April 27, 2012

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April 27, 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

AD LIMINA 2012: Join our virtual pilgrimage, 3

Poor Clare nun makes final vows on Divine Mercy Sunday, 6

INDEX Contact us ......................... 4 Events calendar ................ 4 Movies and TV................. 20 Our Parishes ................. 3-11 Our Faith ...................... 2, 21 Scripture readings ........... 2 U.S. news .................... 22-23 From Our Bishops ........... 26 Viewpoints ...................... 27 World news ................. 24-25

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VOTE MARRIAGE May 8

INSIDE: Details on the constitutional amendment, plus inspirational stories and facts on Church teaching, 14-19

Our faith 2

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

consecrated life: self-giving love like God’s love for us

Pope Benedict XVi

Couple charity, social justice with prayer BY CAROL GLATz CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

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ll pastoral work, including promoting social justice and providing for the poor, must be nourished by prayer, Pope Benedict XVI said. Without contemplating and internalizing God’s word daily, one risks being suffocated by too heavy a workload and one’s heart risks hardening to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, he said. “Charity and justice are not just social action but are spiritual action realized in the light of the Holy Spirit,” he said during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square April 25. The pope highlighted Chapter 6 of the Acts of the Apostles, about how the early Christian community decided to call forth “seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom” to be dedicated to charitable action so the apostles could continue to dedicate themselves to prayer and proclaiming the word of God. “The proclamation of the Gospel, the primacy of God, (providing) concrete charity and justice were creating difficulties,” and the community had to find a solution so that both would have their place in the church, the pope said. The apostles created a new ministry dedicated to the needy because the church is called not just to proclaim the word but to fulfill it through concrete acts of love and truth, he said. The apostles underlined the importance of prayer so that those who carried out the church’s charitable mission would do so “in the spirit of faith with the light of God.” Charity workers must be filled with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and not just be “good organizers who know how to do things,” the pope said. In fact, the apostles laid their hands on those chosen for the new ministry, conferring God’s grace and “consecrating them in the truth which is Jesus Christ,” he said. It was not a simple act of assigning a new role or responsibility to someone as happens in secular organizations, “but is an ecclesial event.” “The difficulty that the church was going through concerning the problem of serving the poor, the question of charity, is overcome through prayer,” he said. It’s through prayer and reflecting on God’s word that people can “respond to every challenge and situation with wisdom, understanding and fidelity to God’s will.”

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

More than 182 men and women religious are active in the Diocese of charlotte, including the Missionaries of the poor in Monroe (far right), the Missionaries of charity (middle), and the poor clares of perpetual adoration (left).

Pope: Vocations are born from openness to the love of God FRANCIS X. ROCCA CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

Learn more about vocations

VATICAN CITY — Love of God nurtures love of neighbor, especially in people with vocations to the priesthood or religious life, said Pope Benedict XVI in his message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The papal message was for the 49th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be observed April 29. “The profound truth of our existence is thus contained in this surprising mystery: Every creature, and in particular every human person, is the fruit of God’s thought and an act of His love, a love that is boundless, faithful and everlasting,” Pope Benedict wrote. “It is in this soil of self-offering and openness to the love of God, and as the fruit of that love, that all vocations are born and grow. By drawing from this wellspring through prayer, constant recourse to God’s word and to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, it becomes possible to live a life of love for our neighbors, in whom we come to perceive the face of Christ the Lord,” the pope wrote. Pope Benedict wrote that love of both God and other people “must be lived with a particular intensity and purity of heart by those who have decided to set out on the path of

www.foryourvocation.org: Lots of information from the U.S. bishops for men and women considering a religious calling. www.charlottediocese.org: The Diocese of Charlotte welcomes all inquires about vocations. Go online for preliminary info, or contact Father Christopher Gober, Vocations Director: 704-370-3327 or vocationsmail@ charlottediocese.org.

vocation discernment towards the ministerial priesthood and the consecrated life.” Calling on the Church to “create the conditions that will permit many young people to say ‘yes’ in generous response to God’s loving call,” the pope recommended “Scripture, prayer and the Eucharist” as the most valuable means “enabling us to grasp the beauty of a life spent fully in service of the kingdom.” Quoting his predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, Pope Benedict called families the “primary and most excellent seedbed of vocations to a life of consecration to the kingdom of God.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters, The 49th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 29, 2012, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, prompts us to meditate on the theme: “Vocations, the Gift of the Love of God.” The source of every perfect gift is God who is Love – Deus caritas est: “Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in Him” (1 Jn 4:16). Sacred Scripture tells the story of this original bond between God and man, which precedes creation itself. ... In great wonderment before the work of God’s providence, the Psalmist exclaims: “When I see the heavens, the work of Your hands, the moon and the stars which You arranged, what is man that You should keep him in mind, mortal man that You care for him?” (Ps 8:3-4). The profound truth of our existence is thus contained in this surprising mystery: every creature, and in particular every human person, is the fruit of God’s thought and an act of His love, a love that is boundless, faithful and everlasting (cf. Jer 31:3). The discovery of this reality is what truly and profoundly changes our lives. It is a love that is limitless and that precedes us, sustains us and calls us along the path of life, a love rooted in an absolutely free gift of God. Every specific vocation is in fact born of the initiative of God; it is a gift of the Love of God! He is the One who takes the “first step,” and not because He has found something good in us, but because of the presence of His own love “poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5). In every age, the source of the divine call is to be found in the initiative of the infinite love of God, who reveals Himself fully in Jesus Christ. As I wrote in my first encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est,” “God is indeed visible in a number of ways. In VOCATiONS, SEE PAGE 21

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF APR. 29 - MAY 5

Sunday, Acts 4:8-12, 1 John 3:1-2, John 10:1118; Monday (St. Pius V), Acts 11:1-18, John 10:1-10; Tuesday (St. Joseph the Worker), Acts 11:19-26, John 10:22-30; Wednesday (St. Athanasius), Acts 12:24-13:5, John 12:4450; Thursday (Sts. Philip and James), 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, John 14:6-14; Friday, Acts 13:26-33, John 14:1-6; Saturday, Acts 13:44-52, John 14:7-14

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 6 - MAY 12

Sunday, Acts 9:26-31, 1 John 3:18-24, John 15:1-8; Monday, Acts 14:5-18, John 14:2126; Tuesday, Acts 14:19-28, John 14:27-31; Wednesday, Acts 15:1-6, John 15:1-8; Thursday (St. Damien Joseph de veuster of Moloka’i), Acts 15:7-21, John 15:9-11; Friday, Acts 15:2231, John 15:12-17; Saturday (Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, St. Pancras), Acts 16:1-10, John 15:18-21

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 13 - MAY 19

Sunday, Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48, 1 John 4:7-10, John 15:9-17; Monday (St. Matthias), Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, John 15:9-17; Tuesday (St. Isidore), Acts 16:22-34, John 16:5-11; Wednesday, Acts 17:15, 22-18:1, John 16:12-15; Thursday (The Ascension of the Lord), Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Mark 16:15-20; Friday (St. John I), Acts 18:9-18, John 16:20-23; Saturday, Acts 18:23-28, John 16:23-28

Our parishes CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

A virtual pilgrimage in Rome with Bishop Jugis

in Brief come learn about church teaching on homosexuality CHARLOTTE — A free presentation about Church teaching on same-sex attraction and traditional marriage will be held on Friday, May 4, starting at 7:30 p.m. at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte. “The Catholic Church, Marriage and Homosexuality” will be presented by Father Paul Check, national director of Courage, a Catholic apostolate that welcomes people suffering with same-sex attraction and helps them live according to Church teaching. Come to learn, hear insights and ask questions about the upcoming May 8 statewide constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage. For details, see the ad on page 8.

Come along to the heart of Christendom Join Catholic News Herald staff writer SueAnn Howell on a “virtual pilgrimage” as she travels to Italy to report on Bishop Peter Jugis’ “ad limina Apostolorum” visit to Rome, May 2-12. The Latin phrase means “to the thresholds of the Apostles,” a reference to the pilgrimage to the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul that the bishops are required to make every five years or so. The visit gives each bishop from around the world an opportunity to give a “state

of the diocese” report to the Holy Father, attend meetings at the Vatican and rejuvenate themselves spiritually by attending Masses and spending time in prayer in the heart of Christendom. Above all, it is a moment of communion and collegiality for the bishops. In addition to reporting on the ad limina meetings and special Masses, SueAnn will share impressions, insights and photos from her perspective as a first-time pilgrim visiting Assisi, Siena and the Eternal City.

Follow our coverage each moment of the trip! www.catholicnewsherald.com: Daily news, photos, videos, virtual video tours, background information on the ad limina visit, and more

spX Knights of columbus end successful laMb effort GREENSBORO — The Knights of Columbus Council 11101, at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, recently raised almost $8,000 through its annual “tootsie roll” fund drive for LAMB (“Least Among My Brethren”). The Knights presented donations to local organizations that aid people with intellectual disabilities. Pictured is Phil Pyburn, director of the LAMB committee, (center) with representatives of Lindley Habilitation Services, Mendenhall Middle School, Page High School, Horse Power T.L.C., Family Support Network and Northeast Guilford High School. — John russell

Waynesville parishioners take part in 40 Days for life WAYNESVILLE — Members of St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville, led by their pastor Father Larry LoMonaco, participated in the spring 40 Days for Life campaign of prayer, fasting and community outreach to further the pro-life cause. — christine ryan

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Charlotteadlimina.tumblr.com: Up-to-the-minute news, photos, quotes, personal insights, and more fun from SueAnn and her fellow pilgrims

Bishop Jugis: Good news to share with the pope during May ad limina visit Diocese of Charlotte shows ‘signs of vitality’ SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

CHARLOTTE — It has been eight years since Bishop Peter Jugis met with the pope to report on the state of the faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte. The last time Bishop Jugis made such a visit to Rome was in 2004, when he met with Pope John Paul II during his first ad limina visit after being ordained as bishop of the Charlotte diocese. This time Bishop Jugis will be among 15 bishops from the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida meeting for the first time with Pope Benedict XVI during the week of May 6-12. Each bishop prepares an ad limina report in advance for the pope and the Vatican offices to review before and during the ad limina visit. The diocese’s 2012 ad limina report is bound into three volumes. Essentially an overview of the state of the diocese, the report contains 23 sections covering topics such as statistics, liturgical and sacramental life, Catholic education and faith formation, pastoral care to families, the Eucharistic Congress, Church administration, religious orders and communications. The diocese’s growth and vibrant faith is evident in the numbers, Bishop Jugis said during his spring reflection to the Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group April 16, where he shared highlights from the report. AD LiMiNA, SEE PAGE 10

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

bishop peter Jugis displays the diocese’s three-volume 2012 ad limina report, copies of which are already at the Vatican in preparation for his upcoming visit May 6-12.

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OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

Diocesan calendar of events ASHEVILLE st. EUGENE chUrch, 72 cUlVErN st. — “Medicare choices made easy,” 2-4 p.m. May 22. RSVP with Council on Aging at 828-277-8288 or Catholic Social Services Elder Ministry at 704-370-3220.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next two weeks: april 28 – 11 a.M. Mass For sistErs JUbliariaNs Pastoral Center Chapel, Charlotte april 30 – 7 p.M. sacraMENt oF coNFirMatioN St. John Neumann Church, Charlotte May 1 – 11 a.M. prEsbytEral coUNcil MEEtiNG Pastoral Center, Charlotte May 2 – 5 p.M. sacraMENt oF coNFirMatioN immaculate Conception Church, Forest City May 5 – 9:30 a.M. First holy coMMUNioN Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte May 5-12 aD liMiNa Visit Rome, italy

— Presentación para explicar el programa de Medicare, 2-4 p.m. 23 de mayo. Registrese con Council on Aging al 828-277-8288 o con el Ministerio Católico de Servicios para Ancianos al 704-370-3220.

bElMoNt abbEy collEGE, 100 bElMoNt-Mt. holly roaD — Arts at the Abbey: Annual Spring Concert, 3 p.m. April 29 — iHM Carolina Homeschool and Parent Conference, Student Commons, noon-8 p.m. May 25. Contact info@ihmconference.org or 540-636-1946. Visit www. ihmconference.org.

oUr laDy oF thE assUMptioN chUrch, 4207 shaMrocK Dr. — Vietnamese Mass, 12:15 p.m. April 29 oUr laDy oF coNsolatioN chUrch, 1235 baDGEr ct. — Fourth Annual Ladies Day of Reflection, Parish Life Center, 8 a.m.-noon May 19. Registration required. Contact olcladiesguild@gmail.com, Deborah Wadsworth at 704-568-8415, or Catherine Gomez at 704-509-2199.

— Catechist training in Spanish, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 28 st. aNN chUrch, 3635 parK roaD — Natural Family Planning introduction and Course, 1-5 p.m. April 28. RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230. — “The Catholic Church, Marriage and Homosexuality,” presented by Father Paul Check, 7:30 p.m. May 4 — Missa Cantata for the Feast of the Ascension, 7 p.m. May 17. Visit www.stannparish.org. st. basil EastErN catholic MissioN, 7702 piNEVillE-MatthEWs roaD — Great Vespers for the Feast of the Ascension, 6 p.m. May 16, followed by a Typica Service with Holy Communion. Visit www.stbasil.weebly.com. st. MatthEW chUrch, 8015 ballaNtyNE coMMoNs pKWy. — “Called to be Mom,” supports the vocation of motherhood, NLC 239/240, 10 a.m.-noon, May 2. Childcare available by calling 704-543-7677, ext. 1011, 48 hours in advance. Contact Kerry Long at klong003@carolina.rr.com or 704-243-6319.

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

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

— “Catholic Guys Gone Wild,” NLC 234/235, presented by Deacon Mark King, 7-9 p.m. April 30. Opportunity for men to explore living an authentically Catholic life. Register at registration@stmatthewcatholic.org. — “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

CHARLOTTE

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

Volume 21 • NUMbEr 13

RETIRO PENTECOSTéS: “RENOVANDO LA UNCIóN,” con Salvador Gómez, predicador Católico internacional. 7-9 p.m. 25 de mayo y 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 26 de mayo. iglesia San Marcos, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. No se permiten niños menores de 10 años. Para mas información, llame al 704-491-4570 o 704-363-7817.

TALLER PARA SERVIDORES: “RENOVANDO LA UNCIóN,” con Salvador Gómez, predicador Católico internacional. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 27 de mayo. Holy Trinity Middle School, 3100 Park Road, Charlotte. No se permiten niños menores de 10 años. Para mas información, llame al 704-491-4570 o 704-363-7817.

BELMONT

pastoral cENtEr, 1123 s. chUrch st.

april 27, 2012

En Español:

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

— A Symposium on Marriage, led by Father Rick DeClue, to explain Church teaching on marriage and discuss the marriage amendment, Family Life Center, 1-4 p.m. May 5. Contact the parish office at 704-334-2283, ext. 424. — Scripture Study Program: “The Epistle of St. James,” 10-11 a.m. Sundays through May 6. Contact Michelle Rahilly at rahillyhome@carolina.rr.com or Margaret Gustafson at jmgusto@bellsouth.net. — Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group (CCWG) Family Rosary, led by Father Joshua Voitus, 3 p.m. May 6. Contact Tina Witt at 704-846-7361 or Mary Sample at mary.sample3@gmail.com.

reservations available. Contact volarewomen@ hotmail.com. st. paUl thE apostlE chUrch, 2715 horsE pENN crEEK roaD — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians welcomes all women who are practicing Roman Catholics, and who are irish by birth descent, who are the wife of a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, or the mother of a junior member. Meetings are first Thursdays. Contact marylisk @aol.com st. piUs X chUrch, 2210 N. ElM st. — “Catholicism” Series, parish office, 10 a.m. for 10 weeks starting March 20. — Seasons of Hope Grief Ministry, Kloster Center, 2-4 p.m. April 29. Register at 336-272-4681. — Meet Stephen Martin, Kloster Center, 10:20-11:10 a.m. May 6. Martin is a speechwriter, journalist, awardwinning essayist and author of the new book “The Messy Quest for Meaning: Five Catholic Practices for Finding Your Vocation.” Contact church office at 336-272-4681.

st. thoMas aQUiNas chUrch, 1400 sUthEr roaD — Parish Mission: “Bring the Fire Home,” 7 p.m. May 2023. Visit www.sacredheartapostolate.com. Contact Geri King at 704-455-6819. st. ViNcENt DE paUl chUrch, 6828 olD rEiD roaD — Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group (CCWG) Reflection, led by Father James Ebright, 9 a.m. May 7. Contact Mary Catherine Surface at mcsurface@gmail.com or 704-651-5860.

HUNTERSVILLE st. MarK chUrch, 14740 stUMptoWN roaD — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians welcomes all women who are practicing Roman Catholics, and who are irish by birth descent, who are the wife of a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, or the mother of a junior member. Meetings are in room 200, 7:30 p.m. first Thursdays. Contact Bernadette Brady at mcbernie38@msn.com or 704-210-8060.

CONCORD st. JaMEs thE GrEatEr chUrch, 139 MaNor aVENUE, s.W. — Natural Family Planning Bilingual instructor training, 6-9 p.m. May 18. Contact Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230.

is yoUr parish or school hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Calendar is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org or fax to 704-370-3382.

GREENSBORO oUr laDy oF GracE chUrch, 2205 W. MarKEt st. — “Awakening Faith: Reconnecting with your Catholic Faith,” school library, 10-11:30 a.m. Saturdays April 14-May 19. Contact Rebecca Toner at 336-497-4439. — Women’s Mass and Reflection, 7 p.m. May 17. Nursery

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OUR PARISHESi

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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catholic charities Usa president Father larry snyder (left) visited charlotte april 19 as part of a regional parish social ministry training conference being hosted by the Diocese of charlotte. he met with bishop peter Jugis (middle) and toured the offices and ministries of catholic social services with executive director Dr. Gerard carter (right) before giving the keynote address to kick off the two-day conference held at st. peter church in charlotte.

PHOTO PROViDED BY JUDY SMiTH

Volunteers from St. Peter Church in Charlotte helped out 10 local non-profits on april 14, including Mccreash place, as part of their second-annual Day of service.

PHOTOS BY PATRiCiA L. GUiLFOYLE | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

Be witnesses to our Catholic faith, CCUSA president encourages parish ministry leaders PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE EDiTOR

CHARLOTTE — Close to 100 parish leaders from dioceses across the Southeast gathered in Charlotte April 20-21 to learn how they could strengthen their ministry programs and add new social service outreach efforts. The regional training program, hosted by Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte and held at St. Peter Church, was organized through Catholic Charities USA. Training sessions featured many programs that the Charlotte diocese is already actively engaged in, including: legislative advocacy for pro-life and social justice issues; providing food assistance with dignity (showcasing Catholic Social Services’ shift to food pantries where clients select their own food); pro-life activities such as the diocese’s Be Not Afraid ministry (used as a model for many dioceses across the U.S.); parish/public school partnerships to help needy children, including the successful programs at St. Luke Church in Mint Hill and at St. Peter Church; and immigration reform and immigrant assistance. Catholic Charities USA president Father Larry Snyder kicked off the two-day training conference with a motivational keynote address, reminding parish ministry leaders that their work to help the poor and marginalized has been the role of the Church for generations and continues to be “a living vision” for the Church. The Church’s social ministry work may adapt to the specific needs of each generation, but the Gospel message remains the same, Father Snyder noted.

“The reality is that throughout most of our history, the Catholic Church (in America) has been an immigrant church,” he said. “We are truly a church of the poor.” Since the birth of Catholic social ministry work with the arrival of Ursuline Sisters to New Orleans in 1727, the Church has worked to build hospitals, school systems and social welfare programs – still the largest such organizations in the nation – to aid anyone in need. “What motivates us is our witnessing to our faith,” he said. Diocesan and national Catholic Charities agencies aim to work in partnership with parish ministries, as parishes are “the primary focus of social ministry,” he said. “Organizations were never meant to replace this; they were meant to build upon it.” The best parish ministries, he said, are grounded in our Catholic faith, recognizing the dignity and respect for all human life; transformational, for the people being helped, the ministries and parishes themselves, and the larger society; effective, emphasizing both charity and justice; and engaged, from the local parish to the wider community. The Church’s social mission in the United States is getting more difficult these days, Father Snyder said, as our society has become more secularized and religious faith is being pushed out of the public realm. The latest controversy over the Health and Human Services contraception mandate, or states’ efforts to redefine marriage, are threatening the ability of social ministries to continue their work. “You know better than I how our beliefs in a pluralistic society are coming under fire,” he said. “We’re going to (have to) give witness to who we are. I wish I could say the tough days are over.” But, he added, working to build up the Church and improve others’ lives means being motivated by the love of Christ and inspired by those of previous generations, starting with the Apostles themselves. What is most important, Father Snyder emphasized, is that every Catholic today needs to live the Gospel message and be witnesses of our faith: “Faith is caught, not taught,” he said. “What kind of a witness are we giving today?”

St. Peter’s parishioners give second-annual ‘Day of Service’ SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

CHARLOTTE — Building upon last year’s successful Day of Service, more than 140 volunteers from St. Peter Church in Charlotte performed corporal works of mercy at 10 non-profit organizations the morning of April 14. This second-annual event began last year as part of the 25th anniversary of the Jesuits staffing the historic parish, and it continues as a parish-wide ministry. Volunteers included families with children, young adults, longtime parish members and newcomers. Among the organizations that were assisted this year are: Crisis Assistance Ministry, Druid Hills School, Habitat for Humanity ReStore Book Fair, Habitat for Humanity Construction Project, House of Mercy AIDS Walk, Loaves and Fishes, McCreesh Place, Parks and Recreation, the Urban Ministry Center and the YWCA Central Carolinas. Projects ranged from staffing a book fair to spreading mulch for a playground. A hot dog picnic and time to share insights from the volunteer experiences were enjoyed by all following the morning of service. A second Day of Service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 18, when a “Summer Thanksgiving” meal will be provided for the Missionaries of the Poor and the Urban Ministry Center. Days of Service 2012 committee members are Maureen Murphy, Liz Ryan, Judy Smith and Scott Vitez. For more information, go to www.stpeterscatholic.org/days_of_ service.

More online More than 75 parish social ministry leaders from North and south carolina, Virginia and Georgia attended the conference, which covered topics including food pantry assistance, prisoner rehabilitation, worker training, immigration reform and pro-life advocacy.

www.cssnc.org: Learn how you can get involved with the work of our diocese’s Catholic Social Services. www.catholiccharitiesusa.org: Get more info about the Church’s national Catholic Charities agency.

PHOTO PROViDED BY MARJORiE STORCH

House of Mercy, a nonprofit residence in Belmont serving low-income people living with aiDs, held its 19th Walk for aiDs on april 14. approximately 200 people, including parishioners from st. peter church in charlotte, participated in the walk to raise AIDS awareness and more than $25,000 to benefit House of Mercy.

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OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

in Brief symposium on Marriage CHARLOTTE — In recent months, there has been a significant amount of discussion in the wider public about the Catholic Church’s position on marriage and related ethical issues. In the midst of this situation, many Catholics find themselves in a state of confusion about how to understand and discuss these topics in a meaningful way. In order to help Catholics and others comprehend and appreciate the Church’s teachings about marriage and related issues, Father Richard DeClue will offer a symposium on marriage May 5 in the Great Hall at St. Patrick Cathedral’s Family Life Center from 1 to 4 p.m. He will give three talks on the fundamental principles and reasons behind the Catholic vision of marriage to help inform attendees prior to the May 8 vote on the marriage amendment to the North Carolina state constitution. For more information, contact the church office at 704-3342283 ext. 424.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

Newly professed sister Mary immaculata, p.c.p.a., kneels before bishop peter J. Jugis to receive her ring, the symbol of her solemn profession, on Divine Mercy sunday april 15 at st. ann church in charlotte.

parishioners honored by ladies Guild BREVARD — Four women were recently honored with certificates of appreciation by the Ladies Guild of Sacred Heart Church in Brevard for their contributions to the parish, the community and the world. Pictured (from left) are Judy Baghose, Margaret Spanbauer, Dorice Narins and Cecile Voso. — Dorice Narins

Sister Mary Immaculata professes final vows on Divine Mercy Sunday SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

celebrating the pope’s birthday CHARLOTTE — St. Thomas Aquinas Parish youth celebrated Pope Benedict XVI’s 85th birthday recently with a party and a night of praise and worship at the parish’s first “iPraise” service. A specially made cake made in the shape of a mitre created the perfect celebration for the young people. — Katie herzing

Confirmation candidates go on retreat MAGGIE VALLEY — Twenty candidates for confirmation from St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville and from St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Maggie Valley came together recently for a day-long confirmation retreat in Maggie Valley. Activities, facilitated by Margaret Scanlon LaFatta and Betsy McLeod, were planned throughout the day centered on the theme “Called by the Holy Spirit.” Father Larry LoMonaco, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, also presented an informative talk about sin. The candidates received the sacrament of reconciliation and attended Mass. — betsy Mcleod

CHARLOTTE — Divine Mercy Sunday took on new meaning for Sister Mary Immaculata of the Divine Shepherd as she made her final profession of vows before her abbess, Mother Dolores Marie, and Bishop Peter J. Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte at St. Ann Church in Charlotte on April 15. She is the latest young woman to take her final, or solemn, vows with the community of Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte. The community of cloistered nuns moved to the Charlotte diocese in 2010 from Ohio, and are part of the religious community led by Mother Angelica, founder of the Eternal Word Television Network based in Hanceville, Ala. The cloistered community prays unceasingly before the Blessed Sacrament, to support the growth of faith in the diocese as well as to help support priestly and religious vocations. Sister Mary Immaculata, 27, whose name before she entered religious life with the Poor Clares was Viergenie Fleurinord, was born in Haiti. She and her parents, Fleujihomme and Leranie, sister Mary moved to Florida with four of her five immaculata, pcpa siblings when she was 16 – quickly learning English as they only spoke French when they first arrived in the U.S. Their new church home became Divine Mercy Catholic Church in the Orlando area, so when Sister Mary Immaculata made her final profession of vows, kneeling in the sanctuary near the image of the Divine Mercy, under the statue of St. Clare of Assisi, it was a very powerful moment for her and all those who have seen her religious vocation blossom.

More photos online www.catholicnewsherald.com: see more photos from Sister Mary Immaculata’s final profession of vows

Besides her family, more than 20 women of Divine Mercy Parish traveled from Florida to attend the Mass, donning their traditional red and white Divine Mercy best to mark the feast day and Sister Mary Immaculata’s vows. “Making my solemn vows is the fulfillment of my heart’s desire and a new beginning of the full living out of my calling,” Sister Mary Immaculata said. “It is my response to God’s love and grace and I make them for His greater glory. God is the one who first calls us and gives us the grace that we need to do what He asks of us. I have waited long for this day to come – when I could give myself to God totally and be entirely His through final profession.” Several members of the Franciscan Friars of the Eternal Word in Alabama also traveled to Charlotte for the occasion. Priests, religious and laity from across the Charlotte diocese filled the church for Mass and attended the reception to show their support for Sister Mary Immaculata and the Poor Clares’ community. “My heart was full of joy as I pronounced these words from the vow formula, ‘“…I vow to God into your hands Reverend Mother to live my whole life in obedience, without property, and in chastity,”’ said Sister Mary Immaculata. “As a servant and handmaid of the Lord, and like Mary, I trusted that He who had called me to this vocation and brought me to this day will also bring to fulfillment what He has begun in me. What a joy and a grace!”

OUR PARISHESi

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Bishop Begley conference highlights sustainable agriculture JOE PURELLO DiRECTOR, DiOCESE OF CHARLOTTE OFFiCE OF JUSTiCE AND PEACE

ViCKi DORSEY | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

bishop begley conference participants help build a raised bed garden on the grounds of the cherokee United Methodist church. pictured (from left) Ken hillberry from the basilica of st. lawrence in asheville; Father shawn o’Neal, pastor of st. Joseph and our lady of Guadalupe churches in Bryson City and Cherokee; Joe Purello (CSS Office of Justice and peace director and parishioner of st. Michael the archangel church in Gastonia); and patricia tuscany from st. Francis of assisi church.

Representatives from 11 diocesan parishes were part of an ecumenical audience that attended the fifth Bishop Begley Conference on Appalachia on March 23 at the Cherokee United Methodist Church. The day-long proceedings, sponsored by Catholic Social Services’ Offices of Justice and Peace and Economic Opportunity Office (OEO), focused on the theme “Promoting Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Economic Development in Far Western Appalachia.” Keynote presenter Jim Ennis, executive director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, spoke on the connection of faith to sustainable agricultural practices and the role of the Church in supporting rural livelihoods. Food served at the event, including the lunch entree of trout, came from local producers, and Catholic Relief Services’ “fair trade” coffee and tea were available throughout the day. Event participants engaged in an interactive panel discussion on western North Carolina sustainable farming and rural development projects and in a hands-on “raised bed garden demonstration project.” The closing session was the OEO Grants Award Ceremony led by OEO Program Director Claudie Burchfield. Five $3,000 OEO Growing Opportunities Grants were

awarded to sustainable agricultural projects in the four counties of Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain and the Quallah Boundary (Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians). Since 2001, more than $230,000 in grants have been awarded by OEO for community development projects in North Carolina’s far western counties.

PHOTO PROViDED BY JOE PURELLO

bishop begley conference presenter susan hill (center under sign) offers direction to participants on how a simple raised bed garden can be assembled quickly and inexpensively to grow vegetables and herbs.

WELCOMING THE STRANGER

Refugees find sanctuary thanks to efforts of the Refugee Resettlement Office Editor’s note: This is the first in an ongoing series of articles showcasing how the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte welcome and support refugees through Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Resettlement Office. TRACY WINSOR SPECiAL TO THE CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — In the month of March, the staff of the Refugee Resettlement Office at Catholic Social Services welcomed ten families of refugees and five individual refugees at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. These fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and even one infant fled their homelands because of a “wellfounded” fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political beliefs or membership in a particular social group. They are given sanctuary in dioceses including Charlotte as part of a collaboration between the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the U.S. State Department. Most refugees who come to the Charlotte diocese are resettled from camps outside their home countries because of violence and political unrest. They are Bhutanese and Burmese, Russian and Cuban, and they have come to Charlotte to start new lives. Their first stop after leaving the Charlotte airport is an apartment arranged for and furnished by Refugee Resettlement Office staff. For many, it is the first real home they have known. With 34 refugees newly settled in Charlotte, it may seem like March has been a busy month. Before the end of April, however, another 25 refugees are expected to arrive, and the office maintains active support of close to 200 refugees on an ongoing basis. “Most people have no idea how many refugees are being settled and served through this office,” said Cira Ponce, director of the Refugee Resettlement Office. The Refugee Resettlement Office receives between 300350 refugees in Charlotte annually. Since its inception in 1975, the office has resettled more than 10,705 refugees representing 27 nationalities. “The state of North Carolina is 16th in the nation in terms of refugees resettled here,” Ponce added. The Refugee Resettlement Office provides a wide array of services to refugees including assistance with housing, social services, health care, school registration,

PHOTO PROViDED BY CATHOLiC SOCiAL SERViCES

a family from burma arrives at the charlotte-Douglas international airport.

How you can get involved TO SCHEDULE a presentation, request information regarding refugee apartment sponsorship or to volunteer with the Refugee Resettlement Office, call 704-370-3283. To learn more about Catholic Social Services, go online to www.cssnc.org.

and community and cultural orientation. The office also provides employment assistance, referral for English language classes, interpretation services and transportation to initial appointments. In addition, the Refugee Resettlement Office began a youth program in 2006 for refugee children which offers tutoring, afterschool activities and field trips. Ponce knows that community awareness regarding the refugee experience and refugee resettlement efforts of the Refugee Resettlement Office is needed. “This is why we have initiated the ‘Parishes Organized to Welcome Refugees,’ or POWR program,” she said. “We want to educate our community of faith and other interested groups and individuals of goodwill about the needs of refugees and ways in which we all can work to welcome refugees coming to Charlotte to start a new life.”

Through the POWR program, the Refugee Resettlement Office hopes to strengthen and deepen its support of parish and community involvement in refugee resettlement work. Sandy Buck, a volunteer coordinator with Catholic Social Services, said she believes community awareness is one important aspect of the POWR program. “We are available to provide presentations to parishes, schools and community groups on topics as varied as Catholic social teaching, the basics of refugee resettlement, and creative ways in which groups can support resettlement efforts,” she said. “We want to get the community involved in our work and informing them about our work, and this population is an important first step.” Besides promoting community awareness, the Refugee Resettlement Office is also interested in increasing volunteerism and donations in support of the ministry. They offer a number of volunteer opportunities for groups and individuals. “We have developed a Refugee Ambassador Program which has volunteers helping us reach out to the community, and we’re using volunteers to help refugees with legal issues, to mentor families so as to improve their adjustment to life in Charlotte, and to tutor refugee youth to ease their adjustment in school,” Buck said. Currently volunteers are needed to support the expansion of the Refugee Resettlement Office youth program, to assist in transporting refugees who arrive in Charlotte requiring cancer treatment, and to develop mentoring relationships with newly-arrived refugee families. Groups such as parishes and clubs are also needed to sponsor refugee apartments using apartment sponsorship kits provided by the Refugee Resettlement Office. Donations of gently-used furniture and other household items as well as monetary contributions are needed to support resettlement efforts. Added Ponce, “With more hands on deck and more resources, we can do more for the refugees who come to Charlotte to find safety and freedom. This is important work that deserves our attention.” tracy WiNsor is a volunteer coordinator with Catholic Social Services. The next article in this series will profile a volunteer refugee mentor working with the Refugee Resettlement Office who lived in Ethiopia and worked for the United Nations High Command for Refugees there.

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OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

Free estate planning seminar offered in Charlotte SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

pictured at right are st. pius X church’s respect life team members tita Wofford (middle), her son Drew Wofford (left), and his wife brandy Wofford (right).

GEORGiANNA PENN | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

Parishioners fill ‘Crib 4 Life’ at St. Pius X Church GEORGIANNA PENN CORRESPONDENT

GREENSBORO — Many parishioners answered God’s call for life Annunciation weekend through Palm Sunday at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. St. Pius X Church’s Respect Life Ministry hosted a “Crib 4 Life” in honor of all families prayed for during their Spiritual Adoption

program this year. Parishioners brought baby clothes, baby sleepers, blankets and diapers for a crib that was set up in the narthex of the church from the feast of the Annunciation until Palm Sunday. “The Crib 4 Life provided us with a clear, concrete, visual reminder of what it takes to support the choice for life in its infancy,” said Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor

The Catholic Church, Marriage and Homosexuality:

Fr. Paul Check National Director of Courage

In preparation for the upcoming Marriage Amendment vote on the May 8th ballot, which will enshrine the traditional definition of marriage as a union of one man and one woman in our state constitution, Fr. Paul Check, the National Director of Courage (a Catholic apostolate that helps people suffering with same-sex attraction to live chaste lives) will speak at St. Ann Catholic Church 3635 Park Road Charlotte, on Friday, 04 May 2012 at 7:30 p.m. about the Catholic Church's position on marriage and homosexuality.

If you are at all unclear as to why you should vote FOR the upcoming Marriage Amendment as recommended by our bishop, please come to Fr. Check’s talk.

of St. Pius X Church. “Parishioners, like a bachelor priest, might be very surprised just how much disposable diapers cost,” he quipped. Each year the St. Pius X “Crib 4 Life” donates items to maternity homes, crisis pregnancy centers and people in need. This year donated items will go to benefit the “Wee Care Shoppe” of Catholic Social Services in Winston-Salem, which provides free infant clothes and baby items to mothers in need in the Triad area. Many helping hands came out to support the “Crib 4 Life” this year. The St. Pius X Respect Life Ministry would like to thank their team of 17 volunteers who set up the crib, watched over the crib and delicately packed up all 264 items collected from the crib. They would specifically like to thank Jackie Doyd and family for the use of their crib, the Wofford family, Richter family, Trego family, Lian family, Krisan Walker, Joshua Walker, Maureen Meagher, Mary Jo O’Malley, Regina Morris, Darlene Stanley of Catholic Social Services and St. Pius X Church staff member Carolyn Painley. There was so much generosity from the parish that they were also able to share some of the items with another ministry in the church that prepares “baby bundles” for the Women’s Hospital in Greensboro. Much appreciation, however, goes to the parishioners of St. Pius X Church. “We are very good at praying and saying we are pro-life, which we can consider spiritual works of mercy,” shared Monsignor Marcaccio. “I think for some of our households, shopping for the crib provided a unique opportunity to practice a corporal work of mercy for life.”

How you can help TO DONATE to the “Wee Care Shoppe” of Catholic Social Services in Winston-Salem, call 336-727-0705.

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte will host a free estate planning seminar at the Pastoral Center on May 23 for anyone interested in learning more about wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, bequests and other planned gifts as well as Catholic teaching on end-oflife issues. Christian Cherry, an attorney with Grier Furr & Crisp, will present legal information. Cherry is an estate planning attorney with a concentration including wills, estates, trusts and probate. His presentation will include an open questionand-answer period. Representatives of the Planned Giving Office for the diocese will provide information on planned giving and bequests. “This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about these topics in a relaxed environment and have your questions answered by professionals – all at no cost,” said Ray Paradowski, president of the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation Board. “While many parishes in the Charlotte area and in the diocese have had one or more seminars on the estate planning process in the last several years, this is the first to be offered to all parishes in the greater Charlotte region – a new model we hope to implement across the diocese,” said Judy Smith, diocesan director of planned giving. The seminar will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, at the Pastoral Center, located at 1123 South Church St. in Charlotte. Refreshments will be served.

How to sign up FOR MORE INFORMATION or to register for this free public event, contact Smith at 704-370-3320 or email jmsmith@charlottediocese. org.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

A virtual pilgrimage with Bishop Jugis Join the Catholic News Herald’s SueAnn Howell on a 10-day pilgrimage to Siena, Assisi and Rome for Bishop Peter Jugis’ ad limina visit with Pope Benedict XVI.

www.catholicnewsherald.com: Daily news, photos, videos, background information on the ad limina visit, and more

Charlotteadlimina.tumblr.com: Up-to-the-minute updates, photos, comments and more from SueAnn and her fellow pilgrims

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OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

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AD LIMINA: FROM PAGE 3

In 2004 the diocese counted 52,788 registered Catholic households; in 2011 there were 64,281. That’s an increase of about 21.7 percent. The total estimated number of Catholics, registered and unregistered, grew 22 percent: from 145,148 in 2004 to 177,364 in 2011. Average weekly Mass attendance also grew nearly 16 percent, from 83,000 people in 2004 to 96,000 in 2011. More than 27,000 children were enrolled in schools and faith formation programs in 2011. Since Bishop Jugis’ previous ad limina visit in 2004, four new parishes have been established, and 17 churches and eight parish activity centers have been built. One new Catholic elementary school and a third Catholic high school has opened, and one K-8 school has moved to a larger location.

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

st. John Neumann hosts parish mission

POSITION SUMMARY: Provides level I, level II support for end-users. Provides technical support, troubleshooting for servers and network issues at the Diocese of Charlotte. Serves as a Project Team Leader for technology projects. Works with various Diocesan departments offering technology solutions that align with the strategic direction of the IT Director. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Deliver Help Desk support for diocesan employees; Perform level II technical support for Mecklenburg Area Catholic School System; Ensure network connectivity at servers, switches, and end-user locations when applicable; Perform MS Server, Active Directory, and MS Exchange administration; Working knowledge of Microsoft Office; Network printer setup and troubleshooting; Possess basic knowledge of Apple products; Ability to subnet a network and use DHCP EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED: Preferred candidates will have a 4-year degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Networking, or equivalent experience; Minimum of 3 years providing PC support; Minimum of 3 years of experience working with MS servers troubleshooting server issues and applying patches for MS servers; Minimum of 3 years troubleshooting network issues

Qualified individuals will send resume to: Attention: IT Director Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, NC 28203 -or- selong@charlottediocese.org Closing date for accepting resumes is May 4, 2012

spiritual healing during the mission through the sacraments of anointing and reconciliation.� — al tinson

author speaks on vocation quest

in Brief

Job Opening at the Diocese of Charlotte IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST II / SYSTEM ENGINEER

Religious vocations are on the rise in the Diocese of Charlotte, as well. Seventeen men are studying for the priesthood this year, up from 15 men in 2004. The administering of the sacraments of baptism and marriage are also on the rise. In 2011, 3,233 infant baptisms were performed. The number of marriages rose 14 percent, from 816 marriages in 2004 to 927 in 2011. “This is a sign of the vitality of our diocese,� Bishop Jugis said. “It is a sign of strong marriages and family life, too.� Besides discussing the contents of the ad limina report with the pope, Bishop Jugis will attend 10 meetings with various Vatican offices during the week and visit the diocese’s five seminarians who are studying in Rome. He will also celebrate Mass at the altar of Blessed John Paul II, who ordained him to the priesthood in 1983, and concelebrate Mass with his brother bishops at the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul, the spiritual basis for the ad limina visits.

CHARLOTTE — At a recent three-day parish mission at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, the presenter, Dominican Father Dominic Briese, encouraged the several hundred people who attended to feel they can touch God’s healing and share the good news of Christ as they live their lives. St. John Neumann’s pastor, Father Pat Hoare, said, “Father Dominic’s mission added to what was an inspiring Lenten season at our church, and I was especially moved by the hundreds of people who sought

On Sunday, May 6, following the 9 a.m. Mass at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, author Stephen Martin will speak from 10:20 to 11:10 a.m. in the Kloster Center. Martin is a speechwriter, journalist, award-winning essayist and author of the new book “The Messy Quest for Meaning: Five Catholic Practices for Finding Your Vocation.� Martin, a St. Pius X parishioner, co-authors a column on social innovation and entrepreneurship for the Raleigh News & Observer as well as The Charlotte Observer and has been featured in “America� and on washingtonpost.com among many other media. Martin will speak on a variety of topics and books will be available for purchase. For more information, call the St. Pius X Church office at 336-272-4681. — ryan Murray

GLOBAL CATHOLIC TOURS OF VIRGINIA 2012 PILGRIMAGES

12 Days Fatima & Spain Sept. 17-28 $3220 pp. 3 nights Fatima, 2 nights Santiago de Compostela, 1 night each Burgos & Avila, 3 nights Madrid. With Fr. Pisano from Wellsburg, WV 12 Days Italy-Croatia Sept. 17-28 $3355 pp. From Atlanta - 2 nights each Venice, Trieste, Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik. With Fr. Arledge from Hennessy, OK. 10 Days Medjugorje Sept. 23-Oct. 2 $2450 pp. From Newark. With Fr. Struzzo from California. 12 Days Shrines of Italy Oct. 1-12 $3550 pp. 2 nights each Venice and Assisi, 3 nights each in Florence and Rome. With Fr. Mattingly from Harrisonburg, VA 11 Days Catholic Ireland Oct. 2-12 $2940 pp. 3 nights each Dublin & Galway, 2 night Killarney, 1 night Adare. With Fr. McGinnis from Glenville, WV. 9 Days Christmas in the Holy Land Dec. 23-30 $2799 pp. 2 nights Tiberius and 5 nights in Jerusalem. Priest to be determined.

Includes air from most East/Midwest cities. Contact John Tagnesi 1-888-544-4461 or jag1964@verizon.net

homeschool conference planned BELMONT — The Immaculate Heart of Mary Carolina Homeschool and Parent Conference will be held from noon to 8 p.m. May 25 at Belmont Abbey College’s Student Commons. Speakers will include Father Timothy Reid, pastor of St. Ann Church in Charlotte; Professor Joseph Pearce, Ginny Seuffert and John Clark. Free admission. For details, go online to www. ihmconference.org, email info@ihmconference. org, or call 540-636-1946. — sarah Daley

OUR PARISHESi

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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ANNETTE TENNY | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

CSS 2012 Partners In Hope dinner a resounding success PHOTOS PROViDED BY JOHN RUSSELL

Quinton Verchick built an outdoor stations of the cross at st. pius X church in Greensboro, and the stations were dedicated by Monsignor anthony Marcaccio on Good Friday.

Outdoor Stations of the Cross added at St. Pius X Church, thanks to local Scout RYAN MURRAY CORRESPONDENT

GREENSBORO — Having been introduced in 1911, Eagle Scout is the highest attainable rank in the Boy Scouts of America program and after attaining this rank, it is held for life giving meaning to the phrase “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.” Thanks to a new Eagle Scout at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, the parish not only has a beautiful new addition to its campus, but, also, a young parishioner who will now always be an Eagle. Quinton Verchick, a junior at Page High School in Greensboro, recently completed an outdoor Stations of the Cross on the grounds of St. Pius X Church as his Eagle Scout project. “My first thought was that I definitely wanted to do something through the church,” Verchick said. “I’m very happy to have been able to give back something to the church and add something to the campus.” Prior to Verchick completing the Stations, the area was a collection of vine-choked trees. The outdoor Stations were dedicated by Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio on Good Friday, and, quite frankly, surprised Verchick with the formality of it all. “I didn’t realize it was going to be so formal, but I was very happy to see so many people come out and how important Monsignor made it,” Verchick said. “It made me feel really good how important it seems to St. Pius X Church.” “I’m particularly pleased because it is a project that will benefit both the church and the school,” Monsignor Marcaccio said. “I’ve seen children from

the playground go and walk the Stations already.” Although it is just a part of a more lengthy process of becoming an Eagle Scout, his project brought everything together, according to Verchick. “The Eagle Scout project brings together all the Scouting experience and, personally, I had to step out of my comfort zone and take on that leadership role,” he said. “The Eagle Scout project and Scouting as a whole allowed me to do that. I encourage younger kids who are currently involved or thinking about getting involved with Scouting to stick with it, because the benefits continue throughout life and are very rewarding.” With the completion of his project, Verchick has become the 13th Eagle Scout of Troop 244 to receive the rank. Jim Duffy, Scoutmaster of Troop 244, couldn’t be happier. “I am very happy and proud that Quinton has completed his Eagle project, and I know he will be great help in assisting other Scouts in our troop to complete theirs,” Duffy said. “The troop has been blessed to have him has a Scout and Senior Patrol Leader in our troop.” While the process was a long one, Verchick said he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. “It sometimes felt like it was never over, but when I stepped back and looked at it, the Stations turned out the way that I wanted,” he said. “I was very happy thinking about the impact and legacy it could leave for other kids and Scouts to see. It was a valuable experience – it taught me a lot about Scouting and, most importantly, it taught me a lot about myself.”

WiNstoN-salEM — the atmosphere at the catholic social services’ recent partners in hope dinner fundraiser was one of joy, gratitude and resolute expectations for the coming year. the annual fundraiser garnered more than $110,000 in donations to support the wide-ranging work of catholic social services. this year’s partners in hope award was given to the triad area order of Malta. special recognition was given to James J. lentz, William t. lawler and Monsignor anthony J. Marcaccio, pastor of st. pius X church in Greensboro. When extensive remodeling and repairs were needed at Catholic Social Services offices, order of Malta volunteers rolled up their sleeves, brought their tools, expertise and enthusiasm and went to work. “They took on every aspect of the project from start to finish. They were incredible,” said Diane Bullard, Catholic Social Services’ regional office director. “Now we have a much needed conference room.” the keynote speaker was bishop Joseph M. sullivan of the Diocese of brooklyn, N.y. bishop sullivan is respected nationally for his work in catholic social and human services. at the partners in hope dinner, he spoke eloquently of the true meaning of charity – the catholic meaning of charity. he praised the work being done in the charlotte diocese and noted that the hard work and generosity of the laity here is wind in the sails of the catholic social services. Father brian J. cook, pastor of st. leo the Great church in Winston-salem and a catholic social services board member, also spoke, inviting guests to make a donation that evening. he encouraged the dinner guests to give generously, not out of sadness or despair in light of the great needs still to be met, but to give out of joy and hopefulness. Last year the Piedmont Triad Office provided 105,853 pounds of food to 8,011 people, provided support to 56 babies born to teen parents, assisted 327 people with immigration services and much more. support catholic social services and learn more online at www.cssnc.org.

