage with Catholics, to receive this “outpouring of love,” she says. It stays with them, it breaks down barriers.

She relates one experience with the Patriot Guard Riders, who attended a funeral Mass and reception.

“Here this man has served in a war – he came from God knows where on a motorcycle to stand and hold a flag in the heat for hours and hours and hours, and he said, ‘We’re gonna be talking about you for months!’

“It meant so much to them,” she recalls.

“I think this is the biggest opportunity we have as a church community to reach out to those who are not Catholic.”

The Columbiettes all agree that this ministry is also a beautiful way to reach out to Catholics who may have fallen away from the faith. Sometimes the person who has died might have been the only practicing Catholic left in the family.

Members of the deceased’s family come and re-experience the Mass. They see the gift of time and the love offered by all the volunteers who serve as lectors, servers and extraordinary ministers. They are comforted by the prayers, then comforted again by the love and friendship offered by the gathering together during the reception.

More than the food, the planning or the other practical efforts – this spirit of comfort and fellowship, this ministry of many mercies, may be the best gift of all that these women can give to these families in need.

the columbiettes of holy cross aid those grieving the death of a loved one by practicing corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

get more information THE HOLy CROSS COLUmBIETTES have offered to help any parish that would like to explore starting or expanding a similar bereavement ministry. Contact Melanie Feeney-Lewis or Jennifer grecco at holycrossparishcare@yahoo. com or 336-996-5109, ext. 12.

What are works of mercy?

CORPORAL WORKS OF mERCy ARE: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, visiting the sick, burying the dead and sheltering the homeless.

SPIRITUAL WORKS OF mERCy ARE: advising the sinner, instructing the ignorant, consoling the doubtful, comforting the sorrowful, forgiving all injuries, bearing wrongs patiently and praying for the living and the dead.

OUR PARISHESi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

11

Catholic Social Services creates new volunteer group TRACy WINSOR SPECiAL TO THE CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — Catholic Social Services has created a new group of volunteers called “Helping Hands.” Helping Hands volunteers are contacted via email when the agency has some immediate need for the completion of a one-time project. So far the group has rallied to help stock shelves in the Charlotte Regional Office Food Pantry, and sort donated household items in the Refugee Resettlement Office Warehouse.

“We find this is a great volunteer opportunity for families wherein parents and their kids can work together on a Saturday morning or for those who can’t make a regular commitment to volunteer, but are happy to plug in and support CSS when they can,” said Sandy Buck, volunteer coordinator for Catholic Social Services.

Thirty-five volunteers have participated in Helping Hands projects since the group was organized, offering a total of 71 hours in service.

For details about Helping Hands, call 704-370-3283 or email tlwinsor@charlottediocese.org.

PHOTO PROViDED BY SHANNON C. HABENiCHT

St. Gabriel Church Girl Scouts set food donation record

PHOTO PROViDED BY TRACY WiNSOR

cayman and samuel starnes from st. luke church in charlotte recently worked with their parents and other helping hands volunteers to organize donated blankets and pillows at the refugee Warehouse.

2012 Catholic Camporee March 23-25

CHARLOTTE — St. gabriel Parish girl Scouts recently collected 3,000 pounds of non-perishable food for Catholic Social Services’ food pantry – the largest one-month donation ever for the parish’s “Share Sunday” initiative.

To commemorate 100 years of Scouting, the Girl Scouts, led by Troop 559, took on the task of emphasizing community support at St. gabriel Church in Charlotte by actively participating in the Share Sunday Food Drive on Feb. 25. This monthly Share Sunday campaign at St. gabriel collects non-perishable food during Sunday Masses and then delivers the food on Monday to the Catholic Social Services food pantry.

The girl Scouts’ involvement began the week earlier by distributing Harris Teeter donated shopping bags with a note attached about their activity to give St. gabriel parishioners. This effort increased normal food donations by about 40 percent. Their activities continued with collecting, weighing, carrying and transporting the food to the Catholic Social Services food pantry in Charlotte, where the Scouts also helped restock the pantry shelves.

“Collaborative efforts bless everyone all around. This effort of our girl Scouts with Catholic Social Services extends the love and care of St. gabriel to the needy of our community,” said Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor of St. gabriel Church.

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Calling all Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts!

Attend or visit the 36th annual Catholic Camporee for the Diocese of Charlotte.

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Camporee will conclude on Sunday with Holy Mass celebrated at 10 am by Bishop Peter Jugis. The Bishop will recognize all Cub scouts and Boy scouts who have earned their Religious Awards.

For more information visit our website www.cdccos.info Mecklenburg Scout Reservation, 383 Vein Mountain Rd Nebo, North Carolina 28761

Wednesday, March 28 6 PM

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OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

High school youths go on retreat to focus on God’s unfailing love thirty-seven high school students from across the Diocese of charlotte attended a weekend retreat at st. Elizabeth of the hill country in boone March 2-4.

mIKE mURRAy CORRESPONDENT

BOONE — Thirty-seven high school students attended a weekend retreat at St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country in Boone March 2-4. They accepted the opportunity to come spend time in the mountains for these two days in the middle of Lent – to become open to grace, to listen to God’s voice, and to grow in charity, hope, patience, selfcontrol and so much more.

The students and staff represented 13 different churches from across the Diocese of Charlotte, supported by 10 leaders and chaperones during this event that the diocesan Youth Ministry Office hosts each Lenten season.

The weather outside on Friday, March 4, was in the 50s as the retreat began on the beautiful hillside in Boone THE DIOCESAN yOUTH and ended on Sunday with the beauty of snow and mINISTRy OFFICE is funded winter temperatures. Inside, the warmth and the love of in part by your contributions the Lord grew much stronger as students grew in further to the annual Diocesan understanding of God’s beauty.

Support Appeal. To learn The students were enthusiastic about the weekend. more about the 2012 DSA The retreat focused on becoming virtuous disciples of campaign “Called to Serve,” Christ, with the theme “Love that Never Fails” – taken and to support the 50-plus from the 13th chapter of St. Paul’s first letter to the programs or services it funds Corinthians, which tells us that God is Love and we are in western North Carolina, go called to love as He does. We have the perfect example to www.charlottediocese.org/ of how we should love by imitating Christ, who is the ministries-a-departments/ perfect example for us to follow. sdevelopment.

In John 10:10, Christ, the Good Shepherd tells us, “I came so that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” The students discussed how this could be accomplished, and the retreat concluded with each student thinking about what is their ultimate identity, purpose and meaning of loving like Christ.

Many of the students found that the retreat’s service project was one of their most gratifying experiences. Putting their faith into action, they formed groups and went into the community. The students were divided into teams, spending time with the residents at Deerfield Assisted Living making cupcakes, sharing time with residents and straightening

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things up, or visiting the hospice center and spending time with the residents and making cards for them. Some visited the Hospitality House and helped feed and visit with the poor. Others helped St. Elizabeth Parish with cleaning, straightening and picking up the nursery and maintaining the road near the church.

Prayer, presentations, small group sharing, song and reflection, Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and confession were vital parts of the weekend retreat, of course. Students enjoyed the overall experience and commented about being “closer to God,” being “touched by God,” and “understanding how our actions affect others.”

The team of adults and adolescents worked diligently to facilitate the weekend, but they also left receiving many blessings for their efforts.

When asked why this youth Lenten retreat is so special, diocesan Youth Ministry Director Paul Kotlowski said, “It is a blessing when youth and others come together. They find themselves on a journey encouraged in faith – and inspiring each other.”

Have you heard?

sponsored by CSS Elder Ministry Come join senior adults from all around the diocese for a day filled with lots of activities:

Fun! Excitement!

Fellowship! Laughter!

Thursday, April 26, 2012 Catholic Conference Center – Hickory Check in starts at 9am / Program starts at 9:45am Closing Mass at 2:40pm Registration deadline: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 Your Local Catholic Charities Agency

Thursday, May 31, 2012 St. Matthew Catholic Church - Charlotte

Check in starts at 9:15 am / Program begins at 10am Closing Mass at 2:45pm Registration deadline: Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Cost is $15 per person (includes lunch).

Please make checks payable to Catholic Social Services. You may register as a group or individually. Mail your check to: Catholic Social Services – 1123 S. Church St. – Charlotte, NC 28203 – attn: Sandra Breakfield.

For more information: Sandra Breakfield 704-370-3220 / Sherill Beason 704-370-3228

Women are talking.

About…what it means to be a Catholic woman in today’s culture, seeing yourself as Christ sees you, natural family planning, and model women through time. Join our blog or start a discussion group in your church.

GET STARTED HERE: cssnc.org/nfp Click on “The Catholic View For Women”.

For more information, contact: Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN Natural Family Planning Program Director, Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte, NC. Inc.

(704)-370-3230

cssnfp@charlottediocese.org www.cssnc.org/nfp Your Local Catholic Charities Agency

OUR PARISHESi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Conditions we treat: Neck pain, headaches, lower back pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, disc injuries, arthritis, extremity pain Treatments we use: Chiropractic manipulation, spinal decompression, physiotherapy, soft tissue release, meridian therapy

Dr. Ali

537 W Sugar Creek Rd, Ste 101 Charlotte, NC

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PHOTO PROViDED BY MATT NEWSOME

catholic campus Ministry students get to work painting the outside of the Family care center thrift store in hickory, which supports a homeless shelter for families, during a three-day annual retreat held recently for college students.

‘Give Your Heart Away’ convenes at Catholic Conference Center jENNIFER KRAWIEC CORRESPONDENT

HICKORY — Remaining a faithful Catholic can be difficult for college students. Thankfully, programs such as Catholic Campus Ministries can help students by providing opportunities like the “Give Your Heart Away” event held this year at the Catholic Conference Center Feb. 10-12. The three-day annual retreat is offered to students from about 20 colleges in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Karen Soos, Catholic campus minister at Davidson College, coordinated the event this year and said she was pleased with the turnout. More than 60 students from nine campuses attended, including a few from the newly-established Catholic Campus Ministry at Wingate University.

The majority of students are first-timers but some were returning. Soos says that for many students, Catholic Campus Ministries is how they identify with others on campus.

The purpose of the retreat was to promote service and the theme centered on 1 Peter 4:8-11, which reads, in part, “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

The weekend began with Friday evening icebreakers, prayer and small group sharing. On Saturday, students split into groups and went to work. Some painted the exterior of the Family Care Center Thrift Store, which supports a homeless shelter for families. The Maryvale sisters in Vale had helpers working in their library, doing some renovations in the preschool, and cleaning a section of local road for the “Adopt a Highway” program.

Resource Warehouse & Gallery is a thrift store created by Safe Harbor, a Christian-based residential facility. At the gallery, students sorted donations and cleaned up the thrift store. At the Heritage Care Center, a group home for adults with mental disabilities, the students coordinated a Valentine’s Day dance and gave the residents relaxing hand massages.

One group stayed behind at the Catholic Conference Center to do some walking trail repairs and cleaning as a way of saying “thank you” for it hosting the weekend.

Learn more and give THE DIOCESAN CAmPUS mINISTRy OFFICE is funded in part by your contributions to the annual Diocesan Support Appeal.

To learn more about the 2012 DSA campaign “Called to Serve,” and to support the 50-plus programs or services it funds in western North Carolina, go to www.charlottediocese.org/ ministries-a-departments/sdevelopment.

Soos said the hope is that the students will see how their service connects to Church teaching. “We feel this is our one shot during the year to present them with the incredible gift of our Catholic tradition about social justice.”

Chiropractic Physicians: Dr. Henry E. Rice, Dr. Ferzaan A. Ali, Dr. R. Scott Saario

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CLERK The Accounting Department of the Diocese of Charlotte is accepting applications for a full-time accounting clerk position with responsibility for Accounts Payable for various diocesan entities. Responsibilities include reviewing all check requests for proper coding, accuracy and authorization as well as entering all invoices and processing weekly check runs for each entity. This position will also assist in the processing of the annual Diocesan Support Appeal (pledges and payments).

Qualified candidates will have a minimum of two years relevant work experience, be proficient with a ten-key, with Microsoft Excel, and with Accounts Payable software.

Please send resume and salary history by March 23, 2012 to: Mason Beaumont, Controller Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203 Or email to mtbeaumont@charlottediocese.org.

The Diocese of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Includes Papal Audience & 7 Masses!

Italy Pilgrimage 10 Days

Departs: September 10, 2012

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ROME – VATICAN – POMPEII – PADRE PIO’S COMPLEX LORETO – ASSISI – FLORENCE – PISA – ORVIETO

Fully Escorted + Your YMT Chaplain, Fr. Rex Familar!

Explore historic Rome. Start with an audience with Pope Benedict XVI (subject to his schedule) followed by a city tour of Rome including the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Colosseum. Your second visit to the Vatican includes a private Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel. Tour the ruins at Pompeii with Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii. Continue to San Giovanni Rotondo with Mass at the tomb of St. Pio. Visit the Convent of Santa Maria Della Grazie and museum of St. Pio. Visit the Grotto of St. Michael in Monte Sant’Angelo, Lanciano, San Francesco church, and celebrate a private Mass at the Sanctuario Della Santa Casa De Loreto (Basilica contains a stone hut-house where Mary lived).

Your Catholic Pilgrimage continues to Assisi with a half day sightseeing tour including a visit to Santa Chiara Church, St. Mary of the Angels, and a private Mass at St. Francis Basilica, Assisi.

Travel across the beautiful Tuscan countryside for a half-day guided tour of Florence with a visit and private Mass at one of the greatest Gothic buildings in Italy, The Duomo Di Orvieto, whose construction was completed in 1290. Depart for home Thursday, September 20, 2012. Includes 17 meals. Your chaplain is Father Rex Familiar, Parochial Vicar at St. John Vianney, in Orlando, Florida. This will be Fr. Rex’s second YMT Pilgrimage. *Price per person, double occupancy.

Single room with no roommate: add only $400. Airfare is extra.

For details, itinerary, reservations & letter from YMT’s chaplain with his phone number call 7 days a week:

1-800-736-7300

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Let’s keep talking.

OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

in Brief st. patrick’s Day Mass set at old st. Joseph church

BRING YOUR HEART TO WORK! COMMUNITY GROUP HOME MANAGER – FT live-in (7 days on, 7 days off), to nurture and guide adult residents with learning independent living skills in home-like setting.

Experience and ability needed to run household, prepare meals, provide transportation (NC license required), recreation, med admin. Require HS or GED. Prefer: min. 2 yrs. work exp in a group home setting with persons who have intellectual developmental disabilities.

APPLY AT: Holy Angels, 6600 Wilkinson Blvd., Belmont, NC, 704-825-4161, apply on line at www.holyangelsnc.org, or email resume: hrinfo@holyangelsnc.org

MOUNT HOLLY — On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, the three divisions of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians in the Charlotte area will once again be honoring their Irish heritage and their Catholic faith with Mass at old St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly.

Old St. Joseph Church was built in 1843 by Irish immigrants and the first pastor was Father T.J. Cronin, who was also Irish born and is buried at the church. The ceremony to honor Father Cronin will begin at 7:45 a.m. and Mass will follow at 8 a.m. Father Joshua Voitus, parochial vicar of St. Vincent de Paul Church and the chaplain of the Mecklenburg County board of the AOH, will be the celebrant. The public is welcome to attend both the ceremony and the Mass.

— Joseph Dougherty

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. Early reservations are encouraged. For details, go online to www. catholicnewsherald.com.

live, multilingual stations of the cross to be presented CHARLOTTE — St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte will again present “The Passion of Jesus Christ,” multilingual live Stations of the Cross, starting at 7 p.m. on Good Friday, April 6. The outdoor event on the church grounds, located at 8451 Idlewild Road in Charlotte, will be presented in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese. The public is invited to attend.

— al tinson

youths’ opinions wanted CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s Office for Youth Ministry will be hosting a Youth Convocation at this year’s Diocesan Youth Conference. To this end, a survey has been developed for all Catholic youths in grades 7-12.

Results from the survey will guide the work of the Youth Convocation and the direction of youth ministry going forward. Take the survey one of three ways: Go to www.surveymonkey. com/s/YMCONVOCATION; click on the Youth Ministry tab of the diocesan website at www. charlottediocese.org; or find the link by becoming a friend of Charlotte Diocese Youth Ministry on Facebook.

— paul Kotlowski

Confirmation retreat held CHARLOTTE — About 100 confirmation students from the parishes of St. Mark in Huntersville, Sacred Heart in Wadesboro, St. James in Hamlet and St. John Neumann in Charlotte gathered Feb. 25 for a retreat at St. John Neumann Church. The retreat was led by a group of spirit-filled young adults from Net Ministries. The theme for the retreat was “You Will Receive Power,” and teens learned about the sacrament of confirmation through engaging small groups, faith-centered games, Mass, prayer teams and spirit-inspired large group discussions.

leaping for special olympics KERNERSVILLE — The Knights of Columbus from Clemmons (Bishop Greco Council 9499) recently showed their support for Forsyth County Special Olympics by leaping into the icy cold water of Late Fitness Center in the “Annual Polar Plunge.” The wind was icy, but it could not chill the Knights’ support of Special Olympics!

More than $2,000 were raised by these brave (some might say crazy) Knights.

— Meredith Magyar

— brian sternecker

Director of Music St. Elizabeth Catholic Church- Boone, NC St Elizabeth of the Hill Country Catholic Church is looking for a part-time music director to continue to serve a 400 family parish located in Boone, NC. This vibrant parish is made up of many diverse communities including Appalachian State University students and professors, local families and residents, retirees, summer residents, Hispanics, and winter and summer tourism.

Job Description: The music director is responsible for the total music program at St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Catholic Church. The director is to plan and lead the liturgical music for all Sunday liturgies and Holy Days. This position reports directly to the pastor.

In addition, the director of music is to coordinate with the Director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry as well as Catholic Campus Ministry to facilitate youth and college involvement with music in the parish. Extended responsibilities also include coordinating music for weddings, funerals, as well as assisting with The Church of the Epiphany, a summer mission church in Blowing Rock, NC

Education: Bachelors Degree Preferred.

Work Experience/Special Skills Ability to lead and direct many different musicians at all Masses/services throughout the year. Must be an experienced musician, have knowledge of the Catholic liturgy and liturgical planning as appropriate to weekly Masses and services. Must show leadership skills as related to managing different personalities. Ability to play a music instrument (of liturgical nature: i.e. organ, piano or guitar) recommended. Knowledge of electronics and amplification systems that relate to musical performance is necessary. Previous experience in music ministry preferred.

Position to be filled as soon as possible. Please send resume with cover letter to Saint Elizabeth Parish, 259 Pilgrims Way Boone, NC 28607 or stelizabethcc@bellsouth.net

Searching for an Opportunity To Really Make a Difference With Your Extensive Fundraising Experience?

At Belmont Abbey College we’re searching for a Vice President for Advancement – a fundraising professional with the experience and the passion to take an existing fundraising program and advance it to a national level.

If you’ve got ten or more years experience as a senior-level fundraising executive with a background in annual support, Major Gift cultivation and relationship enhancement as well as planned giving, and you’re looking to move to an exciting opportunity to build a quality advancement program, contact us. We would love to discuss how your potential can further the mission of this storied Catholic Liberal Arts College.

For information and a position description contact Michael Shumway, CFRE at mshumway@omearaferguson.com or call 502-727-9727

You may download a copy of the position description at www.bac.edu

OUR PARISHESi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

in Brief columbiettes welcomed at holy Family parish KERNERSVILLE — The Columbiettes of Bishop Greco Council 9499 recently welcomed their newest members of the Major Degree. The exemplification took place at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville.

The Columbiettes are a fraternity of Catholic women doing service to God and their Church with charitable works and service to the Knights of Columbus. Pictured from left are Linda Billups, Anne Harris and Dolores Rider of Holy Family Church in Clemmons.

— Maggie herbstritt

Ecumenical concerts to be held March 25, 31 CHARLOTTE — The music ministries of St. John Neumann Church, Myers Park Presbyterian Church and the Chamber Choir of Northwest School of the Arts will present Maurice Duruflé’s “Requiem” with small orchestra in concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 25, at Myers Park Presbyterian Church and at the Palm Sunday Vigil Mass at 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 31, at St. John Neumann Church. Both performances will be given in memory of Dr. Barry Bowe, recently deceased principal at Northwest, featuring 80-100 singers, strings, winds, organ and trumpets. Both events are free and open to the public. For details, call 704-536-6520, visit www.4sjnc.org, or email peppie@calvar.net.

Free st. Michael prayer cards offered CHARLOTTE — TAN Books, part of St. Benedict Press in Charlotte, is offering St. Michael the Archangel prayer cards free to parishes willing to include the prayer in Sunday Masses for the intention of religious freedom.

The offer is a response to the call of Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Ill., to petition St. Michael the Archangel “for the freedom

of the Catholic Church in America.” Bishop Jenky’s request comes on the heels of a new federal ruling that will force many Catholic organizations to provide insurance coverage for sterilizations, contraceptives and “morning-after” pills.

Robert Gallagher, chairman and CEO of St. Benedict Press, fully supports the call from Bishop Jenky and plans to encourage the effort by offering St. Michael prayer cards for free to parishes nationwide.

“The power of prayer cannot be overestimated as a means to combat this blatant attack on Catholic moral convictions,” he said.

“Calling on the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel to be our defender in this critical battle is something that everyone can do.”

For details, go online to www.tanbooks.com or call 800-437-5876.

little Flowers collect food for the poor CLEMMONS — The Little Flowers Girls Club of Holy Family Church in Clemmons recently welcomed Diane Bullard, director of the PiedmontTriad office of Catholic Social Services, to talk about helping the poor after the club members collected non-perishables for the agency’s food pantry.

The Little Flowers Club is designed for Catholic girls aged 5 and older.

The goal of the Little Flowers Club is to teach young girls what it means to be a Catholic girl and eventually a Catholic woman.

The badge activities lead the girls in an understanding of the virtues and help them form the habit and practice of living the virtues.

The time spent with their Catholic peers in the club gives the girls encouragement in their beliefs and friends with whom to share their beliefs.

This year the Little Flowers Club made onesies for babies in need, raked leaves and brought meals for a disabled neighbor, sang Christmas carols for the elderly at a nursing home, made Valentine cards for the elderly who live alone, and collected food for the hungry to be distributed at a local food pantry.

The Columbiettes of Holy Family Church have made these things possible for the girls by sponsoring the Little Flowers at the parish.

— Maggie herbstritt WE WElcoME your parish’s news. E-mail items to Editor Patricia guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

PRICE: FROm PAgE 6

The Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Price was originally introduced in the Archdiocese of Hong Kong, where Father Price died. The transfer of the Cause to the Archdiocese of New York was approved by the Vatican in 1992. In 2011, thenArchbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Bishop Burbidge agreed the Cause for Father Price would best be carried out in the Raleigh diocese – the home diocese of Father Price and where he was born and lived most of his life.

Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect for the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints, accepted their recommendation to transfer the cause to the Diocese of Raleigh.

Born on Aug.19, 1860, in Wilmington, Father Price was the first native North Carolinian to be ordained to the priesthood. In the midst of his extensive 25 years of missionary work throughout the state, Father Price developed an interest in dedicating his priestly ministry to the foreign missions of the Church. In 1911, together with Father James A. Walsh, Father Price founded the Congregation of Maryknoll.

In 1918, he accompanied the first group of Maryknoll missionaries, who were sent for ministry in China. Shortly after his arrival in China, in September 1919, Father Price died following a brief illness.

Among those joining Bishop Burbidge for the celebration of solemn vespers and the opening of the Cause was Bishop Peter J. Jugis; Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey; Father Edward M. Dougherty, superior general of the Maryknoll Catholic Foreign Mission Society; Reverend Monsignor David D. Brockman, vicar general of the Diocese of Raleigh; the Very Reverend James F. Garneau, episcopal delegate for the Cause of Father Price; and Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, postulator of the Cause of Father Price.

— Diocese of raleigh

On May 8, vote FOR marriage Why marriage matters:

• Marriage helps create and care for the next generation • Marriage helps to satisfy men’s and women’s deep human “ And God blessed them, and God said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’”

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longings for connection with each other

• Marriage allows children to know and be known by their own mother and father

Gen. 1:28 For more information on the NC Marriage Amendment visit:

CATHOLIC VOICE NC www.CatholicVoiceNC.org

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Catholic Nutrition Center Saves Lives — Before, After Results are Breathtaking Children like Carmen are what keep Ana Aleman going even on her worst day.

She found baby Carmen lying in an old milk crate on a side street in El Progreso, Honduras.

Abandoned by her family, the frail infant’s skin clung to her bones. She was severely malnourished — nearly dead.

Ana, the director of Prince of Peace Nutrition Center, rescued her and brought her back to her ministry for treatment.

Now Carmen is a happy, healthy toddler. The care she received at Prince of Peace Nutrition Center has literally saved her life.

“How can you see a need like baby Carmen’s and turn away?” says Ana Aleman, a devout Catholic. “My faith compels me to help these children. And I thank God every day that I have the opportunity to work here. This is what Christ meant when he said we should live out our faith.”

A Texas native, Aleman came to Honduras 10 years ago on a mission trip, and she never left. Moved to tears after seeing tiny children with skeleton-like bodies and desperate mothers begging passersby for help, she decided to open

the nutrition center that now provides life-saving care to dozens of malnourished children whose destitute parents cannot afford to feed them.

“We see so many sad cases coming here. It is truly heartbreaking,” she says. “Children are the most tragic victims of poverty. They are helpless to protect themselves, and their impoverished parents are simply incapable of caring for them.”

Aleman explains that the mothers who bring their children to the nutrition center are living at the most severe levels of poverty — typically living on less than $1 per day. They are also uneducated and may be providing their children with poor food choices, leading to vitamin deficiencies and other health problems. Such babies come in to the center weighing little more than a newborn even though they may actually be nearly a year old.

At the nutrition center the children are provided with five daily meals, and they remain under close supervision until they are nursed back to health.

Meanwhile, their mothers are taught how to prepare nutritious meals using inexpensive foods available locally. This training insures that the children don’t relapse into the same malnourished state

Ana Aleman makes a difference — thanks to the U.S. donors who support Cross Catholic’s outreach.

“Before” and “after” photos of Kelvin show the dramatic impact of the Center’s loving care.

they arrived in once they leave Prince of Peace.

“The mothers are thrilled to see their children recover,” Aleman says. “After seeing their children suffer, it is also a relief for them to have solutions — ways of warding off malnutrition with the training they’ve recieved.”

Carmen Hernandez, a mother whose 2-yearold son has been at the nutrition center for two months, was overwhelmed by how quickly he recovered from a severe case of malnutrition.

“Joel was so sick even the local hospital turned us away,” says Hernandez, who then brought him to Prince of Peace. “This place is wonderful.

My son’s recovery is a miracle.”

Dramatic recoveries like Joel’s are what Aleman lives for, however, she knows that is a mission she could never accomplish alone.

She acknowledges the nutrition center depends on the financial support of Cross Catholic Outreach and its Catholic donors in the U.S. They, she says, empower her to serve.

“It is amazing what we can do by working together. Cross Catholic Outreach’s donors play a role and Ana Aleman plays a role. Neither can be whole without the other,” says Jim Cavnar, the American charity’s president. “In fact, Cross Catholic Outreach was created with that perspective in mind. We wanted to develop a stronger connection between Catholics in the U.S. and Catholics who serve overseas. We wanted parishioners in America to see what a huge difference their support makes in the lives of the poor — and, at the same time, sought to give the poor an opportunity to bless us with their great faith. In that way, the Church is united and all of us are blessed.”

To make a tax-deductible contribution to Cross Catholic Outreach and its work with Catholic ministries overseas, use either the enclosed postage-paid brochure or send donations to: Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC00863, PO Box 9558, Wilton, NH 03086-9558.

“Cross” Now Endorsed by More Than 50 U.S. Bishops, Archbishops As Cross Catholic Outreach (CCO) continues its range of relief work to help the poor overseas, its efforts are being recognized by a growing number of Catholic leaders in the U.S. “We’ve received an impressive number of endorsements from American Bishops and Archbishops — more than 50 Catholic leaders at last count,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. “They’re impressed by the fact that we’ve done outreaches in more than 40 countries and that we undertake a variety of projects; everything from feeding the hungry and housing the homeless to supplying safe

water and supporting educational opportunities for the poorest of the poor.”

Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis sent one of the more recent letters of encouragement, writing: “It is my hope that this ministry will continue to flourish and reach as many people as possible. I will inform the priests of the Archdiocese of St. Louis of the important work that Cross Catholic Outreach does and elicit their prayerful and financial support for the service you provide to the less fortunate around the world.”

In addition to praising the work CCO accomplishes, many of the Bishops and

Archbishops are also impressed by the unique collaborative relationship Cross has with the Pontifical Council Cor Unum in Rome. This allows the charity to participate in the mercy ministries of the Holy Father himself. In his praise of CCO, Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati underscored this unique connection.

“Cross Catholic Outreach’s close collaboration with the Pontifical Council Cor Unum is a source of encouragement,” the Archbishop said.

“The Holy See has unique knowledge of local situations throughout the world through its papal representatives in nearly two hundred countries

and through its communications with Bishops and others who care for the poor and needy in every corner of the world.”

CCO president, Jim Cavnar, explained the significance of this connection.

“Our collaboration with Cor Unum allows us to fund outreaches in virtually any area of the world, and we have used that method in special cases — to help the victims of natural disasters, for example,” he said.“It only represents a small part of our overall ministry, but it can be a very important benefit in those situations. We have been thrilled with the results so far.”

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March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com PAID ADVERTISEMENT

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Escaping the Deadly Cycle of Poverty Cross Catholic Outreach Celebrates Success of its Global Mission

Mercedes Nuez’s day begins at 6:30 a.m. when she enters Guatemala City’s huge, rat-infested dump. The single mother will spend the next 13 hours wading through piles of steaming garbage in search of items that she can sell for a few cents to one of the city’s recyclers.

The work is backbreaking. With each breath of methane gas rising from the trash, she feels as if her lungs may burst — but she keeps going because she knows that if she stops her daughters won’t eat tonight.

For Nuez and the nearly 2,000 poor families who live off this massive garbage dump, a hard life is all they know.

“I never went to school... maybe they can escape the life I have had to live.”

Mercedes Nuez, worker on the Guatemala City dump “Life is very hard here. The days are long, and there aren’t many sources of help for people like me,” says Nuez, who has been working in the dump since she was 14 years old. “I never went to school, but I am thankful my girls are getting an education. Maybe then they can escape the life I have had to live.”

The education Nuez is talking about is an afterschool program created to help the city’s poor. Their school, on the edge of the dump, is an important ray of hope in the otherwise beleaguered community.

“Thanks to donations from compassionate Americans, this educational center is able to provide a whole new world of possibilities to children who have only known the eight filthy blocks that surround the garbage dump,” explains Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a U.S.-based charity helping to support schools in impoverished communities worldwide.

Cross Catholic Outreach is a firm believer in helping the poor through educational programs.

Independent research backs up the value of their approach.

“Study after study has shown that investing in basic social services for children is a key to alleviating their poverty,” Cavnar adds. “By providing education along with food and medical care, we help break the cycle of poverty that’s dominated the lives families for generations.”

And the alternative is shockingly bleak for those who do not benefit from an education.

For example, the illiterate poor typically live on $2.50 or less a day, and their living conditions are both dangerous and a health threat. A recent study by UNICEF found that, 24,000 children die each day because of poverty. One in three lack adequate shelter, while one in five don’t have clean water to drink. If an education can bring better conditions and opportunities, it is literally saving lives.

“There are undoubtedly practical reasons to do what we are doing to educate the poor, but that’s only one of our motivations — our desire

Mercedes Nuez (below) lives on the outskirts of the dump, but she has higher hopes for her children and the other families who work there.

how the charity puts its faith into action.

Humphrey and his siblings, Nancy, 5, and John, 4, were abandoned by their family. They lived for almost three years by themselves in a dilapidated, one-room shanty in the middle of the notorious Kibera Slum of Nairobi, Kenya.

To call their life “difficult” would be an understatement. Humphrey wasn’t even in third grade yet, but he was forced to juggle work and school in a desperate attempt to support his younger siblings. He and the younger children often went without food.

Fortunately, the struggling children were discovered by a group of Catholic nuns who provide food, educational opportunities and spiritual counseling to AIDS orphans and vulnerable children living in the slum. With financial support from Cross Catholic Outreach, they were able to give the fledgling family the help they needed.

“Without the help we provided, these children probably would not have survived,” Cavnar

to manifest God’s love is another important reason,” Cavnar says. “God called us to help our neighbors and to show Christ-like compassion by meeting their needs. By helping people like Mercedes Nuez and her children we are serving God and following Christ’s teachings.”

Cavnar highlighted Cross Catholic’s outreach to 8-year-old Humphrey as another example of

says. “Thankfully, they now have a safe place to live, clothes to wear, plenty of food to eat, and they are able to attend school every day.

Their suffering is over.”

Cavnar explains that life-saving programs like this wouldn’t exist without the support Cross Catholic Outreach receives from its generous Catholic donors in the U.S. “Our Catholic benefactors are vital to the success of our work. Without them, we would not be able to support Catholic outreaches in Africa, Central America, the Philippines and elsewhere,” Cavnar says. “Our success is only possible because of their generous spirit. They are the heroes in this story.”

To make a tax-deductible contribution to Cross Catholic Outreach and its work with ministries overseas, use either the enclosed postage-paid brochure or send donations to: Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC00863, PO Box 9558, Wilton, NH 03086-9558.

How to Help: Your help is needed for Cross Catholic Outreach to bring Christ’s mercy to the poorest of the poor. Use the enclosed postage-paid brochure to mail your gift or send it to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC00863, PO Box 9558, Wilton, NH 03086-9558.

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

Q&A:

LEADERSHIP:

FROm PAgE 3

FROm PAgE 3

part of the planning himself. In this Q&A, he gives information about the event’s magnitude, theme and format, as well as directions for registration.

preparation and running of the event and this year the torch was passed his way.

Taffaro, a junior, heads up a core team of 15 Belmont Abbey College students who will help direct the all-volunteer student staff of more than 40 students on March 23 and 24.

“I’m the student director, so as far as the grunt work and getting and keeping everyone on task, that’s me,” Taffaro said.

Working with Father Roger Arnsparger, vicar of education for the Diocese of Charlotte, Taffaro and his team help develop the Lenten pilgrimage and provide all of the manpower to pull off the events.

“This year’s college night is a bigger deal.

Caroline McKinney, a sophomore at Belmont Abbey, started something called ‘United

by Praise’ on campus and her group of 10 students will be running that part of the

CNH: How will this year’s pilgrimage differ from the past two years’ pilgrimages, and what aspects of the event have remained solid models for your current planning?

TAFFARO: For the past two years, the day has ended around 7:30 p.m., and this year we should finish about two hours earlier, around 5:30 p.m. We’ve also cut the speaker sessions down from three to two.

We’ve realized that while many high school students might be able to handle three to four hours of talks in one afternoon, the pilgrimage is also open to middle schoolers, and so must be tailored to them as well.

As the youth pilgrimage is a sort of youth precursor to the Eucharistic Congress, Mass and Adoration remain central elements of the day.

CNH: What is this year’s theme, and what did you have in mind when making the decision?

TAFFARO: As the pilgrimage is a diocese-sponsored event connected with the Eucharistic Congress, the theme is the same as this year’s Congress: “Behold the Lamb of God.” We did choose a specific quotation for the day, which is from St. Peter Julian Eymard: “Happy is the soul that knows how to find Jesus in the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in all things!”

What we have in mind is further understanding how one “Beholds the Lamb of God” in every part of life, not simply in specific places and times of prayer – in other words, living a Eucharistic life.

CNH: What are the numbers looking like this year? Is the event growing?

What do think the main draw is?

TAFFARO: I’m not sure about the growth of the event at this point.

Ultimately, we’ll have to wait until the day of the event to get an exact count.

The main draw might be that there isn’t really anything else like the pilgrimage in the Charlotte area.

This short day retreat is a great way to begin the “home stretch” of Lent. Focusing on the Eucharist and how one finds Jesus there, and then bringing Him into the rest of life, helps to prepare one for Holy Week and entering the Paschal Mystery.

CNH: How are you working with parishes to get the word out? Where is more information to be found?

TAFFARO: The main form of advertisement is through a full page ad in the Catholic News Herald (see back page).

Also, emails have been sent to pastors and deacons in the diocese, requesting that they pass the information on to their parishes.

More information, including a mail-in form, can be found at www.goeucharist.com, the official website for the Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress.

event.”

Saturday’s pilgrimage will offer music provided by Marie Miller, an up-andcoming Catholic artist who performed with Matt Maher at last year’s FOCUS national conference.

“She’s on the rise in the Catholic music world and we were fortunate enough to get her.

She actually cancelled something to come be with us.”

Last year more than 400 youths, youth ministers and chaperones attended the all-day pilgrimage.

This year’s event on the March 24 will be from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. A pizza lunch will be provided.

“It’s a long day to be out in the sun…We cut it by about two hours…It will make it easier to kind of take things in, especially for the middle school students,” he said.

Taffaro and his fellow Belmont Abbey College staff of volunteers will be working tirelessly both days of the pilgrimage to make sure all participants have a prayer-filled, joyful experience at the abbey.

PILGRIMAGE: FROm PAgE 3

prayer, informational talks, Mass and Adoration with Bishop Jugis and Abbot Placid Solari, abbot of Belmont Abbey.

The keynote speaker on March 24 will be Father David Miller, parochial vicar at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

Speakers include: Patrick Jacobeen, Belmont Abbey graduate and teacher at Charlotte Catholic High School (middle school); and Doug Barry, co-host of “Life on the Rock” on EWTN (high school).

Music will be provided by Marie Miller, an up-and-coming Catholic artist.

Religious orders will also be present to speak to the youths about vocations during the day.

POOR CLARES: FROm PAgE 5

“Our steps are to raise funds to do the site evaluation, civil engineering, etc., then roadwork so we can get people up to the monastery building site...then raise funds for the building,” Mother Dolores Marie said.

The chapel will be the first building to be constructed.

“We figured if we put the Lord first, do His building first, He will provide for ours.”

The chapel will feature a private side for the Poor Clares and a public side where people can attend daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration.

“It will be a nice place of quiet to get away, to listen to the Lord… Everyone needs that down time,” Mother Dolores Marie said.

A small part of the cloister which will house the five nuns currently at St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte will also be built during the initial phase of construction.

“I really want to be out there when the construction is going on. I’m hoping someone there has a place we can use during the construction so we can stay there while it is being built to oversee things,” Mother Dolores Marie said.

The Poor Clares are also seeking a fourwheel drive vehicle they can use to navigate the rough terrain of their new property.

Eventually they hope to have a completely enclosed cloister of approximately 40,000 square feet, including the interior courtyard space, outdoor areas for recreation and prayer, an infirmary wing for the elderly sisters and

TE DEUM FROm PAgE 5

She feels that the recent land purchase in Cleveland County fits well with what the Holy Father would wish for a seminary.

“The Holy Father said that prayer is the basic foundation of the priesthood, that a seminary should be a place that is aside and away. This is a place of peace and flowing waters…it’s very Scriptural,” Mobley said.

She acknowledges that it is rare to build a new seminary in an age and country where vocations are not as strong as they once were, but she feels strongly that God is laying the foundation by bringing together the people, the resources and the many miracles that have brought the project to its

SKETCH PROViDED BY THE POOR CLARES OF PERPETUAL ADORATiON

this rendering of the future st. Joseph Monastery, designed by scott r. harper of harper Macrae architecture, illustrates the proposed chapel and monastery. inset top left: an aerial view of the 484 acres owned by the te Deum Foundation and the poor clares; inset top right: an arial view of the st. Joseph monastery when all phases have been completed. the sick, and a cemetery for the nuns.

All told, there will be three phases of construction to complete the monastery.

Mother Dolores Marie also hopes to someday have life-sized Stations of the Cross leading up to the monastery from the main road, allowing for people to pray outside on the property as well.

“Many priests have also asked us to have

a place where they can come to retreat, little hermitages or something,” she added.

She said once there is a passable road onto the property, they hope to have Mass celebrated there and will invite people to come out and see the area. “Once the roads are done we can take people out there to show them the property. We’d love for people to see it. It’s so beautiful!”

current point.

Charlotte Bishop Peter J. Jugis commended Mobley and the foundation’s work in a 2006 letter, stating, “The foundation’s mission to provide for the material and spiritual needs of the men in formation for the Roman Catholic priesthood, as well as the foundation’s special project to raise funds in order to purchase land for a seminary, are both praiseworthy endeavors in service of the Lord and His Church.”

Mobley hopes that a group of bishops from around the Southeast will join efforts to support the seminary project, setting it up as a house of formation and place of solitude that will serve the entire region and its specific needs – namely, a rising Catholic population amidst a still Protestant majority culture.

Currently there are no seminaries in the

Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky or Mississippi.

The Diocese of Charlotte sends its seminarians to four seminaries; three in the U.S. (Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania); and one in Rome.

“The Southeast has totally different needs.

The faith is growing, there is conversion (happening) among the Protestants and there is a need for evangelization here that is not present in heavily Catholic populated areas.

“Seminarians for Southern dioceses would be blessed if they could stay in their own area and receive not just the necessary academics and formation for the priesthood, but also learn how to face the everyday challenges of living in the ‘Bible Belt’; learn about apologetics, learn how to open parishes and learn how to build churches,” Mobley concluded.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

19

Celebrating 40 years!

Diocese of Charlotte

‘This Land is Home to Me’ It references past U.S. bishops’ letters as well as papal encyclicals emphasizing economic balance and social justice, including Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 letter “Rerum Novarum” (“On the Condition of the Working Classes”) and the writings of Vatican II. It advocates for “action centers” to be set up throughout Appalachia to welcome the poor, share resources, build grass-roots efforts, and gather together in prayer.

And the pastoral letter concludes: For it is the weak things of this world which seem like folly, that the Spirit takes up and makes its own. The dream of the mountains’ struggle, the dream of simplicity and of justice ... is, we believe, the voice of Yahweh among us.

In taking them up, hopefully the Church might once again be known as – a center of the Spirit, – a place where poetry dares to speak, – where the song reigns unchallenged, – where art flourishes, – where nature is welcome, – where little people and little needs come first, – where justice speaks loudly, – where in a wilderness of idolatrous destruction the great voice of God still cries out for Life.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Diocese of Charlotte was founded on Jan. 12, 1972. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the diocese and the history of the Church in western North Carolina, we are publishing a year-long series spotlighting the people who built up the Church, the major developments over the past 40 years, and what changes could be in store for the future.

PATRICIA L. gUILFOyLE EDiTOR

T

hirty-seven years ago, Bishop Michael Begley led 26 bishops from across 13 states in issuing a landmark pastoral letter on the state of the poor in Appalachia: “This Land is Home to Me.” It had been only three years since he was ordained and installed as bishop of the new Diocese of Charlotte, and “This Land is Home to Me” attracted national attention for its forthright approach to the problems of people in the economically depressed region that included western North Carolina. The cause was one near and dear to his heart: Bishop Begley’s involvement with the mountain region had begun during his tenure as director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Raleigh and continued throughout his episcopacy.

“This Land is Home to Me” was promulgated on Feb. 1, 1975, at what is now Wheeling Jesuit University.

THE PASTORAL LETTER’S SIgNIFICANCE

In issuing this pastoral letter, Bishop Begley and the other bishops were acting in partnership with the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, a lay organization formed in 1970, to shine the spotlight on the economic disparities and political powerlessness of the people of Appalachia as well as the major commercial exploitation and destruction of the area’s resources. Forty years later, the CCA still stands in solidarity with the people of the Appalachian region, and focuses on issues of concern to them such as mountaintop removal mining, labor rights, private prison development, sustainability and climate change, clean air and water, health care and racism.

According to the CCA, the pastoral letter is “widely recognized as (one of) the most influential indigenous writings of the Catholic Church in our times.”

The West Virginia Encyclopedia calls the pastoral letter “one of the most significant statements to emerge from the U.S. Catholic Church and has become a model for groups all over the world that are interested in writing on matters of social justice. More than 200,000 copies of the pastoral (letter) are in circulation, and it has been translated into several languages.”

The pastoral letter was also groundbreaking in two respects: it was developed with lay involvement – particularly people about whom it was written and directed – and it was written in a free-verse poetic style.

The West Virginia Encyclopedia also describes that “‘This Land is Home to Me’ was written in response to the concerns raised by the Catholic Committee of Appalachia in 1974 regarding the economic and political inequalities that characterized the Appalachian region. Over the course of the following year, members of the committee traveled throughout Appalachia, listening to individuals, community groups and church workers. The stories that came out of these visits were then incorporated into the writing of the pastoral letter, which was grounded in Scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Church on social justice.”

Its collaborative, inclusive approach was a major influence on subsequent pastoral letters coming from the U.S. bishops over the next generation.

EXCERPTS FROm THE PASTORAL LETTER

“This Land is Home to Me” begins with this opening call: Many of our Catholic people especially church workers have asked us to respond to the cries of powerlessness from the region called Appalachia. We have listened to these cries and now we lend our own voice. The cries come now from Appalachia, but they are echoed across the land, across the earth, in the suffering of too many people. Together these many sufferings form a single cry.

The Living God hears this cry and tells us, what long ago on a

ITS CONTINUINg INFLUENCE More online The 1975 pastoral letter “This Land is Home to Me” is online at: www.catholicconferencewv.org/pdf/ThisLandisHome.pdf.

Learn more about the Office of Economic Opportunity at www.cssnc.org/oeo.

different mountain, was told the servant Moses that, God had heard the cry of a people. God would deliver them out of the hands of oppression. God would give them a rich and broad land.

It continues: There is a saying in the region that coal is king. That’s not exactly right. The kings are those who control big coal, and the profit and power that come with it. Many of these kings don’t live in the region. ...

The way of life that these corporate giants create is called by some “technological rationalization.” Its forces contain the promise of a world where – poverty is eliminated, – health is cared for, – education is available for all, – dignity is guaranteed, – and old age is secure.

Too often, however, its forces become perverted, hostile to the dignity of the earth and of its people.

Its destructive growth patterns – pollute the air, – foul the water, – rape the land.

The driving force behind this perversion is “maximization of profit,” a principle which too often converts itself into an idolatrous power. ...

Great fortunes were built on the exploitation of Appalachian workers and Appalachian resources; yet the land was left without revenues to care for its social needs, like – education, – welfare, – old age, – and illness. ...

Worse still, swallowing us up in things is the power of the idol which eats away at our openness to the Living God. ...

Once we all – knew how to dance and sing, – sat in mystery before the poet’s spell, – felt our hearts rise to nature’s cathedral. ...

Now an alien culture battles to shape us into plastic forms empty of Spirit, into beasts of burden without mystery.

“This Land is Home to Me” remains a North Star that guides bishops in the Appalachian region today.

In 2010, Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of WheelingCharleston referenced “This Land is Home to Me” in a pastoral letter he promulgated regarding coal mine safety.

“On My Holy Mountain” called attention to mine safety in the wake of mine disasters including the April 5, 2010, explosion at Upper Big Branch Mine that killed 29 miners.

In addition to its historical significance in form, style and substance, “This Land is Home to Me” spurred a follow-up pastoral letter in 1995 entitled “‘At Home in the Web of Life: A Pastoral Message on Sustainable Communities in Appalachia” by the Appalachian bishops and the CCA. In it, the bishops advocated the creation and defense of sustainable communities in Appalachia through responsible stewardship of the land and its resources – the most important being its people.

Closer to home, the 1975 letter had a tangible impact.

In 1997, then Bishop William G. Curlin and then Raleigh Bishop F. Joseph Gossman published the pastoral letter “Of One Heart and One Mind,” highlighting disparities in economic opportunities in the state. That spurred the Charlotte diocese to commission a study of the needs and assets of its far western region, and, in response to those results, the diocese founded the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) within Catholic Social Services in 1999.

One year later, in 2000, Bishop Curlin opened the Bishop Begley Center for Economic Development in Murphy – the main base of operations for OEO, which spans the Appalachian counties of Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain. For the past nine years, OEO has hosted a biennial conference to continue the dialogue about how to improve the lives of the people in Appalachia. Aptly named the Bishop Begley Conference on Appalachia, this year’s fifth conference will focus on “supporting rural economic growth in far western North Carolina through sustainable agriculture,” and will be held Friday, March 23, in Cherokee.

OEO also funds “Growing Opportunities Grants” to support local non-profit organizations and community groups in these four far western rural counties of North Carolina. Over the past 11 years, OEO has awarded more than $220,000 to empower people, create jobs and support community development.

On the 35th anniversary of the historic pastoral letter, the newspaper of the Diocese of Wheeling, W.Va., “The Catholic Spirit” reported that it “still has a profound effect...”

Monsignor Frederick P. Annie, vicar general of the diocese, stated, “It has helped many of the people who live in Appalachia to grow in their appreciation and their pride in who they are as a people and what their history is, and for them to acknowledge the richness of their tradition and their struggle.”

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

Diocese introduces ‘Circle of Grace’ program

in brief

Safe environment training for youths now available to all parishes, schools

Learn more For details about the Circle of grace program, go to www.archomaha.org, and click on the “safe environment” and “Circle of grace” tabs. Training materials are available from the Diocese of Charlotte Human Resources office. Contact Terri Wilhelm at 704370-3338 or twilhelm@charlottediocese.org.

SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

olM teacher participates in governor’s advisory council WINSTON-SALEM — Paula Cancro, the pre-K lead teacher at Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem, has been invited by the Governor’s office to help North Carolina’s Early Childhood Advisory Council, the Division of Child Development and Early Education and the Office of Early Learning in revising the standards for North Carolina’s Infant-Toddler Foundations and PreSchool Foundations. The state is working on moving from these two sets of Early Learning Development Standards to a single document that will be used with children up to the age of 5. Cancro attended the first round of planning sessions last month in Raleigh to help review the current standards and develop a revised draft. She will attend a second meeting in May to review the completed draft before the new standards are finalized.

“It was truly an honor to be included in this process,” Cancro said. “It was an incredible experience and I look forward to the May session so we can see what our group has helped accomplish.”

Cancro has 17 years of experience working with young children in different learning environments, five of those years at Our Lady of Mercy. She holds a Bachelor of Science in education from the State University College at Buffalo. She is completing her Master of Education at Salem College. She and her husband Lance are parishioners at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville and have six children.

CHARLOTTE — More than 75 faith formation coordinators, educators and priests from around the diocese gathered recently to learn about a new initiative in creating safe environments for children and teens called “Circle of Grace.”

A “Circle of Grace” is the love and goodness of God that surrounds us and others. It is the recognition that God is always with us and is there to help us in difficult situations.

The Circle of Grace program was developed by the Archdiocese of Omaha to educate children and youth about the value of positive relationships with God

and with others. It is a program both rich in the Catholic faith and clinically sound, offering lesson plans for children from kindergarten through grade 12.

Mary Beth Hanus of the Archdiocese of Omaha, who is one of the program’s creators, conducted the all-day training.

The Circle of Grace program is intended to ensure the safety, well-being and spiritual formation of children and youths in response to Article 12 of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

Through this program, adults assist children and youths to recognize God’s love by understanding that each of us lives and

moves within a Circle of Grace. This Circle of Grace encompasses each person’s body, mind, heart, soul and sexuality. A prayer is used to help illustrate this concept.

Another goal of the program is to teach children and youths to seek help from a trusted adult, reinforcing God’s presence in their real-life struggles.

Terri Wilhelm, director of human resources for the Diocese of Charlotte, helped coordinate the training and assists in distributing the materials to interested parishes and Catholic schools.

“It is more of a Catholic program than what we already had,” Wilhelm said.

“Father (Roger) Arnsparger brought it to me... The response to the training was great, which is a good sign.”

The materials are also available in Spanish and the lesson plans are available in Vietnamese as well.

One educator who attended the training commented afterwards that the program is a “great Catholic framework to teach these safety lessons to our youth.”

The diocese hopes to see the materials widely used in next year’s classes in the parishes and schools.

— lara Davenport

pinder wins geography bee WINSTON-SALEM — For the second year in a row, Alex Pinder has qualified to represent St. Leo School in Winston-Salem and participate in the state level of the National Geographic Bee, sponsored by Google and Plum Creek, to be held March 30 at the University of North CarolinaCharlotte. Students in the state level must be from grades four to eight and must have participated in and won the contest from among at least six students in competitions at their schools. Pinder competed against all of St. Leo students in grades 5-8. Last year, Pinder was the state champion and competed in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. — Donna birkel

PHOTO PROViDED BY CASEY CORSER

St. Matthew students win basketball tournament CHARLOTTE — Two teams of fifth-grade girls from St. Matthew Parish and School recently participated in the 2011-2012 inter Faith Basketball League in Charlotte, going undefeated in regular season play, and they faced off against each other in the championship game played at St. Patrick School in Charlotte.

Both teams fielded by the parish (one red, one black) were evenly matched, and each was filled with classmates and friends. Some of the girls have been teammates for several years, and some have been friends since kindergarten.

The championship match-up was not the typical game spectators had come to

expect, but it was the truest display of championship character as the focus switched from scoring points to having fun and assuring everyone experienced the thrill of making a basket. From the smiles, the congratulations and the cheering for one another, one would never know that there was a championship title on the line. As it was, the teams tied!

Pictured are the two teams along with their coaches, Tom Dest and Coach Ron Kerr, who are to be commended for keeping the focus not only on developing basketball skills all season, but for fostering the lifelong ties of friendship.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

21

PHOTO PROViDED BY KAREN L. HORNFECK PHOTO PROViDED BY MENDY YARBOROUgH

Pre-K anniversary reunites old friends HIGH POINT — On March 3, more than 30 current and former Eagle’s Nest students gathered to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Pre-K program at immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point. The celebration included crafts, games, music, dancing, face painting, pizza and cake. Pictured are (from left) Alex Faenza and Lily Crowell dancing to some old Eagle’s Nest favorites. The Eagle’s Nest, a kindergarten readiness program that began in the fall of 2007, has prepared more than 100 students for school. The Eagle’s Nest is currently accepting applications for enrollment for the Fall 2012-2013 school year. For more information, call 336-887-2613.

OLG students raise money for breast cancer prevention GREENSBORO — As part of its curriculum, Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro emphasizes not only academic excellence but also community service. Each year students devote part of their community service efforts towards raising money to fund a mammography scholarship at Moses Cone Hospital – a fund which enables under-insured women to afford mammograms. One of the largest fundraisers for the school in this initative is the “Panthers for Pink” event, during which students bring in a dollar each to be allowed to “dress down” in pink. Students also host a “Panthers for Pink” event during one of their basketball games. This year OLg students raised $1,185 through these efforts. Pictured are eighth-graders (back row) Caroline Scherzer, Casey Carson, Ashley Atkins and Chris Mahood; and (front row) Maddie Mullins, Anna Marrujo, Anna Petrangeli, Annie LaMuraglia, Ben Drane and and Cole Davis.

EXPERIENCE GRACE!

A Taste of Kindergarten Saturday, March 24 at 10 a.m.

Children starting kindergarten in August 2012 are invited to this hour long session. While children spend time in the classroom, parents are invited to spend time with our kindergarten teachers and school staff. Please RSVP to Karen Hornfeck at 275-1522.

Open house March 24 at 10 a.m.

(Pre-k through 8th grade)

2205 West Market St. Greensboro, NC 27403 www.olgsch.org / 336-275-1522

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

in brief

olg students shine at Model UN competition GREENSBORO — On Feb. 7, seventh- and

eighth-graders from Catholic schools across the Triad converged on Bishop McGuinness High School to participate in the annual Model United Nations competition. Model UN is an international competition that allows students to take on the responsibilities of UN member states and debate issues currently on the organization’s agenda, including human rights, arms distribution and sustainable energy.

During the competition, they make speeches, prepare draft resolutions, negotiate with allies and adversaries, and learn to use rules of procedure as they debate.

Our Lady of Grace School teachers Zachary Oleksiak and Lisa Saintsing coached teams this year. OLG students won 13 awards, including six of the total eight best delegation awards.

Delegations who won awards were: Alex Tumlin and Taylor Zarate, Ben Drane and Cole Davis, Sean Farley and Richard Pincus, Maddie Heyn

and Anna Marrujo, Emma Horsley and Carl Klier, Marie Lawson and Alexis Tubby, Lily Hiser and Carolyn Tso-Kuhl, Tommy Silknitter, Aidan McArthur and Luis Torres-Villa, Matias Crespo and Jacob Tumlin, Lance Dittrich and Michael Sierra, James Hall and John Paul Stephnowski, Amelia Fox and Katharine Hornfeck, and Leigh Ramsey and Emily Schettino.

Pictured: Eighth-grade students Richard Pincus and Sean Farley accept their Model UN award at the end of the competition.

March 25. Joe and Jamie are pictured with their teacher, Judy Gach, who encouraged her entire third-grade class to enter the contest.

— lara Davenport

— Karen l. hornfeck

chess club wins in citywide tournament CHARLOTTE — Twenty-three students from St. Gabriel School Chess Club in Charlotte recently participated in the Second Team Tournament organized by CharlotteMecklenburg Scholastic Chess Association, which gathers approximately 200 kids from different schools across the city. The intermediate group won first place, and beginners won second, third and fourth places.

— Debra gonsalves and alexandra Vilchez

Del rio wins award from city WINSTON-SALEM — Lissete Del Rio, eighthgrader at Our Lady of Mercy School in WinstonSalem, was honored by the City of WinstonSalem with a Human Rights Student Award at the 32nd Annual Human Relations Student Awards Banquet, held Feb. 23. Each year, the city recognizes one student from each public school in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, as well as from some private schools. Del Rio was one of 82 young people from local elementary, middle and high schools honored for exemplifying positive human relations in their dealings with others on such issues as race, religion and cultural differences. Del Rio is the daughter of Carlos Del Rio and Maria Pompa, parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem.

— lara Davenport

Pre-K – 8th Grade

OPEN HOUSE

robotics team competes in state challenge KERNERSVILLE — A new robotics team, Enthalpy, at Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville competed in the North Carolina Championship for FIRST Tech Challenge Feb. 25 at N.C. A&T University in Greensboro. This year’s challenge, Bowled Over!, had robots that manipulated racquet balls and bowling balls as alliances made up of two teams competed against each other. Pictured above are Bishop McGuinness students Jacob Sebastian and Jorge Cortes (in yellow) working with the team from Raleigh’s Cardinal Gibbons High School.

Thursday, March 22 (9am – 1pm) Experience the difference of a Catholic education

711 N. Buncombe Street, Hendersonville, NC 28791 (828)-693-3277 www.immac.org

— M. stepnowski

third-graders win young author contest WINSTON-SALEM — Two third-graders at Our Lady of Mercy School recently won Piedmont Parent Magazine’s Young Author’s contest.

Joe O’Connor won third place for his book “Joe’s Walk-Off Home Run,” and Jamie Nitz won for best illustrations for “Holly and Her Dog,” both of which were entered in the Grade 2-3 category. The students will be honored at a special reception at the Children’s Museum

st. leo students’ artwork selected for show WINSTON-SALEM — Several students at St. Leo School recently submitted artwork to be considered for display at the Delta Fine Arts Center. Seventh-graders Celeste Curti, Peyton Pesavento and Carson Campman; fifth-grader Evan Patti; and second-graders Katie Mohr and Jaiden Galati-Christensen had their entries selected for the show, which will include spiritual music by local artists and a presentation about the Sisters of Mercy and their service to the poor. The event was organized by Mercy Sister Larretta RiveraWilliams.

— Donna birkel WE WElcoME your school’s news. Please e-mail photos and story suggestions to Editor Patricia guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

Faith

“ is our foundation. It brings joy to all who live in this beautiful retirement neighborhood.”

Sister Lucy Hennessy,SMG

Chairman, Board of Directors

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23

Mix 24

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

On TV n Saturday, March 17, 5 a.m. (EWTN) “Lenten Parish Mission: Part 3.” The Very Reverend Casey, C.P.M. discusses the Christian virtue of charity.

in theaters

n Saturday, March 17, 8:30 a.m. and Sunday, March 18, midnight.

(EWTN) “Mass In Honor of St. Patrick With His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan.” Mass in honor of St. Patrick, from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

batrice adcock is pictured with her daughter adria Marie.

‘Dr. seuss’ the lorax’ Theodore Geisel’s beloved 1971 children’s book is brought to the big screen by director Chris Renaud in a 3-D animated adventure that expands the original story while retaining its central message about the responsible stewardship of natural resources. First-rate animation and catchy songs forward the theme of respect for God’s creation and make this an enjoyable outing for the entire family. Some cartoonish action.

CNS: A-I (general patronage), MPAA: PG

‘a thousand Words’ A fast-talking literary agent finds his marriage and his career stymied when he gets on the wrong side of a guru and is cursed. According to the terms of the jinx, each word he speaks causes a leaf to fall from a tree that has magically sprouted in his backyard. Once the branches are bare, he’ll die. Mature content and a few uses of profanity.

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

‘John carter’ Ambitious and largely successful 3-D adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ first novel propels a 19th-century American to the planet Mars, where he becomes embroiled in a war between two city-states and falls in love with a princess. Despite an unwieldy and illogical mashup of now-familiar sci-fi tropes, director Andrew Stanton nicely brings the narrative together in the end. Considerable action violence and scenes of cruelty.

CNH: A-II (adults and adolescents), MPAA: PG-13

‘project x’ Desperate to become popular, and to have animalistic sex with random strangers, three Los Angeles teens throw a decadent party that eventually morphs into a destructive riot.

Perverted values, strong sexual content, and pervasive rough language.

CNS: O (morally offensive), MPAA: R

‘silent house’ Cinematic fixer-upper in which a young girl is chased around the conveniently dark, and apparently haunted, summer house that she’s helping her father and creepy uncle clean out in preparation for selling it. References to incestuous sexual abuse and implied physical violence.

CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: R

PHOTO PROViDED BY BATRiCE ADCOCK

New blog seeks to ‘build women up’ KImBERLy BENDER ONLiNE REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — After attending two retreats last summer on Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Batrice Adcock said she felt inspired to reach out to women in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Corresponding with a EWTN series “The Catholic View for Women,” Adcock began writing blog posts on embracing women’s dignity.

“My goal with the blog is to build women up – to help them understand their dignity, to see that the Church is fighting to uphold their dignity, and to encourage them on the spiritual path that will lead toward their own deepened conversion,” said Adcock, MSN, RN, who is employed by Catholic Social Services as the natural family planning program director for the diocese.

Adcock lives in Boone with her husband of eight years, Adam, and their 3-year-old daughter Adria Marie. Last year Adcock miscarried two babies, which triggered a deep conversion for her.

“From the start, I understood the suffering was significant,” she said. Through prayer and meditation, Adcock said she felt as if Jesus was guiding her in her suffering, and she understood He had a plan.

Adcock felt healing and inspiration for her blog following her summer retreats.

“Each blog reflection will be posted on a Marian feast day – recognizing the fact that Our Lady is our model,” Adcock said. “I want to apply what we can learn from Mary to our lives and tie that together with the episodes (on EWTN).”

The next post will pair the Feast of the Annunciation on March 26 with the third episode in the ETWN series about “Radical Feminism vs. New Feminism.”

“New feminism emphasizes the fact that women are good and beautiful. We possess many special gifts and can contribute greatly to our culture,” Adcock said. “It’s about

See more online Follow the blog and get caught up on old posts at www.cssnc.org/nfp. Click on “The Catholic View for Women.”

Watch EWTN’s series “The Catholic View for Women” that corresponds with Adcock’s blog at www.thecatholicviewforwomen.com.

embracing dignity as the Church upholds it, rather than destroying it as our culture does.”

“Starting this women’s blog earlier this year couldn’t come at a better time,” Adcock said.

“Fallout from the HHS contraception mandate, which would require religious employers to provide free contraception in their health insurance plans over their conscientious objections, is causing confusion about the Catholic Church’s stance toward women.”

“Spiritually speaking, I think the mandate is an attack on women,” she said. “Women need to be educated on Church teaching about sexuality. It is important to understand that the Church’s teaching is not a big ‘no.’

The Church is saying ‘yes’ to the dignity of women, by supporting women’s psychological, spiritual and physical well-being in upholding natural family planning.”

“Women deserve more than what our culture is shoving at them. We need to be advocates for ourselves and raise the bar. If we ask Mary to increase her virtues in us, we will share her task in transforming the culture.”

Just a couple of posts into the blog, many have already said they’ve found inspiration and support through Adcock’s words and ideas.

“It has been such an encouragement for me, a gentle push in the direction which God has been leading me for a long time – to a deeper union with Him in prayer and a call to love and BLOg, SEE PAgE 25

n Saturday, March 17, 6 p.m. (EWTN) “Life Is Worth Living: Gloom, Laughter & Humor.”

Archbishop Sheen comments that man has become preoccupied with gloom and has lost the ability to laugh at himself. n Sunday, March 18, 10 p.m., Tuesday, March 20, 1 p.m., and Thursday, March 22, 5 a.m. (EWTN) “That I May See.” This program highlights both the Sermon on the Mount and the miracles of Jesus, including bringing sight to the blind. n Monday, March 19, 8-9:30 a.m. and 6:30-8 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of St. Joseph, Husband of the Virgin Mary, With the MFVA Friars.” Live broadcast of the Eucharistic liturgy for the Feast of St. Joseph. n Monday, March 19, 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday, March 20, 1:30 a.m.

(EWTN) “Apparitions of St. Joseph In France: A Role Model for All Parents.” Travel to southern France as this EWTN original documentary takes you to the only known apparition site in the history of the Church where St. Joseph is said to have spoken aloud. n Tuesday, March 20, 11 p.m. (EWTN) “St. Peter: Icon For Lent: Fourth Week of Lent.”

Join Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York as he teaches us a practical lesson about Christian discipleship.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi 25

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

BLOG: FROm PAgE 24

serve,� said Amy Tarr, parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir. “From her choice of inspiring saint quotes to sharing personal experiences in her own life, Batrice is a light showing the true beauty in being a woman and the dignity of my vocation as wife and mother.�

Tracy Yates, who attends St. Bernadette Church in Linville, said Adcock’s posts about Mary have inspired her. “As a mother, I do need Mary’s guidance, and through her I have been guided to teach my daughter about the love God has for us,� Yates said. “My husband and I encourage her to have trust in her faith in Jesus Christ. We are praying with our daughter every day and night.�

A post about the Purification of Mary invoked Yates’ memories of Adcock’s personal tribulations and divine interventions. “I envy her strong heart to share her extraordinary experience,� Yates said. “And so I strongly felt I needed to find my own Catholic identity and vocation.

I am just beginning that journey. I am giving myself to God and praying for God’s love and forgiveness.�

Another St. Bernadette parishioner, Mikey O’Neal, said she is blessed to know Adcock, and her blog is enriching her spirituality. “Her blog posts on ‘The Catholic View for Women’ have been so thought provoking and spiritually uplifting in a time where I was searching for more in my prayer life. Not only have her words empowered me, she also brought me to my Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary, Our Blessed Mother.

By the Holy Spirit working through Batrice, I am on this blessed journey to Jesus through Mary,� O’Neal said.

Corresponding with the blog, Adcock has scheduled a day of reflection on the dignity of women for Oct. 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at St. Ann Church in Charlotte. Speakers will focus on spirituality, purity, and natural family planning.

EWTN is continuing to film the series, and more episodes are scheduled to air this fall.

Adcock said she hopes to continue the blog to correspond with the new episodes, possibly in a more interactive forum.

Belmont Abbey freshmen to receive iPads as aid to learning ROSS j. mCKNIgHT CORRESPONDENT

BELMONT — Introduction of new technology into the educational sphere can sometimes prompt questions about whether it might help or hinder students’ learning. This has been the latest discussion at Belmont Abbey College, where the administration has decided to give each incoming freshman an Apple iPad starting this fall.

The thin, portable computers will be a learning aid as well as a recruitment tool for the small Catholic liberal arts college near Belmont, college leaders say.

Dr. Lucas Lamadrid, dean of student affairs, says, “As an admissions idea, I wondered whether giving the traditionalaged freshman an iPad would make a difference in having prospective students look at the college. My goal was to have the prospect take a second or third look. I inquired among the current students in a rather informal way, and they said that it would make a great difference.�

The iPads are to be funded by the tuition deposits of prospective students who have decided not to attend the college. Dr. Lamadrid points out, “If it helps students to come to the Abbey, to learn at the Abbey, to pray and grow at the Abbey, then it is a positive development.�

But might the iPads be helpful, or distracting?

Dr. Travis Cook, assistant professor of political philosophy, says he thinks the iPads may be very useful to students, but he emphasizes that pursuing technology should not be an end in itself. “I myself have used an iPad in my scholarly life to read documents that were otherwise difficult to obtain. They can be very useful,� he says, but he adds, “I have two worries: First, will they become toys?

And second, have we thought enough about the purpose such tools are to serve?

If we are controlling the iPad, good, then it is a tool. But should such technology become an end in itself, should educators begin to shape what they teach in order to accommodate the iPad, this might harm rather than help liberal education.�

Dr. Al Benthall, assistant professor of English, compares use of the iPad to writing, recalling that, “Even Socrates says ‌ that there’s nothing inherently wrong with writing, as long as the text is

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discussed and interpreted by the living voice of one who understands how to read it aright. â&#x20AC;Ś Can modern technologies eclipse wisdom and lead people astray?

Absolutely. Need they do so? Absolutely

iPads and instill great study skills, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not going to say that people wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to access information more quickly.â&#x20AC;?

Much of the talk surrounding the arrival of the iPads on campus relates to the

ROSS MCKNigHT | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

aric rodgers uses his ipad to take notes in a theology class at belmont abbey college. not. Much will depend on how we develop and apply the virtues of temperance, prudence and, ultimately, wisdom.â&#x20AC;?

And Benthall quotes Marshall McLuhan, a â&#x20AC;&#x153;media critic and Catholic convert,â&#x20AC;? who wrote concerning a similar issue: â&#x20AC;&#x153;To raise a moral complaint about this is like cursing a buzz-saw for lopping off fingers.â&#x20AC;?

Sophomore Darren Balkey says he thinks the iPads will be an asset for incoming students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All technology â&#x20AC;Ś is contingent on the user. We arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to give away

Benedictine collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission of education in â&#x20AC;&#x153;mind, body and spirit.â&#x20AC;? The goal of the liberal arts is to teach universal and transcendental truths, and many wonder what real impacts this new tool might have.

For Dr. Lamadrid, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The iPad is a tool. In and of itself it will not make you smarter, more virtuous or holier. Neither will a book accomplish such feats. But if the student is well-formed and uses the iPad well, it can help one along the journey.â&#x20AC;?

Youth Minister    St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Bluffton, SC is looking for an experienced (bi-lingual preferred) Youth Minister (Full Time 40 hours).  The candidate must be a practicing Roman Catholic and possess a Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in Theology / Religious Education or a minimum of five  to 10 years of relevant  experience within a parish or school; have a genuine love for youth and a desire to advocate on their behalf; a commitment to ongoing professional training and spiritual development; and the ability to develop and implement  a year round program following the goals of Catholic Youth Ministry, which encompasses the areas of Junior and Senior High School youth and young adults  (English & Hispanic). Â

Please send resumes and references by April 6, 2012 to Barbara Hollis at PREP@sgg.cc fax to 843-815-3150, or contact her at 843-815-3100 ext 250

Our nation 26

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

in Brief 13 cleveland parishes to reopen CLEVELAND â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A Vatican congregation has overturned the closing of 13 parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland and said the churches must be restored for worship, a person involved with the cases said. The ruling reverses some of the closings ordered

by Bishop Richard G. Lennon since 2009 under a diocesan-wide reconfiguration plan.

National standards set for U.s. catholic schools WASHINGTON, D.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A set of national standards and benchmarks for Catholic schools â&#x20AC;&#x201C; defining what makes them unique and providing ways to measure their effectiveness â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was released March 7.

The publication: â&#x20AC;&#x153;National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schoolsâ&#x20AC;? is the result of a collaborative effort by the Center for Catholic School Effectiveness at Loyola University Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Education, the Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lynch School of Education and the National Catholic Educational Association.

portland priest named to lead baker diocese WASHINGTON, D.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Father Liam Stephen Cary, 64, pastor of St. Mary Church in Eugene, Ore., to be bishop of the Diocese of Baker. He succeeds Bishop Robert F. Vasa, who is now the bishop of Santa Rosa, Calif. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; catholic News service

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

Tornado damage widespread; churches become centers for aid, prayer CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

HENRYVILLE, Ind. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; As one of the few buildings in town to come through intense storms March 2 nearly intact, St. Francis Xavier Church has become a natural staging area for relief efforts, community organizing and prayer.

Four days after a devastating tornado hit, volunteers and professionals used St. Xavier, the nearby Henryville Community Church and a community center as bases for people trying to put their lives back together.

The town of about 1,600 was one of several in the region largely destroyed by a wave of storms that created dozens of tornadoes across 11 states March 2 and 3.

At least 39 people were killed, including one in Clark County, where Henryville and nearby Marysville took direct hits. Deaths also were reported in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio. Substantial damage was also seen in Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, Mississippi, Virginia and South Carolina.

Tracy Guernsey, the staff nurse at Henryvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public school complex, was among about 40 people still in the building when the tornado hit. She said March 5 that if classes hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been dismissed early in the face of the advancing storm, the death toll in Henryville would have been dramatic. She said she and about 15 other people emerged from her office to find the whole second floor of the school had been ripped off. Inside, the papers on her desk were undisturbed.

Also reeling were parishioners of St. Luke Church in Salyersville, Ky., which was destroyed by another tornado in the same weather front.

Father Bob Damron, pastor, reminded his parishioners as they gathered for Mass on the weekend that the church is a community of people, not a building. He said parishioners will meet for Mass in each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes until a new church is built.

Catholics from neighboring parishes gathered Saturday morning and afternoon to salvage what they could.

Amazingly, the tabernacle was found

CNS | JOHN SOMMERS ii, REUTERS

a sign is seen in henryville, ind., March 5 outside st. Francis xavier church, which has become the main center for tornado victims to get help after tornadoes moved through the small community. a chain of tornadoes cut a swath of destruction March 2 from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico, killing at least 39 people in five states. with the Eucharist safely enclosed in the ciborium, even though the tabernacle was lying face down with its door open.

Similarly, all the vessels of sacred oils were found upright and unbroken.

At Sunday Mass at St. Francis Xavier March 4, Father Steven Schaftlein, pastor, said the church was â&#x20AC;&#x153;spared to be a symbol of hope and also to walk the talk. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re praying here. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our first work. But underneath is the food, the clothing that will help sustain the community in the months ahead.â&#x20AC;?

News video of the Mass showed the back pews of the small church filled with cases of food and other supplies. By the next day, the entire building was filled with donated materials, reported The Criterion,

newspaper of the Indianapolis Archdiocese.

Elsewhere in the Diocese of Lexington, Ky., Prince of Peace Church in hard-hit West Liberty lost the roofs of both the rectory and the church, reported Thomas F. Shaughnessy, diocesan communications director and newspaper editor.

In the Diocese of Covington, Ky., three parish communities were seriously affected by the March 2 tornadoes. Another dozen or so parishes reported pockets of damage.

Just a few days earlier, another wave of tornadoes left 13 people dead in Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee and a trail of wreckage in Branson, Mo., and in Harrisburg and Ridgway, Ill., where the storm destroyed the entire town, including St. Joseph Church.

Bishops urge Congress to remember the poor in budget-making decisions CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Congress should base all federal budget decisions on how they provide for those in need, whether they protect or threaten human life and dignity, and if they promote the common good of â&#x20AC;&#x153;workers and families who struggle to live in dignity in difficult economic times,â&#x20AC;? said the chairmen of two U.S. bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; committees in a letter to Congress. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the past year, Congress and the administration have taken significant action to reduce the federal deficit, while attempting to protect programs that serve poor and vulnerable people,â&#x20AC;? said Bishops Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., and Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, in a letter released March 7.

Bishop Blaire is chairman of the U.S. bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and Bishop Pates is chairman of their Committee on International Justice and Peace. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Congress will continue to face difficult choices about how to allocate burdens and sacrifices and balance resources and needs,â&#x20AC;? the bishops said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We fear the pressure to cut vital programs that protect the lives and dignity of the poor and vulnerable will increase. As Catholic bishops, we have tried to remind Congress

that these choices are economic, political and moral.â&#x20AC;?

The bishops said they joined other Christian leaders in calling for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;circle of protectionâ&#x20AC;? around the poor and vulnerable, both â&#x20AC;&#x153;at home and abroad,â&#x20AC;? as members of Congress craft and debate a budget resolution and spending bills for the next fiscal year.

The bishops said access to â&#x20AC;&#x153;affordable, life-affirming health care that respects religious freedomâ&#x20AC;? is an urgent national priority and warned against shifting rising health care costs to vulnerable seniors, people with disabilities and the poor.

They voiced support for programs that help low-income people such as Pell grants, offered to needy college students to defray tuition expenses at the college of their choice, and improved workforce training and development. They also pushed for efforts to restore funding cut from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, and to make permanent an expansion of low-income tax credits.

Bishops Blaire and Pate said they opposed steps that negatively impact poor families such as increasing the minimum rent that can be charged to families receiving housing assistance and a proposal to eliminate funding for a school voucher program called the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Cardinal dismayed that White House rebuffs religious freedom concerns CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; In a strongly worded letter to his fellow bishops, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York charged that White House officials failed to consider the U.S. bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; concerns that the federal mandate governing employer coverage of contraception and sterilization under the health care law violates religious freedom principles.

An invitation from the White House to â&#x20AC;&#x153;work out the wrinklesâ&#x20AC;? regarding the mandate either by rescinding it or at least widening the exemptions on religious grounds failed to reach an agreement and the effort â&#x20AC;&#x153;seems to be stalled,â&#x20AC;? he said in the letter released March 2.

The letter cited recent comments by a White House official that the mandates are a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fait accompliâ&#x20AC;? and that Congress was notified that the rules have been published in the Federal Register â&#x20AC;&#x153;without change.â&#x20AC;?

Cardinal Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also said that during a recent meeting with White House officials, USCCB staff members â&#x20AC;&#x153;asked directly whether the broader concerns of religious freedom ... are all off the table.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;They (USCCB staff) were informed they

are,â&#x20AC;? he wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Instead they advised the bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conference that we listen to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;enlightenedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; voices of accommodation,â&#x20AC;? pointing to a recent editorial in America magazine, the cardinal said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The White House seems to think we bishops simply do not know or understand Dolan Catholic teaching and so, taking a cue from its own definition of religious freedom, now has nominated its own handpicked official Catholic teachers,â&#x20AC;? the letter continued.

Despite the setback, Cardinal Dolan promised that the USCCB would not back down in its drive to overturn the mandates because of its overriding concern for religious freedom.

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Spiritual Exercises S I R ILENT GNATIAN

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April 20 - 22, 2012 Hickory, NC (QT 9QOGP CPF QXGT

Read it online Cardinal Timothy Dolanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter can be found at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religiousliberty/upload/Dolan-to-all-bishops-HHS.pdf.

June 22-24, 2012 Hickory, NC

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State legislatures consider myriad proposals to limit abortion NANCy FRAzIER Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;BRIEN CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

WASHINGTON, D.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Various proposals to regulate or limit abortions or abortion funding continued to move through state legislatures in early March.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law March 7 a bill requiring an ultrasound to determine gestational age before a woman undergoes an abortion or takes an abortion-inducing drug. The legislation had been amended to exclude victims of rape and incest and to require a routine transabdominal ultrasound rather than the more invasive transvaginal test.

The North Dakota Catholic Conference expressed disappointment at a decision by a judge to put on hold implementation of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Abortion Drug Safety Law, pending resolution of a lawsuit against it. The law requires abortion drugs to be administered according to Food and Drug Administration protocols.

In Utah, the Senate passed legislation March 8 to increase the waiting period before an abortion from 24 hours to 72 hours and sent it to Gov. Gary Herbert for his signature. The only other state with a 72-hour waiting period is South Dakota, where the requirement has been blocked by an injunction.

The Georgia Senate voted March 7 to pass a bill to stop abortion funding in state employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; health plans. Also under consideration in the legislature are measures that would require abortions be performed only in hospitals and prohibiting any abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

In Oklahoma March 6, the state Senate passed a bill requiring doctors to tell women they have the right to hear the fetal heartbeat before an abortion. The Senate also passed the Personhood Act, which says life begins at conception.

In the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Democratic primary, which included President Barack Obama and four others, Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry got 18 percent of the vote, enough to allow him one delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

In Arizona, a House committee approved a measure March 2 to cut off any funding of Planned Parenthood through the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family planning programs. A Senate panel OKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, and the full Senate voted 21-9 in favor of a bill that would keep abortion providers out of public and charter schools.

In South Carolina, a Senate subcommittee unanimously passed the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, which defines a baby born alive as a person, even if he or she survived an abortion attempt.

In Kansas, a House committee deferred discussion of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which would prohibit state employees or agencies from participating in an abortion, until March 12 after employees of the University of Kansas Medical Center raised concerns that the legislation would prevent medical residents from learning how to perform abortions.

In Florida March 1, the House passed a comprehensive abortion bill that would set a 24-hour waiting period, stipulate that physicians must explain to the woman that fetus 20 weeks or older could experience pain, allow only physicians to own abortion clinics and require three hours of ethics training for doctors each year.

Texas has decided to drop Planned Parenthoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 44 clinics from its Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Program network of 2,500 providers, which the Obama administration said puts at risk federal Medicaid funding. Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he will find state money to continue the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Program without federal funds, if necessary.

Preached and Directed by the Priests of

Miles Christi

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Miles Christi 2ELIGIOUS /RDER s 0 / "OX s 0LYMOUTH -) s INFOUSA MILESCHRISTI ORG s WWW MILESCHRISTI ORG For more information and to register for these Exercises please contact Mary Jaye at northcarolina@spiritualexercises.net or at (248) 767-1669.

Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte Executive Director: Gerard A. Carter, Ph.D. (704) 370-3250 Refugee Office: Cira Ponce (704) 370-3262 Family Life: Gerard Carter (704) 370-3228 Justice and Peace: Joseph Purello (704) 370-3225 OEO/CSS Murphy Satellite Office (828) 835-3535 Charlotte Region: 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Area Director: Sharon Davis (704) 370-3218 Your Local Catholic Charities Agency

Western Region: 50 Orange Street, Asheville, NC 28801 Area Director: Michele Sheppard (828) 255-0146 Piedmont-Triad: 627 W. Second St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Area Director: Diane Bullard (336) 727-0705 Greensboro Satellite Office (336) 274-5577

For information on specific programs, please call your local office.

www.cssnc.org

Providing help. Creating hope. Changing lives.

Our world 28

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

in Brief 10 die following car bomb outside Nigerian church JOS, Nigeria — A suicide car bomber attacked a Catholic Church as Mass was being celebrated, killing three people and sending dozens of worshippers fleeing into the streets, officials said. Seven others died in retaliatory rioting that erupted March 11 in the central Nigeria city of Jos, authorities reported. On Sunday evening, gunmen killed three Christians in a village south of the city, said Pam Ayuba, Plateau state spokesman. She said officials did not believe the shootings were connected to the violence at St. Finbar Church earlier in the day.

cardinal brady vows full cooperation with abuse inquiry DUBLIN — Cardinal Sean Brady said the Church will cooperate fully with a governmentled investigation into institutional abuse being launched in Northern Ireland. A similar 2009 inquiry in Ireland found widspread physical and sexual abuse in many institutions for boys run by religious congregations. Cardinal Brady, whose Armagh Archdiocese straddles the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, spoke after meeting March 12 with the group Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse in Northern Ireland.

U.N. observer: recognizing gay unions devalues marriage VATICAN CITY — The Catholic Church condemns violence and discrimination against homosexual persons, but recognizing samesex unions as a marriage devalues the unique identity and social contributions of the union of a man and a woman, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Vatican observer at U.N. agencies in Geneva, told the U.N. Human Rights Council March 9.

british bishops oppose law to legalize same-sex ‘marriage’ MANCHESTER, England — Legalization of same-sex “marriage” could obscure the true meaning of marriage for generations, the bishops of England and Wales told Catholics in a letter read out in 2,500 parishes March 10-11.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark, vice president, said an imminent government proposal to change the law “would gradually and inevitably transform society’s understanding of the purpose of marriage. ...

It would reduce it just to the commitment of the two people involved. There would be no recognition of the complementarity of male and female or that marriage is intended for the procreation and education of children.”

pope: Faith is light at end of tunnel VATICAN CITY — When life feels like a dark and silent tunnel, faith gives a Christian light and music, Pope Benedict XVI said at the end of his weeklong Lenten retreat. Congolese Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa led the pope’s retreat Feb. 26-March 3, offering three meditations each day on the theme “Christians’ Communion With God.” — catholic News service

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

In Mexico and Cuba, papal trip to highlight local and regional issues FRANCIS X. ROCCA CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

the civil authorities; diplomatic relations with the Holy See have never been interrupted, even by the institution of a communist government in the 1960s, but religious practice has traditionally been as feeble as anywhere in Latin America.

Church officials estimate that only about 2.5 percent of Cuba’s population of 11 million can be considered practicing Catholics today, a fraction of

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict’s trip to Mexico and Cuba March 23-28 will be a relatively brief one, consisting of a little more than two days in each country. Yet his visit is bound to highlight a wide range of prominent issues affecting an entire continent of crucial importance to the Church.

The pope arrives in Leon, in central Mexico, on March 23. His first day’s schedule will be light, no doubt reflecting concerns for the health of the pope, who turns 85 April 16.

On March 24, the pope will meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who has served as head of state since December 2006. His administration has been marked by a violent struggle between the military and the country’s drug cartels, a topic that will presumably arise in discussions between the two men.

The next day, Pope Benedict will address bishops from Mexico and across Latin America at a vespers service in Leon’s Cathedral of Our Most Holy Mother of Light. Here he is likely to touch on some of the issues that he raised on his only other Latin American trip, in 2007, when he spoke to the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean in Brazil.

At that time, the pope urged Church leaders to struggle against poverty and oppression but to shun CNS | STRiNgER ViA REUTERS direct involvement in partisan cardinal Jaime ortega alamino of havana speaks Feb. 25 politics – an echo of his longafter a stations of the cross service during preparations standing critique of the liberation for pope benedict xVi ‘s upcoming visit to cuba. theology movement, which grew from Latin American roots. Pope the proportion prior to the revolution, Benedict also warned then against the though it represents a significant rise danger of syncretism, or the blending of since the visit of Pope John Paul in 1998. religions, by those who adopt elements The Church in Cuba continues to of indigenous traditions in their Catholic operate under severe restrictions, unable devotions – a practice the pope also to build new churches or legally operate denounced on his trip in November to the schools. However, the role of Cardinal West African country of Benin.

Jaime Ortega of Havana and other Cuban Mexico is historically a highly bishops in successfully negotiating for polarized country on religious questions.

The country’s 1910 revolution was heavily the release of more than 100 political prisoners in 2010 reflects the government’s anticlerical, and the 1917 constitution growing respect for Church authority. forbade religious education and even Pope Benedict will no doubt raise the public display of clerical garb. Such issues of religious and political freedom measures sparked the Cristero Rebellion with President Raul Castro when they in the late 1920s, when conflict between meet March 27. The pope is also widely Catholic rebels and government forces expected to meet with the president’s left as many as 90,000 dead. brother, former President Fidel Castro, The country remains a mix of highly although no such encounter yet appears assertive secular and religious traditions, on his official schedule. making it potentially fertile ground for The main reason for Pope Benedict’s the new evangelization that Pope Benedict trip is a pilgrimage to the shrine of has made a priority of his pontificate, the Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, and which will be the theme of a Vatican the country’s patron saint, in the synod of bishops this October. southeastern city of Santiago. This year Cuba, where the pope goes March 26, is in a sense the mirror image of Mexico. marks the 400th anniversary of the miraculous appearance of the statue It’s a country where the Church has venerated at the basilica there. enjoyed relatively tranquil dealings with

Pope: Church must better explain teaching about sex CINDy WOODEN CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

VATICAN CITY — Permissive attitudes toward sex, cohabitation before marriage and acceptance of same-sex “marriage” can damage individuals and are harmful for society, Pope Benedict XVI told a group of U.S. bishops at the Vatican.

“It is in fact increasingly evident that a weakened appreciation of the indissolubility of the marriage covenant, and the widespread rejection of a responsible, mature sexual ethic grounded in the practice of chastity, have led to grave societal problems bearing an immense human and economic cost,” the pope said March 9.

Meeting the bishops of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, who were making their “ad limina” visits to report on the status of their dioceses, the pope said ignorance of or challenges to Church teaching on marriage and sexuality were part of the “intellectual and ethical challenges” to evangelization in the U.S. today.

The pope said the Church’s key concern in its teaching is “the good of children, who have a fundamental right to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships.”

Acknowledging the clerical sexual abuse scandal, the pope said, “It is my hope that the Church in the United States, however chastened by the events of the past decade, will persevere in its historic mission of educating the young and thus contribute to the consolidation of that sound family life, which is the surest guarantee of intergenerational solidarity and the health of society as a whole.”

The moral virtues espoused in the Church’s teaching on sexuality are “the key to human fulfillment,” he said, because they promote sexuality as “a source of genuine freedom, happiness and the fulfillment of our fundamental and innate human vocation to love.”

Pope Benedict told the bishops he was aware of “the powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage” so that it would include same-sex couples.

“The Church’s conscientious effort to resist this pressure calls for a reasoned defense of marriage as a natural institution,” which is “rooted in the complementarity of the sexes and oriented to procreation,” he said.

“Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage.”

Defending traditional marriage is not simply a matter of Church teaching, he said; it is a matter of “justice, since it entails safeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike.”

The Church itself “must acknowledge deficiencies in the catechesis of recent decades, which failed at times to communicate the rich heritage of Catholic teaching on marriage as a natural institution elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament, the vocation of Christian spouses in society and in the Church, and the practice of marital chastity,” he said.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi 29

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

Caritas Lebanon seeks shelter for refugees fleeing Syrian violence

Vatican: Numbers of Catholics, priests, bishops worldwide increased CAROL gLATz CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

DOREEN ABI RAAD AND DEBORAH gyAPONg CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

BEIRUT — Church aid workers scrambled to find housing for hundreds of Syrian refugees who have fled to neighboring Lebanon because of ongoing violence between Syrian forces and armed rebels.

About 200 families – more than 1,000 people overall – made their way to the border town of Qaa in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon March 5 and were struggling in the region’s near-freezing temperatures.

Father Simon Faddoul, president of Caritas Lebanon, said March 6 that “women and children and the elderly are coming out in the cold, with nothing but the clothes on their backs, to seek safety.”

The U.N. refugee agency said that as many as 2,000 Syrians crossed into Lebanon March 5-6 to escape the violence that has claimed hundreds of lives.

Father Faddoul said most of the refugees arrived on foot from areas near the besieged city of Homs.

“They are leaving the young men behind in Syria to guard their houses” from attack, Father Faddoul said.

“These are people fleeing from war, their homes under bombardment. Things are getting out of hand.”

Before the latest surge, about 100 families had fled to Lebanon in recent weeks and were receiving assistance from Caritas, the priest said.

Father Faddoul estimated that about 40 of the newly arrived families were Christian, while the rest were Muslim.

Caritas has deployed two social workers and about 15 volunteers in Qaa. They have distributed 300 blankets and personal hygiene kits.

Caritas Lebanon has had a regular presence in the Bekaa Valley, with coordinating programs in agriculture, farming and irrigation to address the region’s poverty.

CNS | REUTERS

a doctor at a makeshift hospital displays a bullet removed from the hand of a young girl March 8 wounded during what protesters said was an attack by syrian president bashar al-assad’s forces in homs. at least 45 women and children were stabbed and burned to death March 11 in homs, opposition activists also said.

In Ottawa, Ontario, Carl Hetu, national director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, said his agency was monitoring the situation of Christians in Syria.

“Right now there are thousands of people who are displaced, among them are Christians, but that has been because of the conflict, not because of direct attacks on them,” he said in early March.

“Christians are stuck between a rock and a hard place,” Hetu said. “They cannot show approval of the Assad government, but they have to be careful because they can’t be seen to be supporting the rebels, either.”

He said his agency was preparing for a possible massive influx of Syrian refugees to neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan should the already tense situation grow worse.

The love of Christ impels us: strengthening families, building communities and reducing poverty.

Parish Social Ministry Regional Training in Charlotte, NC

VATICAN CITY — The number of Catholics in the world and the number of deacons, priests and bishops all increased in 2010, while the number of women in religious orders continued to decline, according to Vatican statistics.

At the end of 2010, the worldwide Catholic population reached 1.196 billion, an increase of 15 million or 1.3 percent, slightly outpacing the global population growth rate of 1.1 percent, said a statement published March 10 by the Vatican press office.

Catholics as a percentage of the global population “remained stable at around 17.5 percent,” it said.

The statement reported a handful of the statistics contained in the 2012 “Annuario Pontificio,” a yearbook containing information about every Vatican office, as well as every diocese and religious order in the world. Detailed statistics in the yearbook are based on reports from dioceses and religious orders as of Dec. 31, 2010.

The percentage of Catholics declined slightly in South America from 28.54 percent to 28.34 percent of the regional population, and dropped considerably in Europe from 24.05 percent to 23.83 percent. The percentage of Catholics increased in 2010 by just under half a percentage point in Southeast Asia and Africa.

The Vatican said the number of bishops in the world increased from 5,065 to 5,104; the number of priests went from 410,593 to 412,236, increasing everywhere except Europe.

The number of permanent deacons reported – 39,564 – was an increase of more than 1,400 over the previous year; 97.5 percent of the world’s permanent deacons live in the Americas or in Europe.

The number of men joining a religious order showed “a setback,” the Vatican said, with an increase of only 436 male religious worldwide in 2010.

The number of women in religious orders fell by more than 7,000 in 2010, despite showing a 2 percent increase in both Asia and Africa. At the end of the year, Catholic women’s orders had 721,935 members.

The number of seminarians around the world showed continued growth, from 117,978 at the end of 2009 to 118,990 at the end of 2010.

Bishop Peter Jugis

Invites you to join him on the Diocesan Pilgrimage to

ROME

April 20 – 21, 2012 A Friday evening and Saturday event at St. Peter Catholic Church 507 S. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28202

REGISTER NOW! Registration Fee: $50 ($60 after April 9) Continental breakfast and lunch included Limited scholarships are available For information on presentations and workshops, and to register, visit: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/psmtraining

Opening prayer by His Excellency Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte

May 2 -12, 2012 Round trip U.S. Air from Charlotte to Rome

Catholic tour escort while in Italy

Nine nights accommodations at 4 star hotels

Local guides

Continental breakfast daily

Entrance fees

Four dinners including a welcome and farewell dinner

Arrangements for daily Mass

One wine tasting

Gratuities for guides, drivers and local service personnel

Luxury motor coach transportation

Hotel taxes and porterage for 1 piece of luggage

Friday Evening Keynote Presenter: Rev. Larry Snyder President of Catholic Charities USA

Saturday Plenary Presenters Include: Lucreda Cobbs Catholic Charities USA

Rachel Lustig Catholic Charities USA

Loretta Fleming Nat’l Committee for a Human Life Amendment

Your Local Catholic Charities Agency

For more information contact: Joe Purello Catholic Social Services 704-370-3225 jtpurello@charlottediocese.org

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

Letters to the editor

May we rise to challenge the HHS mandate Rico De Silva

God’s favorite saint

M

ost of us are familiar with the phrase “action speaks louder than words.” As husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus, St. Joseph is a perfect example of obedient action to God’s will. St. Matthew describes Joseph as a “just man,” but there’s not a single word of St. Joseph recorded in the Gospels – just his actions at crucial times during Jesus’ infancy narrative.

On March 19, the Church commemorates the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary. This is an excellent opportunity to look at the life of this intriguing saint entrusted by God to protect and care for His only begotten Son and the VirginMother. (I reflect on this truth often when I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.)

St. Joseph is my favorite saint and role model as a Catholic man for three practical reasons: St. Joseph listens.

When Joseph found that Mary was with child, he decided to send her away quietly, not wanting to shame her. However, an angel of God told Joseph in a dream: “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1:20).

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel said and took Mary with him, even though I’m sure he couldn’t completely grasp the concept of a child “being conceived by the Holy Spirit.”

St. Joseph understands.

Joseph empathizes with most of us struggling to meet our temporal needs in the midst of a challenging economy. I often think about how embarrassing it might have been for Joseph not to be able to find shelter for Mary to give birth to Jesus. Imagine witnessing the Nativity in a cold night behind no walls, no heat and no privacy.

Yet, it was the Father’s will that the Savior of the world would be born in a smelly stable, with a manger as His crib, welcomed to the world only by shepherds and truly wise men.

St. Joseph protects.

After the magi visited the Christ Child and departed from Bethlehem, another angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him” (Mt 2:13). According to the Gospel account, St. Joseph got up immediately in the middle of the night, took Mary and Jesus, and fled to Egypt and stayed there until King Herod died.

What an incredible account of trials and tribulations the Holy Family experienced from Jesus’ birth until they returned to Nazareth from Egypt. And what a remarkable testament of faith in God’s providence St. Joseph displayed during this time. Furthermore, if we read between the lines, we can recognize how much Our Father believes in the human race to entrust the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity made flesh and the Immaculate Conception to a simple carpenter from Nazareth.

For that reason, I dare say St. Joseph is God’s favorite saint.

If you have yet to develop a devotion to St. Joseph, start now. Go to Joseph. He listens; he understands; he protects.

St. Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus, pray for us. rico DE silVa is a member of St. gabriel Church in Charlotte.

“The HHS mandate is as much about contraception as the American Revolution was about tea.” So wrote a Catholic woman on her blog recently.

She put it so clearly in one little sentence.

Surely in our heart of hearts we do not think this government interference would stop at contraception, sterilization and chemical abortion.

What happens when contraception and chemical abortion fail – as they often do? We know what would come next: “free” surgical abortion. Then what?

Mandated medical tests to find and destroy “imperfect” unborn babies?

Infanticide? Coerced euthanasia? Then what next? Population control? How many babies would be allowed?

In 2008 Cardinal James Francis Stafford wrote an article entitled “In 1968, something terrible happened in the Church.” It was re-run by the California Catholic Daily on Feb. 27 as a timely commentary on the HHS mandate. It is a haunting and unforgettable piece, in which Cardinal Stafford concludes, “Since January 2002, the abyss has opened up elsewhere. The whole people of God ... must now look into the abyss and see what dread beasts are at its bottom...”

The great battle begins. Our bishops are 100 percent united in fighting the good fight. Yet two entire generations of Catholics remain mostly untaught about these life and love issues, and many remain unmoved.

What can each of us do? I guess the answer has always been the same over the past 2,000 years: pray more, fast more, “offer it up,” and keep ourselves well-informed on the issues via the faithful Catholic media. After that, we can pass information on to others, and take action in the ways that the good Lord may show us. May we rise to the challenge. patricia glass lives in Mars Hill.

Contact Asheville officials: Urge them to sell land to diocese The Diocese of Charlotte wants to purchase the city-owned property across the street from the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville. The diocese hopes to complement the basilica, by building a plaza out toward the street, with smaller buildings at the rear of the plaza. McKibbon Hotel Group also wants to purchase that property.

McKibbon wants to build a hotel. City officials are considering whether to sell the site to McKibbon or to the diocese.

Two issues to consider are: First, it is nearly unconscionable to allow our very beautiful basilica to be overshadowed, diminished or blocked by a hotel. Also, of importance is the fact that our downtown hotels are presently at less than 63 percent occupancy.

Second, although Catholics are a minority in western North Carolina, the Catholic Church has made many significant contributions to Asheville. In

1900 the Church opened a tuberculosis sanitarium (which later became St. Joseph’s Hospital). The Church gave us Sisters of Mercy urgent care centers, Catholic Social Services, and many churches and schools. Also of note, the Church has always been a good steward of its properties. Allowing the Church to purchase the property that is basically in its own front yard is simply the right thing to do.

In the past three months city officials have moved closer to selling that property, either to McKibbon or to the diocese. I urge Catholic News Herald readers to contact Asheville city officials, before it’s too late, and encourage them to sell the property to the diocese.

Contact them at: AshevilleNCCouncil@ ashevillenc.gov, spowers@ashevillenc. gov, gjackson@ashevillenc.gov, and scole@ashevillenc.gov. aNNE FitzgEralD sMith lives in Asheville.

Be cautious about alleged Medjugorje apparitions I am sincerely saddened by the Catholic News Herald’s March 2 article about the alleged seer from Medjugorje coming to Charlotte. Until the investigation of the alleged visions in Bosnia-Hercegovina is completed, the Vatican has been explicit in its directive to all dioceses and parishes not to “lend official sanction” to the alleged events.

I do hope the investigation finds that the beloved Blessed Virgin Mary is appearing in Medjugorje – we need her and her assistance now more than ever – but there are some indications that all isn’t what it should be in Medjugorje.

I urge people to stop supporting these events until the investigation has been completed, and our Holy Father Benedict XVI has made his pronouncement. liNDa hUtchiNsoN lives in Blacksburg, S.C. Editor’s note: One good piece of advice regarding the alleged apparitions comes from Colin B. Donovan, a theology teacher, who writes online at www.ewtn.com: “No one holding an office in the Church ... may by virtue of that office lend official sanction to activities which tend to assert the supernaturality of Medjugorje, that is, to contradict the decisions made by competent local authority. Those statements speak only of pilgrimages organized under official auspices; however, common sense tells us that a conference or other activity sponsored by a diocese, parish or other Catholic institution would also be prohibited. Likewise, there could not be public veneration (cultus) of the Blessed Virgin under the title of Our Lady of Medjugorje, since this would suggest the certainty of her appearing there. ...

What the Church permits. ... Catholics may go to Medjugorje. Such pilgrimages may even include priests acting as chaplains, as opposed to officially sponsoring them.

Also, the Church has not suppressed discussion of Medjugorje, therefore, it is allowed. Common sense, however, says that Catholics on both sides of the Medjugorje issue should exercise prudence and charity in speaking of others who believe differently.”

Joseph Bruck

How to maintain the spirit of Lent

L

ent: a time of continual penance, increased prayer and greater charity. Once again, this liturgical season is upon us. What does it cause us to think about?

For many people, it might be a sinking sense of dread: “What? Lent is here?

But it seems like we just went through it! I guess I’d better start thinking about what to give up, but what else should I do to grow closer to God? And we only have to fast twice, right?”

Such thoughts might be common to many of us, in one way or another. But the question should be raised every year: what am I going to do for the next 40 days to grow in love and holiness?

Well, prayer is the first key ingredient.

If you do nothing else this Lent, pray!

Spending a little extra time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is truly a joy like no other, and the grace that flows from a renewed prayerful outlook is immeasurable.

The sacraments, properly received, are also a great way to strengthen virtue, as well as faith. Consider going to confession and Holy Communion more often – you might just be surprised at the level of peace they bring.

Lent is also a time to refocus. We often get caught up with hectic schedules and the passing things of the world.

During this special time, Christ calls us to redirect our hearts and minds more fully to Him, so we may become all that we are called to be. Giving up some of our favorite foods or activities, we can lay our voluntary sacrifices at the foot of the Cross, remembering Our Lord’s strenuous retreat in the desert, which was undoubtedly much more painful than our little offerings.

Yet God understands our smallness and our weakness – He’s not looking for a huge laundry list of penances, but rather for love.

Don’t be discouraged if you sometimes find Lent to be worrisome or difficult. As Christians, we suffer along with Jesus in His saving Passion and death, but we also live in the hope of His glorious Resurrection.

Strive to love and serve God and others with this joy in your heart more and more each day. If we put our trust in Him who gave everything for us, we will not be disappointed.

May this Lenten season be a time of joyful penance and hopeful waiting for us all, and may the humble spirit of this season continue long after the glory of Easter morning.

JosEph brUcK is a parishioner of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi

March 16, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

Deacon James H. Toner

The Poor Clares

He will strike at her heel

E

arly in the Book of Genesis, we are presented with a dramatic scene.

Adam, Eve and the serpent stand before God, who confronts and judges them on the Original Sin. After rebuking the serpent, God says something to him that sounds strange: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

(Gen 3:15) It is interesting that the battle is shown to be between the woman and the serpent.

Would it not make more sense that the serpent would wage war with Adam, the first man, the symbol of authority and dominion over creation? Was the serpent not merely “picking on” the weakness of woman in approaching Eve first that fateful day in the Garden of Eden?

We find an answer to these questions at the feet of the Blessed Mother, literally.

She is often pictured in art with a serpent beneath her feet, holding the apple in his mouth. The serpent – the enemy – knew only too well that his defeat was to come through a woman. Jesus would come to earth as a man to save us from death. But He would not come as an independent king or a triumphant warrior. He would wait on the word of one of His own creatures – the humble, obedient “fiat” of a young Jewish virgin.

Mary’s “yes” would set in motion the redemption of all mankind.

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” God entered Mary’s womb.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) wrote a masterful study in 1931 entitled “The Separate Vocations of Man and Woman According To Nature and Grace.” She saw in Genesis the fundamental outline of what God intends men and women to be. Honing in on the challenge between the woman and the serpent, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross beautifully came to this answer: “A woman was the gateway through which God found entrance to humankind.”

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross held the theory that Mary’s fiat was the ultimate insult for the serpent. To the serpent, it was degrading enough to his pride to see God take on our mortal flesh, but that He should allow a young woman to be His own Mother was unthinkable.

And so, the battle was begun and has been waged with vengeance in the world to our present day.

When we look at the many ways women have been attacked and misused, we see the efforts of the enemy. Throughout the

The enemy’s rage is only intensified by what God has designed women to represent.

ages, there have been relentless efforts to destroy the dignity and respect due to women.

The enemy’s rage is only intensified by what God has designed women to represent. In women, we see first and foremost, an image of Love. In a much more magnified way than men, women’s focus is on being. A woman concentrates not so much on things, on doing, but on others, on loving. As a mother, a woman literally gives of herself for her child, offering her own body for her child’s nourishment. And it is to a mother that we often instinctively turn for compassion and comfort.

Because of her natural receptivity and capacity for selflessness, a woman is also by consequence more open to the Divine.

A woman’s soul is keenly attuned to the spiritual, and she holds a great yearning to love and to be loved. Acceptance of God’s love and submission to His Will are deeply fulfilling for a woman.

This is, of course, not to say that men are not called to the same, but that these are more natural actions for women. A woman acts almost as a living conscience for man in this regard. She is a constant reminder to him of the truly important things in life. She has a gift for bringing him ever higher, helping him to control his desires and to steer his goals and plans in the right direction.

As a mother, a woman most intimately works at forming the souls of her children, sharing with them most importantly the reality of God’s love and the great beauty of a life of holiness.

How often the silent, persevering love and prayers of a wife or mother have brought back a soul to God and to a life of grace! A woman’s love runs deep, and it is not easily re-directed.

The enemy is well aware of the great power and influence that lie in a woman’s hands because of this. The line is drawn sharply between all that a woman is and all that Satan is not. His glory lies in pride, in absolute authority, in seeking to conquer. He has rejected love and embraced hate. A woman stands as a reminder of the qualities of God which he rejected before the dawn of time.

When we look at things from this perspective, then we can understand the background of many of the battles in our world today. Our culture is deluged with pornography, abortion, promiscuity, and a false notion of women’s sexual freedom which rejects her most beautiful right to her own femininity.

The battle is on, but it is in understanding the gifts God has given us that we will find strength and courage.

The serpent will indeed “strike at her heel,” but it is the heel of the most blessed of all women – she who will crush him by the power of God, who has won for us the victory. sistEr MariE thérèsE oF thE DiViNE chilD JEsUs is professed with the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte. Learn more about the local community of Poor Clares and subscribe to their newsletter by going online to www. stjosephmonastery.com.

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I

Misguided compassion and second-order thinking

magine a soldier who, while under enemy fire, jumps up, waving and yelling, “Can’t get me, can’t get me!”

What bravery! What courage! What fortitude! No, what stupidity!

A thing is right or virtuous because it is in balance, which is to say that it is properly ordered to what it ought to be. A thing is mistaken or corrupt or even evil because of its inadequacy or because of its excess. The soldier who refuses legitimate duty because of personal fear is cowardly; the soldier who needlessly exposes himself to enemy fire is foolhardy.

The virtue of courage, then, lies between inadequacy and excess.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the crowds (and us): “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7). St. Paul counseled us to “be kind to one another (and) tenderhearted” (Eph 4:32). “Charity,” Pope Benedict also tells us, “is at the heart of the Church’s social doctrine” (“Caritas in Veritate,” 2).

Then why would Mother Angelica, the founder of EWTN, call compassion the reigning sin of our times? She didn’t.

In fact, it is misguided compassion or false mercy – a perversion of charity, of magnanimity – about which she has warned us. Misguided compassion is “mistaken mercy.” It is condolence without direction, without limit, without justice.

The great old movie “The Bells of Saint Mary’s” tells the story of a conflict at a school between a priest who wants to pass everyone and a nun (the school principal) who insists upon certain academic standards. Passing everyone (or giving high grades without genuine student achievement) is not charity; it is false mercy – as well as a violation of the standards of justice, fairness and integrity.

Even more serious in this regard is, in the name of forgiveness, restoring to his office anyone who has been guilty of molesting children. Such theoretical

Misguided compassion is ‘mistaken mercy.’ It is condolence without direction, without limit, without justice.

forgiveness may be genuine kindness, but the practice of sending someone with such a history back to children is not only imprudent, it is a type of cooperation with evil, and felonious.

Recall that Blessed John Paul II forgave Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who had shot him in St. Peter’s Square in 1981, but Agca remained in jail. Similarly, David was forgiven, but suffered the penalty for his sin (2 Sam 12:13-23).

It is right to feel pity for the dying who are suffering; it is evil to kill them in the name of mercy. It is right to feel badly for the girl who is pregnant without an encouraging husband and family; it is evil to abort her child in the name of compassion. It is right to help the stranger and the sojourner; it is wrong, in assisting them, to ignore or to violate legitimate civil law (see CCC 2241 and Rom 13:1-7).

It is a fundamental Christian duty for us to help the poor; it is mistaken, as Pope Leo XIII taught us, “to distribute to others that which is required for (our) own needs and those of (our) household” (“Rerum Novarum,” 22).

To have inadequate mercy is to be pitiless and cruel; to have excessive, or mistaken, mercy is to be unjust and credulous. The parent who fairly disciplines his child (as in Proverbs 13:24) is trying to be merciful and loving by being just. We are called both to mercy and to justice, knowing that only God can perfectly reconcile the two. Always asking God for His actual graces (CCC 2000), we must do the best we can.

The cardinal virtue of prudence (CCC 1806) refers to our having the developed reason “to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it.” Prudence is developed by wise education and by the examined life.

We are prudent when we expect those with authority to exercise second-order thinking.

That means that they are called, not just to see the probable results of what they do, but to see the probable results of the results – the consequences of the consequences. It may seem merciful, for instance, to give a student a high, but unearned, grade; but what are the longterm effects of that “charity”? What are the probable secondary results – the impact of that decision on the student’s character and its effect upon others and even on society (the “ripple” or “butterfly” effect) – of what may well be misguided compassion? What good are we doing and what evil are we avoiding, now and later, by making this kind of judgment? St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!

DEacoN JaMEs h. toNEr serves at Our Lady of grace Church in greensboro.

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2012

Bishop Jugis’ Young Adult & Youth Lenten Pilgrimage Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24, 2012 Belmont Abbey College

John 1: 29

Friday, March 23, 2012

Saturday, March 24, 2012

For all College and Young Adults Catholics 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM Registration required - $10 fee includes: Tee Shirt and Fish Fry Dinner

For all Middle and High School students 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM Registration required - $15 fee includes: Program, Tee Shirt and Pizza & Drink for lunch

Holy Mass Fish Fry Dinner Vespers United by Praise - Adoration, praise and worship, confession & short talk Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament Closing Remarks

Arrival / Music and Frisbee Welcome Address/Icebreakers/Confessions Holy Mass with Bishop Jugis and Abbot Placid Grace/Pizza lunch/Vocations Fair/Confession Keynote Talk Breakout sessions Concert/Snacks/Confession Eucharistic Adoration/Vespers/Bishop’s Address Eucharistic Procession and Benediction Closing Remarks

Bring a friend!

Details at GoEucharist.com