Aug 2, 2013

August 2, 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

WORLD YOUTH DAY 2013

New pastors installed in Lincolnton, Murphy, Sylva and WinstonSalem, 14-16

INDEX Contact us.......................... 4 Events calendar................. 4 Our Parishes................. 4-13 Scripture readings............ 3 TV & Movies.......................17 U.S. news...................... 18-19 Viewpoints.................. 22-23 World news.................. 20-21 Year of Faith.................... 2-3

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‘Go and make disciples of all nations’ Pope Francis in his words

Simple actions resonate

Frank words to the media

Jesus’ message of love is not just for some, it is for everyone. And Jesus is calling us to be His missionaries.

The pope’s forte as a communicator is seemingly artless action that resonates powerfully.

The pope made headlines on his flight back to Rome, about Church teaching on respect for gay people and more.

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Year of faith

catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis in his own words at World Youth Day 2013

Jesus’ message of love is not just for some, it is for everyone

CNS | Paul Haring

Pope Francis points to a crucifix outside shrine as he greets crowd after celebrating Mass at Brazil’s Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida July 24. During his visit, the pope entrusted World Youth Day to Mary’s maternal protection, but also challenged parents, priests and other adult Catholics to give the young people things that the world, with all its wealth, cannot: faith and values.

RIO DE JANIERO — Celebrating the World Youth Day Holy Mass in Rio de Janeiro on July 28, Pope Francis told those present that it was time to go and to pass on this experience to others.

Addressing a crowd of more than 3 million people gathered on Copacabana beach for the concluding Mass of the week-long event, the pope focused his message on the very theme chosen for World Youth Day: “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

He offered three simple ideas: “Go, do not be afraid, and serve.”

He said Jesus’ message of love is not just for some, it is for everyone, and he urged the young people not to be afraid of bringing Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem most indifferent.

If you follow these three ideas, he said, you will experience the joy of faith.

Here is an excerpt from his homily: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” With these words, Jesus is speaking to each one of us, saying: “It was wonderful to take part in World Youth Day, to live the faith together with young people from the four corners of the earth, but now you must go, now you must pass on this experience to others.” Jesus is calling you to be a disciple with a mission! Today, in the light of the Word of God that we have heard, what is the Lord saying to us? Three simple ideas: Go, do not be afraid, and serve.

1. Go. During these days here in Rio, you have been able to enjoy the wonderful experience of meeting Jesus, meeting him together with others, and you have sensed the joy of faith. But the experience of this encounter must not remain locked up in your life or in the small group of your parish, your movement, or your community. Faith is a flame that grows stronger the more it is shared and passed on, so that everyone may know, love and confess Jesus Christ, the Lord of life and history (cf. Rom 10:9).

Careful, though! Jesus did not say: “if you would like to, if you have the time,” but: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Sharing the experience of faith, bearing witness to the faith, proclaiming the Gospel: this is a command that is born not from a desire for domination or power but from the force of love, from the fact that Jesus first came into our midst and gave us, not a part of Himself, but the whole of Himself, He gave His life to save us and to show us the love and mercy of God. Jesus does not treat us as slaves, but as free men, as friends, as brothers and sisters; and He not only sends us, He accompanies us in our mission of love.

Where does Jesus send us? There are no borders, no limits: He sends us to everyone. The Gospel is for everyone, not just for some. It is not only for those who seem closer to us, more receptive, more welcoming.

It is for everyone. Do not be afraid to go and to bring Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem farthest away, most indifferent. The Lord seeks all, He wants everyone to feel the warmth of His mercy and His love.

The whole world needs Christ! St. Paul says: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16).

This continent has received the proclamation of the Gospel which has marked its history and borne much fruit. Now this proclamation is entrusted also to you, that it may resound with fresh power. The Church needs you, your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so characteristic of you.

A great Apostle of Brazil, Blessed José de Anchieta, set off on the mission when he was only 19 years old. Do you know what the best tool is for evangelizing the young? Another young person. This is the path to follow!

2. Do not be afraid. Some people might think: “I have no particular preparation, how can I go and proclaim the Gospel?” My dear friend, HOMILY, SEE page 3

August 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

HOMILY: FROM PAGE 2

your fear is not so very different from that of Jeremiah, a young man like you, when he was called by God to be a prophet. God says the same thing to you as He said to Jeremiah: “Be not afraid ... for I am with you to deliver you” (Jer 1:7,8). He is with us!

“Do not be afraid!” When we go to proclaim Christ, it is He Himself who goes before us and guides us. When He sent His disciples on mission, He promised: “I am with you always” (Mt 28:20). And this is also true for us! Jesus does not leave us alone, He never leaves you alone! He always accompanies you.

And then, Jesus did not say: “One of you go,” but “All of you go.” We are sent together. Dear young friends, be aware of the companionship of the whole Church and also the communion of the saints on this mission. When we face challenges together, then we are strong, we discover

resources we did not know we had.

Jesus did not call the Apostles to live in isolation, He called them to form a group, a community. I would like to address you, dear priests concelebrating with me at this Eucharist: you have come to accompany your young people, and this is wonderful, to share this experience of faith with them! But it is a stage on the journey.

Please continue to accompany them with generosity and joy, help them to become actively engaged in the Church; never let them feel alone! Carry on and do not be afraid!

3. The final word: serve. The opening words of the psalm that we proclaimed are: “Sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 95:1). What is this new song? It does not consist of words, it is not a melody, it is the song of your life, it is allowing our life to be identified with that of Jesus, it is sharing His sentiments, His thoughts, His actions. And the life of Jesus is a life for others. It is a life of service.

In our second reading today, St. Paul says: “I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more” (1 Cor 9:19). Evangelizing means bearing personal witness to the love of God, it is overcoming our selfishness, it is serving by bending down to wash the feet of our brethren, as Jesus

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did.

Three words: Go, do not be afraid, and serve. Follow these three words: Go, do not be afraid, and serve. If you follow these three ideas, you will experience that the one who evangelizes is evangelized, the one who transmits the joy of faith receives joy.

Dear young friends, as you return to your homes, do not be afraid to be generous with Christ, to bear witness to His Gospel. In the first reading, when God sends the prophet Jeremiah, He gives him the power to “pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (1:10). It is the same for you. Bringing the Gospel is bringing God’s power to pluck up and break down evil and violence, to destroy and overthrow the barriers of selfishness, intolerance and hatred, so as to build a new world.

Jesus Christ is counting on you! The Church is counting on you! The pope is counting on you! May Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, always accompany you with her tenderness: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Amen.

— Vatican Radio

Pope Francis: Jesus is calling you to be His missionaries RIO DE JANIERO — Pope Francis joined more than a million young people on Copacabana beach July 27 for a prayer vigil on the eve of the final Mass marking World Youth Day. In his remarks to pilgrims, Pope Francis focused on the image of the field of faith – the name of the venue at which the vigil was originally to have taken place, before the week’s inclement weather rendered it unusable: the field as a place to sow seed and raise crops; the field as a place of training; the field as construction site.

He also had words of encouragement for the many young people around the world – and especially in Brazil, who in recent days and weeks have taken to the streets to call for the betterment of their societies in a spirit of greater brotherhood.

“I encourage them,” he said, “in an orderly, peaceful and responsible manner, motivated by the values of the Gospel, to continue overcoming apathy and offering a Christian response to social and political concerns present in their countries.”

Here is an excerpt from his homily: We have just recalled the story of St. Francis of Assisi. In front of the crucifix he heard the voice of Jesus saying to him: “Francis, go, rebuild my house.” The young Francis responded readily and generously to the Lord’s call to rebuild His house. But which house? Slowly but surely, Francis came to realize that it was not a question of repairing a stone building, but about doing his part for the life of the Church. It was a matter of being at the service of the Church, loving Her and working to make the countenance of Christ shine ever more brightly in Her. Today too, as always, the Lord needs you, young people, for His Church. Today, too, He is calling each of you to follow Him in His Church and to be missionaries. How? In what way? Well, I think we can learn something from what happened in these days: the realization of this vigil on the

campus Fidei, in Guaratiba. Lord willing, might we say that the real area of faith, the true campus fidei, is not a geographical place – but we, ourselves? Yes! Missionary discipleship means to recognize that we are God’s campus fidei, His “field of faith”!

Therefore, from the image of the field of faith, starting with the name of the place, Campus Fidei, the field of faith, I have thought of three images that can help us understand better what it means to be a disciple and a missionary. First, a field is a place for sowing seeds; second, a field is a training ground; and third, a field is a construction site.

1. A field is a place for sowing seeds. We all know the parable where Jesus speaks of a sower who went out to sow seeds in the field – some seed fell on the path, some on rocky ground, some among thorns and could not grow, other seed fell on good soil and brought forth much fruit (cf. Mt 13:1-9).

Jesus Himself explains the meaning of the parable: the seed is the Word of God sown in our hearts (cf. Mt 13:18-23). This, dear young people, means that the real Campus Fidei, the field of faith, is your own heart.

It is your life that Jesus wants to enter with His Word, with His Presence. Please, let Christ and His Word enter your life, blossom and grow.

Jesus tells us that the seed which fell on bad ground bore no fruit. What kind of ground are we? Maybe sometimes we are like the path: we hear the Lord’s Word but it changes nothing in our lives because we let ourselves be numbed by all the superficial voices competing for our attention. Or we are like the rocky ground: we receive Jesus with enthusiasm, but we falter and, faced with difficulties, we don’t have the courage to swim against the tide.

Or we are like the thorny ground: negative feelings choke the Lord’s Word in us (cf. Mt 13:18-22).

But today I am sure that the seed is falling on good soil, that you want to be

good soil, not part-time Christians, not “starchy” and superficial, but real. I know that you are aiming high, at long-lasting decisions which will make your lives meaningful. Jesus is capable of letting you do this: He is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). Let’s trust in Him. 2. A field is a training ground. Jesus asks us to follow Him for life, He asks us to be His disciples, to “play on His team.” I think that most of you love sports! Here in Brazil, as in other countries, football is a national passion. Now, what do players do when they are asked to join a team? They have to train, and to train a lot! The same is true of our lives as the Lord’s disciples.

St. Paul tells us: “athletes deny themselves all sorts of things; they do this to win a crown of leaves that withers, but we a crown that is imperishable” (1 Cor 9:25). Jesus offers us something bigger than the World Cup! He offers us the possibility of a fulfilled and fruitful life; He also offers us a future with Him, an endless future, eternal life. But He asks us to train, “to get in shape,” so that we can face every situation in life undaunted, bearing witness to our faith.

How do we get in shape? By talking with Him in prayer, by the sacraments, by loving one another, learning to listen, to understand, to forgive, to be accepting and to help others. Dear young people, be true “athletes of Christ”!

3. A field is a construction site. When our heart is good soil which receives the word of God, when “we build up a sweat” in trying to live as Christians, we experience something tremendous: we are never alone, we are part of a family of brothers and sisters, all journeying on the same path.

We are part of the Church; indeed, we are building up the Church and we are making history.

St. Peter tells us that we are living stones, which form a spiritual edifice (cf. 1 Pet 2:5).

Jesus is asking us to build up His Church,

but not as a little chapel which holds only a small group of persons. He asks us to make His living Church so large that it can hold all of humanity, that it can be a home for everyone! To me, to you, to each of us, He says: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Tonight, let us answer Him: Yes, I too want to be a living stone; together we want to build up the Church of Jesus!

In your young hearts, you have a desire to build a better world. I have been closely following the news reports of the many young people who throughout the world have taken to the streets to express their desire for a more just and fraternal society.

These are young people who want to be agents of change.

But the question remains: Where do we start? Mother Teresa of Calcutta was once asked what was needed to change in the Church. Her answer was: you and me!

Dear friends, never forget that you are the field of faith! You are Christ’s athletes!

You are called to build a more beautiful Church and a better world. Let us lift our gaze to Our Lady. Mary helps us to follow Jesus, she gives us the example by her own “yes” to God. All together, let us join Mary in saying to God: let it be done to me as you say. Amen!

— Vatican Radio

Your daily Scripture readings AUG. 4-10

Sunday: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23, Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11, Luke 12:13-21; Monday (The Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major): Numbers 11:4-15, Matthew 14:13-21; Tuesday (The Transfiguration of the Lord): Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, 2 Peter 1:16-19, Luke 9:28-36; Wednesday (St. Sixtus II and Companions, St. Cajetan): Numbers 13:1-2, 25-14:1, 26-29, 34-35, Matthew 15:2128; Thursday (St. Dominic): Numbers 20:1-13, Matthew 16:13-23; Friday (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross): Deuteronomy 4:3240, Matthew 16:24-28; Saturday (St. Lawrence): 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, John 12:24-26.

AUG. 11-17

Sunday: Wisdom 18:6-9, Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19, Luke 12:32-48; Monday (St. Jane Frances de Chantal): Deuteronomy 10:12-22, Matthew 17:22-27; Tuesday (Sts. Pontian and Hippolytus): Deuteronomy 31:1-8, Deuteronomy 32:3-4, 7-9, 12, Matthew 18:15, 10, 12-14; Wednesday (St. Maximilian Kolbe): Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Matthew 18:15-20; Thursday (The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary): Revelation 11:19, 12:1-6, 10, 1 Corinthians 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56; Friday (St. Stephen of Hungary): Joshua 24:1-13, Matthew 19:3-12; Saturday: Joshua 24:14-29, Matthew 19:13-15.

AUG. 18-24

Sunday: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10, Hebrews 12:1-4, Luke 12:49-53; Monday (St. John Eudes): Judges 2:11-19, Matthew 19:16-22; Tuesday (St. Bernard): Judges 6:11-24, Matthew 19:23-30; Wednesday (St. Pius X): Judges 9:6-15, Matthew 20:1-16; Thursday (The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary): Judges 11:29-39, Matthew 22:1-14; Friday (St. Rose of Lima): Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14-16, 22, Matthew 22:34-40; Saturday (St. Bartholomew): Revelation 21:9-14, John 1:45-51.

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catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar of events ASHEBORO St. Joseph church, 512 West Wainman Ave. — LifeTeen Adult CORE Member Retreat: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. For new CORE members only. For details, contact Tamara Hill at 336-629-0221.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the coming weeks: Aug. 3 – 5:30 p.m.

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

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

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

BELMONT Belmont Abbey, 100 Belmont Mount Holly Road — Free benefit concert entitled “Triumphs of Oriana”: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, in the Abbey Basilica. Artist Joel Sharbaugh and Lawrence Abernathy will present English music from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Donations accepted to benefit Room at the Inn. For details, contact Karen Jacob at 704-461-6813.

QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES Church, 503 North Main St. — Faith Formation Group, “Triple B”: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13. All parishioners 45 years old and younger are welcome. For details, e-mail qoatripleb@gmail.com.

to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at 704-370-3230 or bnadcock@charlottediocese.org.

— Protecting God’s Children Workshop: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. In the banquet room. All volunteers must attend the workshop. Register at www.virtus.org.

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

Thursday, Aug. 22. St. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer and grave diseases. For details, call the parish office at 704-543-7677.

— Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) meeting: 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 every month, 7-8 p.m. Everyone welcome.

St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East

CHARLOTTE Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 S. Church St. — Se estará ofreciendo algunas sesiones del programa “Protegiendo a los Niños de Dios”: 10 a.m. Sábado, 10 de Agosto. Las sessiones estan dirigidas a todo el público, pero en especial a todos los voluntarios dedicados al trabajo en todos los ministerios.

ST. BASIL EASTERN CATHOLIC MISSION (Meets AT ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH), 1400 SUTHER ROAD — Feast of the Transfiguration: Monday, Aug. 5, with Great Vespers at 6:30 p.m. followed by Typica Service with Holy Communion at 7 p.m.

— Feast of the Dormition (Assumption): Wednesday, Aug. 14, with Great Vespers at 6:30 p.m. followed by Typica Service with Holy Communion at 7 p.m.

ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, 3016 Providence Road — Se estará ofreciendo algunas sesiones del programa “Protegiendo a los Niños de Dios”: 10 a.m. Sábado, 17 de Agosto. Las sessiones estan dirigidas a todo el público, pero en especial a todos los voluntarios dedicados al trabajo en todos los ministerios.

ST. John Neumann church, 8451 idlewild road

— Annual Red Mass: 6 p.m. Sept. 26, celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis. The Diocese of Charlotte’s 11th annual Red Mass brings together members of the legal community, including judges, attorneys, government officials and law enforcement, for the opportunity to reflect on the God-given responsibilities of their profession. All are welcome.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH, 1400 SUTHER ROAD — Second Annual Polish Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa: 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25. A first-class relic of Blessed Pope John Paul II will be available for veneration. Reception following Mass. Everyone invited to attend this Polish tradition. Bring a Polish or American dish to share. 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.

— “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.

— Vigil for Life: Mass at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, followed by a rosary procession at the Latrobe abortion mill. Sponsored by Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.

CLEMMONS

— 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.

GREENSBORO

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY. — Natural Family Planning Introduction and Full Course: 1-5 p.m. Aug. 17. 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

HOLY FAMILY CHURCH, 4820 KINNAMON ROAD Charismatic Prayer Group: 7:15 p.m. Mondays.

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 get more information, email marylisk@aol.com.

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

Saturday, Aug. 3, 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. — Protecting God’s Children Workshop: 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Aug. 24. In Meeting Room 1. Anyone over 18 years of age who has contact with children must attend. Register at www.virtus.org. For details, contact the Religious Education office at 336-8845352.

HUNTERSVILLE ST. MARK CHURCH, 14740 Stumptown Road — New Ministry for Mothers of Children with Special Needs: Meets the first Wednesday of the month. First Meeting, 7- 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7. Contact Laraine Nicklaw at 704-875-3041 for details.

— Young Adult Gathering: 8:30-9:30 p.m. every Sunday, in Room 200 in the Msgr. Kerin Family Center. These weekly gatherings include fellowship and study. For details, contact Scott Fisher II at 704-773-2664 or stfishe22@ncsu.edu.

— Catholic Athletes for Christ youth ministry: 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 704-9480231 or stmarklifeteen@gmail.com.

MINT HILL ST. LUKE Church, 13700 Lawyers Road — Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick: 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. Anointing is presented to those who need healing from physical, mental illness or someone who will be undergoing surgery. For details, call Mary Adams at 704-545-1224.

WINSTON-SALEM St. Leo the Great Church, 335 Springdale Ave. — Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University: 6-8 p.m.

Sept.-Nov. 17. Preview presentation will be held in Msgr. Showfety Room on Aug. 18, after 9 a.m. Mass.

For details, call Dan and Pam McVicker at 336-7349415.

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.

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August 2, 2013 Volume 22 • Number 20

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.

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World Youth Day 2013

Full coverage online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read comprehensive stories covering every angle of World Youth Day, see photo galleries, including images from local pilgrims, and read blog posts from Katie Herzing, office manager of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, who documented her experiences as a WYD pilgrim.

Photos provided

by Diocese of Charlotte Youth Ministry

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n estimated 3 million people including the pilgrims above from the Diocese of Charlotte attended World Youth Day, the international Catholic youth gathering, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last week. It was one of the largest crowds in World Youth Day history, and Pope Francis’ first international

trip. During the closing Mass for World Youth Day, Pope Francis commissioned the young people to become missionaries without borders. He also challenged parents, priests and other adult Catholics to give the young people things that the world, with all its wealth, cannot: faith and values.

St. Aloysius Church donates ‘Fly Away’ statue Gift to city marks parish’s 100th anniversary SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

Father Robert Ferris, pastor, members of the St. Aloysius Church centennial subcommittee, parishioners and city officials gathered on July 16 at McComb Park in Hickory to dedicate the “Fly Away” statue and meditation garden project. The statue depicts a young girl releasing a butterfly.

Sueann Howell | catholic news herald

HICKORY — Parishioners, clergy, city officials and residents gathered in McComb Park July 16 to witness the dedication of a bronze statue and meditation garden which were gifts to the City of Hickory from St. Aloysius Church in honor of the parish’s 100th anniversary.

The statue, entitled “Fly Away” by Randolph Rhodes, depicts a young girl releasing a butterfly. The statue is surrounded by flowers which will undoubtedly attract real butterflies, to the delight of those who will pause to spend some time in quiet meditation on the park benches in the meditation garden.

Father Robert Ferris, pastor of St. Aloysius Church, said a few words on behalf of the parish at the dedication.

“We’re giving this in gratitude to the city

for being a wonderful host for us for 100 years, and we wanted to give something back in return,” Father Ferris said. “Our subcommittee for the centennial suggested this meditation garden.”

Father Ferris explained the garden with the playful statue as its centerpiece will be a good place for people to meditate and let their troubles “fly away.”

Mark Sinclair, a long-time parishioner and community nonprofit advocate, said he was pleased with the project.

“Father asked me to chair a subcommittee for a gift we could give to the community for our 100th anniversary. I had a great subcommittee,” Sinclair said. “It’s a nice gift to the community.”

Hickory’s mayor pro tem, Hank Guess, also attended the dedication.

“We want to thank St. Aloysius and St. ALOYSIUS, SEE page 11

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catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 OUR PARISHES

Another step closer

Deacon candidates to be installed as acolytes SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis will celebrate a Mass for the Installation of Acolytes for permanent diaconate candidates at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. The annual recommitment of the permanent deacons in the Diocese of Charlotte will also take place at the Mass, which is being held this year on the memorial of St. Sixtus II and six deacons who were martyred in Rome in 258 A.D. Fifteen permanent diaconate candidates who were installed as lectors last August will become acolytes, the next step in their journey toward ordination next year.

As acolytes, they are entrusted with the duties of assisting the deacon and priest at Mass, purifying the sacred vessels, and distributing Holy Communion as an extraordinary minister when needed. In special circumstances an acolyte may be entrusted with publicly exposing the Blessed Sacrament for adoration by the faithful and afterward replacing it, but not with blessing the people. Acolytes can also be called upon to help instruct the faithful in assisting at Mass.

John Harrison, a parishioner of Holy Family Church in Clemmons, is among the men who will be installed as acolytes next week. He and his wife of 33 years, Anne, are entering their final year of the diaconate’s four-year formation program.

He said he feels called to become a

permanent deacon because “after serving the Church and community for many years in several ministry programs and as a Knight of Columbus, the Lord began calling me to serve Him in another way.”

“As I discerned this calling, the Lord led me to the permanent diaconate to become a servant to the Church, our bishop and priests. The diaconate formation program has been a blessing in my life.”

Harrison also acknowledged that this next step in his formation is significant.

“Through this rite, I commit myself to increased reverence and service at Mass and to deepen my relationship with Our Lord. In this rite, the Holy Spirit provides His grace to strengthen me and prepare me to meet the needs of the People of God.” Deacon Scott Gilfillan, formation director for the permanent diaconate, gives some insight on the process these men are going through.

“They are entering their final year of a four-year formation program. The first three years have emphasized two of the three-fold ministry of a deacon: ‘diaconia of charity’ and ‘diaconia of the word.’ For each, the candidate has engaged in both service projects to the marginalized and academic studies. The third ministry of the deacon is the ‘diaconia of the liturgy,’ which we will emphasize in their final year of formation. It is quite fitting to begin this year of liturgy training with the rite of acolyte.”

All are invited to attend the Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7.

Diocesan youth survey highlights how young Catholics feel about their faith, youth ministry SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — The greatest influence on young people’s faith is their families, according to a recent survey of teens across the Diocese of Charlotte. Teens surveyed also said they pray, attend Mass and receive the sacraments regularly, but few of them have considered becoming a priest or a nun.

Paul Kotlowski, diocesan director of youth ministry, recently shared the results of the 2012 Diocesan Youth Survey issued to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the annual Diocesan Youth Conference.

More than 389 young people from around the diocese who attend either middle school (34 percent) or high school (66 percent) responded to the online survey, created by the diocesan Office of Youth Ministry in cooperation with several priests and youth ministers.

Of the respondents, 72 percent attended public school, 15.5 percent were homeschooled, 8 percent attended Catholic schools, and 5 percent attended private schools.

Here is a sampling of the results: A majority of the youth surveyed – 84 percent – attend Mass regularly. That is much higher than the national average: 40 percent of American Catholic youths attend Mass two to four times a month.

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Eighty percent of the youth surveyed said they frequent the sacrament of reconciliation at least once a year, and about one-third of the respondents said they go quarterly.

More than 79 percent said they pray regularly, and two-thirds of the youth said Church teachings affect their daily lives and decisions – 24 percent said “very much” and 42 percent said “a good deal.”

Regarding service, 26 percent said they volunteer at their parish, school or community.

However, most of the youth surveyed (74.5 percent) said they have never considered becoming a priest or nun. Out of those who said “yes,” many listed the influence of a particular bishop, priest, religious sister or community. Some also mentioned particular vocation awareness discussions such as at Mass, or attending youth events such as retreats and conferences. Homeschooled youth were the most likely (60 percent) to have considered a priestly or consecrated vocation, versus private school youth who said they have not considered it (0.0 percent). A higher number of older teens (31 percent) said that they had considered a ministry vocation versus younger teens (21.5 percent).

The youth, by a large majority (84 percent), said they believe marriage is a

YEAR OF FAITH: A promise kept

IMMIGRATION REFORM

Monroe pastor leads pilgrimage to the National Shrine of St. Dymphna, the patron saint of mental illness,

Father Shawn O’Neal: In this emotional debate, remember Church teaching on human rights,

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Thank you for your efforts in helping us with our mission to Renew our Roots in Charity.

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OUR PARISHESI

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Be Not Afraid expands services nationally, receives funding from Knights and CCHD Tracy Winsor Special to the Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — Be Not Afraid, a parishbased peer ministry originally begun at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, has become a national pro-life service.

Incorporated in 2011 as a private nonprofit, BNA provides a service of direct support to parents in the Diocese of Charlotte and around the country that is comprehensive, practical and peer-based.

This free service focuses on meeting the needs of expectant parents experiencing a poor prenatal diagnosis as they seek to honor the life of their baby, no matter how frail or how brief. Informed by the ethical teachings of the Church, BNA serves parents regardless of religious preference.

Incorporation united the efforts of the direct service ministry in Charlotte and the oldest Catholic website addressing the issue of prenatal diagnosis, www. benoatfraid.net, which was founded in 2002.

Monica Rafie, who developed that website after her own personal experience of prenatal diagnosis, currently serves as the chairperson of the BNA Board of Trustees.

“When we were featured in a national Catholic webinar on the topic of prenatal diagnosis in 2010 and then in a publication of the National Catholic Bioethics Center called ‘Ethics and Medics’ in 2011,” Rafie said, “we suddenly found that Catholic groups around the country wanted to know more about the work we were doing in the Charlotte diocese.”

Conditions that would not have been discovered until birth a generation ago are now detected prenatally. The ability to identify fetal anomalies has rapidly increased over the last 20 years. Up to 150 genetic syndromes or conditions and numerous structural defects can now be diagnosed in utero, and additional tests are continually being developed.

While abortion rates in general have decreased since the mid-1970s, those following the detection of a fetal defect are on the rise. A 2006 article in Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons noted that 80 percent of parents aborted their babies after being told of a severe congenital anomaly. More importantly, however, the same article noted that when presented with a program of comprehensive support at the time of diagnosis, more than 80 percent of parents chose to carry their baby to term.

Increasingly, BNA has been asked to support service development in Catholic communities in various parts of the country. Currently, the organization is supporting service development in the archdioceses of Omaha, Philadelphia and New York, as well as in the dioceses of Rockville Centre, Brooklyn, Allentown, Harrisburg and Raleigh.

The BNA Board and a developing advisory council also reflect the organization’s increasing scope. Comprised of parents, pastoral care professionals, pro-life advocates and diocesan staff, the board’s members live in different states and represent different dioceses and faiths.

Maggi Nadol, Respect Life director for the Diocese of Charlotte, currently serves on the board, and Bishop Peter J. Jugis serves as episcopal moderator.

The Advisory Council is similarly diverse. Dr. Marie Hilliard, director of bioethics and public policy at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, is a new member, as is Dr. Martin McCaffrey, clinical professor in neonatal-perinatal Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Theresa Bonapartis, director of Lumina (a Catholic post-abortion ministry for parents who have terminated a pregnancy following a prenatal diagnosis) in the Archdiocese of New York. Deacon Tom Rasmussen of St. Aloysius Church in Hickory is also a member of the advisory council.

A recent grant from the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus allowed the organization to update its website, which now offers videos of families served by BNA, referral capability, resources for clergy and medical professionals, and a password-protected section for service providers.

BNA will use Knights funding to develop an online training program to increase access to BNA messaging and materials.

In the first six months of 2013, BNA has provided peer ministry trainings and workshops in Washington, D.C., New York, Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

“We are also developing specific online training resources for pregnancy resource centers and crisis pregnancy centers, so that they can best support those parents they encounter for whom prenatal diagnosis is a crisis,” Rafie said.

“As more and more of these facilities obtain ultrasound technology, there is an increased likelihood that they will potentially be involved in the diagnosis of

a fetal anomaly, and we can certainly offer insight and guidance to help them develop a response that will encourage parents to carry to term.”

BNA has also become more active serving parents outside the Charlotte diocese in communities where there is not similar support for carrying to term or in communities where developing services need BNA assistance.

Besides North Carolina, BNA has provided support to parents in New York, Georgia, California, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia and Florida.

“Finding BNA was a blessing because they gave us more insight, compassion and encouragement than any of the medical providers we saw,” wrote a California couple served by BNA. “They listened to our story, our worries, our questions, and gently offered us considerations and ideas for the pregnancy, birth and beyond… they helped light a path we will never regret! We will be forever grateful to BNA for enabling us to parent our son in the most loving way we could, while helping us show his siblings that all life is beautiful.”

BNA was also awarded a grant this spring from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development from Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte to jumpstart the organization’s efforts to translate brochures and other resources into Spanish. BNA has supported several Latino families carrying to term following a prenatal diagnosis, and recognizes the need for improved outreach and support for parents whose primary language is Spanish. Additional funding is being sought for the important work of providing Spanish-language outreach and support to the Latino community.

“CCHD works to fight poverty and help those who are marginalized in society,” said Joseph Purello, CCHD director for Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte.

“Be Not Afraid exists to be a resource to families who seek support as they affirm the lives of their vulnerable children who face severe disabilities and medical needs.

CCHD is glad to partner as a funder of the good work of BNA.” Funding from both the Knights of Columbus and CCHD reflects the increasing organizational development of BNA, which has added several part-time

Learn more For more about Be Not Afraid, visit www.benotafraid.net or call Program Director Sandy Buck at 704-948-4587.

staff positions.

“Incorporation in late 2011 was a major development for BNA,” Rafie said. “While we have a committed base of peers and volunteers, incorporating into a formal organization allows us to gather the resources required to move forward.”

BNA peer ministers, volunteers and staff value most their direct support of parents carrying their unborn children to term. The organization is currently serving parents with prenatal diagnoses including Trisomy 21, Trisomy 18, various complex heart defects, Potter’s Syndrome, anencephaly and others.

Notes Sandy Buck, BNA program director, “We assist parents in planning for the likeliest outcome associated with any diagnosis, but in cases where the diagnosis is presumed lethal, we make sure parents have a plan for the baby’s basic care and assessment at birth – because sometimes even very frail babies surprise you and survive.”

BNA works in collaboration with medical providers to assure that parents receive the best possible support. The organization was recently asked by the OB, NICU and chaplaincy staff of a Charlotte area hospital to share information regarding the service.

“They appreciated the support we provided to a family who birthed there in June,” Buck said. “And just today, we supported a family by way of a conference call consult with the mom and NICU staff at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington regarding the parents’ birth plan.”

BNA will participate in a marriage conference in Orlando in August and offering training for 40 Days for Life prolife activists in the Archdiocese of Atlanta in September.

The organization will also host a second annual 5K fundraiser in October: the BNA Run for Life, Love and Hope.

Immaculata Pre-K and Grotto School earns five-star rating HENDERSONVILLE — Immaculata Pre-K and Grotto School has received five stars for its North Carolina Star Rated License through the North Carolina Division of Child Development.

Immaculata School’s 3- and 4-year-old preschool classrooms use the Creative Curriculum for Preschool, which includes seven areas of development and learning.

The focus is on kindergarten readiness and learning through play.

Immaculata Pre-K shares a license with the Grotto School, a 1-to-1 early intensive behavioral intervention program for children with developmental delays including Autism Spectrum Disorder, operated by St. Gerard House.

The shared license and space allow for steady integration of the children receiving

early intervention. Grotto students are integrated into the mainstream environment, when appropriate, based on continuous assessment. All students participate together during recess.

Immaculata Pre-K and Grotto School went through a rigorous rated license assessment in the spring, which included a thorough evaluation of program and educational standards and the educational backgrounds of teachers and therapists.

The programs have occupied 620 Oakland St. since opening in 2011.

Immaculata School is now enrolling 3and 4-year-olds for the 2013-’14 school year.

Children of all backgrounds are welcome.

Call 828-693-3277 for details.

— Amanda Armstrong, assistant director of St. Gerard House

Photo provided by Katie Patterson

Angela Goodman, music teacher at Immaculata School in Hendersonville, leads her young students in class last school year.

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catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 OUR PARISHES

As the faith community nurse at St. James the Greater Church in Concord and St. Joseph Church in Kannapolis, Vanessa Nuñez is doing all she can not only to enrich the health of parishioners but their Catholic faith, too.

David Exum | Catholic News Herald

Community nurse serves her fellow parishioners in Concord, Kannapolis David Exum Correspondent

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August 17 – Charlotte September 7 – Winston-Salem September 28 – Charlotte Special Webinar Class to be held on September 21 For more information visit our website or contact Batrice Adcock, MSN at 704.370.3230 or bnadcock@charlottediocese.org.

CONCORD — As the faith community nurse at St. James the Greater Church in Concord and St. Joseph Church in Kannapolis, Vanessa Nuñez is doing all she can not only to enrich the health of parishioners but their Catholic faith, as well.

“This job has really been a blessing for me,” said the 38-year-old Nuñez, who worked for several years as an information technology professional at a Fortune 500 company before becoming a nurse in 2007.

“It’s definitely one of the best jobs I’ve had.

Corporate times were changing, and I felt it was time for a change.”

Nuñez, who is bilingual and originally from California, takes great pride in being able to help not only English-speaking parishioners at both parishes, but Latino parishioners, too.

“I find the most joy when I can do that,” said Nuñez, in reference to helping Latino parishioners who do not speak fluent English. “Once I get them connected, that’s the best feeling. Absolutely. That’s where I get my reward. A lot of times it’s just a families’ kids who speak English, and that’s really when you see the need in the parish.”

Before becoming a faith community nurse in 2012 – the program operates in conjunction with Carolinas HealthCare System’s Faith Community Health Ministry – Nuñez began her nursing career in 2007 at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.

As the only bilingual nurse in the hospital’s ministry program, Nuñez does much more than just referring patients to physicians, running health screenings and conducting Zumba workout classes at the parishes.

“I also go with the Latino coordinator for our department and go to different (Catholic) churches in the area and run programs,” Nuñez said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be at the church. The kind of outreach we do is also outside the walls of the church.”

Before Redemptorist Father Fabio Marin came to St. James Parish to celebrate the Spanish-language Masses, Nuñez was the only Spanish-speaking member on staff apart from Redemptorist Father Joseph Dionne. St. James Parish also has another bilingual staffer: Armando Chavarria, who is the faith formation director.

“There is a lot of people now that (both English and Latino parishioners) have as contacts. It’s really been a great welcoming (from all of the clergy at both parishes),” Nuñez said. “I work with Father Dionne, Father (James) Geiger – and basically we work together. I also have a lot of

Note Faith community nurse Vanessa Nuñez can be reached at 980-272-7494 or via email at vanessa.Nuñez@carolinashealthcare.org. Nuñez is at St. James the Greater Church every Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at St. Joseph Church every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

autonomy as in what I want to do with this ministry.”

Nuñez also said Father Marin has been instrumental in alerting Latino parishioners that there is faith community nurse on staff at both parishes.

“He’s been really great in working with me and advertising for me at his Masses,” Nuñez noted.

Although her name and contact information are in the parish bulletins each week, Nuñez agrees that many parishioners are not even aware she is available to serve them.

“I think people skim through the bulletin and don’t realize that I’m here. When I first came on board, there was a big announcement in the bulletin, but if you weren’t here, you missed it. I do a lot of advertising of the ministry verbally and I put flyers up around the churches, but people still tend to miss the message.”

While September will mark her two-year anniversary as faith community nurse at St. James and St. Joseph parishes, Nuñez remains ever confident that the health ministry will continue to grow.

“Slowly but surely, more and more people are coming to me. I get a lot of phone calls. Our Zumba classes are very popular and the attendance at our diabetes clinic was great. It’s definitely a position that takes about two years to get in there and really ramp up your base, and really get into where people come to trust you.”

Nuñez said a large majority of her patients are people who do not have any health insurance, from both the Englishspeaking and Latino communities.

She added, “There’s a big mix with how I interact with our congregation. A lot of our parishioners (are established) and have medical insurance and their own physicians, so they only use me for the Zumba classes or the screenings.”

One of the most recent health screenings Nuñez conducted at St. James for Latin parishioners included checking people’s blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

“It was a huge success and every one of my appointments was booked. This place was packed.”

August 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

Photo provided by Donna F. Smith

Having fun at Totus Tuus HUNTERSVILLE — More than 150 children and teenagers recently enjoyed a spirit-filled week at St. Mark Church in Huntersville with Totus Tuus, the summer Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship. Totus Tuus, which in Latin means “Totally Yours,” was the papal motto of Blessed Pope John Paul II. Totus Tuus camps were held at 17 parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte this summer. For more information about the Totus Tuus program, go to www.education. charlottediocese.net/faith-formation/totus-tuus.

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14, with Great Vespers at 6:30 p.m. followed by Typica Service with Holy Communion at 7 p.m.

For details, go online to www.stbasil.weebly. com.

In Brief

Special concert planned at Belmont Abbey

Fr. Ebright joins diocesan tribunal, St. Michael Parish

BELMONT — “The Triumphs of Oriana,” celebrating 450 Years of English music with classical guitarist Joel Sharbaugh and vocalist Lawrence Abernathy, will be performed at Mary, Help of Christians Basilica on the campus of Belmont Abbey College, starting at 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 6. The concert is free, but donations will be accepted to benefit Room At The Inn, a non-profit pro-life organization that provides support for pregnant mothers and their children.

For details, contact Debbie Capen at debbiecapen@rati.org or 704-525-4673, ext. 14.

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis has appointed Father James A. Ebright to full-time ministry in the tribunal of the Diocese of Charlotte and assigned to be in residence at St. Michael Parish in Gastonia, effective July 22.

Father Ebright will join Ebright Father Matthew R. Buettner, who was recently named the new pastor of St. Michael Church. Father Buettner succeeds Father Roger K. Arnsparger, who has become the pastor of St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

Father Ebright is pursuing a licentiate degree in canon law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. The diocesan tribunal is responsible for investigating and resolving cases that involve canon (Church) law, which primarily means decisions regarding declarations of marital nullity (called annulments) and cases of laicization.

— Catholic News Herald

Upcoming feasts planned at St. Basil Mission CHARLOTTE — St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Mission will celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration on Monday, Aug. 5, with Great Vespers at 6:30 p.m. followed by Typica Service with Holy Communion at 7 p.m.

The mission will celebrate the Feast of the Dormition (Assumption) on Wednesday, Aug.

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Dynamic Parish seeking Director of Music Ministry St. Aloysius - a 2000 member family oriented parish in Hickory NC - is composed of 70% English speaking and 30% Spanish speaking population. The parish seeks a full-time Music Minister to direct the English and Spanish choirs; serve as accompanist for 2 English Masses and 1 Spanish Mass each weekend; play at

Missa Solemnis at St. Ann’s CHARLOTTE — A Solemn High Mass was offered at St. Ann Church in Charlotte July 26 to celebrate the Feast of St. Ann. The Mass was celebrated by Benedictine Father Cassian Folsom, Benedictine superior and founder of Monastero di San Benedetto in Norcia, Italy. Father Jason Christian served as deacon and seminarian Santiago Mariani served as subdeacon.

Bishop Peter Jugis was in choir and imparted an indulgence of 40 days to everyone present.

— Chris Lauer

funerals, weddings, and Holy Days, conduct weekly rehearsals, and be familiar with Catholic liturgy. B.A. in music with strong skills in organ, piano and conducting needed. Salary commensurate with degree achieved, skill level, and experience.

Excellent benefits.

Send resume/references to Rev. Robert Ferris, Pastor, 921 2nd St. NE Hickory NC 28601 or staloysius@charter.net

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catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 OUR PARISHES

Invites you to our

19th Annual Fundraising Banquet

“Miraculous Ways” Featuring Teresa Tomeo Teresa Tomeo is a syndicated Catholic talk show host, author, speaker, and former network TV news anchor. She was a delegate to the 2008 Vatican Women’s Congress in Rome. Her latest best seller, Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture, was praised by Dr. Laura Schlessinger as “required reading.”

Teresa’s amazing personal story began after two decades as a rising star in television journalism, when she walked away from the secular media, resolved to put God first, and then embarked on her own “Miraculous Way.” She discovered the true meaning of femininity and became passionate about exposing the modern culture’s role in distorting women’s authentic beauty. She is equally passionate about addressing the importance of family and the sanctity of life, and is changing hearts and minds around the globe.

Teresa’s story is one of insight and inspiration; having achieved everything the world promised would bring happiness, she found only “misery.” Come hear what she has learned along her Miraculous Way.

Charlotte Convention Center Crown Ballroom Thursday, October 24, 2013 Registration/Reception, 5:30 pm ~ Seating for Dinner, 6:15 pm Don’t miss our EXCITING announcement to be made that night!

Reservations are free but REQUIRED. To make a reservation or to host a table of 8-10 contact Banquet Reservations at (704) 525-4673, ext. 10 OR online at http://ratibanquet19.eventbrite.com by October 10, 2013.

Room At The Inn, Inc. is a Catholic non-profit maternity and after-care program. All material support and services are offered free of charge to clients. Please visit our website, www.rati.org, for more information.

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In Brief Polish Mass featuring Blessed John Paul II relic planned at St. Thomas Aquinas Church CHARLOTTE — A Polish Mass in honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa will be celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte on Sunday, Aug. 25. Father Matt Nycz of Buffalo, N.Y., will be the celebrant at the 3 p.m. Mass.

Confessions in Polish and English will be heard beginning at 1:30 p.m. There will also be a Polish choir singing traditional Marian hymns. Children in their native attire will also be present to honor Our Lady and Blessed Pope John Paul II. Father Nycz will bring a first-class relic of Blessed Pope John Paul II to this Mass for veneration. The relic is a piece of clothing with a drop of the pope’s blood from the day he was shot. After the Mass, there will be a reception with delicious Polish food.

All are welcome to attend the liturgy and celebration of Polish heritage at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, located at 1400 Suther Road.

Please bring a Polish or American dish to share with others. For details, call Mary Witulski at 704-628-7209.

— Al Tinson

Catholic men’s retreat planned

by Triad area Knights KERNERSVILLE — Catholic men of all ages are invited to a Catholic men’s retreat on Saturday, Aug. 10, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 8509. The retreat will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Salesian Hall on the campus of Holy Cross Church in Kernersville.

Deacon Tim Ritchey will be the keynote speaker, and Oblates of St. Francis de Sales Father Paul Dechant will celebrate Mass. Admission is $10; snacks and lunch will be served.

Register online at www.koc8509.eventbrite. com, call Michael Anderson at 336-655-4129, or contact Jacky Jones at 336-341-4148 or jdjonesrn@yahoo.com.

— Fred Hogan

Forgiveness and Healing Following Abortion

volunteer of the year at Camp SOAR was Andy Tinson, a 2007 graduate of Charlotte Catholic High School.

Tinson was one of more than 400 volunteers at this year’s Camp SOAR, where he has volunteered for more than 10 years. He is a member of MEDIC, Mecklenburg County EMS, and he recently completed the 17-month Paramedic Program conducted by the Center for Prehospital Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center and Central Piedmont Community College. He is also a volunteer with Mint Hill Fire and Rescue and assists as an athletic trainer at Charlotte Catholic and Holy Trinity Middle schools.

This is the second year for the award, which is named for the daughter of Camp SOAR founder and director Bob Bowler, who died in 2012.

Pictured are Kevin Staley, deputy director of MEDIC; Tim Bailey, president of Canteen-Mid South Division, sponsor of the award; Tinson and his parents, Al and Sheila Tinson; and Captain Justin Pfund and Jerry Mullis, chairman of the board of Mint Hill Fire and Rescue.

Polce wins scholarship CHARLOTTE — Ben Polce of Mint Hill, a 2013 graduate of Queens Grant High School in Matthews, has been awarded the annual Jordan Michael Horeth Memorial Scholarship. Named in memory of the son of Mike and Karen Horeth, the $2,500 scholarship goes to a parishioner of St. John Neumann church who is active in the church and the community. Polce is an altar server and a member of the Columbian Squires. At Queens Grant, Polce was a founder of the music club, a junior marshal and an allconference baseball player. The son of Stephen and Karen Polce, he plans to attend Ave Maria University this fall.

Above Polce is pictured (right) with Mike and Karen Horeth and Jordan’s sister Madison Gregory.

— Jennifer Noto and Al Tinson

Tinson earns Camp SOAR award CHARLOTTE — The 2013 recipient of the Victoria A. Bowler Award for the outstanding

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

Catholic Charities can help men and woman who have experienced abortion begin their healing journey. Rachel’s Vineyard Weekend Retreat creates a healing environment of prayer and forgiveness. The retreat works to reconnect individuals to themselves, their friends, and family and to realize God’s ever present love.

The next Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat is September 27 in Charlotte.

Visit our website or rachelsvineyard.org for more information or contact Maggi at 704.370.3229/mnadol@charlottediocese.org.

704-841-1160

South Charlotte & Union County, NC

Bathing / Dressing Assistance

704-549-4010

Mecklenburg & Cabarrus Counties

August 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com

Governor signs pro-life legislation RALEIGH — On July 29 Gov. Pat McCrory signed Senate Bill 353, legislation that sets up tighter regulations on the state’s 16 abortion clinics, bans abortions based on the child’s gender, and expands conscience protections for health care providers.

The legislation require the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to adopt procedures making abortion clinics conform to similar safety standards as outpatient surgery centers – the first regulatory overhaul for abortion clinics since 1994. It would ensure that abortion clinics are not allowed to operate with unsafe or unsanitary conditions, similar to what recently occurred at a Charlotte abortion mill.

The new law also requires the abortionist to be in the same room as the patient throughout the abortion procedure, preventing so-called “webcam abortions” performed via closed-circuit television.

It also limits abortion funding under health insurance plans through the federal health insurance exchange or by local governments. It also mandates that the state list resources online for women to seek help in cases of poor prenatal diagnoses.

Nearly a thousand participants in Catholic Voice NC, the bishops’ public policy website, sent email messages to McCrory urging him to sign the legislation. Bishop Peter Jugis and Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh issued a joint statement of thanks commending everyone who supported passage of the bill.

“Let us together continue to pray for the day when the choice for life is the choice of all,” they said in their statement.

— Catholic News Herald

OUR PARISHESI

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SURVEY:

ST. ALOYSIUS:

FROM PAGE 6

FROM PAGE 5

calling from God. When asked “What is the best thing about being Catholic?” 33 percent responded, “Jesus in the Eucharist.” Other top responses included “belonging” and “the Mass.”

Thirty-eight percent of youth cited “not being understood by Protestants” as the most difficult aspect about being Catholic.

Their recommendations for making church more enjoyable included “youth-friendly homilies” (18 percent), “shorter services” (18 percent) and “better music” (15 percent).

Those surveyed recommended that to attract greater participation from their peers, parish leaders should allow youth to “have more fun” (44.5 percent) and “less lecture, more interaction” (30.5 percent).

According to those surveyed, the greatest influence on young people’s faith is their families (97 percent). Their pastor, youth ministry program and religious education program are also important, they said.

Youth were also asked to name the biggest dangers that they face today. Drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, peer pressure and the economy were among the most frequently listed dangers. Support groups and peer mentors were among the top ways the youth recommended that the Church can help youth who are hurting.

Kotlowski saidthe next phase in determining how to respond to all the results of the survey will be to discuss specific issues raised by the survey results, during regional meetings over the coming months.

“These conversations will provide for greater clarification and specification as we cover the topics of vocations, life and meaning, evangelization and handson learning via systematic catechetical discipleship – our hope being an end result of robust cross-pollination of ideas and best practices throughout the diocese and a publication of these conclusions,” he said.

everyone that put so much effort into this,” Guess said. “It’s such a nice addition to the place where people already gather. I think it’s appropriate to have a place where people can come and meditate.

“On behalf of the mayor and the city council, we say ‘thank you’ to everyone and we greatly appreciate it and look forward to another hundred years.”

Father Ferris summed up the purpose of the commemorative gift, stating, “It symbolizes the peace we would like to give, not only to our community but to the world.”

McComb Park is located at 421 5th Avenue Place in Hickory near LenoirRhyne University.

St. Aloysius Church was established in 1913. The parish’s history states, “Hickory was a mission of the Asheville Parish from 1889 to 1903 and connected to the Salisbury Parish from 1904 to 1913. On Dec. 7, 1913, a small group gathered for Mass in the parlor of Mr. and Mrs. John Callanan, at which time St. Aloysius was conceived. Less than two years later, on April 18, 1915, the Rev. (Leo) Haid, Abbot Ordinary and Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina, came to Hickory to bless St. Aloysius Church, which was housed in an abandoned church building near the present site of Episcopal Church of the Ascension. The $1,500 used to purchase and improve the property came from Dr. Joseph Kelly of Philadelphia. St. Aloysius was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Kelly’s deceased son, Aloysius Kelly.

“It was not until 1928, when the congregation had grown to some 50 members, that Mass was celebrated every Sunday in Hickory. By 1937, the congregation had outgrown the first building and a tract of land was purchased where the present church complex now stands.

The original, small granite church was dedicated on Sept. 28, 1938, by the Right Rev. Vincent Taylor, OSB, Ordinary of Belmont Abbey. That building is now known as Sebastian Chapel.”

The present church was dedicated in 1993, and today, the parish is comprised of more than 1,700 families, according to the parish’s website.

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iiiAugust 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

A PICTORIAL STORY: CATHO

Serving the least makes me thankful to God Sharla Sugierski Special to the Catholic News Herald

DENVER — “True power is service.” No four words have been as powerful to me this summer than these spoken by Pope Francis. The phrase became a sort of anthem at this year’s Catholic Heart Work Camp, especially to Holy Spirit Church’s youth group.

This summer, we traveled to Virginia Beach, Va. We were full of excitement and spirit, thrilled to be able to attend Catholic Heart Work Camp for the third year in a row. After a crazy year of fundraisers, generous donations and support from the community, and a lot of determined prayer, we finally set off for a week-long experience like none other.

Every morning and evening, the young and spirited staff put on programs involving anything from marshmallow shooters to emotional witness talks. The programs were accompanied by singer and musician P.J. Anderson’s upbeat songs. His music got us up on our feet, clapping along, as well as singing praise and worship songs that left us with our eyes closed, holding back tears as we reflected on our love for God. This fellowship at Catholic Heart Work Camp is incomparable. I developed new relationships with teens from across the country while at the same time deepening existing relationships with those in my own parish. We all learned something new about our friends, our faith and ourselves – bringing us closer to God and our neighbors.

But it is not called a work camp for nothing.

The bulk of each day at Catholic Heart Work Camp was spent in groups at assigned work sites. Some of us worked on painting, repairing and doing yard work at needy people’s homes. Others served at nursing homes, halfway houses or crisis shelters to help with cleaning, maintenance, counting inventory, or simply listening to stories of the residents and keeping them company. No matter what type of work we did, we were ultimately delivering hope and love to those we were working for. Each of us came home with a story that made us appreciate what we have and give thanks for the lives we are given.

Like Pope Francis, we have been filled with the love and service we committed ourselves to that week, and we gained greater awareness that serving the least of us is the highest reward. Each memory from Catholic Heart Work Camp is one I will treasure all my life. Our service is the fuel that drives us to do more, to go above and beyond what society expects to achieve what God expects.

Something I have been taught by my youth leaders, the people I have served, my friends, and my entire church community, is that love will hold us together.

Prayer, fellowship and worship were key aspects of the Catholic Heart Work Camp experience for the youths from Holy Spirit Parish.

Photos by Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

HE COVER

August 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

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OLIC HEART WORK CAMP

The bulk of each day at Catholic Heart Work Camp was spent in groups at assigned work sites. Some of the youths worked on painting, repairing and doing yard work at needy people’s homes.

Parishioners gather with the Catholic Heart Work Camp pilgrims behind Holy Spirit Church before their mission trip to pray for their safe journey.

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catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 FROM THE COVER

Photos by Annette Tenny | Catholic News Herald

Above: Father Forte addresses the faithful as their newly installed pastor. Oscar Hernandez, director of sacred music at Good Shepherd, translates Father Forte’s remarks into Spanish.

At left: Father Anthony Forte reads from the pastor’s oath of fidelity, one of the steps of the installation rite for a new pastor.

Bishop Peter Jugis elevates the Host during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

From a land ‘far, far away’ Shortly before Father Forte’s installation, he sat down for a conversation with the Catholic News Herald.

He was born in 1957 in Chicago. While he was still young, he and his family moved to New Jersey where many of his father’s relatives lived. “The Jersey shore – that’s where all my father’s family is and that’s where I really grew up.”

He attended Rutgers University and after college joined the U.S. Army. For the five years he served in the Army, he felt God calling him to the priesthood, but he resisted.

“But God is bigger than us and He never gives up.”

Eventually, he found himself called so strongly that he entered seminary. He was ordained in 1991 and has been a priest in the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., for 22 years.

Throughout those years, he held many positions within various parishes. Most recently, he was chaplain at a large Catholic hospital.

He learned through a friend that the Charlotte diocese was in need of priests, so he offered Bishop Jugis his services. After several meetings within the Archdiocese of Newark as well as phone calls to the Charlotte diocese, Father Forte was given permission to come South.

He flew into Charlotte on the day Pope Francis was elected.

“I was in the airport and saw the white smoke on the television. Then they called my flight, so I had to wait until I got off the plane in Charlotte to find out who my new pope was!”

Father Forte said he is looking forward to shepherding his new parishes. He is also looking forward to serving Bishop Jugis and is excited about working with parishioners to strengthen and build upon what he said was the exceptionally faithful and joyful work that Father Lucas Rossi, the previous pastor, began.

For his first few weeks, Father Forte has commuted to both St. Benedict the Moor Church and Good Shepherd Mission. However, he looks forward to moving into the rectory at St. Benedict Parish, which has been closed for repairs.

“For 22 years I’ve been living above ‘the store’,” he said, “it’s too isolated. I need to be in the center, where the parish is.”

By the Grace of God and a lot of volunteer efforts by parishioners from St. Benedict and Good Shepherd, Father Forte moved into the rectory July 25.

Parishioners replaced the kitchen floor, replaced the bathroom vanity, fixed lights, painted the bedroom and bedroom closet, as well as did many other repairs.

“It (the rectory) needed a lot of work. It was built in 1940,” noted parishioner Art Holleran. “A lot of people helped do repairs and moved things in and out. The parishes really came together.”

New pastor welcomed to Winston-Salem area parishes St. Benedict the Moor Church and Good Shepherd Mission celebrate the installation of Father Anthony Forte Annette Tenny Correspondent

WINSTON-SALEM — Bishop Peter J. Jugis, along with the parishioners of St. Benedict the Moor Church in WinstonSalem and Good Shepherd Mission in King, welcomed Father Anthony Forte not only as their new pastor, but also as a newcomer to the Diocese of Charlotte, July 15. Father Forte is on temporary assignment from the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J. At the start of the installation Mass for Father Forte, the bishop’s letter of appointment was read by Harold Holmes, a parishioner and member of St. Benedict Parish’s finance council.

The letter outlined the duties and responsibilities of the parish priest and called him to emulate the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ in his pastoral ministry – an image that was invoked time and again throughout the installation Mass.

Father Forte then proclaimed the oath of fidelity. This oath beautifully and clearly articulates the priest’s fidelity to the Church’s teaching and to the local bishop.

For the Mass prayers, Father Forte chose the Votive Mass for St. Benedict the Moor. As such, the prayers and readings brought special meaning to St. Benedict parishioners.

During his homily, Bishop Jugis noted that the whole of St. Benedict’s life was a testament to the transformative power of God’s love. Throughout his life, St. Benedict overcame poverty and bias to become

a reverent and holy man, sought after by rich and poor alike for his ability to lead, to heal and to bring others closer to God. Likewise, Bishop Jugis said, Father Forte, as pastor of St. Benedict the Moor Church and Good Shepherd Mission, has come to shepherd the parishioners, through his three-fold charge as faithful teacher of the Gospel, as sanctifier of the People of God through celebrations of the sacraments, and as leader of the parish.

Bishop Jugis asked the parishioners for patience and kindness for their new pastor, eliciting a big laugh from the parishioners and Father Forte, as he noted that, “Father Forte has come to be your shepherd, from a far-off place: New Jersey.”

At the conclusion of his homily, Bishop Jugis led Father Forte on a traditional “tour” of the parish. First, he led Father Forte to the front door, noting its symbolism as the open doorway for the faithful to come to pray and to hear the Word of God. From there he moved to the confessional, the visible place where people experience the mercy of God. As they walked through the standing-room only church, Bishop Jugis joked to Father Forte that he already had a line of people waiting for confession.

From there the pair moved to the baptismal font, then to the sanctuary where the presider’s chair, the tabernacle and the altar are located.

At each point, Bishop Jugis spoke of a priest’s joy and responsibility, and of the blessings and graces, that through

his priestly office he offers the faithful.

At the end of Mass, Father Forte briefly addressed the congregation, and Oscar Hernandez, director of sacred music for Good Shepherd Mission, translated his remarks into Spanish.

Father Forte first thanked Bishop Jugis for welcoming him into the diocese and for giving him the great responsibility of pastoring, not one, but two parishes. He thanked the two congregations – valiantly attempting his first “y’all” – for welcoming him from the strange and distant land of New Jersey. He spoke of his appreciation for the warmth he has received but also of the humbleness and little bit of trepidation at such a responsibility.

“If it were not because of my faith,” he said, “I would hesitate to take up this responsibility. Because I know that by myself, I am not worthy of it.

But because of my faith, I know that Jesus Christ is not just someone we read about in Scripture, but He is alive today, in the world, in the Church and in our sacraments. And I know that all that I need to do is to open my heart to the Grace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit, and He will give me all the graces I need for this great responsibility.”

Father Forte also spoke of our reliance on the communion of saints, praying for the guidance of St. Benedict, and he asked for the prayers of the parishioners. By those graces, hand in hand with the people of the two congregations, he said, together they could build up the Kingdom of God.

August 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM THE COVERI

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Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter Jugis describes the varied duties of a pastor during the Mass to install Father Joshua Voitus as pastor of St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Sylva.

Fr. Voitus becomes pastor in Sylva Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

Mary B. Worthington | Catholic News Herald

Gloria Moore, a member of St. Michael Church in Gastonia, receives Holy Communion from Father Miller, who was installed as pastor July 17 at St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton by Bishop Peter Jugis.

Father Miller installed at St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton Mary B. Worthington Correspondent

LINCOLNTON — The wide-ranging responsibilities of a parish assignment could make a new pastor apprehensive, but the Church offers a special gift to aid in his new mission: the installation Mass.

In some ways, the installation is like an “orientation session,” with the added grace of the prayers of the Church. During the installation ritual, the new pastor takes an oath of fidelity publicly to the Church and to Bishop Peter J. Jugis, and he signs documents officially taking canonical possession of the parish.

During Father David Miller’s installation July 17 at St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton, parishioners filled the church to welcome him with joy.

“Father Miller specifically asked for the votive Mass of the patron saint of the parish, St. Dorothy, in order to ask for her intercession,” noted Bishop Peter Jugis during the Mass.

“And who would not want all the heavenly help one could get to undertake such a mission!” he quipped with a smile.

“When a pastor comes to a new parish, he may

be tempted to think in his heart, maybe with some anxiety, ‘Oh, my goodness, what do I do now? Where do I turn? What do I do first?’ Certainly when a young man is undertaking a pastorate for the first time, there can be some trepidation,” Bishop Jugis said during his homily. “There probably should be. There better be!

Because this has to be God’s work, and the man has to rely on God for the direction of the parish.”

“That’s why the pastor’s letter is read at the beginning of the Mass: there is outlined exactly what he is to do,” he said. “He doesn’t have to worry or wonder, because therein it is all laid out: fulfill the office of teaching, fulfill the office of sanctifying, fulfill the office of shepherding.”

He continued, “Knowing his formation, being trained now under two excellent pastors – Monsignor Richard Bellow, who was at St. Mark’s Parish in Huntersville, and Father Christopher Roux, the rector at St. Patrick Cathedral – (Father Miller) now has some experience. He’s been mentored and is now entering by the Holy Spirit into this work of Christ.”

At the end of his homily, Bishop Jugis invited MILLER, SEE page 16

SYLVA — Parishioners filled the small mountain church of St. Mary, Mother of God Parish July 24 to officially welcome Father Joshua A. Voitus as their new pastor.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis installed Father Voitus during the Mass, which was celebrated in English, Spanish and Latin.

This is Father Voitus’ first assignment as pastor, succeeding Father Alejandro Ayala, who was installed July 21 as pastor of St. William Church in Murphy and Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville. Father Voitus had served as parochial vicar of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte since his ordination in 2011.

During the installation ceremony, Father Voitus took an oath of fidelity to the Church and to the bishop, and publicly signed documents officially taking over as pastor of the parish.

During his homily, Bishop Jugis encouraged Father Voitus to lead the parish as teacher, sanctifier and shepherd. As teacher, Father Voitus will preach the Gospel as well as evangelize and educate the faithful.

As sanctifier, he will celebrate Mass and administer the sacraments, encouraging the faithful on their path to holiness. And as shepherd, Father Voitus will build unity and charity among all parishioners.

Following his homily, Bishop Jugis walked with Father Voitus around the inside of the church, pointing out the places where he would exercise his various responsibilities to serve the faithful: the front door – providing generous access to the faithful; the baptismal font and the confessional – administering the sacraments, enabling the faithful to receive new life in Christ and restore their relationship to God; the tabernacle and the altar – celebrating the Mass to nourish the faithful with the Body and Blood of Christ; and the presider’s chair – symbolizing his role as leader of the parish.

Before the Mass, Father Voitus reflected via email on his new role as pastor: “Well, it certainly is a great responsibility, especially for someone as young and new to the priesthood as I am. Nevertheless, I have a great deal of confidence, not necessarily in myself, but confidence in the fact that, if I submit myself to God’s Will and allow His grace to work in me, He will guide both me and the Parish of St. Mary to do His Will and to follow Him faithfully.”

St. Mary Parish is small but very active, he noted, “with many people willing to help out and ‘get the job done,’ so to speak. The people here have made my transition and first few weeks very easy and pleasant.”

“More importantly, though, I have noticed that there are a great number of people and organizations at this parish who seem primarily concerned with drawing closer to God. This is the most encouraging thing about being here because, if the parish is not centered on union with God and falling in love with Him, the other things that we do here matter very little.”

Parishioner Allene Ramsey said after Mass, “We at St. Mary’s welcome Father Voitus. His homilies truly highlight our Catholic faith. We are happy to have him here and look forward to getting to know him better.”

— Vicki Dorsey, correspondent, contributed.

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catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 FROM THE COVER

Father Ayala takes over as pastor in Murphy, Hayesville MURPHY — On July 21 Father Alejandro Ayala was welcomed as pastor of St. William Church in Murphy and Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville. Father Ayala succeeds Father George Kloster, who retired last month.

Bishop Peter Jugis celebrated the installation Mass at St. William Church, which was filled to capacity with parishioners and well-wishers to see their new pastor. Following the Mass, parishioners hosted a luncheon in the parish hall.

Parishioners were excited about getting to know Father Ayala better and working under his leadership to build up the local Church in Murphy and Hayesville, which are located in the far western corner of the Diocese of Charlotte.

“Father Alex is so full of life, his tremendous laugh lights up the entire parish. A quote of his that I shall always remember, ‘I came to love and to learn to love you as Jesus did.’ He will be a wonderful pastor for our church,” said Michelle Calascione, a member of St. William Parish. “I am looking forward to his pastoral care that he has so lovingly offered us. He is such a caring and humble priest. We are blessed,” added James Brummert, a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission.

O Holy St. Jude!

Vicki Dorsey | Catholic News Herald

Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor for all who invoke your, special patron in time of need; to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart, and humbly beg you, to whom God has given such great power, come to my assistance.

In return I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked.

St. Jude pray for us who invoke your aid.

(Say 3 Our Fathers, 3 Hail Mary’s 3 Glory Be)

MILLER: FROM PAGE 15

Father Miller for a tour inside the church to “point out to him places that are to be significant for his ministry.”

At the entrance, Bishop Jugis noted that the church is the “safe and secure pasture land of the Church,” just as Christ called Himself “the gate.”

Bishop Jugis also paused at key areas inside the church where Father Miller will administer the sacraments to the people of his parish: the baptismal font, the confessional, the altar and the tabernacle.

And to the parishioners who filled the church, eager to welcome their new pastor, Bishop Jugis said, “Your mission, by being

sanctified here, is to bring Christ and to help save the world and bring the light of Christ where there is so much darkness.”

Fran DaCanal, who has been a member of St. Dorothy Parish since 1996, remarked after Mass, “We’re really excited to have him!”

“Father Miller is so full of zeal and ready to tackle being a pastor,” added teen parishioner Caitlin Clark. “The bishop was so eloquent, so fatherly during the homily.

He explained everything and made it all seem so put-together.”

Father Miller said he was looking forward to getting settled in as pastor of the Lincolnton parish, which has about 200 registered families, including a substantial Latino community.

And, he added, “I would simply quote Padre Pio: ‘Pray, hope and don’t worry!’

That’s a theme for me personally: that I don’t worry!”

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Mix

August 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

Groups seek indecency enforcement vow from FCC nominee Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

‘The Wolverine’ Macho superhero adventure in which the titular character (Hugh Jackman) whose distinctive gifts include tougher-thansteel claws that sprout from his hands. He slices and dices his way through Japan while protecting an heiress (Tao Okamoto).

Physical and emotional angst make director James Mangold’s action picture -based on Marvel’s X-Men mythos -a heavy lift for casual viewers. Still, the relentless combat involves only moderate gore, and occasional flashes of wit offer some relief from the fog of testosterone. Constant action violence with some blood, ritual suicides, a non-marital bedroom scene, rear nudity, mature references, occasional crude and crass language.

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

‘The Smurfs 2’ Those squishy blue elves with the white caps return in this jolly 3-D sequel to the 2011 film. Drawing once more on the widely beloved comic-book characters created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo (Pierre Culliford), returning with their adventures with a mix of animation and live action. Evil human wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) kidnaps Smurfette (voice of Katy Perry) to get her to reveal the formula for “Smurfessence,” which promises eternal beauty and unlimited power.

Papa Smurf must organize a rescue mission with the help of a few human allies (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays).

Along the way there are positive messages about family and friendship. Moderately intense action sequences. mild scatological humor.

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

‘R.I.P.D.’ Scattershot action adventure about a corrupt Boston cop (Ryan Reynolds) who, inspired by the love of his trusting wife (Stephanie Szostak), decides to return to the straight and narrow. Informed of this change of heart, however, his even more crooked partner (Kevin Bacon) kills him and covers up the crime. Waking up in the afterlife, the slain officer is given the opportunity to forestall judgment of his misdeeds by serving on a celestial police force called the Rest in Peace Department, he must hunt down dead villains who have managed to evade divine justice by lingering on earth. The screenwriters’ attempt to combine a buddy movie with a special-effects extravaganza, a comedy and a redemptive romance dooms the film to attention-deficit ineffectiveness.

Much action violence with fleeting gore, brief partial nudity, occasional adult humor, considerable crude and crass language.

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

Additional reviews: n ‘The Conjuring’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: R n ‘Red 2’ CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pornography in the movies is one thing.

Indecency on television is another.

In the past four years, more than 1 million complaints have been filed with the Federal Communications Commission about indecency on the public airwaves. Not that there were 1 million separate incidents of alleged indecency; there were certainly some instances where organized campaigns urged followers to complain to the FCC about content.

Even so, 1 million complaints are a sure sign of unease about TV content over a four-year time period.

However, during Julius Genachowski’s four-year tenure as FCC chairman, not one complaint was investigated.

That lack of enforcement has raised the concern of dozens of groups that President Barack Obama’s pick to head the FCC, Tom Wheeler, won’t be any different.

Under the leadership of Morality in Media, 70 groups signed a letter urging members of the Senate to block confirmation of the Wheeler nomination until he signals his intent on enforcement of federal decency laws.

This is similar to the Morality in Media campaign that landed more than 100,000 comments earlier this year when the Genachowski-led FCC issued a proposal to relax the federal indecency standard to allow for the occasional flash of nudity or outburst of profanity.

The issue then becomes one of whether anyone in the Senate will listen.

The issue becomes more complicated with the mid-July tweak in Senate rules that pretty much stopped Republican filibustering of Obama’s nonjudicial appointees to allow them to come up for a vote.

But Patrick Trueman, the executive director of Morality in Media, thinks he’s gained some traction with his July 9 letter to senators.

“I’ve had three staff members from three different (Senate) Democrats, from the House and Senate committee yet to vote on his confirmation, saying this is a serious issue with their boss,” Trueman said. “And of course, there are several Republicans.”

Trueman added, “The letter that we sent with (the names of) 70 group leaders on it is making a difference. It’s causing some senators to give pause and consider whether Mr. Wheeler should give further statements about his willingness to enforce the decency law. Of course, Mr. Wheeler could resolve this by saying that he will vigorously enforce federal decency law.”

After a nominee has a Senate committee or subcommittee hearing, senators are allowed to pose questions in writing of the nominee, asking to comment on a subject or to clarity responses given during initial testimony.

Wheeler was asked about indecency during his hearing. “All he could muster is that he has grandchildren and he’s concerned what they have to see on TV,” Trueman said. “Basically, he punted.”

The July 9 letter said: “Mr. Wheeler can’t just say there is a problem; he needs to say how he will use his enforcement authority as FCC chairman to fix it. The American public has a right to decency at home. No network or shock jock has any right to invade that sacred space with indecent programming.”

Trueman said two Republican senators, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Matt Blunt of Missouri, have indicated they will grill Wheeler about his stand on indecency enforcement.

“Wheeler will have to clarify specifically what he intends to do about the federal decency law, so he won’t get out of the responsibility to state his position. He must state it,” Trueman said.

The issue, as Trueman sees it, is whether the FCC will become a paper tiger of sorts if it lets indecent material litter the airwaves. Currently, no indecent material is to be broadcast between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., the hours children are most likely to be part of the viewing audience. Still, just what constitutes indecency has been a difficult target to zero in on.

The FCC “should not be proposing more nudity and profanity on television, especially when kids are in the audience,” Trueman said.

“The problem is they don’t see that Federal Communication Commission acting, they’ll stop complaining about television,” he added. “The Federal Communications Commission is solely responsible for decency on television. When you have people like Genachowski saying the Federal Communications Commission’s not going to do its job, the people have no recourse.”

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On TV n Tuesday, Aug. 6, 12:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Men of Faith Who Made a Difference: Knights of Columbus.” The Knights of Columbus has been dedicated to faith, family, and country for over 100 years; this documentary takes you inside the history of this dynamic apostolate, exploring its influence in humanitarian, cultural, and religious enterprises.

Tuesday, Aug.ust 6, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Vocation to the Priesthood.” Men considering the priesthood should view this feature on the unique life of being a priest. Interviews include priests serving in dangerous missions where they emulate Christ’s love to all people. n Tuesday, Aug. 6, 5 p.m. (EWTN) “Father Michael McGivney.” Explore the life of the young Catholic priest who gathered the men of his New Haven parish community into a fledgling fraternity centered on strengthening their faith and family security in the hard economic period following the American Civil War. n Tuesday, Aug. 6, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “For the Greater Glory: The True Story of the Cristeros.” An inside look at the new motion picture “For Greater Glory” chronicles the history of the Cristero War with interviews from Jean Meyer, Director Dean Wright, Producer Pablo Barroso, Cardinal Juan Sandoval, Archbishop Jose Gomez and Carl Anderson. n Wednesday, Aug. 7, 10:30 a.m.

(EWTN) “The Vocation to Marriage.”

An award-winning Knights of Columbus documentary that looks at the vocation of marriage as a path to greater union with God. n Thursday, Aug. 8, 10:30 a.m. (EWTN) “From Benedict to Benedict: Ninety Years of the Knights of Columbus in Rome.” The strong relationship between the Knights of Columbus and the Vatican from the time of Pope Benedict XV to Pope Benedict XVI. n Saturday, Aug. 10, 5 p.m. (EWTN) “Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz.”

Actor Leonardo Defilippis brings to life St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest from Poland who withstood the degradation and horror of the Concentration Camp in Auschwitz until his death. n Sunday, Aug. 11, 4 p.m. (EWTN)”Saint Francis and Saint Clare.” The life and spirituality of Saint Clare of Assisi, founders of the Order of St. Clare or better known as the “Poor Clares.”

Witness how the preaching of St. Francis of Assisi set this noblewoman’s heart on fire to imitate Francis and live for Jesus. n Thursday, Aug. 15, 12 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of the Assumption.” Holy Mass from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. n Thursday, Aug. 15, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Sudan: The Promise of Peace.” Learn how the Church is aiding the people in the Sudan, who have endured over two decades of persecution.

Our nation 18

catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief unconstitutional” and said it stands in “direct contradiction” to U.S. Supreme Court decisions in cases “addressing restraints on abortion.”

Hobby Lobby wins injunction on HHS mandate

CNS | Tim Bishop, Catholic Spirit

Boy Scouts pray the Our Father during Mass at the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in Mount Hope, W.Va., July 21.

Jamboree Mass ties Scouts’ Catholic faith, commitment to serve others MOUNT HOPE, W.Va. — Nearly 10,000 Boy Scouts from throughout the United States braved heavy rain and thunderstorms July 21 for an outdoor Mass celebrated by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The Mass was part of the 10-day National Boy Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in Mount Hope. Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of WheelingCharleston concelebrated the Mass and served as homilist. In his homily, Bishop Bransfield welcomed the Scouts to the Mountain State for the national jamboree marking its significance to the Church.

“It is a pleasure,” he said, “to welcome you and Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano to our state. You now can see firsthand why it is called wild and wonderful.” Bishop Bransfield acknowledged the hard work of the many people it took to make the national jamboree a reality for West Virginia. “For many months,” he said, “a great deal of planning and labor has gone into preparing for this jamboree.

When I visited here earlier this year, in the middle of winter, I was impressed with the beauty of the place and I wondered if it would be ready for you by summer. As I look out now, I see a transformed place, made all the more wonderful by your presence and your enjoyment of all that nature has to offer you. It is especially good to be with you as we gather around the altar, led in prayer by our apostolic nuncio, and take part in the Lord’s Eucharistic sacrifice.”

Federal judge orders delay of Alabama abortion law MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A federal

judge in Montgomery issued an order July 23 to delay enforcement of a new Alabama law that mandates abortion clinic doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The law, which was to have gone into effect Aug. 15, also requires abortion clinics to meet the same safety standards as ambulatory care centers. The action

by Judge Myron Thompson, of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, postpones the law until March 24, 2014, so the court can move ahead on hearing a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union. The Women’s Health and Safety Act was signed into law in April by Gov. Robert Bentley, a Republican. Opponents say it aims to shut down most of the state’s licensed abortion clinics by imposing new regulations they consider unnecessary.

Backers of the law say it would make abortions safer.

Federal judge stops enforcement of N.D. fetal heartbeat law BISMARCK, N.D. — A federal judge’s temporary injunction stopping enforcement of a new North Dakota law barring abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected “is not surprising and is typical in most legal challenges to pro-life laws,” said the North Dakota Catholic Conference.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Hovland issued the ruling July 22 in a suit filed by Red River Women’s Clinic, the state’s only abortion clinic.

In March, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed three abortion bills into law in March, one to require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital; another to ban abortion for the purpose of sex selection or genetic abnormality; and a third to ban abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, which could be as early as six weeks. All three laws were to take effect Aug. 1. Hovland called the fetal heartbeat law “clearly invalid and

OKLAHOMA CITY — A federal judge in Oklahoma City July 19 granted a temporary injunction to the arts and crafts chain Hobby Lobby, saying it would not have to comply with the federal health care law mandating that employers provide coverage of contraceptives in their health insurance plans. U.S. District Court Judge Joe Heaton issued the preliminary injunction, and gave the federal government until Oct. 1 to consider an appeal. The Christian owners of Oklahoma-based Hobby Lobby chain have specifically argued that providing emergency contraceptive coverage to their employees, as required by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, violates their religious freedom. The injunction comes several weeks after a federal appellate court ruled that Hobby Lobby can exercise religion under the First Amendment and is likely to win its case against the mandate.

“The tide has turned against the HHS mandate,” said Kyle Duncan, general counsel with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, and lead attorney for Hobby Lobby, in a July 19 statement.

Catholic ethicist to head international religious freedom commission WASHINGTON — Robert P. George, a Catholic legal scholar and ethicist who is the McCormick professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University, has been elected to head the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. He was appointed to the bipartisan commission in 2012 by House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and is serving his first term as a commissioner.

George said in a statement he was “deeply honored that my colleagues have entrusted me with this position of leadership.”

Priest who was driving force behind Worldwide Marriage Encounter dies SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The leadership of Worldwide Marriage Encounter mourned the death of Jesuit Father Chuck Gallagher, considered the driving force in creating what is the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. Father Gallagher died July 21 in New Jersey after a short illness. He was 85.

— Catholic News Service

CNS | Tom McCarthy Jr., Catholic Review

Cecil “Mel” Robeck, a professor of church history and ecumenics at Fuller Theological Seminary, and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh, co-chairs of a Vatican-sponsored Catholic-Pentecostal relations commission, talk with visiting members of the Pentecostal church who attended Mass celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary July 14.

Catholics, Pentecostals share belief in ‘healing power of Jesus’ Catholic News Service

RALEIGH, N.C. — Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh said the latest session of the international Catholic-Pentecostal dialogue allowed leaders of the two religions “to renew our common faith in the healing power of Jesus,” who “continues to demonstrate His love and miracles in our midst.” Seven Catholics and four Pentecostals gathered July 14-19 in Baltimore for the third session of the sixth phase of the dialogue.

It opened with Mass July 14 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore. Discussions were held through July 19 at St. Mary’s Seminary and University. The general theme for the current phase of the dialogue is “Charisms in the Church: Their Spiritual Significance, Discernment and Pastoral Implications.”

Healing was the topic of this year’s discussion. Last year it was discernment and in 2011 charisms.

Bishop Burbidge is the Catholic co-chairman of the dialogue.

The Pentecostal co-chairman is the Rev. Cecil M. Robeck Jr., professor of church history and ecumenics and director of the David du Plessis Center for Christian Spirituality School of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.

“The dialogue has helped us to focus on how the charism of healing is understood, expressed and celebrated in our churches and faith communities,” Bishop Burbidge said in a statement released at the conclusion of the dialogue. “We have acknowledged that our theological understanding of the charism of healing requires further exploration.”

“Our conversations,” he added, “were carried out with great respect and were always rooted in prayer asking the Lord to bring the completion the work we have carried out in His name.”

Rev. Robeck in a statement said Catholics and Pentecostals have much in common with regard to the subject of healing.

Together Catholics and Pentecostals affirm that “‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.’ ... With such common ground, we are optimistic that we will be able to produce a document that will prove to be useful within our communities.”

August 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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African-American Catholics from across U.S. pack Philadelphia cathedral Lou Baldwin Catholic News Service

PHILADELPHIA — Almost 1,000 members of the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary filled Philadelphia’s grand Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul July 21 for an opening Mass of thanksgiving as part of their annual convention, the first to be held in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Most other events took place at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel. “The entire church of Philadelphia rejoices with you as you come for your assembly in our city,� said Philadelphia Auxiliary Bishop Timothy C. Senior, the principal celebrant of the Mass. He represented Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, who was in Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day. Bishop Senior said the archdiocese was blessed to be the site of the AfricanAmerican organization’s 98th Annual Convention and Supreme Assembly. “Your order is a great blessing to our parishes and churches; our schools and other ministries,� he said. “In Philadelphia, the city of St. Katharine Drexel, we treasure the great blessing of racial diversity and ethnic diversity because diversity in our Church

enriches everyone’s life in the community,� the bishop added, referencing the saint who dedicated her life to ministering to AfricanAmericans and American Indians, building missions and schools around the country.

Joining Bishop Senior and other clergy on the altar was Auxiliary Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of New Orleans and Monsignor William L. Norvel, superior general of the St. Joseph’s Society of the Sacred Heart, better known as the Josephite Fathers and Brothers.

The Knights of Peter Claver was founded in 1909 in Mobile, Ala., at the urging of the Josephite Fathers who ministered almost entirely to the African-American community. In structure they mirrored the Knights of Columbus, which at the time had very few African-American members and none in the strictly segregated Deep South.

The Ladies Auxiliary was organized in 1922. While they still are very much part of the organization, today they vastly outnumber the men. “I’m pleased with the turnout,� said Supreme Lady Vertelle Kenyon, who came from Charleston, S.C. “We have a very full week of workshops here. We have Knights, Ladies, Junior Knights and Junior Ladies.

Our mission is to serve the Church as well as members of our organization.�

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catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope’s frank remarks garner media attention After a week in Brazil and a record setting gathering of 3 million people at the World Youth Day closing Mass, Pope Francis made even more headlines on his return to Rome.

During an 80-minute press conference aboard the papal plane, the Holy Father followed in the footsteps of recent popes in answering unscreened questions from reporters. His simple, frank answers that reinforced basic Church teaching seemed to surprise many news organizations.

The pope spoke on several topics with wide-ranging appeal:

A ‘gay lobby’ in the Vatican

The pope said he knows people have spoken about some kind of “gay lobby” at the Vatican protecting certain priests by threatening to blackmail others. He said that he knows of no Vatican identification card that describes someone as gay, but he also said the possibility of “lobbying” is what is worrisome.

Gay people

While answering questions in Italian the pope used the English word “gay” to describe homosexual persons and then explained basic Church teaching. “A gay person who is seeking God, who is of good will – well, who am I to judge him?” the pope said. “The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well. It says one must not marginalize these persons, they must be integrated into society. The problem isn’t this (homosexual) orientation – we must be like brothers and sisters. The problem is something else, the problem is lobbying either for this orientation or a political lobby or a Masonic lobby.”

Women in the Church

On the possibility of ordaining women priests, Pope Francis said, “The Church has spoken and said, ‘no,’” and what Blessed Pope John Paul II declared is “a definitive formula.” The late pope said because Jesus chose only men as His disciples, the Church is not able to ordain women.

However, Pope Francis said, the Church still has far to go in explaining the importance of women in the Church, saying it is impossible for the Church to live up to its role as Mother and Bride of Christ without the contribution of women.

“It is not enough to have altar girls, women readers or women as the president of Caritas,” he said. “Women in the Church are more important than bishops and priests,” just like “Mary is more important than the Apostles.”

Divorced Catholics

Asked about any possibility that the Church would allow Catholics who have been divorced and remarried only civilly to receive the sacraments, Pope Francis said he wants to make it clear that divorced Catholics can receive the sacraments. The problems begin when they marry a second time without having their first union annulled.

— Catholic News Service

CNS | L’Osservatore Romano

Pope Francis cradles an infant after dropping in to visit a family in the Varginha slum of Rio de Janeiro July 25. The pope showed the world on his first international trip that his forte as a communicator is the simple, seemingly artless action that resonates powerfully in context.

In Brazil, pope’s simple, artless actions resonate powerfully Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service

RIO DE JANEIRO — If Blessed John Paul II had an actor’s mastery of the dramatic gesture and Pope Benedict XVI engaged the faithful most effectively through his learned and lucid writing, Pope Francis showed the world on his first international trip that his forte as a communicator is the simple, seemingly artless action that resonates powerfully in context.

During his visit to Brazil July 22-28 Pope Francis said little that he had not already said more than once during his still-young pontificate. He repeated forceful calls for social justice, a more humble and empathetic Church leadership and a more active and engaged laity.

But given the historic nature of the occasion – the first Latin American pope returning to his native continent – he must have known that everything he said and did here would take on special significance, and he made extensive use of the setting.

The display began even before he left Rome, when the pope was photographed carrying his own briefcase onto the plane, sending a characteristic message of humility: the menial work of carrying the

bag was a task he reserved for himself.

Pope Francis’ entrance into the city of Rio in a modest compact van instead of the usual large sedan – an image that instantly turned the Fiat Idea into a world-famous model – was an exhortation to simplicity for clergy and laypeople alike, consistent with his previous complaints about spending on luxuries in a world where children starve.

It was during that ride that Pope Francis used his already famous gift for spontaneity to salvage what could have been a dispiriting mishap. The swarming of his car by pedestrians and the driver’s decision to enter rush-hour traffic, where the papal motorcade promptly got stuck, briefly seemed to augur only more chaos.

Instead, the incident became a chance for the pope to display his almost magical rapport with crowds, when he was seen opening his window and greeting the very people that members of his security detail were frantically pushing away.

Images of Pope Francis’ visit to a Rio “favela” – his walk down the streets of shanties, and the tears in his eyes behind the altar of the slum’s little chapel – will surely leave more lasting impressions than anything he said there.

Similarly, his speech to what the Vatican

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read in-depth coverage of Pope Francis’ trip to World Youth Day and see more photos

called the “ruling class of Brazil” – a gentle call to dialogue and “social humility” in a country shaken by massive antigovernment protests – was clear and thoughtful, yet less eloquent than his embrace of a recovered drug abuser and former favela resident on the stage before the dignitaries.

Pope Francis said nothing during the trip about moves to liberalize Brazil’s abortion laws because, as he told reporters on his plane back to Rome, “young people understand perfectly what the Church’s point of view is.” But he symbolically espoused the defense of unborn human life during the culminating Mass of World Youth Day, when he welcomed a married couple and their baby born with only part of her brain; they had chosen not to abort even though current Brazilian law would have permitted them to do so.

August 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

WORLD YOUTH DAY ROUND-UP Retreat Director/Hospitality Management

Pope Francis arrives at Quinta da Boa Vista park, where he heard the confessions of five young people attending World Youth Day, July 26 in Rio de Janeiro.

CNS | Paulo Whitaker, Reuters

Pope commissions youths to be missionaries without borders RIO DE JANEIRO — Pope Francis commissioned some 3 million young people to join forces and form what could be called Missionaries Without Borders. “Where does Jesus send us?” he asked World Youth Day pilgrims July 28. “There are no borders, no limits: He sends us to everyone.”

On the white sand of Copacabana beach – under partly sunny skies, a relief after days of rain in Rio – Pope Francis celebrated the closing Mass for the July 23-28 celebration of World Youth Day Rio. He told them that if they did not share their experience of God’s love with others it would be “like withholding oxygen from a flame that was burning strongly.”

Pope: Christ’s cross eases suffering, teaches love RIO DE JANEIRO — With His cross and resurrection, Christ promises to walk with and ease the burden of every suffering person, whether that suffering comes from violence, addiction, a broken family, hunger, persecution or the death of a loved one, Pope Francis said.

On July 26 the pope and more than 1 million young people gathered on Copacabana beach to meditate on the Stations of the Cross.

In his reflection, Pope Francis told the young people that in every encounter with Christ’s cross, they can draw strength from Him and they can leave the heaviest part of their burden with Him. Through the cross, the pope said, Jesus also unites Himself with “those young people who have lost faith in the Church, or even in God, because of the counter-witness of Christians and ministers of the Gospel.”

Pope Francis did not get specific about the forms of counter-witness, but his words brought to mind the well-known Via Crucis meditations written in 2005 by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, only weeks before he became Pope Benedict XVI, in which he denounced “filth” in the Church, which was widely interpreted as a reference to clerical sex abuse.

At the same time, Pope Francis also has denounced the counter-witness of clergy and other Church personnel who see ministry more as a career or who drive around in fancy cars or exhibit an extravagant lifestyle in other ways.

On stormy shore, pope invites youths to follow Jesus RIO DE JANEIRO — Even at its stormiest, the Sea of Galilee doesn’t have waves like those that pound Copacabana beach, but Pope Francis asked the 1 million young Catholics present to imagine they were with Jesus on the seashore and He was asking them to follow Him and share His love with others. In his first remarks July 25 at WYD, Pope Francis spoke of belonging to the great family of faith.

The celebration included a “shout out” to retired Pope Benedict XVI, who chose Rio as the site of World Youth Day 2013 and selected its theme: “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

At hospital, pope embraces, challenges drug addicts RIO DE JANEIRO — Pope Francis addressed a group of recovering drug addicts in a workingclass neighborhood of Rio, offering them a message of compassion and hope as well as a call to self-determination.

At the Hospital of St. Francis of Assisi, which he called a “shrine of human suffering,” he told patients they were the “flesh of Christ,” like the leper embraced by the institution’s patron saint in a crucial step toward his conversion. He also said those struggling with drug dependency deserve the “closeness, affection and love” of all society. Yet the pope also stressed the necessity of personal will in recovering from addiction.

“To embrace someone is not enough,” Pope Francis said. “We must hold the hand of the one in need, of the one who has fallen into the darkness of dependency perhaps without even knowing how, and we must say to him or her: ‘You can get up, you can stand up. It is difficult, but it is possible if you want to.’

“Dear friends, I wish to say to each of you, but especially to all those others who have not had the courage to embark on our journey: ‘You have to want to stand up; this is the indispensable condition!’”

In slum, pope denounces ‘culture of selfishness’ RIO DE JANEIRO — Visiting one of this city’s notorious “favelas,” or slums, Pope Francis denounced corruption and a “culture of selfishness and individualism,” and called for a “culture of solidarity” in pursuit of social justice.

While stressing the need to alleviate material suffering, he also said that “real human development” requires the promotion of moral values, to satisfy a “deeper hunger, the hunger for a happiness that only God can satisfy.”

The July 25 speech was the pope’s first major statement on social and economic questions during his visit to Brazil, a country that has enjoyed years of strong economic growth but is currently in turmoil over widespread dissatisfaction with government policies.

Krakow, Poland, to host WYD 2016 RIO DE JANEIRO — Krakow, Poland, will be the site of the next World Youth Day, in 2016.

Krakow is the former episcopal see of Blessed John Paul II, who founded the tradition of World Youth Day in 1986. The 2016 event will be the second World Youth Day to take place in Poland.

— Catholic News Service

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catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Letters to the editor

Political maneuvering in pro-life bills unsupportable Father Shawn O’Neal

Mission possible: Beating the parishioners with some ‘shtick’

I

n the 10 years I have served in Bryson City and Cherokee, I have received the gift of honest parishioners. Our fine Southern land can be filled with much passive aggressiveness, but my parishioners truly cut through the muck for the sake of everyone in the parish and in our families.

Last year, a member of our parish’s group for men offered the very direct suggestion that it would be good to have a mission. Nobody could remember the last time St. Joseph Church had hosted a mission. I liked the idea, but first I had to get past a few moments of skepticism and trepidation.

One, I was skeptical about the timing, whether the mission might risk failing because of potentially low attendance.

Many Catholics are accustomed to missions during either Advent or Lent. As good as those seasons are for the sake of growing closer to God and renewing our place in the New Covenant, neither is a good time to schedule a major parish event in many western North Carolina parishes.

Seasonal parishioners, the likely pool of people who would most want to attend a mission in our area, are not around between November and mid-April. Also, during those months, it gets dark by 5:30 p.m. Many people prefer to avoid driving in the dark if at all possible.

Yet those who suggested the mission are trustworthy. If I accepted their challenge, not only would they be there, but they would make sure to promote it. So we agreed to have the mission, and I suggested that we schedule it for the last week in June. The sun does not set until 9:30 p.m. in the summer, so unless the mission preacher got on a holy roll, everyone could still get home each evening with daylight to spare.

But besides the scheduling issue, a little trepidation kicked in when family members and parishioners recalled what had happened during other missions.

Our parish has a lot of older members, many of whom are not afraid to speak their minds.

That is of great benefit, because they share their faith journeys with the parish and with me.

Many told me they had bad memories of previous missions. For some, missions consisted of three evenings of browbeating followed by an evening of whiplash, from a preacher who spent three evenings condemning everything and everyone, only to speak on the final night about the mercy of the Lord.

But, they noted, these memories were of missions from their childhood. In fact, missions in more recent decades were tempered in tone, they said. For many parishioners, aversion to missions turned into an appreciation. Done well, a mission provoked helpful and healthy examination and brought assurance of mercy rather than whiplash.

Many of us prayed we could have a mission that would serve the entire parish and each of us. We prayed for a helpful mission and healthy results, with no beaten brows to mend.

Divine Providence manifested itself. Seasonal parishioners from Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Cherokee reminded me that a longtime priest friend they knew for years down in Florida had a home not too far away from us. That itself was a gift because a church such as mine might otherwise be forced to pay hefty travel expenses for a mission leader.

God blessed us with someone who was both talented and available nearby: Monsignor Michael Patrick Aloysius Flanagan, a slightly Irish-American priest of many decades’ experience as a missionary and a mission/retreat facilitator,

lives in Swannanoa. Monsignor Flanagan was happy to accept my request to come to Bryson City, and he was happy to come in June.

The pieces were falling into place.

When I met Monsignor Flanagan, I was reminded of the story of one popular mission-preaching abbot who was scared out of his sandals as a young monk after being told that he would be sent into parishes preaching missions. The young monk begged to get out of the assignment, but his superior insisted. I only wish in his telling of the story that the abbot had taken on the voice of a stereotypical agent from decades ago: “You gotta do it, kid. You got the moxie for it. Now go on out there and knock ’em dead.”

You see, mission facilitators rely on “shtick.” Some preachers are born with it; for others, it’s fostered through the help of others. In the spiritual world, we speak about “charisms” – and that truly applies, because the best preachers present something much greater than themselves.

But the good facilitator dances well between charism and shtick: between what God gives and the personal expression God wants us to imprint upon it.

Monsignor Slightly Irish Flanagan has great shtick. He sent his general outline to me weeks in advance, so we could publish in the bulletin the points he wished to make each evening during his talks. Because he is a seasoned professional, he knew how to attract people.

For example, the theme for the first night of the mission was, “There is only one thing you must be doing!”

Imagine parishioners thinking to themselves: “One thing? There can’t be only one thing! That’s too simple.”

Monsignor made sure to explain during his talk that the one thing we need to do helps us to do everything else: Love God with all of our hearts and love our neighbors as ourselves.

The next two evenings were about how Jesus wants us to have abundant life and how Jesus wants us to be healed. Sure, that may sound rudimentary, but it was great to see this beautifully simple yet powerful message sink in for those who attended the mission.

It reminded me that each of us might have some moment when we are like the disciples walking to Emmaus, when we cannot recognize the presence of Jesus, and it is only after a great revelation mixed with gentle compassion that we truly understand what we had been told for many years.

It was a treat to see parishioners awaken anew to God’s love. I pray all the priests of the Diocese of Charlotte might seek constantly to do that work of reawakening hearts.

I thank God for how He has provided wonderful things for this parish and its great members. I thank God that the idea came into the heads of parishioners and that they insisted on bringing that idea to life. I thank God that parishioners told me someone good for this task was nearby and available. I thank God that Monsignor Flanagan stirred many hearts.

I pray that I might be able to do the same and that we are all able to do the same. May God bless us all with good shtick, people who know we have been given it, and people who inspire us to use our talents well for the sake of all people to dwell in God’s light and remain in God’s love.

‘It is only after a great revelation mixed with gentle compassion that we truly understand what we had been told for many years.’

Father Shawn O’Neal is the pastor of St. Joseph Church in Bryson City and Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Cherokee.

Regarding the July 19 article “Legislature supports pro-life bills, Governor to sign,” somehow there is a dichotomy of interests and objectives in the hodgepodge of prolife legislation recently passed by the North Carolina legislature. The bishops support this legislation as “significant protection for the unborn.” However, a vocal sponsor of the bills, Sen. Warren Daniel, stated a different objective when he said, “Both of these bills are about women’s health ... the safety of abortion clinics is the ultimate goal.” So which is it? Logically, you would think making abortion clinics safer would appeal to those seeking abortions, not help save babies. And protecting women’s health is, of course, a worthy by-product of these bills, provided that you can believe that is the real objective and not just a political maneuver.

This whole deal, including the convoluted tacking of the bills to a motorcycle safety bill and an anti-sharia law bill, as well as the lack of public transparency in bringing the bills to a vote, does not warrant our support. Even the governor was confused enough to sign a bill supporting women’s health and safety so he didn’t have to go back on his campaign promise not to make abortion less accessible. So if the governor and the legislators think these bills are about safety and health, I guess that we can call them “pro-life” bills. In our rush to support anti-abortion legislation, it appears that we will accept anything that sounds “pro-life,” even by a another name. It would behoove us, however, as Catholics not to distort truth with political scheming.

Kenneth Schammel lives in Cornelius.

Catholics should not endorse AntiDefamation League trip to Israel Regarding the recent trip by two Charlotte teachers to Israel through an Anti-Defamation League mission (June 21 edition of the Catholic News Herald), I wonder if these teachers were made aware of anti-Catholic actions by the Israelis.

For example, in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, there is a pictorial display of Pope Pius XII alongside the Fascist dictators of World War II. Under the pope’s photograph is an extended caption which, in effect, says that our pope did not help the Jews, maintained a neutral position and remained silent. In reality, Pope Pius XII did much to save as many Jews as he could. (Read “The Myth of Hitler’s Pope” by Rabbi D. Dalin and “The Truth Will Set You Free”

by Sister Margherita Marchione.)

And when the teachers heard from the Israeli Defense Forces, did they hear from the Israeli soldiers who are now part of “Breaking the Silence,” which exposes the mistreatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories?

Did they know that Israel has confiscated most of the property of a Salesian convent and school on the outskirts of Beit Jalla, West Bank, to construct its separation barrier – a move which the U.S. and Holy Land bishops oppose?

I have been to Israel/Palestine and have seen both sides of the story. As a Catholic, I am surprised and disappointed that the AntiDefamation League propaganda program that these teachers took part in is endorsed by the National Catholic Educational Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Mary Bonaccorsi lives in Greensboro.

August 2, 2013 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

The Poor Clares

Deacon James H. