July 5, 2013

July 5, 2013

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

Several priests assigned across diocese, 7

INDEX Contact us.......................... 4 Events calendar................. 4 Our Parishes.................. 4-11 Schools..............................15 Scripture readings............ 3 TV & Movies.......................16 U.S. news...................... 18-19 Viewpoints.................. 22-23 World news.................. 20-21 Year of Faith.................... 2-3

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Consecrated a priest Father Jason Christian ordained, 12-14

QUO VADIS DAYS Discernment retreat inspires young men considering priesthood,

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Bishop Jugis at Fortnight for Freedom Mass: ‘A sad time in the United States’, 5 Waynesville parishioners reach end of pilgrimage, 8

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Year of faith

catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis

Pope: Meditation, penance, studies won’t bring you to the living Christ

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he only way to truly touch the living Christ is through the tender care of His wounds in the poor, sick and outcasts of today, Pope Francis said.

Just as St. Thomas’ life changed when he touched Jesus’ wounds, people who lovingly care for the body and soul of those in need will see their lives transformed, too, the pope said July 3.

In his homily on the feast of St. Thomas, the pope said people have tried a number of ways to experience the living Christ and none is as effective and direct as encountering Him through “His wounds. There’s no other way.”

“A refresher course” is useless for learning how to encounter the living God; all it takes is “getting out onto the street,” the pope said, according to a report by Vatican Radio.

“In the history of the Church, there have been some mistakes made on the path toward God,” Pope Francis said. Some have believed God could be found through meditation alone or by trying to “reach higher through meditation. That’s dangerous! How many are lost on that path and never get there.”

Perhaps they acquire greater knowledge or understanding of God, he said, “but not of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Others have tried to find Him through mortification, austerity and “the path of penitence, just penitence and fasting,” believing they could get to God merely through their own efforts, he said.

Through Thomas, the pope said, Jesus tells people He can be found through His wounds.

“Today you find Jesus’ wounds by carrying out works of mercy, giving the body -- and the soul, too -- but the body, I emphasize, of your wounded brother or sister” because their bodies are hurting.

Those who are hungry, thirsty, without clothes, humiliated, enslaved, imprisoned or hospitalized are all examples of “the wounds of Jesus today,” Pope Francis said.

Some may say, “Oh, great! Let’s set up a foundation to help all of them and let’s do lots of nice things to help them,” he said. While that kind of help is important, that approach alone reduces people to being “just philanthropists.”

RUBEN TAMAYO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father Mark Lawlor, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, gives the sign of peace to one of SPRED Ministry’s Special Friends during confirmation this past spring.

SPRED ministry shares God’s love, provides catechesis to cherished ‘Special Friends’ SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Fifty years ago, an important ministry was created in the Archdiocese of Chicago that has had a lasting impact in the Diocese of Charlotte for nearly a decade. Three parishes in the diocese – St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro and St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte – now offer what has become an internationally recognized program.

The SPRED program (Special Religious Development) was created to minister to persons with a wide variety of developmental delays and mental challenges. SPRED welcomes children and adults to become ‘Special Friends,’ to learn of God’s love and have the opportunity for catechesis and to receive the sacraments.

St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte began offering the SPRED ministry in 2004, providing special accommodations that

are not always practical in regular faith formation classes. Specifically, the SPRED ministry is structured into small groups, with one catechist for each Special Friend, featuring a relaxed social environment.

Jan Clemens, director of the SPRED program at St. Matthew Parish, explains why this ministry is vital to so many parishioners and their families.

“The current situation of increasing numbers of children on the Autism Spectrum (ASD) makes the program all the more relevant today,” Clemens says.

“While many children with autism can participate in regular faith formation, there are many for whom SPRED is a viable option. Besides autism, our SPRED participants may have a wide range of other intellectual challenges – both congenital and acquired.

“The SPRED program ministers to our Special Friends wherever they are in their development. Our goal is to bring an awareness of God’s love, which is ingrained

in everyone’s heart, and to engender a mutual love for Him.” SPRED teaches students about the faith, using instructional methods developed by the famed educator Maria Montessori.

Special Friends are prepared for catechesis through art, tactile activity, gesture and music. Catechesis starts with everyday experience and progresses to the spiritual and theological. A Biblical evocation and an action message (“Jesus says to you today…”) is delivered to each participant.

St. Matthew Church now has eight groups with nearly 50 Special Friends and 43 catechists. The parish’s Special Friends range from age 6 to 74.

This year five of SPRED’s Special Friends at St. Matthew Church received first Holy Communion, and five others received the sacrament of confirmation.

“The parents of our SPRED participants hold dear the fact that their children are SPRED, SEE page 3

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

SPRED: FROM PAGE 2

cherished and that they are recognized as participating members of our church,” Clemens explains. “We in the SPRED program are a family. We care about each other and together we love God.” Monsignor John J. McSweeney, pastor of St. Matthew Church, is proud of the SPRED ministry.

“The Special Religious Development Program (SPRED) at St. Matthew Catholic Church has been a blessing to our parish, by providing ongoing faith formation for an often overlooked group, persons of all ages with developmental delays and intellectual challenges,” Monsignor McSweeney notes.

“Our Special Friends experience joy in belonging to a faith community and developing an understanding of God’s love for them. Most important in my estimation is the preparation and inclusion in the sacraments that this program provides.

“SPRED has enriched our parish as a whole by engendering a spirit of welcome and an awareness of the Godgiven spiritual beauty of our Special Friends. As we enter our 10th year, we reflect on the many blessings SPRED has provided to our Special Friends, their families, our catechists and to our entire parish family.”

For the past four years, St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro has also offered the SPRED ministry.

It began with a request from a parishioner who was over 50 but had never been confirmed because of some developmental challenges.

Jeannine Martin, the parish’s director

of faith formation, says this request shed light on others in the church who were missing out on the sacraments and not being integrated into parish life.

“This brought us all to an awareness that we had a number of parishioners dealing with similar challenges, (people) who had never received first Eucharist, first reconciliation or confirmation,” Martin says.

Father John Allen, who was pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church at the time, asked that the parish inquire about the SPRED program.

“Once the word was put out that we were starting this program, we were all convinced that the Holy Spirit guided us through – as many dedicated and

‘We in the SPRED program are a family. We care about each other and together we love God.’ — Jan Clemens

SPRED Coordinator, St. Matthew Church in Charlotte experienced volunteers came forward, and potential participants were identified and invited to find out more,” Martin explains.

“The Knights of Columbus extended to us their monetary support, which they continue to offer each year.

Our volunteers have gone through detailed training in Chicago where the curriculum is developed, in Charlotte

and right here at the parish.”

Martin says the ministry was a huge success right from the beginning.

She recalls how the entire parish staff became involved in the first SPRED Mass, which was offered on Dec. 16, 2012. They made a banner, assisted in making a Nativity scene involving all the Special Friends, designed and printed invitations, planned and decorated a luncheon reception, and organized the music and the liturgy to make the event special for everyone.

“SPRED gave this group of parishioners – Special Friends and volunteers alike – a place to share their lives, learn about God, celebrate the sacraments, grow in spirituality and give back to our community. You cannot put a price on the bonds that have been forged in this program.

“It is a beautiful blend of catechesis and community that has enriched them, and truly enriched our whole parish.”

St. Paul the Apostle Church now has three classes – two for children and one for adults – with 16 dedicated volunteers who are as excited about each session as the participants.

“Our parish has been touched and blessed because of this program. We started here at St. Paul with our own parishioners, but have opened the doors to others in the community looking for what the program has to offer,” Martin adds.

“Our new pastor, Father Joe Mack, has also been moved by the presence of the SPRED program and has given his wholehearted support and wants to see it continue to grow.”

For more information or guidance in beginning a SPRED ministry, contact Jan Clemens, St. Matthew Parish’s SPRED coordinator, at 704-246-7102.

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Online resources for your Year of Faith www.annusfidei.va The official Vatican site for the Year of Faith, this is a must-see for your own journey. Here you’ll find: – the full text of “Porta Fidei,” Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic letter announcing the Year of Faith – the full text of all the Vatican II documents, including the four constitutions: “Dei Verbum,” “Lumen Gentium,” “Sacrosanctum Concilium” and “Gaudium et Spes” – catechetical talks by Pope Benedict on the Apostles and saints, the Church Fathers, leading Catholic women, medieval theologians, and prayer

www.usccb.org At the U.S. bishops’ website, check out a video series on the Year of Faith, download Catholic prayers and catechetical resources for free, and more.

‘My Year of Faith’ app An app with daily content updates to help you to a deeper understanding of Catholicism, an increased prayer life, and reflections and thoughts from nationally known Catholic bloggers, writers and speakers – including blogger Lisa Hendey of CatholicMom.com. Produced by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, the app is available for iOS (iPhones, iPads) and Android (smartphones, Kindle Fire) for 99 cents. Don’t have a smartphone? Follow the companion blog at www.myyearoffaith.com.

www.vcat.org A website featuring “Video Catechism for Teens,” produced by the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in association with Outside da Box. Besides the video series on the Nicene Creed, check out free resources geared toward youths and young adults.

www.archmil.org year-of-faith.htm In the weekly video series “C4: Ignite Your Catholic Faith,” Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Auxiliary Bishop Donald J. Hying talks about a “hunger of the human heart.” (The “C4” represents “Christ and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”) Posted every Friday, the two-minute videos explaining the Catechism are aimed at Catholics in their 20s and 30s.

www.crs.org/yof Learn how Catholic Relief Services proclaims the Gospel through justice and charity and explore ways to make the Year of Faith a richer, more fulfilling time of renewal and spiritual discovery.

www.flocknote.com/caTechism Read the Catechism over the course of this year: Get daily reflections from the Catechism to your email inbox, for free.

www.OnceCatholic.org

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DONNA SMITH

Above: St. Mark Church in Huntersville offers a similar SPRED Ministry, called “Friends of Jesus.” Pictured are some Special Friends after first Holy Communion at the parish and a photo of one of their “Friends of Jesus” groups.

Your daily Scripture readings JULY 7-13

Sunday: Isaiah 66:10-14, Galatians 6:14-18, Luke 10:1-12, 17-20; Monday: Genesis 28:10-11, Matthew 9:18-26; Tuesday (St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions): Genesis 32:23-33, Matthew 9:32-38; Wednesday: Genesis 41:55-57, 42:5-7, 17-24, Matthew 10:1-7; Thursday (St. Benedict): Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29, 45:1-5, Matthew 10:7-15; Friday: Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30, Matthew 10:1623; Saturday (St. Henry): Genesis 49:29-32, 50:15-26, Matthew 10:24-33

JULY 14-20

Sunday: Deuteronomy 30:10-14, Colossians 1:15-20, Luke 10:25-37; Monday (St. Bonaventure): Exodus 1:8-14, 22, Matthew 10:34-11:1; Tuesday (Our Lady of Mount Carmel): Exodus 2:1-15, Matthew 11:20-14; Wednesday: Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12, Matthew 11:25-27; Thursday (St. Camillus de Lellis); Exodus 3:13*20, Matthew 11:28-30; Friday: Exodus 11:10-12:14, Matthew 12:1-8; Saturday (St. Apollinaris): Exodus 12:37-42, Matthew 12:14-21

JULY 21-27

Sunday: Genesis 18:1-10, Colossians 1:24-28, Luke 10:38-42; Monday (St. Mary Magdalene): Exodus 14:5-18, Exodus 15:1-6, John 20:1-2, 11-18; Tuesday (St. Bridget): Exodus 14:21-15:1, Exodus 15:8-10, 12, 17, Matthew 12:46-40; Wednesday (St. Sharbel Makhluf): Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15, Matthew 13:1-9; Thursday (St. James): 2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Matthew 20:20-28; Friday (Sts. Joachim and Anne): Exodus 20:1-17, Matthew 13:18-23; Saturday: Exodus 24:3-8, Matthew 13:24-30

A general website geared for people who have left their Catholic faith behind for various reasons. Produced by the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province in Cincinnati, Ohio. It offers resources and FAQs on Church teaching, reconnects people with local communities, and features online forums.

The Nicene Creed: Prayer for the Year of Faith The Vatican has issued special prayer cards for the Year of Faith featuring the Nicene Creed on one side and the image of Christ Pantocrator on the other.

The Nicene Creed is the ultimate prayer of our Catholic Christian faith, and so it is the prayer for this Year of Faith: “It is by believing with the heart that you are justified, and by making the declaration with your lips that you are saved. May the Year of Faith lead all believers to learn by heart the Creed and to say it every day as a prayer, so that the breathing agrees with the faith,” the Vatican’s Year of Faith website states.

To obtain copies of this prayer card, contact the Libreria Editrice Vaticana at segreteria.lev@lev.va.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar of events ASHEVILLE

St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East

ST. EUGENE CHURCH, 72 CULVERN ST. — El grupo de oración se reúne todos los sábados a las 7 p.m. en la Iglesia

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the coming weeks: July 7 – 3:30 p.m.

Mass for Military Personnel Cathedral of Saint Patrick, Charlotte July 9 – 12:10 p.m.

Mass for Admission to Candidacy Cathedral of Saint Patrick, Charlotte

St. ANN Church, 3635 Park Road — Evening discussion, “The Sacred Liturgy and Tradition of the Holy Mass”: 7 p.m. Monday, July 15. Presented

by Father Matthew McNeely, pastor of St. Stephen the First Martyr Church in Sacramento.

July 17 – 6 p.m.

Pastor Installation of Father David P. Miller Saint Dorothy Catholic Church, Lincolnton July 24 – 7 P.m.

Pastor Installation of Father Joshua A. Voitus Saint Mary Catholic Church, Sylva

July 28 – 10 a.m.

Pastor Installation of Father Matthew R. Buettner Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Gastonia July 30 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Joseph Catholic Church, Asheboro August 1 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Philip Catholic Church, Statesville August 3 – 5:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Mary Catholic Church, Shelby August 5 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Hickory August 7 – 6:30 p.m.

Mass for Institution of Acolytes and Deacon Recommitment Cathedral of St. Patrick, Charlotte

QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES Church, 503 North Main St. — Faith Formation Group, “Triple B”: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 9. All parishioners 45 years old and younger are welcome. For details, e-mail qoatripleb@gmail.com.

CHARLOTTE

July 16 – 5 p.m.

Catholic Charities Board Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

July 26 – 7 p.m.

Solemn High Mass for Feast of St. Anne St. Ann Catholic Church, Charlotte

BELMONT

— Annual Solemn High Mass: 7 p.m. Friday, July 26.

Special guest preacher, Father Cassian Folsom, the prior and monk of a Benedictine monastery in Norcia, Italy. Bishop Peter J. Jugis will also be attending.

— Mass: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27. Special guest preacher, Benedictine Father Cassian Folsom — Mass: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 28. Special guest preacher, Benedictine Father Cassian Folsom St. Basil’s Eastern Catholic Mission (At St. Thomas Aquinas Church), 1400 Suther Road — Vigil for Life: Mass at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 13, followed by prayer vigil at the Latrobe abortion mill led by Father Deacon Matthew Hanes. Sponsored by the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.

Maronite Mission of Charlotte (At St. Matthew Church), 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY. — Mass and welcome celebration for new pastor, Father Elie Mikhael: 7 p.m., Saturday, July 13. A meet and greet will take place after Mass in the Family Room.

Bring a dish to share.

ST. John Neumann church, 8451 idlewild road — Informational Session on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) journey: 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11. Sessions will provide information about the Catholic faith. For details, contact Karen Polce at 704-545-7580.

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY. — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) meeting: Held on the third Monday of every month. RCIA will provide information about the entire conversion process and include detailed Q&A sessions. For details, call Tom Lindemuth at 704-543-7677.

— Living the Faith Book Club: Second Thursday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Everyone welcome.

— Mass for our Military Personnel: Sunday, July 7, celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis, to honor our military personnel who are currently serving and who have been injured while serving. Rosary at 3 p.m., Mass at 3:30 p.m. Everyone welcome.

— Annual parish picnic: 2-6 p.m. Sunday, July 14. All are welcome to attend. Food and games will be available.

Please bring a side dish to share along with blankets and chairs. For more information, email info@ stpatricks.org.

— Men’s Book Club: Sunday, 7-8:30 p.m. July 21. All men invited to enjoy an evening of fellowship and discussion of Rodney Stark’s book, “God’s Battalions.” For details, contact Mark DuBose at markdubose@yahoo.com.

— Adult Summer Study entitled, “Seven Deadly Sins & Seven Lively Virtues”: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Every Tuesday, July 9-30. Presented by Father Robert Barron. For details and to register, contact Margaret Gustafson at jmgusto@bellsouth.net. Everyone welcome.

— Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Wednesday ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH, 1400 SUTHER ROAD — Feast of St. Alphonsa of Immaculate: 5 p.m. Sunday, July 28. Come celebrate the first woman saint of India. Reception following Mass in the Aquinas Hall.

— Second Annual Polish Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa: 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25. A first-class relic of Pope Blessed John Paul II will be brought to Mass for veneration. Reception following Mass.

Everyone invited to attend this Polish tradition. For details, contact Mary Witulski at 704-628-7209.

— “Divine Mercy Holy Hour”: Exposition and readings from the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska: 7-8 p.m. every first Friday. For questions, contact Paul Deer at 704-948-0628.

HUNTERSVILLE ST. MARK CHURCH, 14740 Stumptown Road — Catholic Athletes for Christ youth ministry: Meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Ministry provides an evening of fun, athletic activities, meals and featured speakers who address faith and athletics. For details, teens and parents can contact Tim Flynn, at 704-948-0231 or stmarklifeteen@gmail. com.

GREENSBORO ST. MARY CHURCH, 812 DUKE ST. — Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group “Servants of Light”: 10 a.m. Saturdays. Everyone welcome.

ST. PAUL the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians welcomes all women who are practicing Roman Catholics, and who are Irish by birth or descent, who are the wife of a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, or the mother of a junior member. Meetings are the first Thursday of the month. To join or for more information, email marylisk@aol.com.

NEWTON ST. JOSEPH CHURCH, 720 WEST 13TH ST. — Natural Family Planning Introduction and Full Course: 1-5 p.m. Saturday, July 27. Topics include: Effectiveness of modern NFP, health risks of popular contraceptives, Church teaching on responsible parenting, and how to use NFP. Offered by Catholic Charities. RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at 704370-3230 or bnadcock@charlottediocese.org.

Is your parish or school hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

— “Rosary for Life”: Join the Respect Life group to pray each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., followed by Mass at 7 p.m. To participate, contact Gretchen Filz at gfilz10@ ses.edu or 704-919-0935.

Correction

HIGH POINT — Pro-Life Rosary to pray for an end to abortion: 9 a.m.

Saturday, July 6, rain or shine, at 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive in High Point. Parking available on site. For details, contact Jim Hoyng 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman 336-848-6835.

Immaculate heart of Mary church, 4145 Johnson st.

— Second Annual Women’s Retreat: July 26-28. The weekend retreat will be held in Dover, Del. For details, e-mail Meg at uncgmeg@gmail.com.

McDonnell

The list of jubilarians in the June 21 edition of the Catholic News Herald incorrectly identified Jesuit Father Thomas P. McDonnell as retired. After 45 years as a priest, Father McDonnell is still in active ministry. He is the parochial vicar of St. Peter Church in Charlotte.

We regret the error.

facebook.com/ catholic news HERALD

July 5, 2013 Volume 22 • Number 18

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

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

The Catholic News Herald is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 26 times a year.

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

ADVERTISING: Reach 165,000 Catholics across western North Carolina! For advertising rates and information,

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

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

POSTMASTER: Periodicals class postage (USPC 007-393) paid at Charlotte, N.C. Send address corrections to the Catholic News Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203.

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Our parishes

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

U.S. bishops call for religious liberty protections

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Catholic News Herald picks up 9 Catholic media awards DENVER, Colo. — The Catholic News Herald received nine awards from the Catholic Press Association for its work in 2012. Awards presented during the 2013 Catholic Media Conference in Denver, Colo., were: n First Place, Best Newspaper Website: for www.catholicnewsherald.com, managed by online reporter/SEO specialist Kimberly Bender. Judges said, “A rich variety of stories provide the visitor engaging information on a variety of topics relevant to Catholic life.” n First Place, Best General News Photo: for “Hundreds rally for life during DNC in Charlotte” by freelance photographer Anthony Perlas. Judges said, “Clearly the first place. A very strong emotional moment really captured this young woman’s reaction.” n First Place, Best Web/Print Combo Package: for “Ad Limina 2012,” produced by senior reporter SueAnn Howell and edited by Bender. Judges said, “Excellent coverage. Well integrated and interconnected.” n Honorable Mention, Best Web/Print Combo Package: for “Our New Shepherds,” the Catholic News Herald’s multimedia ordination coverage in 2012. n Second Place, Best In-Depth News/ Special Reporting: for the May 2012 “Vote for Marriage” special edition by Catholic News Herald staff. n Third Place, General Excellence (among diocesan newspapers over 40,000 circulation): by Catholic News Herald staff. n Third Place, Best Feature Photograph: for “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned” by Howell. n Honorable Mention, Best Editorial Page or Section: for the weekly “Viewpoints” section edited by Patricia Guilfoyle. n Honorable Mention, Best Feature Multiple Picture Package: for “Sacred art enlightens Forest City church” by Guilfoyle.

The Diocese of Charlotte and the Catholic News Herald will host the 2014 Catholic Media Conference in Charlotte.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor

Another seminarian enrolls CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte announces that Michael J. Carlson of Charlotte will begin seminary this fall. He will begin studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Ohio for the fall 2013 semester, studying Pre-Theology 1. His home parish is St. Ann Church in Charlotte.

Senior day of reflection with Fr. Sheridan coming up July 30 BOONE — Retired Father Edward Sheridan will present a Day of Reflection for Senior Adults on Tuesday, July 30, at St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church in Boone. He will speak on “Simplicity, Humility: Realistic and Helpful in Our Lives.” Cost for the event is $10 per person and includes lunch. Deadline for registration is Monday, July 22. Check-in is from 10:30 to 11 a.m. The program will begin at 11 a.m. and will end at 3 p.m., with Mass being celebrated at 12:15 p.m.

— Sandra Breakfield

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Final HHS rules issued Bishop Peter Jugis greets parishioners at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte after he delivered his Fortnight For Freedom homily June 30.

David Hains | catholic news herald

Bishop Jugis: ‘A sad time in the United States’ Fortnight for Freedom under way David Hains Director of Communication

CHARLOTTE — Calling this a sad time in the United States, Bishop Peter J. Jugis delivered a strongly-worded homily in defense of religious liberty at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte June 30.

The bishop’s homily was part of the Fortnight For Freedom observance – a time for prayer, education and public witness from June 21 to July 4.

In his homily Bishop Jugis asked the congregation, “Can you imagine what the government is asking of us?”

He then explained the contradiction between the U.S. Constitution, which allows religious institutions to teach about the evils of abortion, contraception and sterilization, while the U.S. government now requires those same institutions to pay for such services in their health insurance plans.

At issue for the Church are guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that are being put in place as the country adopts the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. HHS guidelines for implementing the federal contraception mandate, requiring most employers to provide contraceptive coverage in employee health insurance plans – including many Church-affiliated institutions and private Catholic employers – go into effect Aug. 1.

On June 28, HHS extended the deadline for the mandatory contraception coverage to Jan. 1, 2014.

That delay and some new wording in the guidelines are currently under study by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “It is just hard to believe that here in the United States of America that it has come to this, that the Church has to take the federal government to court,” Bishop

Jugis said.

He also lamented the fact that as we approach the Fourth of July holiday, in which we celebrate our independence from a tyrannical government, our religious freedom remains under attack.

Bishop Jugis compared the suffering of the Church during the assault on religious liberty to the sting of rejection that Christ experienced in the Samaritan village that was recounted in the Gospel reading at Mass.

He pointed out that unless the HHS rules are changed, Catholic hospitals, schools and Church-affiliated institutions will face severe fines that could force them to close.

The HHS rules are currently in litigation in several federal courts.

Additionally, Catholic public policy organizations such as Catholic Voice North Carolina are attempting to influence policy through lobbying efforts such as contacting elected officials.

Bishop Jugis asked the faithful to pray for the restoration of religious liberty.

He suggested attendance at daily Mass, recitation of the rosary and devotion to the Eucharist during a Holy Hour as things anyone could do in response to the government’s actions.

The bishop concluded his homily by reiterating the fact that the government’s contraception mandate infringes on the First Amendment guarantee of free exercise of religion, and he prayed that the Mass would strengthen all to more closely follow Jesus and His teachings.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Listen to Bishop Jugis’ complete homily

Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A diverse group of religious leaders, including Catholics, issued an open letter July 2 urging the U.S. government to “expand conscience protections” in its Health and Human Services contraceptive mandate.

The letter, which said the country’s “delicate liberty of conscience is under threat,” called on HHS to provide conscience protections to “any organization or individual that has religious or moral objections to covering, providing or enabling access to the mandated drugs and services.”

The signers also asked Congress to “consider how it might prevent such offenses from occurring in the future,” noting that any policy “that falls short of affirming full religious freedom protection for all Americans is unacceptable.”

The letter, “Standing Together for Religious Freedom,” was signed by 58 faith representatives and released during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington.

It points out that many of those who signed the letter “do not hold doctrinal objections to the use of contraception” but they stand “united in protest to this mandate.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued final rules June 28 which implement its mandate that employers provide coverage of contraceptives. The HHS final ruling updates proposed rules the department had issued in February. It had left the rules open for comment through April and received more than 400,000 comments.

The HHS contraceptive mandate, part of the Affordable Care Act, will require most employers, including religious employers, to provide coverage of contraceptives, sterilization and some abortion-inducing drugs free of charge, even if the employer is morally opposed to such services. It includes an exemption for some religious employers that fit its criteria.

President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, said June 28 that he appreciated the “five-month extension on implementing the complex proposal,” meaning the government extended its “safe harbor” period to Jan. 1, 2014, protecting employers from immediate government action against them if they fail to comply with the mandate. Before the final rules were released, that period was to end Aug. 1 of this year.

The administration’s final rules also include a separate accommodation for nonprofit religious organizations — including charities, hospitals and universities — that will not have to “contract, arrange, pay, or refer for contraceptive coverage” that they object to HHS, SEE page 17

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 OUR PARISHES

‘My priesthood is not my priesthood alone, it is our priesthood’ Father Sheridan shares his reflections on his 50th anniversary of priestly ministry HICKORY — More than 700 people attended Father Edward Sheridan’s 50th ordination anniversary celebration at the Catholic Conference Center in May. Father Sheridan celebrated Mass and during his homily took the opportunity to share his reflections on the holy priesthood and his own personal journey from his childhood in New York City to his life’s work in the mission churches of North Carolina.

Here is his homily: “We celebrate today what the Church calls the royal priesthood of Christ. The historical occasion is the ordination I received from Bishop Vincent S. Waters on May 23, 1963, in Jacksonville, N.C. That ordination was a gift for me and it was the occasion of joy for my family and hopefully for the Diocese of Raleigh and eventually the Diocese of Charlotte. But this ordination was not for me as my personal gift but was in behalf of the people of God and specifically for the Church – the people of God in North Carolina. I received the privilege of ordination but it was really our ordination.

“That ordination began the journey 50 years ago. However, my journey in the priesthood really began nearly 76 years ago when the priest, Father Philip O’Hern of the Paulist Fathers, baptized me at Good Shepherd Church in New York City on Sept. 26, 1937. My baptism, like your baptism, was the first step in the journey we entered into together. We all share what the Church calls “the common priesthood of Jesus Christ.” We all ,in our own unique ways, exercise our priesthood.

“The preface which is used at the chrism Mass during Holy Week and which we will use today illustrates this. It states: “Christ gives the dignity of a royal priesthood to the people He has made His own... From these…He chooses some to share His sacred ministry by the laying on of hands.

He appoints them to renew in His name the sacrifice of our redemption as they set before your family His paschal meal. He calls them to lead your holy people in love (as shepherds or pastors), nourish them by your Word (that is the study and putting into practice the lessons of Scripture), and strengthen them through the sacraments – baptism, confirmation, reconciliation, marriage, anointing of the sick, ordination and, of course, the Eucharist.

“What we are to do with our lives – that is all of God’s royal priesthood but especially in the clergy – again from the preface just mentioned: “to give their lives in your service and for the salvation of your people as they strive to grow in the likeness of Christ and honor you by their courageous witness of faith and love.” We all are called to be people of service, to be concerned for the salvation of all of the people we associate with, to be like Christ and to live our lives according to our faith and with much love for God and one another.

“We have seen the expansion and, unfortunately, the diminishment of that royal priesthood over these 50 years.

The Decree on the Laity from the Second Vatican Council spelled it out for us. Hopefully we can reclaim what is justly Julio and rightly ours – as sharers

More online Photos provided by B.J. Dengler

Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate Father Edward Sheridan’s 50th anniversary as a priest at the Catholic Conference Center in late May. During his homily at Mass, Father Sheridan emphasized the call we all have to follow Jesus and serve His Church.

things Father Bill wrote, that say it all.

They are: 1. Accept God’s unconditional love for me 2. Be thankful for all of life’s blessings 3. Ask forgiveness for all negative decisions and actions 4. Grant forgiveness to all who have harmed or hurt me 5. Include everyone in my love for God, others, self “Thank you all for coming here today and for all that you have done to make my journey absolutely terrific and a true blessing. Let us all be good “priests” in the world, and specifically in our little part of that world.”

Father Edward Sheridan, now retired, lives near the Catholic Conference Center Three other priests celebrated their anniversaries of and plans on continuing to be ordination last month, and for all of them, it is the 10th active in his priestly ministry; anniversary. They are: Father Matthew Buettner of St. Dorothy helping fill in for pastors Church in Lincolnton, Father Julio Dominguez of St. Francis as needed; and teaching a of Assisi Church in Lenoir, and Father Jose Enrique Gonzaleztheology class at St. Aloysius Gaytan of Divine Redeemer Church in Boonville.

Church in Hickory.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

in the priestly work of the Lord – all of us.

“And so we come together to celebrate our priesthood – not just my share in the gift the Lord has given us. With that gift there are the opportunities for us, and there are obligations. I pray that we all can fulfill these with the grace of God. “Thank you for all the ways you have been a part of this priesthood. You have given me an opportunity to be part of the “plan” God had – that this one priesthood should continue in the Church. I have been privileged to be of service and presence in the vineyard of the Lord. I have been truly blessed in every assignment and parish in

North Carolina. You all have been a gift to me to allow me to be a part of your, and our, journey – in good times and in bad, in sorrows and in joys, when we had it and when we did not have it. These words might sound familiar, for they are based upon the traditional exchange of vows at the ceremony of marriage.

“Over the years there have been positives and negatives in the journey. That is what happens in any life. I close with the words of Father Bill Pharr, my late good buddy in the priesthood. I found the following written in his own handwriting and wish to adopt it as my own today. There are five

Other recent anniversaries

Buettner

Gonzalez-Gaytan

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read more about Father Sheridan’s work in the diocese and his pastoral leadership, including his support of Asheville Catholic School

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Priest assignments 2013 Bishop Peter J. Jugis announces the following clergy assignments effective July 9.

Newly Ordained

Christian

First-time Pastors

Miller

Father Jason M. Christian: Newly ordained, in residence at St. Ann Church, Charlotte, until Sept. when he returns to Rome to complete a Licentiate in Theology

Voitus

Father David P. Miller: from parochial vicar of St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte, to pastor of St. Dorothy Church, Lincolnton Father Joshua A. Voitus: from parochial vicar at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte, to pastor of St. Mary Church, Sylva

Other Clergy Assignments Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter J. Jugis blesses the Rusciolelli family, headed by Marine Col. William J. Rusciolelli, as they bring up the gifts during the annual Mass July 15, 2012, honoring the men and women in the Diocese of Charlotte who have served in the U.S. military.

Rusciolelli served in Iraq from 2007 to 2008.

Arnsparger

Ayala

Father Roger K. Arnsparger: from pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Church, Gastonia, to pastor of St. Mark Church, Huntersville Father H. Alejandro Ayala: from pastor of St. Mary Church, Sylva, to pastor of St. William Church, Murphy and Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission, Hayesville

Buettner

Cesa

Father Matthew Buettner: from pastor of St. Dorothy Church, Lincolnton, to pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Church, Gastonia Father Dean E. Cesa: from administrator, Our Lady of the Mountains Mission, Highlands and St. Jude Mission, Sapphire, to pastor of St. Joan of Arc Church, Candler

Rossi

Seabo

Father Lucas C. Rossi: from pastor of St. Benedict the Moor Church, Winston-Salem, and Good Shepherd Mission, King, to parochial vicar of St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte Father Frank J. Seabo: from pastor of St. Joan of Arc Church, Candler, to pastor of Holy Infant Church, Reidsville

Shaw

Kessler

Father Peter Shaw: from parochial vicar of St. Leo the Great Church, Winston-Salem, to parochial vicar of St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte Father Thomas J. Kessler: from parochial vicar at St. Matthew Church, Charlotte, to pastor of St. Philip Church, Statesville Not pictured: Father Anthony R. Forte: from ministry outside of diocese, to pastor of St. Benedict the Moor Church, Winston-Salem and Good Shepherd Mission, King Father Christopher Riehl: from ministry outside of diocese, to parochial vicar at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte ­— Catholic News Herald

Mass honoring the military set for July 7 CHARLOTTE — All are welcome to a Mass honoring our military personnel, celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis, at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 7, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. The rosary will be recited at 3 p.m. A reception in the Family Life Center will be held after Mass.

Judy L. McCloskey, the founder of Mission Capodanno, will speak at the reception about Servant of God Father Vincent Capodanno, Medal of Honor recipient and famed wartime chaplain, and the work Mission Capodanno does to minister to veterans and their families.

McCloskey is the daughter of a World War II Army combat veteran and Bronze Star recipient who served as regimental photographer with an infantry division that liberated the Nazi concentration camp Nordhausen. She is also the wife of a career U.S. Navy surface warfare officer, and mother of six children, two of whom enlisted in the military.

McCloskey encouraged everyone to attend the military Mass to pray for our veterans and show them that we support their sacrifices and the sacrifices that their families have made.

It is that sacrificial service that is the particular vocation of the military, and it is a vocation that is often misunderstood, she noted.

Part of the work of Mission Capodanno is to explore our faith and build bridges between those serving in the military and other Catholics. The organization also provides support to military families and military chaplains, and it spreads awareness of the lives of Servant of God Father Capodanno, St. Josemaría Escrivá, Servant of God Father Emil Kapaun and Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

McCloskey also said the military Mass offers “reason for hope” for recently-returned soldiers, who need to know that people are praying for them, that there are resources to help them, and that other veterans are there to listen when needed.

“Pray for those veterans, pray for them at Mass,” McCloskey said.

“Let them hear (in the Prayers of the Faithful) for our returning veterans and for their family healing. Pray for the healing of memories; pray for the grace to forgive.”

Learn more about the work of Mission Capodanno online at www. missioncapodanno.org.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 OUR PARISHES

St. John the Evangelist parishioners conclude their pilgrimage Editor’s note: Pope Francis has urged all Roman Catholics to become pilgrims: “Having our eyes opened, our faith deepened, and enjoying the spiritual experience of our lives.”

This spring a group from Waynesville embarked on a true journey of faith, an 11-day pilgrimage from Lourdes to Fatima. This is the final part of their journey: Paul Viau Correspondent

It has been said that, “Faith is a journey, not a destination.” And for the 31 pilgrims from St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville, their April journey was richly rewarding.

They visited sacred and holy destinations throughout France and Spain. They bathed in the holy water at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, and along “The Way,” celebrated Mass at the Cathedral de Santiago, paying homage to the relics of the beloved Apostle, St. James.

In this final leg of their Marian pilgrimage, the St. John parishioners traveled by bus along the picturesque Spanish coast, and into their third country – Portugal.

Just outside Braga, which is blessed with more than 80 churches, stands one of Portugal‘s most spectacular religious sanctuaries – Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of the Mount).

This baroque masterpiece was built on the side of a mountain in 1725, and is famous for the zigzag, uphill stairway leading to the church — past numerous chapels, gardens and purifying fountains.

Pilgrims have “walked” – on their knees – up the 800 steps to Bom Jesus Shrine for centuries, pausing and reflecting on the 14 Stations of the Cross.

Fortunately, for the Waynesville pilgrims, there is also a funicular railway (elevator) leading to the shrine. After a short “ascent” up the hill, the group celebrated Mass.

St. John’s pastor and pilgrimage leader Father Lawrence LoMonaco’s homily that day was especially touching, reflecting on his pilgrimage mission, “…taking care of my sheep.”

Photos provided by Paul Viau

Scenes from Fatima: The torchlight procession at Fatima, Fatima Cathedral and steps of Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of the Mount) Following the Mass, all prayerfully took in the fantastic view, then descended (most by foot) for lunch at a nearby outdoor café.

The group then continued by bus, stopping for a short tour in Porto, then continuing to their final Marian destination – Fatima, one of Europe’s major pilgrimage centers.

Weary from the day-long bus ride and a late dinner, most turned in early. Some walked the short way to the Chapel of the Apparitions, and were rewarded: joining in the multilingual recitation of the rosary and a candlelight procession behind the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. The stage was set for their next day in Fatima.

The day began, as all days on the pilgrimage, with Mass. This time Mass was celebrated at the famed Little Chapel of the Apparitions. Following Mass, the group met their local guide, “Neo,” who explained that the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the chapel stands on the exact spot where Mary first appeared to three shepherd children, Francisco, Jacinto, and Lucia, on May 13, 1917.

Instructional Technology Specialist Position (FT) St. Pius X Catholic School, Greensboro, NC is seeking a full-time Instructional Technology Integration Specialist and Teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. Primary responsibilities will be to develop a program that will assist teachers through improved integration of technology that will enhance a rigorous and multidisciplinary curriculum as well as to provide grade 4-8 technology instruction. The primary focus will be to enrich and support teaching and learning while strengthening the technology skills of students and faculty.

The ideal candidate should work well with others; be skilled in team management and collaboration; and have a background in instructional design, technology grant writing, and iPad integration. NC Certification in related field and teaching experience required. Applicants should email their resume to Mrs. Anne W. Knapke, Principal at aknapke@spxschool.com.

In the apparition, Mary implored the children to pray for world peace, and asked that they return to that same spot (once marked by a large oak tree) on the 13th day of every month.

Our Lady of Fatima further told the children that she would reveal her true identity that October. It was then that she revealed to them that she was “Our Lady of the Rosary.”

The people of Fatima wanted a sign or miracle that the apparitions were real, and on Oct. 13, 1917, an estimated 70,000 people witnessed “The Miracle of the Sun.” Some saw the sun transformed into flowers, others saw the sun change colors wildly, still others the sun gyrating wildly “as if dancing.”

As the Waynesville pilgrims toured Fatima with their tour guide, they gained even more insight into the spiritual power of Our Lady of Fatima. They walked through Fatima Square and toured the family homes of the shepherd children.

A few pilgrims in the group were able to meet Lucia’s niece.

They also visited Valinhos (Little Valley) where Our Lady appeared on Aug. 19, reminding the children to continue to pray the rosary daily.

That evening after dinner, the pilgrims witnessed yet another moving torchlight procession, and reflected on their full day in Fatima.

Many fell to sleep that night reciting the prayer Our Lady taught the children in July of 1917: “Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.”

The Waynesville pilgrims were coming to the end of their pilgrimage. The following day, they took a short bus ride to the small fishing village of Nazare, where they celebrated Mass at Our Lady of Nazare Church, which is set on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

They continued to Lisbon, where they settled in and enjoyed a relaxing dinner and show.

Their final day in Portugal began with a Mass at the 12th-century Cathedral de Santa Maria, followed by tours of the neighboring Pao de St. Antonio, the church built over the birthplace of St. Anthony of Padua, and Belem, formerly St. Jerome Monastery.

That evening the pilgrims gathered for their final dinner together before their flight home to Waynesville.

After a beginning toast with an excellent glass of port, each member revealed the identity of his or her prayer partner. It was emotional for all, but ended gleefully as Father Lo Monaco was presented with a surprise birthday cake.

There were so many candles to count that he was left speechless. At the end of the evening, Father LoMonaco concluded the pilgrimage, calling for prayer - silent prayer – because no words were needed.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read about the Waynesville pilgrims’ experiences in Lourdes and on the Way of St. James

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Mary Beth Worthington | Catholic News Herald Photo provided by Gretchen Oakley

Men’s Shelter of Charlotte expands partnership with Crisis Assistance Ministry CHARLOTTE — The Men’s Shelter of Charlotte is leaning on valuable community partners such as Crisis Assistance Ministry for help with clothing donations. The Men’s Shelter donated enough clothes June 5 to fill a moving truck to Crisis Assistance to allow the shelter to focus time and energy toward working on individual plans for each man to move out of the shelter to more appropriate housing. St. Matthew Church was also honored for its support of the Men’s Shelter and dedication to the men who are served at the shelter through managing and distributing clothing donations. Pictured are parishioners Tom Blackburn, Doug Felt, Phillip Budidharma, Michael Sprenger and James Matta.

“We are committed not only to our mission of ending homelessness for each man we serve, but we are also committed to fostering relationships with community partners such as Crisis Assistance Ministry,” said Carson Dean, executive director of the Men’s Shelter. “We understand that our strength is moving men to more appropriate housing. Crisis Assistance is there for our men when they move out, providing them with clothing and a bed – that is part of their strengths.”

“We have more people in poverty than ever in the history of our county. Agencies must work together to improve service delivery and help people regain housing and financial stability,” added Carol Hardison, Crisis Assistance Ministry’s chief executive officer.

Fourth Vigil for Life by the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants held CHARLOTTE — Young and old alike gathered on Saturday morning, June 15, for the fourth monthly “Vigil for Life” sponsored by the newly-formed Charlotte chapter of the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants. After morning Mass, Father David Miller led the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of the rosary. Parishioners then went to the A Preferred Women’s Health Center abortion mill on Latrobe Drive, where Father Miller and Deacon Brian McNulty led everyone in prayer. The peaceful vigil was attended by 25 people. After concluding the joyful and sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, the group returned to St. Patrick Cathedral where Father Christopher Roux, rector and pastor, gave the benediction.

The next Vigil for Life will be hosted by St. Basil Eastern Catholic Mission at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. Mass will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 13, followed by the prayer vigil at the Latrobe abortion mill led by Father Deacon Matthew Hanes.

CCDOC.ORG

CAMPUS MINISTER DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE, NC

The Diocese of Charlotte, NC is seeking a full-time Campus Minister for multiple campuses in the Greensboro, NC Area. The Campus Minister works collaboratively with the Diocesan Director of Campus Ministry and Campus Ministers throughout the Diocese. The Greensboro Area Campus Minister also has a strong relationship with the ecumenical Campus Ministry team, faculty, staff and students.

The primary responsibility of the Campus Minister is to implement the Bishop’s Pastoral “Empowered by the Spirit”. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to supervision, maintaining the program finances and fundraising for Campus Ministry. As a member of the Diocesan Campus Ministry team the Campus Minister is expected to participate in diocesan Campus Ministry meetings and promote Campus Ministry events.

Requirements: Energetic, enthusiastic, flexible, a role model of faith and practicing Catholic in good standing with the Roman Catholic Church. A Bachelors and/or Masters degree in Theology or a related field is required. The Campus Minister should posses the ability to be a daily ministry of presence to the college students with an open ear and heart as they journey through their Catholic faith. Flexible schedule includes nights and weekend responsibilities.

Please email cover letter, resume and references to the Assistant to Director for Campus Ministry, Kay Jordan wkjordan@charlottediocese.org. Resumes will be accepted until July 12, 2013. For more information or questions contact Kay at (704) 370-3243.

Help and Hope for Those in Need John 14:27 gives us hope with these words: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Catholic Charities counseling services take these words and put them in to action, offering individual, family, premarital, marital and group mental health psychotherapy.

Counselors work with the client on their personal journey, addressing the challenges of life. Services are provided on a “sliding fee scale” based upon family or individual income. Some insurance policies accepted.

Visit our website or call for appointment information.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 OUR PARISHES

Where are you going?

Quo Vadis Days - Prayer, Discernment and Fun Approximately 60 young men from around the Diocese of Charlotte gathered at Belmont Abbey College June 24-28 to learn more about the vocation to the priesthood.

The discernment retreat, a first for the diocese, was called Quo Vadis Days. Quo Vadis is Latin for “Where are you going?” It is an appropriate question for young people who are trying to determine the direction they are being called in their lives.

The young men had an opportunity to meet seminarians and priests and to ask themselves questions about a call to either the religious, married or single life.

Similar events in other dioceses have led to an increased number of priestly vocations, organizers said.

Besides time spent in prayer and thought, the Quo Vadis Days attendees attended talks by diocesan priests and Belmont Abbey’s monks. They also had plenty of time for fellowship and fun that included games like tug-of-war and group activities.

Father Jason Barone, one of the organizers of the discernment retreat, said plans are already under way for Quo Vadis Days in 2014.

More online Photos by Ruben Tamayo | Catholic News Herald

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos, video highlights and comments from participants in Quo Vadis Days.

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Vacation faith formation held BREVARD — Sacred Heart Parish in Brevard recently concluded its vacation faith formation program. All children attended daily Mass in addition to learning more about Moses. Pictured above, Capuchin Franciscan Father Andrew Nowak, parochial administrator, blessed each child who attended the vacation faith formation classes.

American Cancer Society. Pictured, the teens of Holy Spirit Church once again sold bubble gum in their “Stick it to Cancer” fundraiser at the Relay for Life.

— Doreen Sugierski

OUR PARISHESI

CCDOC.ORG

Boone parishioners raise money for Relay for Life BOONE — Several parishioners from St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church in Boone recently participated in Watauga County’s Relay for Life. Through donations, bake sales, snow cones sales and angel sales, the group raised $3,333, which surpassed the group’s goal of $1,500.

— Amber Mellon

— Dorice Narins

St. Gabriel students raise money to benefit Catherine’s House CHARLOTTE — More than two dozen students of St. Gabriel School in Charlotte who go to Foxcroft East Swim Club on Fairview Road participated in a school-wide group of summer lemonade stands for Catherine’s House, a transitional housing facility and program for homeless women and children in Belmont, June 25. Foxcroft East Gators and Jaguars raised more than $200 by selling lemonade and cookies at the pool, their sixth year participating in “Kids Helping Kids.”

— Michelle Rogers

Natural Family Planning …

A practical and empowering alternative

Ladies tea in Murphy raises $500 for charity MURPHY — The evangelization commissions of St. William Church in Murphy and Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville cosponsored a Ladies High Tea June 1. The event raised $500 and several hundred soap items, with all proceeds donated to the Sharing Center and the Clay County Food Bank. A fashion show was part of the program, with the clothing being donated to Reach by the models wearing the outfits. Entertainment was provided by Barber Shop Quartet. A “Best Hat Contest” was won by Danika Stillwagon, pictured above, the grandaughter of Don and Rose Stillwagon.

She wore a hat of her own design and creation.

Ladies from 15 different churches attended the ecumenical event.

— Linda Ammerman

Triad area Knights enjoy ball game

Holy Spirit Parish participates in Relay for Life DENVER — The Holy Spirit Parish booth at the recent East Lincoln Relay for Life in Denver was again awarded the “Best Food” designation for the third year in row. They also took the “Most Creative Fundraiser” title with a photo booth.

The team raised more than $7,000 for the

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July 27 - Newton August 17 - Charlotte September 7 - Winston-Salem September 28 - Charlotte October 5 – Charlotte

Special Webinar Class to be held on September 21

SALISBURY — On May 31, the Triad Assembly 2282 (4th degree Knights of Columbus from St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Mocksville, Holy Family Parish in Clemmons and Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Winston-Salem) hosted seven veterans and three staff members from the VA Medical Center in Salisbury to participate in the annual fa,mily outing at a Winston-Salem Dash baseball game. The Triad Assembly honor guard presented the colors before the game and Sir Knight Walter Capiga (a member of the Knights for 56 years) was selected to throw out the first pitch. The veterans enjoyed the fellowship, ballpark dinner and snacks, and fireworks after the game.

— Mitch Miller

For more information please contact: Batrice Adcock, MSN Natural Family Planning Program Director

704.370.3230 bnadcock@charlottediocese.org

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iiiJuly 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

sueann howell | catholic news herald

‘Share in Jesus’ priestly consecration for the salvation of all’

Father Jason Christian ordained to the priesthood SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — It was “a day of great joy,” and “the beginning of something wonderful.”

Bishop Peter J. Jugis ordained another of the diocese’s native sons, Deacon Jason Christian, to the holy priesthood during a two-hour ordination Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral on June 22. Father Christian is a native Charlottean who has spent the past four years studying for the priesthood in Rome at the Pontifical North American College.

During his homily, Bishop Jugis expressed what the hundreds of people gathered were experiencing as they witnessed the ordination of Father Christian.

“This is a day of great joy for the Church of Charlotte,” Bishop Jugis said. “Today, we humbly present our brother, Deacon Jason Christian, to Almighty God for ordination to the holy priesthood. Our brother comes to this Mass after mature deliberation of many years, ready to hand himself over to God. “He is now set apart and raised into a new reality to participate in Jesus’ priesthood for the mission of the salvation of others. His ordination to the holy priesthood is ordered to the mission of salvation.”

Bishop Jugis explained that through the laying on of hands, the prayer of ordination and the coming of the Holy Spirit, Deacon Christian would be consecrated in his whole being, to follow Jesus’ priestly mission of salvation.

“You are to be immersed in Jesus and share in Jesus’ priestly consecration for the salvation of all,” Bishop Jugis emphasized. “As Jesus the High Priest is all about salvation – for this He consecrates Himself – so also are Jesus’ priests all about salvation. For this mission He consecrates them.”

During the ordination rite, Deacon Christian prostrated himself at the base of the sanctuary as the clergy, religious and faithful recited the ancient Litany of Saints. Then he rose and climbed the steps and knelt to allow for Bishop Jugis to lay his hands on his head, invoking the Holy Spirit to come upon him to confer the sacrament of holy orders. This is the most solemn and essential part of the ordination.

More than 27 priests then also ascended

the sanctuary steps to lay hands on him, joining in this ancient biblical gesture as a sign of their union in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Afterward, Monsignor Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, vested the new priest, putting on him the vestments of a priest – a stole and chasuble.

Then the newly ordained Father Christian knelt again before Bishop Jugis to have his hands anointed with sacred chrism and wrapped in a linen cloth, called a maniturgia. The priest’s hands will be used extensively in priestly service: giving blessings, anointing the sick, absolving sins, feeding the faithful with Holy Communion, baptizing infants and adults, Christian, SEE page 14

HE COVER

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

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photos by sueann howell | catholic news herald

At left, clockwise: Bishop Peter J. Jugis prays over Deacon Jason M. Christian during the ordination rite. Deacon Christian lies prostrate during the chanting of the Litany of the Saints. The clergy and laity applaud as a sign of their assent to Bishop Jugis’ choice of Deacon Christian to be ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Below, from left: Father Jason M. Christian elevates the chalice containing the Precious Blood during his first Mass on June 23 at St. Ann Church. Father Christian and Bishop Jugis are pictured with members of the Christian family after the ordination Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral on June 22.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 FROM THE COVER

sueann howell | catholic news herald

Father Jason Christian gives his first blessing to Bishop Jugis at the end of the ordination Mass on June 22.

CHRISTIAN: FROM PAGE 12

and handling the sacred vessels.

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, Father Christian’s parents, Joseph and Denise Christian, along with Father Christian’s siblings, Jeremy and Ana, presented the gifts to Bishop Jugis.

The bishop then ritually gave the newly-ordained priest a chalice filled with wine and the paten containing the host, representing the sacrifice he is to offer daily as a priest.

After the Mass, the family found it hard to say how it felt watching Father Christian being ordained to the holy priesthood. Both parents said it was “indescribable.”

Father Christian’s brother Jeremy said, “It’s like nothing else. It’s the beginning of something wonderful.”

“There aren’t really words,” his sister Ana said. “I’m happy for him. He looks so happy today – happier than I’ve ever seen him.”

Father Christian’s grandmother, Ann Marie Christian, was also in attendance. “It was very special. I think it’s wonderful for him,” she said.

Father John Putnam, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury and one of Father Christian’s mentors during his formation for the priesthood, said he was very moved during the Mass.

“It was a dream come true,” Father Putnam said. “He was one of the last ones I accepted when I was acting vocations director. To watch him develop and grow over the years has been a great blessing and a testament to God’s grace.”

Also in attendance at the ordination Mass were Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey in Belmont; Father Roger K. Arnsparger, vicar of education for the Diocese of Charlotte; Father Christopher Gober, diocesan vocations director; and Monsignor Michael Farmer, vice rector for administration and formation advisor for the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Father Christian will serve at St. Ann Church in Charlotte this summer until returning to Rome in September to pursue a Licentiate degree in theology.

Father Christian attended seminary at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Ohio, where he received a B.A. in philosophy. He studied theology at Santa Croce University in Rome, where he received a master’s degree in sacred theology. He spent last summer serving at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See video highlights and more photos from Father Christian’s ordination Mass At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Also see more photos from Father Christian’s first Mass, in the Extraordinary Form, at St. Ann Church in Charlotte, and hear the homily given

by Father Matthew Kauth (priest-in-residence at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte)

sueann howell | catholic news herald

Above: Bishop Jugis invokes the Holy Spirit to descend upon Deacon Christian during the ordination Mass on June 22. Religious sisters from around the diocese attended the ordination Mass on June 22. The sun breaks through the clouds after Father Christian’s ordination at St. Patrick Cathedral adding to the joy of the moment.

Our schools

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief Saying goodbye to the school year GREENSBORO — Father Eric Kowalski, pastor, and the 20122013 pre-kindergartner class at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro wave goodbye to the old school year on the last of school.

— Karen L. Hornfeck

Rugby team celebrates CHARLOTTE — Five members of the rugby team at Charlotte Catholic High School are pictured above, immediately after the team won its fifth consecutive state title in May. The five players are also all Eagle Scouts in Troop 162 at St. Ann Parish in Charlotte.

Pictured are (from left): Jay Charles, Ryan Auger, Anthony Dellamea, Garrett Fowler and Alex Funck, who all graduated from Charlotte Catholic last month. All of them had played rugby together since middle school.

The rugby team coaches were Brendon Keane and Bernie Funck.

— Dottie Sue Fowler

Singletary among scholars to study medicine WASHINGTON, D.C. — Elizabeth Singletary, a rising junior at Charlotte Catholic High School, is headed to Emory University in Atlanta July 7-16 to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, a selective program for high school students nationwide who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and an interest in a career in medicine.

Throughout the 10-day forum, students will be introduced to a variety of concepts in public health, medical ethics, research and general practice.

Students participate in site visits to medical schools and clinical facilities.

A highlight of the forum is a simulation in which students are presented with a fictional patient’s case history and must diagnose and develop a treatment plan for the patient.

“Each student may very well be the face of the future of medicine,” said NYLF Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Marguerite C. Regan. “The National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine creates a virtual classroom with hospitals, clinical facilities, and health care professionals. By shadowing key personnel, these Singletary students have the opportunity to gain a behind-thescenes perspective on a medical career. The timing is critical as young people explore their career paths, just prior to immersing themselves in college coursework.”

In addition to visiting cutting-edge medical schools and clinical facilities, scholars will have the opportunity to hear from and interact with leaders within the medical field. Students engage personally with physicians, surgeons, researchers, scientists and medical educators as they view these professionals at work.

Singletary is an Honors and Advanced Placement student. She is a parishioner and youth service volunteer at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. She enjoys volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte and she is a member of its Teen Service Corps. An avid volleyball player, Singletary plays at Charlotte Catholic as well as with Carolina Juniors Volleyball.

She is the daughter of Dan and Maggie Singletary of Charlotte.

We welcome your school’s news and photos. Please email items to Editor Patricia L. Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

Photos provided by Al Tinson

Camp SOAR fosters fun, leadership and friendships CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Catholic High School students again played a prominent role in another very successful Camp SOAR. They were among the nearly 400 volunteers and 365 campers who attended the week-long camp June 10-14 for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, held at the Levine Jewish Community Center in Charlotte. Several Charlotte Catholic students served in a leadership role as group leaders and leaders-in-training while most were “buddies” for the campers. Some members of the Cougars men’s and women’s soccer teams assisted at the soccer venue under the direction of Jamie Luckie of Charlotte Soccer Academy.

Campers participated in a number of sports – including basketball, soccer, bocce, swimming, bowling, and tennis – as well as several other activities such as yoga, fitness and bingo. One of the highlights of the week involved the campers, volunteers and two members of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps putting together art supplies for the Wounded Warriors program at Fort Bragg and for troops serving in Afghanistan. Eileen Schwartz, founder of Flags Across the Nation, coordinated the art project.

Camp SOAR’s founder and director, Bob Bowler, who is a parishioner at St. Gabriel Church, said, “The camp continues to provide not only a wonderful experience for the campers but a very meaningful one for the volunteers as well.” He indicated the camp is hoping to expand next year with Charlotte Catholic High School serving as the second venue.

Pictured from top left: Bob Bowler, Camp SOAR’s founder and director, is pictured with former Charlotte Hornets player Muggsy Bogues and a camper.

Top right: Junior Rachel Cline and senior Christina Pierle, Charlotte Catholic High School student volunteers, pause with their Camp SOAR buddies.

Botton left: Charlotte Catholic junior Riley Byrnes poses with her buddy at the swimming pool. Bottom right: Chris Fiato, a junior at Charlotte Catholic, was a group leader at Camp SOAR.

Mix 16

catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

On TV

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

n Friday, July 5, 6:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “For God and Country.”

Fr. Al Schmitt, the first Catholic Chaplain killed in World War II.

In theaters

This is the cover of the first issue of the comic book “Wage Theft: Crime & Justice,” published

by Chicago-based Interfaith Worker Justice. Jeffry Korgen, executive director of planning and communications for the Diocese of Metuchen, N.J., said he was inspired to develop a short graphic novel in English and Spanish to tell the stories of workers who were cheated out of wages owed to them under state and federal laws.

‘Man of Steel’ Action adventure recounting the life of iconic comic book hero Superman (Henry Cavill). Born on distant Krypton, as an infant his parents (Russell Crowe and Ayelet Zurer) send him to Earth so that he can escape his doomed home planet’s imminent destruction. His adoptive human parents (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) instill positive values and try to protect his secret. But, once grown, an investigative reporter (Amy Adams) is on the verge of disclosing his true identity when an old enemy (Michael Shannon) of his father’s arrives from space and threatens humanity with annihilation unless Superman surrenders. Director Zack Snyder’s take on the familiar narrative has the makings of an engaging drama and includes Christian themes and an anti-eugenics message that viewers of faith in particular can appreciate. But this positive potential is squandered in favor of endless scenes of high-powered brawling and the pyrotechnics of innumerable explosions. Much intense but bloodless violence, a fleeting sexual advance, occasional crude and crass language.

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

‘The Heat’ Sometimes funny, but relentlessly foulmouthed buddy comedy pairing uptight FBI agent Sandra Bullock with scruffy, rule-averse Boston police officer Melissa McCarthy. As this odd couple work to bring down a drug lord, their squabbling is predictably transformed into friendship. Director Paul Feig gains some traction from McCarthy’s wild riffs at the expense of stiff straight-man Bullock. But gears grind as gritty vocabulary works its way into virtually every sentence of dialogue. And the Beantown cop’s inability to form emotional bonds with any of the numerous men in her life, while shown to be dysfunctional, nevertheless leads to a comic treatment of casual sex. A frivolous view of promiscuity, frequent instances of profanity, CNS: 0 (morally offensive); MPAA: R

Additional reviews: n ‘Monsters University’: CNS: A-I (general patronage); MPAA: G n ‘The Bling Ring’: CNS: 0 (morally offensive); MPAA: R n ’This Is the End’: CNS: 0 (morally offensive); MPAA: R n ‘White House Down’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13 n ‘World War Z’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13

Comic book tackles wage theft with goal of empowering aggrieved workers Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Worker advocates have turned to a new tool to educate lowwage employees about wage theft.

Welcome the comic book.

The first issue of “Wage Theft: Crime & Justice,” published by Chicago-based Interfaith Worker Justice, may not be coveted by comic book collectors, but clients at worker centers around the country are poring over the bilingual book to learn how best to regain wages owed to them by deceitful employers.

“The combination of story and art can be very powerful,” said Jeffry Korgen, executive director of planning and communications for the Diocese of Metuchen, N.J., who wrote the book and teamed with artist Kevin C. Pyle in the effort.

A longtime worker rights advocate, Korgen said he was inspired to develop a short graphic novel in English and Spanish to tell the stories of workers who were cheated out of wages owed to them under state and federal laws.

“Poverty is awful and something we should try to alleviate,” Korgen said. “Jesus told us it is essential toward our salvation.

But when you look at people working full time, maybe several jobs, and they still can’t feed their children or provide health care,

and on top of that employers are stealing their wages, that just cries for action.”

The 32-page book tells the stories of four real-life workers who failed to be paid for overtime hours or extra hours off the clock, whose pay was below the minimum wage (currently $7.25 an hour) or who waited weeks for a paycheck. The stories end with examples of how the workers took steps to recover their wages by learning about their legal rights, coming together with co-workers to act and educating the public about their situation.

The stories come from among clients at some of the 27 worker centers affiliated with Interfaith Worker Justice. Some of the centers, as well as the Chicago justice organization, have received Catholic Campaign for Human Development grants for their worker advocacy efforts. CCHD also provided a $5,000 education grant for the book project. In addition, the CCHD program in the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston supported the project.

“It’s a great way for people to understand the issues of wage theft who may not be aware of it at all,” Kathy Saile, director of domestic social development at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and an Interfaith Worker Justice board member, said of the comic book. “It’s also a way to help to help victims learn about wage theft.

COMIC, SEE page 17

n Saturday, July 6, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Maria Goretti.” Saint Maria Goretti, one of the youngest saints in the history of the Church, gave up her life to protect her purity; this remarkable new film explores her life in the gritty detail of family poverty and harsh living conditions. n Sunday, July 7, 12 p.m. (EWTN) “Holy Mass with Seminarians and Novices with Pope Francis.” Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Francis with the seminarians and novices. n Monday, July 8, 6:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Hearing God.” Fr. Christopher Klusman’s call to the priesthood involved facing the obstacle of deafness. n Tuesday, July 9, 6:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Rising from the Ashes.” The Healey International Foundation brings hope and healing to Sierra Leone, which was racked by the tragedy of infant mortality. n Wednesday, July 10, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Monastic Voice.” Experience the Benedictine monks at Pluscarden Abbey. Abandoned after the Reformation, monastic life here was revived in the 1940’s. It is the oldest male monastery still used for its original purpose in the United Kingdom. n Thursday, July 11, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Mariannhill and It’s Founder: Abbot Francis Pfanner.”

Originally a Trappist community and founded under Abbot Francis Pfanner, the Mariannhill Missionary Fathers and Brothers, with Pope Pius X’s approval became independent and have spawned several missions all over the world, especially in South Africa. n Saturday, July 13, 5 p.m.

(EWTN) “River of Light - Edge of the World.” The Apostle St. James’s evangelization of Iberia and his protection and patronage of Spain and Portugal from future conquests. n Sunday, July 14, 9 p.m. (EWTN) “In Her Footsteps: The Story of Kateri Tekakwitha.” Learn about St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American woman to be recognized as a saint and her incredible story. Listen to testimonies of those who have been touched by her-including the young boy miraculously cured that led to her canonization.

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

HHS: FROM PAGE 5

on religious grounds.

To qualify for the accommodation, organizations must be certified as nonprofit religious group with religious objections to contraceptive coverage. These organizations must provide their health insurance companies with proof of their self-certification and insurance companies in turn would notify women in the health plan that contraceptive coverage would be provided separately and at no cost to them.

“We are still concerned that basic issue — that religious employers should be able to offer health insurance coverage that is consistent with Church teachings — has not been addressed,” said Terri Wilhelm, human resources director for the Diocese of Charlotte. “There does not seem to be an understanding on the part of the administration that providing contraception coverage to the members of our group could be construed as an extension of our plan. We are hopeful that an acceptable alternative will yet be proposed.”

The Becket Fund, a nonprofit, public interest law firm that represents Belmont Abbey College in addition to Catholic and other religious institutions in a number of the lawsuits against the HHS mandate, said the new ruling is not much different from the proposed rules issued in February.

“The news about the final rule is pretty simple: It’s more of the same,” said Eric Rassbach, deputy general counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

In a telephone news conference June 28, Rassbach told reporters that the HHS final rule “is not very different from the inadequate rule” the HHS issued in February and updated after the 60-day comment period. He said that although “HHS tinkered with some aspects of

COMIC: FROM PAGE 16

Maybe they don’t realize wages are being stolen ... and there are ways to fix it.”

Wage theft is most prevalent in lowpaying employment sectors, among them construction, restaurant, domestic and hotel services, nursing homes and home health care. “Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers,” a 2008 study involving 4,387 lowwage workers in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles found numerous workplace violations involving both wages and working conditions.

Some of the findings include: n 25.9 percent of workers were paid below minimum wage. n 19.1 percent worked overtime and 76.3 percent of them were not paid overtime wages. n 16.9 percent worked off the clock and 70.1 percent were not paid for that work. n 58.3 percent experienced meal break violations. n 12 percent of tipped workers had tips stolen by an employer or supervisor. n 4.6 percent of workers experienced retaliation from an employer for making a complaint or organizing a union.

“Organizationally, we have tried to promote the concept that this is not a just a minor problem, that this is a widespread, systematic abuse of workers across the country,” Kim Bobo, Interfaith Worker Justice’s executive director, said.

Enforcement actions by the Department

the rule,” the agency failed to tackle “fundamental religious questions.”

“Essentially, we’re where we’ve been all along; the change now is it is final,” he said, adding that unresolved issues will have to be addressed by the courts.

He took issue with the fact that religious groups with a self-insured plan must still provide notice to the third-party administrator of their plan that they object to paying for coverage of abortifacients and contraceptives, and then the third party must provide the coverage. He also objected that the final rules still do not exempt businesses whose owners, because of their religious beliefs, are morally opposed to the mandate, so they will still be required to provide the coverage or pay up to millions of dollars in fines.

A statement by the Becket Fund said an “easy way to resolve this would have been to exempt sincere religious employers completely, as the Constitution requires.”

The letter signed by 58 faith groups says: “Whether or not we agree with the particular conscientious objection is beside the point. HHS continues to deny many Americans the freedom to manifest their beliefs through practice and observance in their daily lives.”

It adds that through the contraceptive mandate, HHS “continues to breach universal principles affirmed and protected by the U.S. Constitution and other federal laws.”

The signers said the mandate is a specific offense because it “represents a greater fundamental breach of conscience by the federal government.”

“Very simply, HHS is forcing Citizen A, against his or her moral convictions, to purchase a product for Citizen B. The HHS policy is coercive and puts the administration in the position of defining -- or casting aside -- religious doctrine. This should trouble every American,” it said.

HHS said June 28 that in its final rules it is giving “a simpler definition of ‘religious employer’ for purposes of the

More online Besides the print version, “Wage Theft: Crime & Justice” is available online in English (www.bit.ly/ZKYlMj) and Spanish (www.bit. ly/13FRTdc). Information about wage theft is available through Interfaith Worker Justice.

“Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers” can be found online at www.bit.ly/1QR4FV.

Photo provided by Andrea Hines

Holy Angels parishioner Eric Moledor of Mount Airy and his family reflect in front of the federal courthouse in Charlotte following a prayer vigil for the Fortnight for Freedom July 2. More than 20 people prayed the rosary as part of the Fortnight for Freedom campaign. exemption from the contraceptive coverage requirement in response to concerns raised by some religious organizations. These employers, primarily houses of worship, may exclude contraceptive coverage from their health plans for their employees and their dependents.”

But HHS said it “declined to adopt” the suggestion to widen its exemption for secular employers who object to the mandate on moral grounds.

THE ORATORY 434 Charlotte Avenue, P.O. Box 11586 Rock Hill, SC 29731-1586

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31st Annual Summer Bible Institute Sunday, July 14 – Friday, July 19 The Summer Bible Institute is an opportunity to come together to study and reflect on the scriptures. Two programs are offered:

Old Testament (Evenings) Laura Manzo, Ph.D. St. Mary’s Seminary, Houston, TX The Psalms: A Collection of Prayers and Praises

of Labor tend to support Bobo’s statement.

In fiscal year 2012, the department’s Wage and Hour Division secured employer agreements to pay more than $280 million in back wages while assisting more than 308,000 workers. Spokesman Jason Surbey said it’s the largest amount recovered in the division’s history. That compares with $172 million recovered and 219,759 workers helped in fiscal year 2009.

Bobo said several factors contribute to wage theft, including lessening sense of responsibility to workers on the part of business owners, the falling number of unionized jobs and the subsequent loss of union oversight of employer actions and a backlog in enforcement of labor laws by the Department of Labor.

On top of that, many low-wage jobs are largely filled by immigrants, many of whom are in the country illegally and face threats of deportation by employers if they complain about working conditions or lost wages, she said.

17

This workshop will offer a general introduction to the Hebrew Psalter and introduce the types of psalms found in the collection. Some psalms will be selected to illustrate aspects of their poetry and imagery, and the spiritual importance of daily prayer with the psalms will be explored.

New Testament (Mornings) Fr. Kevin O’Brien, Ph.D. Diocese of Richmond Virginia Book of Revelation: A Playground for Religious Eccentrics or a Faithful Witness to the Gospel?

Visually, the frightening images in the Book of Revelation can be haunting! And yet, this book was written to offer hope, call forth repentance and inspire faithfulness. How can such a paradox be Good News? We will examine not only the historical background, literary style, purpose and major themes but also what it has to say about God, Jesus and the Church.

$180 tuition for both courses $95 tuition for single course $260 room & board

Our nation 18

catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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In Brief Lori: Faith serves public life, witnesses moral values democracy needs BALTIMORE — Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore held up statesman Sargent Shriver and other Catholics like him as “a living example of how faith enriches public life” June 21 at a standingroom-only Mass opening the second Fortnight for Freedom.

“Faith serves the public life not only by the sheer magnitude of its humanitarian services,” he said, “but by its witness to Christ Jesus, to its witness to those moral truths and values without which democracy cannot flourish.” Celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, the evening Mass began 14 days of prayer, education and action on religious liberty issues called for by the U.S. bishops.

Federal appeals court finds merit in Hobby Lobby’s challenge of mandate DENVER — In a June 27 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver reversed a decision of the lower court in Hobby Lobby’s challenge to a federal contraceptive mandate, saying that the chain of arts-and-crafts stores will not have to pay fines while its lawsuit makes its way through the courts.

The appeals court returned the case to the District Court with instructions that it consider whether to grant Hobby Lobby a preliminary injunction. The court said that the company has “established a likelihood of success that (its) rights ... are substantially burdened by the contraceptive-coverage requirement, and established an irreparable harm.

In September, Hobby Lobby sued the U.S. government over the requirement that employers cover emergency contraceptives such as the morningafter pill or Plan B, which are considered abortifacients.

The family-owned company has no moral objection to the Department of Health and Human Services’ requirement it cover “preventive contraceptives” and will continue to cover those for employees.

— Catholic News Service

People demonstrate outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., in this photo from late March, when the court heard oral arguments in two same-sex “marriage” cases. The court ruled as unconstitutional the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, in a 5-4 decision issued June 26.

In a separate case, the court sent back to lower courts a challenge to California’s Proposition 8, the voterapproved initiative barring same-sex marriage.

CNS | Nancy Phelan Wiechec

U.S. bishops: Supreme Court’s rulings ‘tragic day for marriage’ Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Catholic bishops said the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 rulings on same-sex “marriage” were a “tragic day for marriage and our nation.”

The court, in separate 5-4 rulings struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, defining marriage as between one man and one woman and also refused to rule on the merits of a challenge to California’s Proposition 8, the voter-approved initiative barring homosexual “marriage.”

In the rulings, the court said DOMA was unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause and they sent back to lower courts a challenge to Prop 8, saying the individuals who defended the law in court lacked legal standing.

A statement by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chair of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, said the court “has dealt a profound injustice to the American people by striking down in part the federal Defense of Marriage Act.” “The court got it wrong,” they continued. “The federal government ought to respect the truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, even where states fail to do so. The preservation of liberty and justice requires that all laws, federal and state, respect the truth, including the truth about marriage.”

They urged people to “stand steadfastly together in promoting

and defending the unique meaning of marriage: one man, one woman, for life.” They also asked for prayers “as the court’s decisions are reviewed and their implications further clarified.”

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori said the court’s decisions were the “latest in a troubling trend of decisions by lawmakers, judges, and some voters which ignores the fundamental truth about marriage: It is the most valued, most important social unit in our society and as such is deserving of the protection and special recognition societies have afforded it throughout human history.”

The archbishop said the courts’ decisions will “also undoubtedly contribute to concerted efforts not just to redefine marriage but to dismantle it, efforts which represent a serious threat to religious liberty and conscience rights for countless people of faith.”

According to a study issued May 30 by the Washington-based Public Religion Research Institute, 62 percent of U.S. Catholics support homosexual “marriage”; overall, 52 percent of Americans support such marriages and 43 percent oppose them.

President Barack Obama applauded the court’s ruling against DOMA as “a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law,” but also stressed the importance of “maintaining our nation’s commitment to religious freedom.”

The “future of our democracy” is “very, very worrisome,” Archbishop Cordileone said from Rome in reaction to the rulings.

Archbishop Cordileone said the court’s decision will effectively “undermine in the law the principle that children have a right to a mother and father.”

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Senate immigration bill passes, moves to uncertain fate in House Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The diverse coalition of faith, labor, business and civil rights activists who are trying to rework the nation’s immigration system celebrated the June 27 Senate passage of a massive reform bill.

The bill moves to the House, where Speaker John Boehner has said he would not allow it on the floor unless a majority of Republicans support it, which they do not. Instead, the House is taking a piecemeal approach, with separate bills focusing first on border security.

In a 68 to 32 vote, the Senate passed S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Competitiveness, and Immigration Modernization Act, which would massively ramp up enforcement on the southern border, adding 700 miles of fencing and doubling the number of Border Patrol agents, to the tune of $46.3 billion.

The bill also provides a path to legalization and ultimately citizenship for many of the nation’s estimated 11 million immigrants who are here illegally. Other provisions would change the systems for family reunification immigration, for farm labor immigration and temporary workers; give young adults a quicker path to citizenship under the DREAM Act; and address problems with employer verification, immigrant detention and where enforcement raids are conducted.

Among those commending the Senate for completing the bill and for the bipartisan cooperation it took was Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, who urged the House of Representatives to do the same.

Archbishop Gomez, who chairs the Committee on Migration of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the bishops disagree with elements of the bill, particularly “the unprecedented buildup of enforcement resources along the southern border, they see the legislation as an overall improvement upon the status quo.”

In a statement, he said the current system causes much suffering among immigrants and their families. The Senate bill “would allow immigrants and their families to come out of the shadows and into the light and would protect families from separation.”

Among changes to the legislation that

the archbishop said the USCCB would seek as the House proceeds are making the path to citizenship “more accessible and achievable.”

Traveling in Africa, President Barack Obama in a statement thanked the bipartisan “gang of eight” senators who wrote the bill and those who crossed party lines to pass it.

He said that as a compromise measure, “nobody got everything they wanted. Not Democrats. Not Republicans. Not me. But the Senate bill is consistent with the key principles for common-sense reform that I -- and many others -- have repeatedly laid out.

He called the bill’s border security plan of the bill the most aggressive in history.

Its provisions also would provide an economic boost to the country, Obama said.

He urged people who care about the issue to keep a watchful eye as the bill proceeds.

“Now is the time when opponents will try their hardest to pull this bipartisan effort apart so they can stop commonsense reform from becoming a reality,” the president’s statement said. “We cannot let that happen.”

Obama added that “the clear majority of Americans who support reform -- from CEOs to labor leaders, law enforcement to clergy” should reach out to members of Congress and urge them to “pass commonsense reform so that our businesses and workers are all playing by the same rules and everyone who’s in this country is paying their fair share in taxes.”

As advocates gear up for the next part of the effort to get a bill approved and to the president to sign into law, some planned to start with prayer.

Tom Stieritz, director of Catholic Social Action for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, said on behalf of Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr that the bill, though imperfect, “is a step forward in finally establishing some law and order to our broken system and respecting the rights and family unity of migrants.”

“Echoing the position of our bishops, thousands of Catholics throughout the archdiocese have asked our senators to support such reforms. ... By the end of this year, we hope to have an improved immigration system that restores order and promotes human dignity,” he said.

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Help Your Neighbor: Share SNAP Nearly 2 million people in North Carolina go to bed hungry each night. Catholic Charities can help families and individuals apply for SNAP benefits.

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Our world 20

catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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Pope Francis says Pope Benedict’s conscience told him to resign

In Brief Saints’ congregation acts on causes of JP II, John XXIII VATICAN CITY — The cardinals and archbishops who are members of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes met July 2 and, according to news reports, took steps to advance the sainthood causes of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII. The Vatican press office confirmed the meeting, but said that all deliberations in sainthood causes are secret until the pope issues the relevant decrees.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that the cardinals approved the miracle needed for Blessed John Paul’s canonization.

Previously, a panel of physicians said there was no medical explanation for the healing that occurred.

The canonization would be scheduled after Pope Francis approves the publication of a decree recognizing the miracle and after he consults with members of the College of Cardinals.

Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

Director, deputy director of Vatican bank resign VATICAN CITY — The director and the deputy director of the Vatican bank, which is being investigated by a special papal commission, resigned July 1.

A statement from the Vatican press office said Director Paolo Cipriani and Massimo Tulli, deputy director, offered their resignations “in the best interest of the institute and the Holy See.” The bank has been working to revamp a marred image of secrecy and scandal with greater transparency.

The July 1 statement said Ernst von Freyberg, Vatican bank president, would assume the function of interim general director, effective immediately.

— Catholic News Service

CNS | Alessia Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo

Pope Francis greets Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin of Indianapolis after presenting him with a pallium during Mass marking the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican June 29. The pope presented woolen palliums to 34 archbishops during the liturgy.

At pallium Mass, pope encourages archbishops to be ministers of unity Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Every bishop is called to be “a servant of communion,” working tirelessly to overcome divisions so that differences become a treasure and not a source of conflict, Pope Francis said.

The Christian community should be “like a great mosaic in which every small piece joins with others as part of God’s one great plan,” the pope said June 29 as he celebrated the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul and bestowed the pallium on 34 archbishops from 19 countries.

The pallium is a woolen band that symbolizes an archbishop’s unity with the pope and his authority and responsibility to care for the flock the pope entrusted to him.

Archbishops wear the pallium around their shoulders over their liturgical vestments when celebrating the liturgy in their regions. A pope also wears one, although his is marked with red crosses, while an archbishop’s has black crosses.

The archbishops, named in the past year, included: U.S. Archbishops Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco; Joseph W. Tobin of Indianapolis; Alexander K. Sample of Portland, Ore.; and Michael O. Jackels of Dubuque, Iowa; Canadian Archbishop Murray Chatlain of Keewatin-Le Pas,

Manitoba; and U.S.-born Archbishop Gintaras Grusas of Vilnius, Lithuania.

Only seven of the 34 were named archbishops by Pope Francis, who was elected in March. The first of Pope Francis’ archbishops was his successor as head of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Archbishop Mario Poli.

Pope Francis said the role he and the bishops have in the church must be founded on faith in Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit.

“Whenever we let our thoughts, our feelings or the logic of human power prevail, and we do not let ourselves be taught and guided by faith, by God, we become stumbling blocks,” he told the archbishops during the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. “Faith in Christ is the light of our life as Christians and as ministers in the church.”

St. Paul spoke about “fighting the good fight,” which “is not one of those fights fought with human weapons which sadly continue to cause bloodshed throughout the world,” the pope said. The “good fight” of a Christian is giving one’s entire life to serving the Gospel.

“The bishop of Rome himself is called to live and confirm his brothers and sisters in this love for Christ and for all others, without distinction, limits or barriers,” he said.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation was “a great example” of what it means to follow one’s conscience through prayer, Pope Francis said during his Sunday Angelus address June 30 to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Following one’s conscience doesn’t mean chasing after one’s own self-interests; it calls for listening to God, understanding his will and carrying out his plan with determination, Pope Francis said.

Pope Benedict provided a “recent marvelous example” of following one’s conscience, Pope Francis said, evidently referring to the retired pope’s decision to leave office.

“Pope Benedict XVI gave us this great example when the Lord led him to understand, in prayer, what was the step he should take,” Pope Francis said. “He followed, with a great sense of discernment and courage, his conscience, that is, the will of God, who spoke to his heart.”

References to the retired pope drew applause from the crowd, which Pope Francis urged on with encouraging gestures.

Jesus provides many examples of how important it is to follow one’s conscience by “listening to His Father’s voice in His heart and following it,” he said.

Jesus, who is God-made-man, had free will and wasn’t “remotecontrolled” by God. However, Jesus never made His decisions by Himself; He was always “in full union” with God and obeyed Him after listening carefully and closely to His will, the pope said.

Because He acted after careful consideration “together with His Father” and in line with the truth, Jesus was able to be decisive and sure, and “found the strength and light for his journey.”

“We, too, have to learn to listen to our conscience more,” the pope said.

“But be careful! This doesn’t mean following oneself, doing what interests me, what’s worthwhile for me, what I like,” he said.

The conscience is “listening to the truth, to the good, listening to God” and this is fostered by having a close relationship with God, “who speaks to my heart and helps me to discern, understand the path I have to take.”

God also helps people “go forward and be faithful” once they have made their decision, he said.

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Migrants from North Africa arrive in 2011 escorted by Italian financial police at the southern Italian island of Lampedusa. Pope Francis will visit the tiny island July 8 to greet refugees and immigrants, pray for those who have lost their lives at sea and call for greater solidarity.

Pope Francis will visit refugees, immigrants detained on Italian island Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will visit a tiny Italian island to greet refugees and immigrants, pray for those who have lost their lives at sea and call for greater solidarity.

The Vatican said Pope Francis was “deeply affected� by a recent tragedy in mid-June in which at least seven people drowned while they sought to stay afloat on a large tuna cage. They had been part of a group of nearly 100 immigrants who were jammed onto an inflatable raft sailing from North Africa.

To pay homage to these and countless other victims over the years, the pope will make a half-day visit to Lampedusa July 8.

He will take a short boat ride out to sea to toss a floral wreath into the water and pray for those who have lost their lives in their attempt to reach Italian soil. He also will visit with survivors and refugees on the island and celebrate an open-air Mass.

He will use the occasion to support “the island’s inhabitants and make an appeal to everyone’s responsibility of taking care of these brothers and sisters in extreme need,� the Vatican said in a July 1 statement announcing the trip.

The voyages often are made in dangerous and inhumane conditions, and the island’s infrastructure is overwhelmed by the large influx of immigrants.

The Italian bishops’ conference has called on Europe to recognize that Italy cannot handle the migration flow by itself.

European bishops, too, have said the crisis requires the solidarity of all of Europe.

Recent crises in North Africa have only intensified what had already been a steady flow of thousands of immigrants a year to this small Italian island. It lies only 90 miles off the North African coast and has long been the gateway to Europe for North

Africans and others fleeing violence or seeking a better life.

The announcement was part of an updated summer schedule for the pope.

The Vatican said there will be no weekly general audience for all of July and August; however, the pope will still recite the midday Angelus every Sunday, mostly at the Vatican.

Pope Francis also will follow a papal tradition and celebrate the feast of the Assumption Aug. 15 in the parish Church of St. Thomas, just across the main square from the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo.

He will recite the Angelus with visitors gathered outside the villa.

Other events that had been on the pope’s reduced summer schedule will remain the same, such as: n He will travel to Castel Gandolfo, 15 miles south of Rome, July 14 to lead the midday recitation of the Angelus with townspeople and pilgrims. n He will travel to Brazil July 22-28 for World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. n He does not plan to hold any private or special audiences between July 8 and Sept. 1, and his early morning Masses with Vatican employees will be suspended during that period.

In early June, the Vatican had said the weekly general audiences would be suspended during the month of July and resume Aug. 7. However, according to the new schedule, the weekly encounters will not take place during the notoriously hot summer month of August. They will resume Sept. 4.

He will be based for the summer at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican guesthouse where he has lived since his election in March.

It’s expected that retired Pope Benedict XVI will remain at the Vatican in the old Mater Ecclesiae monastery, which was remodeled for his use.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father Robert Barron

I

Superman, General Zod and God

didn’t really care for the latest cinematic iteration of the Superman myth. Like way too many movies today, it was made for the generation that came of age with video games and MTV and their constant, irritatingly frenetic action. When the CGI whiz-bang stuff kicks in, I just check out, and “Man of Steel” is about three-quarters whiz-bang.

However, there is a theme in this film that is worthy of some reflection – namely the tension between individual autonomy and a state-controlled society. “Man of Steel” commences with a lengthy segment dealing with the closing days of the planet Krypton. We learn that a fiercely totalitarian regime, led by a General Zod, is seeking the arrest of a scientist called Jor-El. It becomes clear that Jor-El has attempted to undermine the regime’s policy of strictly controlling the genetics of Kryptonite newborns. Very much in the manner of Plato’s Republic, Kryptonite children are rigidly pre-programmed to be a member of one of three social groups. Jor-El and his wife have conceived a child in the traditional manner and are seeking to send their son, born in freedom, away from their dying planet.

I won’t bore you with many more plot details, but suffice it to say that the child (the future Superman) does indeed get away to planet Earth and that General Zod manages to survive the destruction of his world. The movie then unfolds as the story of a great battle between the representative of freedom and the avatar of genetic manipulation and political tyranny.

Lest you think that the link to Plato is a bit forced, the director at one point shows the teenaged Superman reading “The Republic.” In his classic “The Open Society and Its Enemies,” Karl Popper, a survivor of Nazi tyranny, presented Plato’s Republic as the forerunner of all totalitarianisms that have sprung up in the West. Very often, Popper saw, these tyrannies begin with the best of intentions.

Good-hearted leaders believe that they have hit upon some form of life that will benefit the greatest number and thus they endeavor to implement their vision through binding legal prescription.

Plato himself thought that the guardians of his ideal republic should have all property – including wives and children – in common and hence called for a strictly enforced communism among social elites. Further, he felt that the soldiers who protect his perfect city should have their emotions trained in a very precise manner and therefore decreed that their reading and entertainment be tightly censored.

In Popper’s interpretation, post-revolutionary French society, Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s Soviet Union and the Iran of the Ayatollahs would be imitations of the Platonic original: idealistic visions which quickly devolved into totalitarian oppression.

In answer to these totalizing systems, Popper proposed the open society – which is to say, a political arrangement that places stress on the prerogatives and freedom of the individual. Thomas Jefferson’s insistence that government exists primarily for the purpose of guaranteeing the liberty of individuals to determine their own destinies, to seek happiness as they see fit, is deeply congruent with Popper’s ideal.

Much of the political history of the past 300 years might be characterized as a battle

between these two visions, these contrasting ideologies.

At its limit, the Platonic system results in the apotheosizing of the state, or the divinization of the ruler. And this is why General Zod (sounding so close to “God”) is aptly named. At its limit, the open society moves toward the apotheosizing of the individual will, so that personal freedom becomes absolute.

Many times before, I have pilloried the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the matter of Casey v. Planned Parenthood, in which individual freedom is entitled to define even the meaning of the universe!

If Plato is the philosopher who best articulates the nature of the totalitarian society, Friedrich Nietzsche is the philosopher who best expresses the limit case of the apotheosized ego. Beyond good and evil, Nietzsche said, lies the will of the “Übermensch,” which in German literally translates to “the superman.” We might read the battle between General Zod and Superman, therefore, as a symbol of the struggle between two falsely deified realities: the nation-state and the ego.

Happily, there is a state of affairs that lies beyond this clash. The Bible is eminently clear that there is one God and that any attempt to deify the state, the king or the selfasserting ego results in spiritual calamity.

If you’re curious about particular references, read the account of the fall in Genesis chapter 3, the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis chapter 11, Samuel’s critique of kingship in first Samuel chapter 8, and the story of David and Bathsheba in Second Samuel chapter 11. The Bible recommends neither the heteronomy of the oppressive state nor the autonomy of the individual will. Instead, it points to “theonomy” (borrowing a term from Paul Tillich, the 20th century Christian theologian and philosopher), which means allowing God to become the inner law of one’s life. Both the state and the will are under God’s judgment. Neither General Zod nor Superman is the answer.

I’m sure, gentle reader, that you will forgive my revealing the none-too-surprising ending to “Man of Steel”: Superman’s victory over the wicked general. But in a Biblical telling of the story, the hero of individualism, having conquered General Zod, would kneel to God.

‘Both the state and the will are under God’s judgment.

Neither General Zod nor Superman is the answer.’

Father Robert Barron is the founder of the global ministry Word on Fire and the rector/president of Mundelein Seminary. He is the creator of the award-winning documentary series, “Catholicism.” This fall Word on Fire will release “Catholicism: New Evangelization.” Learn more at www.WordonFire.org.

Letter to the editor

My favorite memory: Monsignor’s homily after the Newtown tragedy In recent years I have grown to respect and admire Monsignor Richard Bellow, pastor of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, more and more. Dealing with running a diverse parish, health issues, leading a massive building project: God has seen fit to present Monsignor Bellow with a lot of challenges. There has been plenty of work to keep a man half his age very busy, and Monsignor Bellow has served 43 years as a priest.

Then came the school shootings on Dec. 14, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. – a tragedy so horrific that it was beyond our collective ability to even comprehend.

St. Mark Church’s 11 a.m. Sunday Mass was even more crowded than usual that weekend.

Perhaps it was the Christmas season, or perhaps more people wanted the comfort of the Mass during that time of grief.

Monsignor Bellow, always the teacher, started off his homily in hushed tones as he always does when he wants us to really pay attention. He spoke of the slain children over and over again, not pretending to understand what he had seen and read about the tragedy.

He told us he never really understands the question commonly asked after such an event: “Where was God?” He made it very clear that God was surely in that school that Friday, in the human form of bullet-shielding teachers.

God was there leading the way as the principal and the police. God was most certainly there as the local priests providing comfort, striving to be courageous, doing God’s work in its highest form.

The homily was poignant – not really for his words or references to Scripture, but because it reminded us who and where God always is.

For me, it revealed who Monsignor Bellow is, and where he was that Sunday: in the church building that he had dreamed of, prayerfully taking care of his spiritual children when they needed guidance.

It was the best homily I had heard in 49 years of attending Mass.

That day I told him after Mass that when he is traveling or relaxing, or perhaps just sitting in his favorite chair one day in “retirement” (if you can call serving as dean of students in a Catholic elementary school retirement), he could look back on that homily and say, “I had a pretty good day that Sunday.” He gently smiled and instinctively put his head down in humility and service.

Mother Teresa famously said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” Whenever I think of those words, I will think of Monsignor Bellow.

Thank you, Monsignor Bellow, and may God bless you in your retirement. You have fed us all very well.

Pat Jackson lives in Cornelius.

Letters policy The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

Mail: Letters to the Editor Catholic News Herald 1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

July 5, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Deacon James H. Toner

Peggy Bowes

The new Tower of Babel T

he first Satanic lie is the eternal human temptation: not only can we “be like God” (Gen 3:5), we can replace God. There is, after all, a reason that the First Commandment is first: God in His eternal wisdom knows our human arrogance and, for our good, we are taught not to “have strange gods” (Exodus 20:2 DRB). Much of history, however, is the tragic record of humanity’s sinful and stupid attempts to become gods. Adam and Eve disregarded God’s command. We disregard God’s commands daily. The human race is scarred and marred by pride.

Yet we celebrate pride. In his poem “Invictus,” William Ernest Henley contends, “I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” In his song “I Did It My Way,” Frank Sinatra croons that he is the sole navigator of his paths.

Never mind that “Gaudium et Spes,” the Vatican II document about the Church and the world, reflects 2,000 years of pastoral teaching in reminding us that “the key, the center and the purpose of the whole of man’s history is to be found in its Lord.” The Lord is Master and it is the Lord’s will, not ours, that we are to follow. We have no better model of that than Our Lady (see Luke 1:38).

Every age has its favorite sin, its preferred heresy. The principal error of the 20th century was the exaltation of the state. On March 14, 1937, Pope Pius XI condemned the Nazis, writing that “Whoever exalts ... the State ... and divinizes (it) to an idolatrous level, distorts and perverts an order of the world planned and created by God.” Only five days later, he condemned communism, deploring it as a “false messianic idea.” More than 50 years later, another pope – one who had seen the ravages of both kinds of totalitarianism in his native Poland – dramatically and decisively contributed to the demise of communism.

The principal error of our new century is the exaltation, not of the political state (although that heresy has not yet had a stake driven through its heart), but of personal appetites.

Now it is fashionable to ridicule the natural moral law, abandon legitimate authority, and reject the Church’s teaching. Now we worship the god of secularism, whose only claim upon people is that they “be nice.” In the 21st century, we are rebuilding the Tower of Babel and making a new name for ourselves. No longer are we known as the People of God; now we shall be known as “brights” (the name certain atheists choose for themselves).

But if the builders of this new Tower of Babel must observe certain engineering laws during construction, they are intent upon the destruction of those biological laws which they detest. The atheists, the “brights” will be the masters of their fate. They will do things their way.

They will be like God – no, they shall become God. Death must be defeated, the atheists believe. So the “brights” decide they want to live forever, and they will transplant animal parts into human bodies (xenotransplantation/experimental chimeras). They want to clone themselves. In the end, unable to defeat death, they will wait for cures by putting themselves on ice (cryogenics). The time and manner of their deaths will be

23

The family rosary

‘Now we worship the god of secularism, whose only claim upon people is that they “be nice.” ’

determined, not by the will of God, but by the “new freedom” that this technologically adept Tower of Babel brings: euthanasia.

Birth must also be regulated, so “brights” will insist upon contraception and abortion. They will also encourage surrogate motherhood and in-vitro fertilization, no matter how many lives are lost in the process. The old idea, of course, was sex without conception; the new idea is conception without sex. The beautiful and natural linkage of marriage, sex and children is rejected in the new Tower of Babel, where people do things “their way.” With moral law rejected and the Church regarded as outdated and irrelevant, the “brights” in this new Tower of Babel will be gods, redefining marriage to accommodate the fashions and fetishes of the day.

In the new Tower of Babel, we will own ourselves. We will be free to do what pleases us, when it pleases us and how it pleases us. The idea that we “are not our own” and that we “have been purchased at a price” (1 Cor 6:19-20) – the price of Christ’s precious blood – is of no concern or interest to the new atheists. The idea there is “no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1733) seems silly in our contemporary culture, because only that which serves my purpose, my pleasure and my profit can be good and just.

And the Church’s warning – “From its outset, human history attests the wretchedness and oppression born of the human heart in consequence of the abuse of freedom” (CCC 1739) – is dismissed in the new Tower of Babel. They will know the truth, as did the original builders of Babel, but they will distort it, deny it and denounce it. They shall know the truth, and the truth shall make them flee – flee from the first duty of worshiping God, not self; flee from the call to build, not the new Babel, but the city of God; flee from the responsibility of bringing Christ to friend and neighbor; and flee from the authority of Christ’s Church.

But “where sin (has) increased, grace (has) overflowed all the more.” (Romans 5:20) Deo gratias!

Deacon James H. Toner serves at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.

“There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessings upon the family ... than the daily recitation of the rosary.” — Pope Pius XII

I

learned to pray the rosary as a very young child, and I still have the beautiful blue crystal rosary that I received as a gift from my parents when I made my first holy Communion. Most of our family rosaries were prayed in the car because my father was a U.S. Air Force officer, so we moved and traveled frequently. My four sisters and I took turns leading the prayers, and most likely fought over who got to go first. At the time, I didn’t understand meditation and probably had only a vague comprehension of the rosary mysteries, but our family prayer was comforting. I knew we were safe in the arms of the Blessed Mother.

Years later, when I left home to enter the U.S. Air Force Academy, I missed my family very much. During the long marches in basic training, I silently prayed the rosary, comforted by the happy memories of praying and traveling with my family. I was grateful that my parents had planted the seed of rosary prayer that would eventually grow into my current daily devotion.

I taught my own children to pray the rosary, and I was amazed at how quickly they were able to memorize the prayers. When they were very little, they learned the basic prayers. As they grew older, we began the practice of praying a decade every night before bed.

Everyone takes turns leading the prayers. The leader also gets to choose an intention for our decade. I’m often touched by the thoughtful prayer requests my children make, asking for protection for the soldiers fighting for our country or for the teacher whose husband is in the hospital.

Pope Pius X once said, “If there were one million families praying the rosary every day, the entire world would be saved.”

I can’t encourage families enough to cultivate a devotion to the rosary. Summer vacation is a perfect time to begin. You might start with a family rosary on Sundays. You can pray part of it together on the drive to church and the remainder on the way home.

It takes time and practice for children to grasp the concept of meditation, but it’s helpful to talk about the meaning of the mysteries. You might show them beautiful works of art depicting the mysteries ,or read aloud from the Bible to clarify.

Make sure each child has his or her own rosary (ask a priest to bless it), and encourage them to keep it in a special place where it can easily be found. Pray together often – even if it’s just a decade when you have a spare five minutes.

You never know when these seeds you’ve planted will bear fruit and possibly save your child’s soul. I just know it worked for me!

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6) Peggy Bowes is a parishioner at Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy. She is a motivational speaker and author of “The Rosary Workout” (online at www. rosaryworkout.com).

Most-read stories on the web Through press time on July 3, 7,043 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 28,155 pages. The top 12 headlines for June and July were: n Priest assignment list for 2013 coming soon; seminarian summer duties released ....3,174

n Bishop Jugis: ‘A sad time in the United States’.............................................................................151

n Charlotte diocese welcomes its newest priest ........................................................................1,632

n Court overturns DOMA, sends Prop. 8 back to lower court ....................................................124

n Current edition - view PDFs of current and past editions of CNH online.............................591

n Two Sisters of Mercy celebrate jubilees .........................................................................................117

n Diocese, McNultys rejoice as another deacon is ordained in the family ............................ 492

n St. Vincent de Paul breaks ground on ministry center, chapel .............................................. 105

n Father Kauth earns doctorate, takes published thesis to Rome...........................................340 n Quo Vadis Days - Prayer, discernment and fun .......................................................................... 214 n St. Mark pastor Msgr. Bellow reflects upon 43 years of priestly ministry.........................200 n ‘Nuns on the Bus’ rally for immigration reform during stop in Charlotte.............................153

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 5, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘ The Mystery of Faith: Open the Door to Christ Ninth Eucharistic Congress, September 13 & 14, 2013 Charlotte Convention Center

Father Thomas J. Loya The Mystery of Faith and the Theology of the Body

Bishop Oscar Cantú The Eucharistic Lord Jesus - the Door to Heaven

Dr. Christopher Kaczor Seven Big Myths about the Catholic Church

Padre Julio Domínguez Profesamos Nuestra Fe Cada Domingo en la Misa

Father Michael Gaitley Hearts Afire: Parish Based Evangelization

Mother Dolores Hart, OSB The Ear of the Heart and the Door to Christ

Jesús Heriberto Félix Guerra Hombre Distinguido por su Fe

GoEucharist.com

OF FAITH RY R TO CHRIST:

EN THE D OP O

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Holy Mass Celebrant

THE MYSTE

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NINTH EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE, SEPTEMBER 13 &14, 2013