For the past 15 years it has been my pleasure to help the employees of the Diocese of Charlotte plan for a secure retirement. I would also like be your trusted financial advisor.

Retirement planning – Life – LTC – Auto & Home Insurance

Ken Altman

Call: 704-839-3755 or email: kaltman1@metlife.com Member: National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors (NAIFA) St. Mark Catholic Church – Huntersville

Join us in South Carolina this Summer! The Diocese of Charleston and Family Honor invite you to South Carolina this summer to join us for the “Theology of the Body for Families: Hope & Healing” conference. Guest Speakers • Workshops • Worship

July 6 & 7, 2012

St. Mary Magdalene Church Simpsonville, SC (Greenville, SC area)

Visit: familyhonor.org/2012-tob-conference for complete details and to register.

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

Celebrating 40 years!

Diocese of Charlotte

DiOCESE OF CHARLOTTE ARCHiVES

abbot leo haid, o.s.b., (center) is pictured in this 1910 photo with visiting abbots who gathered for a nullius celebration at belmont abbey.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

abbot placid solari celebrates Mass on the solemnity of st. benedict, March 21, at the abbey basilica in belmont.

Belmont Abbey College continues to work for ‘the cultivation of the moral’ 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, this yearlong series spotlights 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.

B

CHRISTOPHER LUX CORRESPONDENT

ELMONT — A walk through the historic campus of Belmont Abbey College is lined with banners that read, “That in all things God may be glorified.” Just inside Stowe Hall, the college administration building, sits a cross designed to illustrate the mission of the college: to show glory to God in the development of the whole person. In front of Stowe Hall a seal is painted on the ground which has the inscription “U.I.O.G.D” on it – which stands for the motto of Belmont Abbey College: “Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus,” meaning “That in all things God may be glorified.” It is, then, no surprise, that Abbot Leo Haid, the founding abbot of Belmont Abbey, would characterize Benedictine education as a “thorough education.” Belmont Abbey College was founded as Saint Mary’s College in 1876. At

a cornerstone-laying ceremony for St. Mary’s, Abbot Haid reflected the Benedictines’ desire to thoroughly educate students when he proclaimed that the college was to be a place where students “will come in order to develop their mind as well as their body.” It was important to the early monks that the college ensure that the students were “fitted for the world, and still more for the world to come.” The founding curriculum exemplified an education that would form moral, intelligent and well-rounded men by means of a Christian, liberal arts education. The earliest course catalogue of the college (1889-1890) shows that the faculty and staff placed a strong emphasis on “the cultivation of the moral, no less than the intellectual and physical, faculties.” It was with these intentions that Benedictine monks from Saint Vincent Abbey in Pennsylvania opened Saint Mary’s College (now named Belmont Abbey College). The monks were given a 506-acre farm in Gaston County. The donor was Father Jeremiah O’Connell, an Irish born circuit-riding priest who bought the auctioned land for $10 in cash. Father O’Connell gave the land to the Benedictines with two stipulations: First, that a Catholic boys’ school be founded and maintained on the property. Second, according to the land deed, O’Connell reserved the right to have “his support, including clothing, during the term of his natural life and…a separate dwelling in a convenient location on the premises, the use of a horse (or mule) and buggy,” the exclusive use of his chalice and other priestly paraphernalia, and “a weekly Mass…according to his intention.” Father Herman Wolf was the first Benedictine priest to arrive from Saint

Vincent Abbey on April 21, 1876. He came with the school’s first two students, and they began classes right away. By 1878, the college held its first commencement exercises. The new institution was placed under the patronage of Mary, Help of Christians in 1878 and would be elevated to the rank of abbey in 1884. In 1892, Abbot Haid set out to build a cathedral on the property. But a year later, the project had run out of money. With the help of Father Francis Meyer, then pastor of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, he was able to secure a gracious donor: Mother Drexel (St. Katherine Drexel). Mother Drexel had one request, though: that the cathedral have an appropriate number of pews for the exclusive use of black people. During this time of segregation in the South, Abbot Haid told her he also recognized the importance of breaking “down the ugly prejudices against Colored people.” In his letter to Mother Drexel, the abbot told her he saw “no reason why I should not gratefully accept your generous offer.” The church, the most prominent building on campus, was completed in 1894. When, in 1904, Mother Drexel visited Belmont Abbey, she found an entire row of pews running the length of the church for black worshippers. Since the Abbey Church of Maryhelp was opened and desegregated, the monks no longer needed St. Benedict Church, the church built on the monks’ property for black Catholics. The church was then converted to a school for the black children barred from the county’s white-only schools. The Sisters of Mercy from Sacred Heart Convent taught the classes there, and the Abbey encouraged its students to assist with upkeep and groundskeeping of

the site. The Sisters of Mercy of Belmont live at Sacred Heart Campus, near downtown Belmont. The sisters came to North Carolina prior to the arrival of the Benedictine monks. In 1892, they moved their motherhouse from eastern North Carolina to Belmont. Because Abbot Haid respected the sisters’ reputation for hard and selfless work, he wished for them to join in the work of the monks in Belmont. In the early 1900s the sisters began a school for girls that became Sacred Heart College. Though Sacred Heart College closed in 1987 and merged with Belmont Abbey College, the sisters have continued to carry out many works of service for those who are sick, poor or uneducated. Belmont Abbey College was named Saint Mary’s College at the request of Father O’Connell. At the school’s first alumni reunion in 1913, Abbot Haid announced the name change. Though, he said, Mary Help of Christians would continue to be recognized as the principal patron of the college and monastery, the school’s name was changed to Belmont Abbey College. Following the Second Vatican Council, the worn-out and dilapidated interior of the Abbey church was renovated, in accordance to the liturgical reforms of the era. Shortly after, Belmont Abbey lost its territorial status and cathedral rank to the newly-created Diocese of Charlotte. In 1998, Pope John Paul II named the Abbey church a minor basilica. In 1967, Father John Oetgen, college president and Benedictine monk, conferred an honorary doctorate degree on the Protestant evangelist Billy Graham. Graham’s visit was, at the time, seen as a bold ecumenical gesture. The statement

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

PHOTOS PROViDED BY BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE

(top) the baptismal font in the narthex of the abbey basilica was made from what is thought once to have been a slave auction block. (above) students talk with abbot Walter coggin (1916-1999), who served as the third abbot, as well as college president and chancellor. abbot Walter was a renowned scholar and church leader, participating in all four sessions of the second Vatican council, but his greatest love was teaching. (right) the abbey basilica as seen this time of year.

about Christian unity surprised both Catholics and Protestants as it was a forward-looking gesture on both parts. Graham called it “a time when Protestants and Catholics could meet together and greet each other as brothers, whereas 10 years ago they could not.” The campus regularly has visitors who come to enjoy the beautiful historic campus, the worship services in the basilica and the official pilgrimage shrine, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Built in 1891, the grotto also includes a Shrine of St. Walburga that was added the same year in honor of the secondary patroness of the monastery. When visitors walk into the basilica, they first see a prominent baptismal font – a granite block that is one of the oldest landmarks on campus. According to tradition, the stone had been an altar for Native Americans and later a block upon which slaves were auctioned off. Abbot Walter Coggin proposed the adaptation of the stone into a baptismal font. It now has a plague which reads, “Upon this rock, men once were sold into slavery. Now upon this rock, through the waters of baptism, men become free children of God.”

More resources online History of the Diocese of Charlotte: www.charlottediocese.org/history This date in history in the Diocese of Charlotte: www.charlottediocese.org/ ministries-a-departments/archives

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi

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iiiApril 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

VOTE MARRIAGE

W

Marriage: A unique source of grace

hat makes a good marriage? Love, of course. But any married couple knows that it takes so much more to build a solid, lasting marriage. Marriage is a unique and unbreakable covenant, a symbol of Jesus Christ’s love for His Church, a social and spiritual bond like no other relationship. It provides a path for people to attain holiness, a stable and ordered framework for society, and a nurturing home to raise children. Husbands and wives must show patience, self-sacrifice, mutual respect, forgiveness and faith – just as Jesus did.

Placing God – the source and the perfection of Love – in the center of one’s marriage provides a solid foundation and inspiration for the self-giving relationship between a husband and wife. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, the sacrament of marriage conveys a special grace, and Christ is the source of this grace: “Christ dwells with them, gives them the strength to take up their crosses and so follow Him, to rise again after they have fallen, to forgive one another, to bear one another’s burdens, to ‘be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ,’ (Eph 5:21) and to love one another with supernatural, tender, and fruitful love. In the joys of their love and family life He gives them here on earth a foretaste of the wedding feast of the Lamb ...” (CCC 1642) On the following pages, you’ll find information about the Church’s teaching on marriage, facts about the upcoming state constitutional amendment to protect marriage, inspiring profiles of some local couples, commonly-asked questions about marriage, and more...

HE COVER

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

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Final push for marriage amendment as May 8 vote nears DAVID HAINS DiOCESAN DiRECTOR OF COMMUNiCATiON

The statewide campaign for the marriage amendment is closing in on the Tuesday, May 8, vote – and activity in support of its passage is reaching a carefully planned crescendo as early voting has gotten under way. The amendment would enshrine traditional marriage in the North Carolina constitution – taking what is already state law and shielding it from being redefined by judges or politicians, proponents say. The ballot states: “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.” Early voting on this nonpartisan ballot began April 19 and ends at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 5. During early voting, state residents can register to vote and cast ballots right away at libraries and other locations designated as “one-stop voting sites” by county boards of election. Polls on May 8, Election Day, will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Republican and Democratic party primaries are also being held on May 8, but any registered voter in North Carolina can take part in the marriage amendment ballot. Supporters of the amendment, led by the nonpartisan coalition Vote for Marriage NC, and opponents are meeting with voters, airing television campaign ads and disseminating information to North Carolina residents in person and online through websites and social media. North Carolina’s two bishops, Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte

State of Marriage statutory or Statutory orjudicial judicial recognition of samesamerecognition sex marriage that sex unions that has has yet not taken yet taken not effect

Permits samepermits samesex unions sex marriage

constitutional Constitutional provisions Provisions defining marriage as marriage as between a a man man between and a a woman woman and

effect

Statutory statutory provisions defining marriage provisions defining as between marriage asa man and a woman between a man and a woman

No or no statutory statutory or constitutional constitutional provisions on provisions on same-sex same sex-unions marriage.

WA MT

ME

ND

MN

OR ID

VT NH

WI

SD

MI IA

NE

NV

PA OH IL

UT

CO

CA

KS

AZ

MA CT RI

NY

WY

WVA

MO

KY

AR

TX

AL

GA

LA FL

AK

D.C.

VA

SC MS

NJ DE

NC

TN

OK

NM

MD

IN

HI

On ballot in 2012 Ohio Maryland Maine Minnesota North Carolina Washington

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures ©2012 CNS

CNS | EMiLY THOMPSON

STATE OF MARRIAGE

Six states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex “unions.” Besides North carolina, the states of ohio, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota and Washington all have constitutional amendments to protect traditional marriage on the ballot this year. (source: National conference of state legislatures)

Learn more about Church teaching, upcoming vote North Carolina’s Catholic bishops have produced a series of videos explaining Church teaching about the sacrament of marriage. View the videos on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel. Catholic Voice North Carolina: www.catholicvoicenc.org Vote for Marriage North Carolina: www.voteformarriagenc.org Church teaching on marriage: www.marriageuniqueforareason.org Resources to aid your marriage: www.foryourmarriage.org Citizenship and voting resources for Catholics: www.catholicvote.org

and Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh, are urging Catholics to vote for the constitutional amendment, and they are using the upcoming vote as an opportunity to catechize the faithful about Church teaching on the sacrament of marriage. Educational forums and question-and-answer sessions have also been held at four Catholic parishes across the diocese at the pastors’ requests. The remaining two weekends of the campaign will see a flurry of activity in churches of many denominations across the state as the message to support the amendment goes from the pulpits to the pews. Vote for Marriage NC, the coalition of churches and public policy groups that have banded together to promote passage of the amendment, is making a push over the weekend of April 28-29. Sermons, handouts and a video featuring many prominent local pastors will urge supporters to take part in the early voting process or go to the polls on May 8. Catholic parishes in the dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh will make their push for the amendment the following weekend, May 5-6. A letter from Bishop Jugis and Bishop Burbidge urging voters to turn out to the polls on May 8 will be read at all Masses. Registered Catholic families throughout the state will also receive postcard reminders from the bishops during the final days of the campaign. This week, Bishop Peter Jugis reflected on what all of the discussion about marriage has meant to Catholics in the diocese. “The marriage amendment issue has required Catholics to think about the sanctity of the sacrament of matrimony. I pray that this reflection will strengthen their commitment to marriage as created by God, and that they will vote for the amendment on May 8.”

Info on where and when to vote www.ncvoterguide.org: Find your polling place, check your registration status, and get details about early in-person or absentee voting. www.ncvotered.com: The website for the nonpartisan, nonprofit North Carolina Center for Voter Education. You can also call them at 1-877-25-VOTER.

Facts about the marriage amendment Why is it necessary to enact the marriage amendment now? Unless North Carolina passes the marriage amendment, our present marriage laws are vulnerable to future legislative or judicial decisions overturning them and imposing same-sex “marriage” here. This is what occurred in several other states. For example, last October same-sex couples requested marriage licenses in Asheville, setting up a potential legal challenge to our existing state law defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Additionally, without the amendment a same-sex couple “married” in another state could move to North Carolina and file suit, demanding to have state law recognize their “marriage” here. Isn’t marriage simply about two consenting adults making a commitment? No. Marriage provides an opportunity for a couple in love to declare their commitment to each other, but the government doesn’t regulate marriage to provide a forum for public commitment simply because two people love each other. Marriage is regulated by government because it is the unique social institution, based in eternal natural law, that channels the biological drive of men and women, with its inherent capacity to produce children, into family units with the best opportunity of ensuring that any children produced are known and cared for by their biological parents. It is in the interests of children that government regulates and licenses marriage. Doesn’t the amendment make homosexuals second-class citizens? No. Thousands of gays and lesbians have chosen to make North Carolina their home despite the fact that they are unable to marry here. All residents of our state – regardless of sexual orientation – are to be respected and welcomed. Because traditional marriage is so foundational to the human race, we simply do not believe that marriage can be redefined. Would it interfere with benefits for same-sex partners of government employees? No. Nothing in the amendment interferes with any benefits that employers provide to same-sex couples. Local governments and the UNC System may offer (or continue to offer) benefits to same-sex partners of employees or students if they choose to do so.

Would it invalidate domestic violence programs for unmarried same-sex couples? No. The amendment has nothing to do with domestic violence programs and does not change the law on domestic violence. We would not support it if we believed it did. Would it interfere with existing child custody and visitation rights? No. The amendment has nothing to do with existing child custody laws or arrangements. Would it result in courts invalidating trusts, wills and end-of-life directives involving same-sex couples? No. It has nothing to do with trusts, wills and end-of-life directives. Wouldn’t it be bad for business? We are concerned about any proposed legislation that would negatively impact employment opportunities in the state, especially in light of our current economic situation. Research shows that states with a marriage protection amendment in their state constitution are the nation’s top performing economic states. This includes eight of the top 10 “best states for business” (according to a survey of 556 CEOs) and eight of the top 10 states for job growth (according to Moody’s Analytics). What is the “common good” of marriage? Marriage serves a vital and universal societal purpose: to channel biological drive and sexual passion, that might otherwise become socially destructive, into enduring family units that have the best opportunity to ensure the care and education of children. Indeed, the U.S. Supreme Court has said marriage is “fundamental to the very existence and survival of the (human) race.” By encouraging men and women to marry, society helps ensure that children will be known by and cared for by their biological parents. The overwhelming body of social science evidence establishes that children do best when raised by their married mother and father. Does it enshrine discrimination into the state constitution? No. The amendment does not interfere with the way same-sex couples choose to live. It does not prevent local governments from offering benefits. Businesses may continue to offer benefits. The amendment enshrines the belief that marriage is a social institution whose definition cannot be changed by civil law because it is an essential and enduring institution of society that does not change.

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FROM THE COVER

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

Does the bible say marriage is for a man and a woman? Marriage between a man and a woman was instituted by God with Adam and Eve. Genesis 2:24 states: “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.” In Matthew 19:4-5 we see Jesus reaffirming this: “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one’?” — catholic answers “Marriage, the clinging together of husband and wife as one flesh, is based on the fact that man and woman are both different and the same. They are different as male and female, but the same as human persons who are uniquely suited to be partners or helpmates for each other. The difference between man and woman, however, cannot be restricted to their bodies, as if the body could be separated from the rest of the human person. The human person is a union of body and soul as a single being. Man and woman are two different ways of being a human person.” — U.s. bishops’ pastoral letter “Marriage: love and life In The Divine Plan,” 2009 “A child is meant to have a mother and a father.” — “Marriage: love and life in the Divine Plan”

the domestic church “Marriage is more than human. It is a ‘microbasileia,’ a miniature kingdom which is the little house of the Lord.” — st. clement of alexandria “Authentic married love is caught up into divine love ...” — Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes,” 1965 “The basic error of mankind has been to assume that only two are needed for love: you and me, or society and me, or humanity and me. Really it takes three: self, other selves, and God; you, and me, and God. Love of self without love of God is selfishness; love of neighbor without love of God embraces only those who are pleasing to us, not those who are hateful. One cannot tie two sticks together without something outside the sticks; one cannot bind the nations of the world together except by the recognition of a Law and a Person outside the nations themselves.” — archbishop Fulton sheen, “Three to Get Married” “In marriages that are truly Christian, the love of God increases through the years, not in the sense that husband and wife love one another less, but that they love God more.” — archbishop sheen, “Three to Get Married”

‘A real Christian couple is a great work of God.’ — Father henri caffarel, Founder of Teams of Our Lady teams of our lady couples gathered in charlotte on aug. 24, 2011, at st. Matthew church for an installation ceremony. pictured (from left) are Jason and Molly beckert, Mary Ellen and Doug bashioum (East coast regional couple), and Mary ann and Jim Kirchner. the beckerts and Kirchners were installed as the south charlotte sector couples and were presented with framed artwork of the holy Family. PHOTO PROViDED BY MARY ANN KiRCHNER

Carolina couples grow in faith through

‘Teams of Our Lady’ SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRiTER

CHARLOTTE — The sacrament of holy matrimony is for Catholics a sacred, living sacrament, constantly requiring the nurturing of the spouses and the laying down of one’s life for the other. That alone may often cause married life to be challenging, even in the best of circumstances. For more than 60 years, couples in the U.S. have found support and encouragement in faithfully living out their vows through a lay movement called Teams of Our Lady. Teams of Our Lady, an officially recognized Catholic lay movement by the Holy See under the Pontifical Council for the Laity, is under the patronage of the Blessed Mother, and members pray the Magnificat daily for Our Lady’s intercession. Teams of Our Lady was founded by Father Henri Caffarel in France in 1947. Father Caffarel wrote several books about marriage before his death in 1996 and, like St. John Chrysostom, is considered to be a “prophet of marriage.” He started this community of couples to support traditional marriage and help couples make more of a commitment to grow in their love of their faith and their spouses. Pope John Paul II, in his address to Teams of Our Lady couples meeting in Rome in 2003, spoke about the spirituality of Christian marriages, telling them that “for the Christian people, marriage, that was elevated to the dignity of a sacrament, is by nature a sign of the covenant, of the communion between God and the human person, and between Christ and the Church. “So, for the duration of their lives,

More information online Teams of Our Lady: www.teamsofourlady.org

Christian spouses receive the mission to manifest in a visible way the indissoluble covenant of God with the human race. Christian faith presents marriage as Good News: the total, reciprocal, unique and indissoluble relationship between man and woman, called to give life.” Fourteen Teams of Our Lady groups now exist in North Carolina – two in the Diocese of Raleigh and 12 in the Diocese of Charlotte – living out the Good News in their marriages. Teams of Our Lady groups consist of five to seven couples who meet monthly in each other’s homes to share a meal, pray and discuss the spiritual efforts, or challenges, that they are working on. Sometimes a priest is also a part of a team and may serve as a spiritual advisor to the couples. Couples in Teams agree to practice a spiritual direction that includes personal, couple and family prayer each day; regular reading and reflection on Scripture; a monthly “sit down” for the husband and wife to discuss family and spiritual matters; and an individual “rule of life” for personal improvement. Doug and Maryellen Bashioum, parishioners at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Cary, are the regional leaders for Teams of Our Lady, overseeing more than 56 groups in the Carolinas and Virginia. They will have been married 52

years in June and have five children, 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They joined Teams of Our Lady 12 years ago in Virginia. Doug and Maryellen are arguably total opposites when it comes to temperament and have found that Teams of Our Lady has, as Doug says, “been helpful in appreciating our differences rather than try to correct them.” “Teams focuses on ‘couple spirituality’ and helps you better understand the ‘two becoming one.’ It does this without losing sight of the individual spirituality that each of us has as we progress on our journey through life,” he adds. Maryellen believes Teams of Our Lady has enhanced their spiritual intimacy and made them focus more on each other. She loves the “sit down” time where they can discuss things without the usual distractions of daily living. “It’s important for couples to sit down and check in with each other away from the children, etc., and spend time focusing on each other,” she explains. Vince and Mary Pat Arostegui, who moved to Charlotte in 2000, served as the pilot couple who brought Teams of Our Lady to the Charlotte diocese after speaking to Monsignor John McSweeney, pastor of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte. The Arosteguis, who have been married 47 years, have been in the Teams movement for 27 years. They have three children and 10 grandchildren. “When we started at St. Matthew we had no idea it would bloom into this, but Teams of Our Lady is the movement of the Holy Spirit,” says Mary Pat. “The time is right TEAMS, SEE PAGE 19

FROM THE COVERi

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

Opposites attract: Tom and Geri Rushing PEGGY BOWES CORRESPONDENT

MOUNT AIRY — “Hi, we’re Tom and Geri!” is how this couple from Holy Angels in Mount Airy introduce themselves. Like the cartoon cat and mouse their names bring to mind, this pair, at first glance, seem to be complete opposites. Geri is a vivacious New Yorker and cradle Catholic whose family can be traced back to the Reformation in Italy. She is renowned for her cooking and enjoys sailing, travel and good food. Geri is a member and former president of the local Columbiettes. Tom, on the other hand, is a quiet Japanese immigrant, raised without any typical faith tradition. He is an artist and business visionary who restores old cars. His work can be seen at Disney World, on bank signs, and in the store designs of Wal-Mart, CVS and Walgreens. Born Tatsuo Seto, Tom loved reading Japanese translations of “Reader’s Digest” and became fascinated with America. At age 10, he told his teacher that his dream was to drive a Porsche on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Thirty years later, his dream came true.) Tom took the last name Rushing when his widowed mother married an American naval officer and moved the family to the U.S. His first name was “Americanized” to Tom by Walt Disney himself when he got his first job working in the Disney art department. Tom later moved to New York and met Geri when she took a job in his division. He was drawn to her deep faith and began to inquire about Catholicism. They started dating, and he went to Mass with her every Sunday. Geri jokes that he had “Catholic guilt” long before becoming a Catholic because he didn’t like to stay home on a Sunday when he was sick. Interestingly, Tom had been influenced by Christian ideas long before he met his future wife. His mother secretly practiced the Russian Orthodox faith, and his own son (from a previous marriage)

said “Emmanuel” as his first word, using it every time he saw something beautiful in nature. He told Tom he wanted to grow up and become a priest. (Today he is a married Catholic deacon.) As an immigrant, Tom had no American holiday traditions and enjoyed Geri’s celebrations of Catholic feast days and holidays. He was fascinated by the Church’s rich history and became enamored by Catholic art PEGGY BOWES | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD after a trip to the Vatican. tom and Geri rushing of Mount airy met in New Tom and Geri married in york while working together. in 1997 they married, 1997, and Tom converted and in 2006 tom converted to catholicism. to Catholicism in 2006. “It was more exciting than getting married,” Geri exclaims. The couple’s deep Catholic faith is very important to their marriage. As Geri says, “It’s part of who we are. God is always first in my life.” Tom muses, “If something doesn’t constantly change, it’s solid. It’s something I can hang my hat on. The Church can give you the foundation. We have a place, a rock.” Tom makes a surprising comparison between the Church and his beloved Porsche. “Somebody will say, ‘What is the best car?’ It is a Porsche. A Porsche is an original car. So, what is a foundation? What is a belief ? It’s a Catholic belief. It’s original.”

“By virtue of the sacramentality of their marriage, spouses are bound to one another in the most profoundly indissoluble manner. Their belonging to each other is the real representation, by means of the sacramental sign, of the very relationship of Christ with the Church. Spouses are therefore the permanent reminder to the Church of what happened on the Cross ...” — blessed John paul ii, “Familiaris Consortio,” 1981 Marriage is a vocation, a call from God to seek holiness in a particular way, in a particular state of life, and with a particular person. This truth has been largely lost today. Although a vast majority of Americans profess belief in God, many do not consider God’s will when entering marriage but see it simply as a personal choice, one that can be changed “if things don’t work out.” But human marriage, because it is an image of the marriage of Christ and His Church, is meant to be faithful, lasting and fruitful. — catholic answers

Family is society’s building block “The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together.”

The Zichys: Lasting love despite war, separation

— st. John chrysostom “Marriage is not merely a private institution. It is the foundation for the family, where children learn the values and virtues that will make good Christians as well as good citizens. The importance of marriage for children and for the upbringing of the next generation highlights the importance of marriage for all society.” — “Marriage: love and life In The Divine Plan”

BETH SEARLES CORRESPONDENT

ASHEVILLE — “We are Hungarian refugees from the Second World War,” Mary Zichy begins, as she and her husband Tom tell their story. “We lived there with our families until about 1944 when Russian troops invaded.” Longtime parishioners of St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville, and married for almost 64 years, the Zichys survived a treacherous early courtship. Tom and Mary Zichy each remember a comfortable home and lifestyle in their country before the Russian occupation, but their families had to make the difficult decision to leave Hungary. “My father feared for our family’s safety,” Mary recalls, “and he was concerned that our property would be seized as well.” At the time, she was only 18 and had just completed school. Her family ended up in Austria for a while and Tom ended up in Germany. They had been childhood pals separated by the war, but later reunited. Their courtship, as Tom jovially recalls, included an unorthodox and risky move. “When Germany and Austria separated again, you couldn’t go anywhere. It was terrible,” Tom recalls of the closed borders that separated him from Mary. He found a way, though. “There was a building with a dam close to Salzburg,” Tom remembers, “and I contacted someone there, and they helped me hide in a barrel on a small industrial train, and I was able to get over the border into Austria to see Mary.” Despite the risky multiple trips, Tom was never caught. He remembers that he “barely fit into the barrel.”

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What about same-sex rights? “Marriage is a unique union, a relationship different from all others. It is the permanent bond between one man and one woman whose two-in-oneflesh communion of persons is an indispensable good at the heart of every family and every society. Same-sex unions are incapable of realizing this specific communion of persons. Therefore, attempting to redefine marriage to include such relationships empties the term of its meaning, for it excludes the essential complementarity between man and woman, treating sexual difference as if it were irrelevant to what marriage is.”

PHOTOS PROViDED BY BETH SEARLES EARLES

tom and Mary Zichy, members of st. lawrence basilica of asheville: on their wedding day in 1948 in austria and today. By the time Mary and Tom and their families emigrated to America, the two were married and had one child. Mary and her large family ultimately settled in Asheville. Her father struggled to find a job at first. “He was very broken-hearted, you know. He left everything behind.” She remembers as children that she and her siblings were glad to be in America, but there was still some homesickness. “You would think about that, but then you would get busy and you have your life going, and slowly you forget that. Not completely, but you do.” Despite the initial homesickness, Mary and Tom remember that the Asheville community was welcoming. They learned English from the newspaper and the radio, Mary says. They worked hard to fit in, and over time they built

— “Marriage: love and life In The Divine Plan”

ziCHYS, SEE PAGE 19

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FROM THE COVER

Communities and nations survive where its participants act in accord with what benefits the whole, not the few. Some will argue that the state has no “right” to prevent a same-sex pair from forming a union. Western cultures are too deeply enamored of the concept of “individual rights” to subscribe easily to the idea that individuals ought to moderate their personal choices to benefit the entire community. We have become an atomized culture, in which each person is his own autonomous government, the Self as Supreme Command. To many, the very idea of the common good violates “personal rights.” But there is no “right” to a sexual relationship. In truth, it is merely a personal choice – not a right – that is circumscribed. This principle is quickly illustrated by proposing an analogy to traffic laws. Suppose each driver were permitted to set his own rules of the road – what would happen? Within hours roads would be strewn with crashed cars and injured people. ... Such laws are enacted for the safety of both the individual and the public at large and serve the common good of the citizens. ... Protection of heterosexual marriage is simply the state regulating and protecting the unique institution that forms an orderly community and benefits the future of the society. — catholic answers “Starting from the decade between 1960-1970, some theories ... hold not only that generic sexual identity (“gender”) is the product of an interaction between the community and the individual, but that this generic identity is independent from personal sexual identity: i.e., that masculine and feminine genders in society are the exclusive product of social factors, with no relation to any truth about the sexual dimension of the person. In this way, any sexual attitude can be justified, including homosexuality, and it is society that ought to change in order to include other genders, together with male and female, in its way of shaping social life. ... Claiming a similar status for marriage and de facto unions (including homosexual unions) is usually justified today on the basis of categories and terms that come from the ideology of “gender.” In this way, there is a certain tendency to give the name “family” to all kinds of consensual unions, thus ignoring the natural inclination of human freedom to reciprocal self-giving and its essential characteristics which are the basis of that common good of humanity, the institution of marriage. The pretext used for exerting pressure to recognize de facto unions (i.e., their “nondiscrimination”) implies a real discrimination against the family based on marriage because it would be considered on a level similar to any other form of cohabitation, regardless of whether there is a commitment to reciprocal fidelity and the begetting and up-bringing of children or not.” — Pontifical Council for the Family, “Family, Marriage and ‘De Facto’ Unions,” 2000

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

Kitty and Murrell cook: not long after they were married six decades ago, and today. PHOTOS PROViDED BY MARY B. WORTHiNGTON | CATHOLiC NEWS HERALD

A high-flying love that has lasted for six decades

MARY B. WORTHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

CHARLOTTE — On a clear evening in 1948, Murrell Cook took his girlfriend Kitty up in a twin-engine plane – just the two of them – to watch the sun set over Charlotte. She thought nothing more of it than another chance to practice her flying with the World War II vet who was helping her earn her pilot’s license. But when they were flying high above the city, Murrell used that opportunity to pop the question. “I figured if I had her up there, there wasn’t much she could do about it!” Murrell laughs. Kitty said yes, and the couple has spent the past 63 years as life partners, flying partners and business partners. Murrell and Kitty say they have been each other’s biggest support in all things throughout their marriage. “I have always had great respect for Murrell and his knowledge of running the business,” Kitty says. “If we had a problem, we talked about it.” Murrell and Kitty met in 1946 when Murrell returned from the South Pacific, where he served as a U.S. Air Force pilot during World War II. Murrell has only been a Catholic for one year, but they have shared Sunday Mass together since their second date more than six decades ago. This is what happened: Murrell fell asleep on their first date – a movie at the drive-in theatre in Gastonia. Scrambling for a way to make it up, he called Kitty and offered to drive her to church the next morning at St. Peter’s. “He came in and sat down and stayed the whole time!” Kitty recalls. “And I’ve continued to go to Mass,” adds Murrell, who converted to Catholicism and entered the Church last Easter.

Their children attended St. Gabriel and Mercy High School (now Charlotte Catholic High School). Murrell even served as an usher, and he and Kitty formed a strong friendship with both pastor Father Jean Paul Byron and with the teaching sisters at St. Gabriel School. “We used to take the nuns out to the Riverview Inn for dinner and a beer. I didn’t even like beer, but I would drink it with the sisters!” Murrell laughs. “Father Byron joked that I was more Catholic than the Catholics.” The Cooks always had tremendous adventures together as a family. For many years, they spent weekends at a cottage in Myrtle Beach. To Kitty’s great surprise, one day Murrell confessed that he never liked the beach. “I enjoyed it because you enjoyed it so much,” he told her. After that, they bought a small plane, a Scout, and a house at Beech Mountain. They spent their weekends where their three now-grown children “had a lot of freedom,” Murrell notes. “The kids would be gone all day exploring and we never worried about them.” “We even took the nuns up there once!” he adds. In 1988, Kitty told Murrell that he was too old to fly, and they sold their last plane. “Then I told him, I never liked it! I never liked the mountains!” says Kitty with delight. “So I guess we were even, then!” Another time, Murrell told Kitty he wanted to trade in his 1953 Ford Thunderbird for a larger car so he could take clients out for lunch. Kitty was driving a slightly newer station wagon at the time, so she had a solution that would work for both of them: “I’ll trade cars with you, Murrell,” she said. “But you have to put it in my name!” Murrell agreed to the swap, and the Thunderbird became Kitty’s baby. She

drove it daily, and when it began to show signs of wear 20 years later, she became the first female graduate of Central Piedmont Community College’s mechanic program so she could rebuild the engine. “I just couldn’t leave my baby overnight at one of those garages,” she explains. “I didn’t know one tool from another – well, I knew what a hammer was,” she adds. “Even now, I can’t diagnose a sick car, but I can take the engine apart and put all the new parts in it and put it back together.” The Thunderbird became a show winner and still starts up easily for a drive every once in a while. The stress of daily life and business never got Murrell and Kitty down. Kitty explains that respect and communication have been the key to a happy marriage that has lasted more than six decades. “For me, one word would be respect,” she says. “We never had an argument. I could never say anything to Murrell that would hurt his feelings. I could never imagine doing or saying anything to hurt him.” Murrell agrees, adding, “We have always had a very loving family. Our children and grandchildren are that way, even our friends.” “We raised our children together,” Kitty explains. “If there was a controversy, we worked it out together in private. It was never ‘Mom said this and Dad said that.’ We always approached everything as a team.” Kitty now suffers from recurring minor strokes – she had one the morning before this interview – and Murrell continues to stay by her side. With her declining health, they now are unable to go to Mass, but Murrell is still the “driving force” for their faith. “Now, I try to remember to read her the devotions each Sunday and the ladies from (St. Thomas Aquinas) Church bring us Communion each Tuesday,” says Murrell.

FROM THE COVERi

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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TEAMS: FROM PAGE 16

Pope Benedict XVi

Catechesis on marriage needed for well-being of children, families, society D ear Brother Bishops, I greet all of you with fraternal affection on the occasion of your visit “ad limina Apostolorum.” As you know, this year I wish to reflect with you on certain aspects of the evangelization of American culture in the light of the intellectual and ethical challenges of the present moment. In our previous meetings I acknowledged our concern about threats to freedom of conscience, religion and worship which need to be addressed urgently, so that all men and women of faith, and the institutions they inspire, can act in accordance with their deepest moral convictions. In this talk I would like to discuss another serious issue which you raised with me during my pastoral visit to America – namely, the contemporary crisis of marriage and the family, and, more generally, of the Christian vision of human sexuality. 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. Yet, as Blessed John Paul II observed, the future of humanity passes by way of the family (cf. “Familiaris Consortio,” 85). Indeed, “the good that the Church and society as a whole expect from marriage and from the family founded on marriage is so great as to call for full pastoral commitment to this particular area. Marriage and the family are institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to society itself” (“Sacramentum Caritatis,” 29). In this regard, particular mention must be made of the powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage. The Church’s conscientious effort to resist this pressure calls for a reasoned defense of marriage as a natural institution consisting of a specific communion of persons, essentially rooted in the complementarity of the sexes and oriented to procreation. Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage. Defending the institution of marriage as a social reality is ultimately a question of justice, since it entails safeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike. In our conversations, some of you have pointed with concern to the growing difficulties encountered in communicating the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family in its integrity, and to a decrease in the number of young people who approach the sacrament of matrimony. Certainly we 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. This teaching, stated with increasing clarity by the post-conciliar magisterium and comprehensively presented in both the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, needs to be restored to its proper place in preaching and catechetical instruction. On the practical level, marriage preparation programs must be carefully reviewed to ensure that there is greater concentration on their catechetical component and their presentation of the social and ecclesial responsibilities entailed by Christian marriage. In this context we cannot overlook the serious pastoral problem presented by the widespread

‘Defending the institution of marriage as a social reality is ultimately a question of justice, since it entails safeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike.’ practice of cohabitation, often by couples who seem unaware that it is gravely sinful, not to mention damaging to the stability of society. I encourage your efforts to develop clear pastoral and liturgical norms for the worthy celebration of matrimony which embody an unambiguous witness to the objective demands of Christian morality, while showing sensitivity and concern for young couples. Here too I would express my appreciation of the pastoral programs which you are promoting in your dioceses and, in particular, the clear and authoritative presentation of the Church’s teaching found in your 2009 letter “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan.” I also appreciate all that your parishes, schools and charitable agencies do daily to support families and to reach out to those in difficult marital situations, especially the divorced and separated, single parents, teenage mothers and women considering

abortion, as well as children suffering the tragic effects of family breakdown. In this great pastoral effort there is an urgent need for the entire Christian community to recover an appreciation of the virtue of chastity. The integrating and liberating function of this virtue (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 23382343) should be emphasized by a formation of the heart, which presents the Christian understanding of sexuality as a source of genuine freedom, happiness and the fulfilment of our fundamental and innate human vocation to love. It is not merely a question of presenting arguments, but of appealing to an integrated, consistent and uplifting vision of human sexuality. The richness of this vision is more sound and appealing than the permissive ideologies exalted in some quarters; these in fact constitute a powerful and destructive form of counter-catechesis for the young. Young people need to encounter the Church’s teaching in its integrity, challenging and countercultural as that teaching may be; more importantly, they need to see it embodied by faithful married couples who bear convincing witness to its truth. They also need to be supported as they struggle to make wise choices at a difficult and confusing time in their lives. Chastity, as the Catechism reminds us, involves an ongoing “apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom” (CCC 2339). In a society which increasingly tends to misunderstand and even ridicule this essential dimension of Christian teaching, young people need to be reassured that “if we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, absolutely nothing, of what makes life free, beautiful and great” (Homily, Inaugural Mass of the Pontificate, April 24, 2005). Let me conclude by recalling that all our efforts in this area are ultimately concerned with 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. Children are the greatest treasure and the future of every society: truly caring for them means recognizing our responsibility to teach, defend and live the moral virtues which are the key to human fulfillment. 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. I now commend you and your brother bishops, with the flock entrusted to your pastoral care, to the loving intercession of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. To all of you I willingly impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of wisdom, strength and peace in the Lord. popE bENEDict XVi addressed the bishops of Minnesota and the Dakotas March 9, 2012.

because marriages are being attacked on all sides, and when couples can engage in something like this rooted in the Gospel and the teachings of the Catholic Church, it is huge. It’s a refuge.” One of the regional couples for Teams of Our Lady that oversees the groups in south Charlotte are Jim and Mary Ann Kirchner. They know well the importance of growing in faith together, as Mary Ann is a Catholic convert who came into the Church eight years ago. They have been married almost 23 years and have one son in middle school. The Kirchners were one of the original couples who joined the movement when it came to Charlotte in 2001. They are also active in several ministries at St. Matthew Church. So why did they add Teams of Our Lady to their list of activities? “We did a lot of things separately and wanted to do something together,” says Mary Ann. “I like that we’re growing in our faith with other Catholic couples. I like the fellowship and the support we give one another in the good times and the bad. We’re there for one another.” Teams couples agree that the Blessed Mother plays an essential role in the movement and in their marriages. “We feel like Mary oversees our marriages and our Teams,” shares Mary Pat Arostegui. Maryellen Bashioum affirms the Blessed Mother’s central role in her marriage, too. “Doug and I have developed more of a relationship with the Blessed Mother since joining Teams,” she says. “The whole idea of Mary is to bring you to her Son, which she did. Teams brought us together to look at Mary… pray the rosary together… look through her eyes. By doing that, you keep expanding spiritually.”

ZICHYS: FROM PAGE 17

strong roots here. Mary’s siblings moved north to look for jobs, but Tom found work as a draftsman for American Anka, a yarn factory founded by the Dutch, and he worked there 32 years until his retirement. From the beginning, their faith played a vital role in their lives, and remains so. The Zichys joined St. Lawrence Basilica shortly after moving to Asheville in 1949. “The Basilica reminded us of the European churches,” Mary says. They raised four children in the parish and celebrated several family sacramental events, the installment of many priests, and two major milestones – their 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries. Their first child was born in Austria, and the other three in the Asheville area: Andrew, Bernadette, Charlie and Doris. “It’s ABCD,” Tom chuckles, referring to the way they were named. “But we stopped before E.” They are also blessed with 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Through the years the couple has been active in various ministries in the parish, including the Altar Society, the choir, Adoration and ushering. Mary enjoys knitting and cross-stitching and still makes sweaters. Tom continued to design homes in early retirement. They each say their prayers and the rosary in their native tongue, a meaningful reminder of their heritage. When asked about their remarkable life together, Mary says simply that they “get along, and we never fight.” She credits their shared love for their children, their faith and each other.

Mix 20

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

On TV n Saturday, April 28, 3:30 a.m. (EWTN) “Jesus Living Through Mary The Life of Saint Louis De Montfort.” A film on the life of St. Louis de Montfort.

in theaters

n Sunday, April 29, 2 a.m., Friday, May 4, 10 p.m., and Saturday, May 5, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “What Every Catholic Needs to Know About the Bible.” Matthew Arnold hosts an informative presentation on the history, nature, structure, and purpose of the Bible. n Sunday, April 29, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “In Concert: Popular Choral Classics.” The Choir of St. John’s College and organist Peter Davis perform favorite anthems and hymns by Mozart, Haydn, Brahms, Byrd, Grieg, Bruckner, and Mendelssohn, among others.

‘chimpanzee’ This endearing wildlife documentary, set in the Ivory Coast’s lush Tai Forest, follows the fortunes of a young chimp named Oscar as he, his mother and the entire extended clan with whom they live become caught up in a turf war with a rival band of simians. Parents of young kids take note: A significant survival-of-the-fittest plot development may prove too emotionally taxing. Scenes of animal combat. CNS: A-I (general patronage), MPAA: G

‘lockout’ Framed for the murder of a fellow operative, a late-21st-century CIA agent is offered a reprieve if he rescues the president’s daughter who’s been taken hostage by rioting prisoners during a goodwill tour of an orbiting penitentiary. Constant action violence with occasional gore, a fleeting gruesome image, several instances of sexual humor, including a gag that’s also irreverent. CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG-13

‘the lucky one’ On returning home from the war in Iraq, a Marine seeks out the attractive young stranger whose photograph he accidentally came across in the midst of battle. Benign view and semigraphic portrayal of premarital sexual activity, a reference to out-ofwedlock pregnancy, at least one use of profanity. CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG-13

‘the three stooges’ Most of this updated version of the titular comedy act’s antics is about what you’d expect. But unwelcome is the assault on the dignity of those in religious life that also characterizes this uneven comedy. Curly and Larry emerge as true adult innocents, sallying forth into the outside world. Irreverent and occasionally offensive humor directed at clergy and religious. CNS: L (limited adult audience), MPAA: PG

CNS | PAUL HARiNG

Librarian Enrica Moretti looks out over the Leonine Reading Room in the Vatican Library in this 2010 file photo. The Vatican Library and the bodleian libraries of the University of oxford are collaborating to digitize a total of 1.5 million pages of manuscripts and ancient books.

Vatican Library, Oxford’s Bodleian launch major digitization project CINDY WOODEN CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

VATICAN CITY — In collaboration with the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford, England, and thanks to a grant of more than $3 million, a million pages of material from the Vatican Library will be digitized over the next five years. “Digitizing means better conservation of cultural goods, less arduous consultation, guaranteeing a high-quality reproduction before the original can deteriorate and making them immediately accessible online to many more people,” said Monsignor Cesare Pasini, prefect of the Vatican Library. The project, funded with a grant from the Londonbased Polonsky Foundation, is expected to digitally reproduce a total of 1.5 million pages of manuscripts and ancient books from the Vatican Library and the Bodleian Libraries. Monsignor Pasini told L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, that about two-thirds of the total pages would be from the Vatican Library’s holdings. The project will be a huge leap forward in the Vatican Library’s digitalizing process, which began in 2010 and has produced an online catalogue describing its 8,900 incunabula, which are books printed in the 15th century. The new project will allow the library to digitize and make available online complete copies of 800 of the incunabula, he said, including Johann

Gutenberg’s Latin Bible, which was printed between 1454 and 1455 and was the first book printed using movable type. The Bodleian-Vatican Library digitized collections will be in three subject areas: Greek manuscripts, incunabula and Hebrew manuscripts. According to the Bodleian, the subject areas were chosen because both libraries have strong collections in those areas and because of the collections’ importance to scholars. The project will bring together online “materials that have been dispersed between the two collections over the centuries,” the Bodleian press release said. Monsignor Pasini said the project will allow the Vatican Library to expand the service it has rendered for almost six centuries by making cultural treasures available to a much wider group of readers and researchers. The Vatican Library’s Greek manuscripts include works by Homer, Sophocles, Plato and Hippocrates, manuscripts of the New Testament and of the early Church fathers. The Hebrew manuscripts include the Sifra, a legal commentary on Scripture thought to be the oldest existing Hebrew codex; it was written at the end of the 9th or in the first half of the 10th century. Other Hebrew texts in the Vatican collection are biblical commentaries, works on Jewish mysticism and writings on liturgy, philosophy, medicine and astronomy.

n Sunday, April 29, 10 p.m., Tuesday, May 1, 1 p.m., and Thursday, May 3, 5 a.m. “An Uncommon Kindness: The Father Damien Story.” The life and mission of the famous “leper priest.” n Saturday, April 28, 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 2, 1 p.m., and Saturday, May 5, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Karol: A Man Who Became Pope.” A 10-year-old’s journey full of encounters and events will mark the start of a long journey from worker, to poet and teacher, to a priest and finally, in 1978, to become the man who has made history as Pope John Paul II. n Wednesday, May 2, 3 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love.” The life of St. Gianna Molla, which covers her parents’ background, her childhood in Italy in the 1930’s, and later her role as a physician, a wife and a mother. n Thursday, May 3, 3 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Monastic Voice.” Experience “the monastic voice,” Benedictine monks at Pluscarden Abbey, the oldest male monastery still used for its original purpose in the United Kingdom.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

VOCATIONS: FROM PAGE 2

the love-story recounted by the Bible, He comes towards us, He seeks to win our hearts, all the way to the Last Supper, to the piercing of His heart on the Cross, to His appearances after the Resurrection and to the great deeds by which, through the activity of the Apostles, He guided the nascent Church along its path. Nor has the Lord been absent from subsequent Church history: He encounters us ever anew, in the men and women who reflect His presence, in His word, in the sacraments, and especially in the Eucharistâ€? (No. 17). Dear brothers and sisters, we need to open our lives to this love. It is to the perfection of the Father’s love (cf. Mt 5:48) that Jesus Christ calls us every day! The high standard of the Christian life consists in loving “asâ€? God loves; with a love that is shown in the total, faithful and fruitful gift of self. It is in this soil of self-offering and openness to the love of God, and as the fruit of that love, that all vocations are born and grow. By drawing from this wellspring through prayer, constant recourse to God’s word and to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, it becomes possible to live a life of love for our neighbors, in whom we come to perceive the face of Christ the Lord (cf. Mt 25:31-46). To express the inseparable bond that links these “two lovesâ€? – love of God and love of neighbor – both of which flow from the same divine source and return to it, Pope St. Gregory the Great uses the metaphor of the seedling: “In the soil of our heart God first planted the root of love for Him; from this, like the leaf, sprouts love for one another.â€? (“Moralium Libri, sive expositio in Librum B. Job,â€? Lib. VII, Ch. 24, 28; PL 75, 780D). These two expressions of the one divine love must be lived with a particular intensity and purity of heart by those who have decided to set out on the path of vocation discernment towards the ministerial priesthood and the consecrated life; they are its distinguishing mark. Love of God, which priests and consecrated persons are called to mirror, however imperfectly, is the motivation for answering the Lord’s call to special consecration through priestly ordination or the profession of the evangelical counsels. St. Peter’s vehement reply to the Divine Master: “Yes, Lord, You know that I love Youâ€? (Jn 21:15) contains the secret of a life fully given and lived out, and thus one which is deeply joyful. The other practical expression of love, that towards our neighbor, and especially those who suffer and are in greatest need, is the decisive impulse that leads the priest and the consecrated person to be a builder of communion between people and a sower of hope. The relationship of consecrated persons, and especially of the priest, to the Christian community is vital and becomes a fundamental dimension of their affectivity. The CurĂŠ of Ars was fond of saying: “Priests are not priests for

themselves, but for youâ€? (“Le cure d’Ars. Sa pensĂŠe – Son cĹ“ur,â€? Foi Vivante, 1966, p. 100). Dear brother bishops, dear priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, catechists, pastoral workers and all of you who are engaged in the field of educating young people: I fervently exhort you to pay close attention to those members of parish communities, associations and ecclesial movements who sense a call to the priesthood or to a special consecration. It is important for the Church to create the conditions that will permit many young people to say “yesâ€? in generous response to God’s loving call. The task of fostering vocations will be to provide helpful guidance and direction along the way. Central to this should be love of God’s word nourished by a growing familiarity with sacred Scripture, and attentive and unceasing prayer, both personal and in community; this will make it possible to hear God’s call amid all the voices of daily life. But above all, the Eucharist should be the heart of every vocational journey: it is here that the love of God touches us in Christ’s sacrifice, the perfect expression of love, and it is here that we learn ever anew how to live according to the “high standardâ€? of God’s love. Scripture, prayer and the Eucharist are the precious treasure enabling us to grasp the beauty of a life spent fully in service of the Kingdom. It is my hope that the local Churches and all the various groups within them, will become places where vocations are carefully discerned and their authenticity tested, places where young men and women are offered wise and strong spiritual direction. In this way, the Christian community itself becomes a manifestation of the Love of God in which every calling is contained. As a response to the demands of the new commandment of Jesus, this can find eloquent and particular realization in Christian families, whose love is an expression of the love of Christ who gave Himself for His Church (cf. Eph 5:32). Within the family, “a community of life and loveâ€? (“Gaudium et Spes,â€? 48), young people can have a wonderful experience of this self-giving love. Indeed, families are not only the privileged place for human and Christian formation; they can also be “the primary and most excellent seed-bed of vocations to a life of consecration to the Kingdom of Godâ€? (“Familiaris Consortio,â€? 53), by helping their members to see, precisely within the family, the beauty and the importance of the priesthood and the consecrated life. May pastors and all the lay faithful always cooperate so that in the Church these “homes and schools of communionâ€? may multiply, modelled on the Holy Family of Nazareth, the harmonious reflection on earth of the life of the Most Holy Trinity. With this prayerful hope, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to all of you: my brother bishops, priests, deacons, religious men and women and all lay faithful, and especially those young men and women who strive to listen with a docile heart to God’s voice and are ready to respond generously and faithfully. — pope benedict XVi

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21

“Experience exceptional artistry in an intimate setting.â€? Now in its second season, Gaudium Musicae showcases the musical gifts of the area’s outstanding artists set in the ďƒžne acoustics of the new St. Ann Catholic Church. You can experience both the beauty of the sound and the intimate connection between artist and instrument. Come enjoy the music and stay for a reception to meet and mingle with the artists and your fellow listeners. Our season ďƒžnale features Viva Klezmer! created by clarinetist Gene Kavadlo, also including violinist Ali Kavadlo, guitarist Mike Mosley and bassist Ron Brendle — all Charlotte Symphony musicians and prominent jazz artists in the Southeast.

Sunday May 6, 4:00 pm Viva Klezmer!

Traditional Jewish Music at St. Ann Catholic Church 3635 Park Road, Charlotte 28209

Tickets: www.StAnnCharlotte.org Adults: $12 / Students: $8 Children 12 and under FREE Call 704-523-4641 ext. 221

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Our nation 22

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

Women religious and others attend a 40th anniversary event for Network, the national catholic social justice lobby, april 14 at trinity University in Washington. the lobby, which calls itself a “progressive voice,� began with a group of women religious in 1972 and continues to advocate for the poor, the marginalized and for peace. the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation has called into question the relationship between the leadership conference of Women religious and Network.

CNS | NANCY PHELAN WiECHEC

Citing doctrinal problems, Vatican announces reforms of U.S. nuns’ group FRANCIS X. ROCCA CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

VATICAN CITY — Citing “serious doctrinal problems which affect many in consecrated life,� the Vatican announced a major reform of an association of women’s religious congregations in the U.S. to ensure their fidelity to Catholic teaching in areas including abortion, euthanasia, women’s ordination and homosexuality. Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle will provide “review, guidance and approval, where necessary, of the work� of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Vatican announced April 18. The archbishop will be assisted by Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, and Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Ill., and draw on the advice of fellow bishops, women religious and other experts. The LCWR, a Maryland-based umbrella group that claims about 1,500 leaders of U.S. women’s communities as members, represents about 80 percent of the country’s 57,000 women religious. In Silver Spring, Md., the presidency of the LCWR issued a statement saying it was “stunned by the conclusions of the doctrinal assessment of LCWR by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Because the leadership of LCWR has the

custom of meeting annually with the staff of CDF in Rome and the conference follows canonically approved statutes, we were taken by surprise. “This is a moment of great import for religious life and the wider church. We ask your prayers as we meet with the LCWR National Board within the coming month to review the mandate and prepare a response,� the statement said. The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said the doctrinal congregation “appreciates that (the leaders of the conference) have so far limited themselves to a single official statement and have not expressed other specific complaints.� But Father Lombardi said the congregation believed that it had been treated “a bit unjustly� with the suggestion that the sisters had been taken entirely by surprise by the assessment. The LCWR later revised its initial statement, adding that “we had received a letter from the CDF prefect in early March informing us that we would hear the results of the doctrinal assessment at our annual meeting; however, we were taken by surprise by the gravity of the mandate.� The announcement from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith came in an eight-page “doctrinal

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faith and morals, are not compatible with its purpose.� According to the Vatican, such deviations from Catholic teaching have provoked a crisis “characterized by a diminution of the fundamental Christological center and focus of religious consecration.� But the congregation’s document also praised the “great contributions of women religious to the church in the United States as seen particularly in the many schools, hospitals, and institutions of support for the poor, which have been founded and staffed by religious over the years,� and insisted that the Vatican “does not intend to offer judgment on the faith and life of women religious� in the LCWR’s member congregations. During his tenure as the Holy See’s delegate, which is to last “up to five years, as deemed necessary,� Archbishop Sartain’s tasks will include overseeing revision of the LCWR’s statutes, review of its liturgical practices, and the creation of formation programs for the conference’s member congregations. The archbishop will also investigate the LCWR’s links to two outside groups: Network, a Catholic social justice lobby; and the Resource Center for Religious Institutes, which offers legal and financial expertise to religious orders.

assessment,� based on an investigation that Bishop Blair began on behalf of the Vatican in April 2008. That investigation led the doctrinal congregation to conclude, in January 2011, that “the current doctrinal and pastoral situation of LCWR is grave and a matter of serious concern, also given the influence the LCWR exercises on religious congregation in other parts of the world.� Among the areas of concern were some of the most controversial issues of medical and sexual ethics in America today. “While there has been a great deal of work on the part of LCWR promoting issues of social justice in harmony with the church’s social doctrine, it is silent on the right to life from conception to natural death, a question that is part of the lively public debate about abortion and euthanasia in the United States,� the doctrinal congregation said. “Further, issues of crucial importance in the life of the church and society, such as the church’s biblical view of family life and human sexuality, are not part of the LCWR agenda in a way that promotes church teaching.� The Vatican also found that “public statements by the LCWR that disagree with or challenge positions taken by the bishops, who are the church’s authentic teachers of

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April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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in Brief Nearly all U.s. dioceses’ abuse policies comply with charter WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ten years after passing their “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” the heads of nearly all U.S. dioceses are in full compliance with the 17-point document, according to recently completed audits. Two dioceses – Baker, Ore., and Lincoln, Neb. – and six Eastern Catholic eparchies refused to participate in the audits, as they had in past years, and were found to be noncompliant. In dioceses where the audits took place, however, only one diocese was found in noncompliance with one article of the charter. The Diocese of Shreveport, La., was found to be noncompliant because its diocesan review board had not met in two years. The diocese had not “experienced any charter-related violations in at least four years,” according to the report from StoneBridge Business Partners of Rochester, N.Y. StoneBridge conducted the audits for the first time in the year ending June 30, 2011. The 2011 annual report on implementation of the charter was published April 10 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Usccb opposes proposed cuts in services to poor WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has expressed its concerns over proposed cuts in federal programs serving the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people in a series of letters to congressional leaders since April 4 as debate over the fiscal year 2013 budget begins. The letters from Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, urge Congress to draw a “circle of protection” around programs that serve “the least among us.”

catholics urged to join in ‘fortnight for freedom’ WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Catholics must resist unjust laws “as a duty of citizenship and an obligation of faith,” a committee of the U.S. bishops said in a new statement on religious liberty. Titled “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty,” the 12-page statement by the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty also calls for “a fortnight for freedom” from June 21, the vigil of the feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, to July 4, U.S. Independence Day. “This special period of prayer, study, catechesis and public action would emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty,” the committee said.

hhs mandate will create ‘immense injustice’ PITTSBURGH — The Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania, one of the largest regional ecumenical agencies in the U.S., urged the Obama administration to broaden the religious exemption in the federal government’s mandate requiring that most health plans cover the cost of contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can induce abortion. As it stands now, religious employers who are morally opposed to such coverage maybe be forced to shut down various ministries, including outreach to the poor, which would result in an “immense injustice” to those in need, the organization said in a statement. It said the mandate violates the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom and also called “health care for all” a “moral imperative.” The statement, released April 13 at a news conference at the organization’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, was signed by the leaders of several church bodies, including the Catholic Church. “Our deep concern over this mandate does not arise from the varying convictions we have on the moral content of this mandate, but from our common commitment to the right of religious freedom that all people of faith expect to enjoy in this country,” the statement said. “The Constitution of the United States guarantees every religious institution and its affiliated bodies the inalienable right to define its own identity and ministries and to practice its own beliefs, not just its freedom of worship.” — catholic News service

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Our world 24

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

Bavarian band, dancers celebrate pope’s birthday in apostolic palace CAROL GLATz CATHOLiC NEWS SERViCE

VATICAN CITY— Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 85th birthday with guests who treated him to Bavarian “oompah� music and folk dancing in the apostolic palace. Bavarian bishops, minister-president of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, and a 150-person regional government delegation visited the pope April 16 in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall. They were accompanied by a small Bavarian band, three female singers and 10 children who danced the skirt-swirling, shoe-stomping, thighslapping “Schuhplattler� before the pope. The pope’s 88-year-old brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, also attended the festivities as well as representatives from the Lutheran Church and the Jewish community in Bavaria. The children, dressed in traditional costume, presented the pope with white flowers and a maypole covered with colorful ribbons. They also recited a German birthday poem. The delegation presented the pope with gifts of a wooden crucifix sculpted by a well-known 18th-century Bavarian woodcarver, Ignaz Gunther, and a large Easter basket filled with traditional cakes, dark bread, ham and painted eggs. In his address to the pope, Seehofer said Bavaria was still the most-Catholic region in Germany and that it was still common to find the crucifix hung in public schools and small roadside shrines maintained throughout the area. “You’ve always stayed Bavarian and we’re very grateful for that,� he told the pope. Among the guests were all seven of Bavaria’s Catholic bishops, including Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising and his predecessor, Cardinal Friedrich Wetter.

In his address, Cardinal Marx thanked the pope for his fidelity to the faith, saying he was an important example to all bishops of loyalty and obedience. The pope, who smiled and clapped during the 40-minute event, thanked everyone present and noted how the different cities, people and ages represented there were “a reflection of all the stages in my life.� He said the music and instruments reminded him of his childhood. His father used to play the stringed zither, he said, and, as children, he and his siblings would sing “God Greets You,� which was sung at the Vatican event. “This is the sound of my youth, present and future,� the pope told his guests. At the end of the celebration, everyone, including the pope, sang the Bavarian state anthem. Earlier in the day, the pope celebrated a private Mass in the Pauline Chapel with his Bavarian guests and Vatican officials. In an impromptu homily, the pope said, “I find myself on the last stretch of my journey in life, and I don’t know what is awaiting me.� “I know, however, that the light of God exists, that He is risen, that His light is stronger than any darkness and that God’s goodness is stronger than any evil in this world, and this helps me go forward with certainty,� he said. He thanked his deceased parents for his birth, which happened on Holy Saturday, and his baptism – another life-giving event – the same day, he said. The Vatican even set up a special email address (auguri.benedettoxvi@vatican.va) so well-wishers could send a note marking the pope’s birthday and the seventh anniversary of his election April 19. During his “Regina Coeli� address April 15, the pope asked people to pray for him, “that the Lord give me the strength to accomplish the mission He entrusted in me.�

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children dressed in traditional bavarian garb dance for pope benedict XVi during the pontiff’s 85th birthday celebrations in the clementine hall at the Vatican april 16.

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDi 25

April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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in Brief pope: holy spirit inspires church’s interpretation of bible VATICAN CITY — While the text of the Bible is fixed, the same Holy Spirit that inspired its writing continues to inspire its proclamation and interpretation in the Church, Pope Benedict XVI said. The Catholic Church’s understanding of the Bible grows through time thanks to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and to reflection, study, prayer and preaching, the pope said in a message to members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, an international group of scholars who advise the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The commission met at the Vatican April 16-20 to continue its discussion and study of “inspiration and truth in the Bible.” While the act of revelation ended with the death of the last Apostle, Pope Benedict said, “the revealed word continues to be proclaimed and interpreted by the living tradition of the Church. For this reason, the word of God fixed in the sacred texts is not an immobile deposit within the Church, but becomes the supreme rule of its faith.” Pope Benedict said no one can really understand the Bible without recognizing that it was written under the inspiration of the Holy

Spirit. But, as he told the biblical commission last year, “it is not possible to apply the criterion of inspiration or of absolute truth in a mechanical way, extrapolating a single phrase or expression.”

pope: prayer, not strategic campaign, is needed in crisis VATICAN CITY — When a community is faced with crisis, persecution and trouble, it should come together in prayer for strength from God, not formulate strategic plans to defend itself from difficulties, Pope Benedict XVI said. Unity is fundamental, he said, and the community needs to come together and ask “only to proclaim the word of God fearlessly in the face of persecution,” not to avoid tests, trials and tribulation. During his audience, the pope continued his cycle of talks on prayer. He looked at how the early Christian community prayed when the apostles Peter and John were released after being arrested for teaching in the name of Jesus. The fledgling community “raised their voices to God with one accord,” St. Luke says in the Acts of the Apostles, asking the Lord to note the threats being made against them and give them the power and courage “to speak Your word with all boldness.”

chinese bishops detained by government released on Easter HONG KONG — Two Chinese bishops not recognized by the government were freed by

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From Our Bishops 26

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

Bishop Peter J. Jugis

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge

In support of marriage O

n May 8 voters in North Carolina will have the opportunity to elevate traditional marriage in our state via an amendment to the state constitution. You may have heard some recent discussion about this and are wondering what the Catholic Church teaches about marriage and why it does so. The Church believes that marriage is a faithful, exclusive and lifelong union between one man and one woman, joined as husband and wife in an intimate partnership of life and love. Marriage exists for two reasons: the mutual love and support of the spouses and for the procreation and education of children. These two purposes, uniting couples and procreating children, are equal and inseparable. The institution of marriage has a very important relationship to the continuation of the human race, to the total development of the human person, and to the dignity, stability, peace and prosperity of the family and of society. The natural institution of marriage has been blessed and elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. This means that Christian marriage is more than a contract between two persons. Because they are married in the Lord, the spouses acquire a special relationship to each other and to society. Their love becomes a living image

of the manner in which the Lord personally loves His people and is united with them. Living a Christian sacramental marriage becomes a fundamental way of attaining salvation. Because marriage offers benefits, unlike any other, to persons, to society and to the Church, the institution of marriage, as the union of one man and one woman, must be preserved and protected. No same-sex union can realize the unique and full potential that the traditional marriage relationship expresses. This position for marriage is not an instance of unjust discrimination or animosity toward homosexual persons. The Catholic Church teaches emphatically that individuals and society must respect the basic human dignity of all persons, including those with a homosexual orientation. Homosexual persons have a right to and deserve our respect, compassion, understanding and defense against prejudice, attacks and abuse. I therefore urge Catholics and all North Carolinians to commit themselves both to upholding the human dignity of every person and to upholding the distinct and irreplaceable status of traditional marriage.

Marriage is not just about two adults

N

orth Carolinian voters will have an opportunity on May 8 to protect traditional marriage through an amendment to the state constitution. I would like to offer additional Church teaching to explain our principled support of traditional marriage in light of some current societal trends. Today’s debate about same-sex “marriage” is occurring within a larger secular environment that increasingly sees marriage as a private relationship between two people that is primarily focused on adult fulfillment. Recent court decisions and actions by some state legislatures have used this erroneous understanding of marriage as a private relationship to legalize same-sex “marriage.” Catholics believe marriage, whether celebrated in a religious or civil ceremony, is a public relationship between a man and a woman that serves the common good of society and the couple through their witness of love and the new life they bring into the world through the children they conceive. The Vatican II document “The Church in the Modern World” reaffirms our perennial belief in the public and communal nature of marriage. It states that marriage has a critical bearing on the continuation of the human race, on the personal development and eternal destiny of every member of the

family and on the dignity, stability, peace and prosperity of the family and of the whole human race. This belief cannot be changed. Another erroneous argument being presented today is that marriage is an institution “owned” by the state, which creates it and can therefore change it at will. This is contrary to human history. Long before there was civil government, marriage existed. Marriage between a man and a woman is a basic human and social institution. Though it is regulated by civil laws and Church laws, it did not originate either from the Church or the state, but from God. Therefore, neither Church nor state can alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage. As North Carolinians discern their vote in the upcoming referendum on the support for traditional marriage I want to clarify our principled reasons for this support, reasons rooted in natural law and faithful to divine revelation. The presence of the marriage amendment on the ballot May 8 is an opportunity for all of us to give serious thought to this vital institution. Support for traditional marriage is recognition of the stable influence the family has had on humankind for thousands of years. bishop pEtEr J. JUGis leads the Diocese of Charlotte.

O

Reflect seriously, then vote

n May 8, voters in North Carolina will have the opportunity to promote traditional marriage in our state through an amendment to the state constitution. Bishop Peter Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte, and I have produced some materials to help you understand our Catholic Church teaching on marriage, to explain what the proposed amendment does and doesn’t say and do, to describe how we are to conduct ourselves as Catholics in our discussions about the amendment and to help you understand your role as faithful citizens. In this commentary, I would like to lay out four doctrinal beliefs about marriage. These beliefs establish the foundation upon which our understanding of and discussions about marriage stand. We believe marriage was established by God and endowed by God with its own proper nature and laws that predate the state and religion. It is based on what we call “natural law.” Natural law is eternal and from God; therefore, it cannot be reformed. Our second belief is that marriage is a faithful, exclusive and lifelong partnership of life and love that is established for the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring. This belief is based in divine revelation and therefore cannot be changed. Our Biblical tradition, a source of divine revelation for Catholics, clearly presents this belief.

Our third belief emerges from our second belief. The two ends of marriage, sometimes called the unitive and procreative dimensions of marriage, are inseparable. A husband and a wife express this truth most powerfully in sexual intercourse wherein the complementarity of their bodies allow them to become truly one, not only in body but also in spirit, and creates the possibility of new life. Finally, Catholics believe that the Church has the authority and obligation to affirm these authentic teachings and to preserve and foster the supremely sacred value of marriage in the society in which it finds itself, including a secular society like the United States. Bishop Jugis and I encourage you to carefully consider these teachings, based in divine revelation, seriously. The topic of marriage is powerful and emotionally charged precisely because it is such an important institution of society, and in the words of the U.S. Supreme Court, “fundamental to the very existence and survival of the (human) race.” Our beliefs are principled ones, divinely revealed, and to be regarded seriously in any consideration of marriage and family life. I pray that God may bless and guide you in your reflections upon one of the essential foundations of our society: traditional marriage. bishop MichaEl F. bUrbiDGE leads the Diocese of Raleigh.

Most-read stories on the web Through press time on April 25, 8,278 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com viewed a total of 11,011 pages. The top 10 headlines in April so far are: n Chrism Mass brings ‘life, hope and joy’ during Holy Week................................................492 n Capuchin Franciscan friars to leave two parishes in Charlotte........................................339 n Area college students go on a very different spring break..... ........................................... 117 n Easter means new, joyful life in Christ, Bishop Jugis preaches......................................... 113 n On Good Friday, Catholics asked to open our hearts to Christ’s love ............................. 109 n Sister Mary Immaculata professes final vows on Divine Mercy Sunday.........................101 n Reflections from recent converts: My first year as a Catholic..... ...................................... 91 n Schedule of Holy Week and Easter observances..... .............................................................84 n Learn more about May 8 marriage vote at upcoming parish forums.... .........................83 n Bishop Jugis: Let us overcome pride and be humble like Jesus........................................75

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April 27, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

The Poor Clares

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A life of fulfillment

e have been reflecting in the past few months on the gifts and strengths which God has given to men and women, the particular ways in which each gender reflects a different facet of the image and likeness of God. There is a balance between these strengths that is achieved through our complementarity. Looking at the Book of Genesis, we see the roles entrusted to the first man and woman at their creation by God, and the beautiful plan He has designed for their fulfillment. The most obvious culmination of these gifts is in the vocation of the majority of mankind – that of marriage and family life. Here we see played out, in our own time, the original story of the union between man and woman and the answer to God’s command, “Be fruitful and multiply.” We see the complete reflection of the image of God in this bond between masculinity and femininity and the fruits bestowed on their union through the gift of children. As we come to understand more deeply the great holiness and goodness found in the sacrament of matrimony, we may begin to wonder what this means for those who choose to forego this good for the sake of the Kingdom. Do they somehow have to sacrifice their own masculinity and femininity to follow a vocation such as the priesthood or consecrated life? Do they lack a true fulfillment of the desires that God has placed within them? Are some of their gifts meant to lie dormant to embrace a higher calling? St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, better known as Edith Stein, in her great studies of man and woman and their vocations, was not afraid to address this question. She was a single woman, a brilliant professor of phenomenology. She was never married, and after her conversion to Catholicism from Judaism, she longed for the cloistered, contemplative life. It is interesting to note that the Holy See asked her to delay her entrance into Carmel a few years because her lectures throughout Europe on the topic of masculinity and femininity were producing so much good fruit. She was well equipped to unpack what the calling to a consecrated life would mean for a person’s fundamental identity as a man or woman. All Christian vocations call for self-giving. There is no other option. We give ourselves to God and to others in every vocation. It is only the way and the means that differ. St. Teresa Benedicta saw clearly that when God asks a person to dedicate his or her life totally to Him, as a priest or a religious, this does not in any way alter their core identity. Yes, they choose to forego the natural vocation in which we see most clearly the living out of their gifts and call, but their inner fulfillment as man or woman is achieved in an even more profound way. The highest glory of man is to be found in the fact that Jesus Christ chose to become flesh as a man. He walked on this earth, fully human and fully divine. Because of this,

St. Teresa Benedicta saw that the highest fulfillment for a man is to be an “alter Christus,” another Christ. This is possible through the great gift of the priesthood. Man, in his focus on action, is enabled by God to act in the person of Christ. He speaks in the name of Christ. He clothes himself in Christ’s identity as the supreme Man. The priest says “This is My Body” and “I absolve you from your sins” in the first person, as Christ. When he stands at the altar and speaks the words of consecration over the elements of bread and wine, they are changed into the very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. There is no action of man that could be greater or more sublime. The man lives out his fatherhood as well as he takes Christ’s people as his own sons and daughters, shepherding the flock God entrusts to him. He pours out himself for them, in a life of sacrifice and service, providing all the gifts of grace God has given us in the sacraments. For a woman, the deepest longing of her heart is for complete surrender to another being, to love and to be loved completely. In no one else but God can this be completely realized. Therefore, St. Teresa Benedicta also sees consecrated life as the most profound fulfillment of the core of woman’s desires. As a religious, a woman is given the tremendous privilege of becoming the bride of Christ Himself. By dedicating herself exclusively to His love, she is admitted to the most intimate union with Him. In her life of bridal love, she will, as a fruit of grace, bear many sons and daughters for Our Lord through spiritual motherhood. In the active religious life, a woman can use her gifts and talents for ministering and motherly service in many ways – through teaching, nursing, aiding the sick and the poor. In contemplative life, she lives a hidden calling of intense love and intercession for the Church and for all the people of the world, completely pouring out herself on their behalf. We see, then, that in following a call to a special vocation within the Church, Our Lord does not call men and women religious away from our fundamental identities as men or women. Instead, He gives us hundredfold in return for the sacrifice of the natural joys of marriage and family life. In the priesthood and consecrated life, He calls us to the highest fulfillment possible on this earth of the capabilities of our being and of our vocation to self-giving. In this call, we have a foretaste and glimpse of what we all hope to experience one day in the Kingdom of Heaven. There, before the throne of the Lamb, we will be at last perfectly complete in Him who has made us for Himself. 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 www. stjosephmonastery.com.

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Deacon James H. Toner

Letter from an executed bishop

Dec. 29, 2032 y friends in Christ: This morning – in an hour or so – I will be executed by public hanging for “crimes against the state.” As you may know, I am guilty of the offense. I called for a national day of repentance – an act of “treason” – and then prayed in public, so I will now suffer the death penalty as an enemy of the people. You who are temporarily “safe” in the Catholic compound in northern Arizona must keep the flame of the faith burning, and part of your duty is to keep records of how we came to this ... tragedy. At first, we thought it trivial that our children could not pray in public schools. It was insignificant, we thought, that Christmas became the “winter solstice” and scenes of the Holy Family were banned from the public square. Some of our fellow Catholics, after all, avidly supported these things. We were too slow to recognize that the poison put out by Hollywood was entering the minds and hearts and souls of, well, all of us. Hollywood festivals were little more than pornography on parade; modesty was out of style but vile language was practically the norm. Rampant sexual activity ruled the day, and condoms were routinely distributed in and by schools to students as young as third-graders. Anything became permissible on the Internet and in movies and TV, and we sheepishly went along. Music, manners, dress, language – all became the enemies of Christian living and of traditional morals. We morally lost so many children! Some of our fellow Catholics, however, avidly supported these things. We Catholics were regarded, as these things unfolded, first, as hopelessly old-fashioned, and then, after a while, as enemies of progress – especially in science. In-vitro fertilization became common; cloning was banned initially, but when some discovered that there was money to be made, cloning became acceptable and then popular. When the government announced that Catholic hospitals and schools would have to pay, directly or indirectly, for abortion, contraception and sterilization, we tried to fight it, but we were, well, out of practice in supporting God over men. Any public expression of religious faith was banned as contrary to the common good and contrary to the new national mottoes of “From One, Many!” and “In Us, We Trust!” We were stunned when the courts caved in on the matter of religious liberty. But some of our fellow Catholics avidly supported these things. Soon homeschooling became “suspect.” It was called divisive, and it was repressed. Catholic schools, you will recall, were also taken over by the state, all in the interest of the “general welfare.” In protest, we closed good Catholic colleges and hospitals, but it was an empty gesture. They, too, were taken over by the “People’s Workers.”

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In 2024 and after, our children, when they turned 8, were taken from their parents to “live and learn” in government schools. The parents who resisted were also taken away and not seen again. The government regarded the Catholic press as a violation of church and state because their publications were not restricted to licensed Catholics. (Remember that in 2022 we had to get licenses to be Catholics.) Marriage in Church was no longer permitted, but we were assured that we could at least bless marriages later. Same-sex “marriage” became common, but by 2025, the country was polygamous anyway, and now up to four people can be married at one time to each other. We couldn’t protest at the pulpit. Our priests and deacons had to submit the texts of their homilies for government approval four weeks before delivery, and any unapproved homilies or comments at Mass were called “hate speech.” Of course, no military chaplains were permitted any more. Meanwhile, the State provided “happy drugs” free of charge – “your tax dollars at work,” we heard. Some of our fellow Catholics avidly supported these things. We tried to fight when the State said that all Americans would now be euthanized at age 72 because their lives had become “meaningless,” and medicine was too expensive. We tried to fight infanticide (which became a routine option for parents and their children up to age 3), but the abortion precedent was too strong. Disabled children, you remember, were subject to euthanasia until age 8 by the “Mercy Act of 2023.” The economy continued downhill, so Americans were not allowed to have more than one child per family. Women pregnant with a second child were forced to have abortions. We thought what was happening in China would never happen here. Some of our fellow Catholics avidly supported these things. So when I pleaded for national repentance and offered prayers in public, I was seized by the HHS police, tried and sentenced to death. There are now rumors of a civil war between the HHS Secular Citizens’ Army and the Islamic Resistance Forces. No one can predict what will happen. I guess no one knows who was responsible for the series of attacks on the Vatican which led to its tragic destruction. The decision to re-locate the Church to Hippo in North Africa and the recent election of Pope Augustine is a signal that the Church will endure – this, we know (Mt 16:18). I have to stop now ... the guards are coming for me. — Bishop Thomas Becket of Monson, Mass. Bishop Becket was executed on Dec. 29, 2032. Just before the hanging, he was heard forgiving his executioners and then shouting “Viva Christo Rey!” DEacoN JaMEs h. toNEr serves at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | April 27, 2012

On May 8, Vote FOR Marriage Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge

Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis

Scripture, Church Teaching and natural law all affirm the traditional definition of Marriage as being between a man and a woman only. On May 8th North Carolina voters have the opportunity to affirm the Sacrament of Matrimony into the state constitution. Making the ancient, sacred institution of marriage a part of the constitution will ensure that future legislative or judicial activism will not change the definition of marriage in North Carolina. Join Bishop Peter Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte and Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Raleigh in affirming traditional marriage by voting FOR the constitutional amendment.

Protect Marriage in North Carolina “From the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said: For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.� (Matthew 19:4-5)

CATHOLIC VOICE NC www.CatholicVoiceNC.org

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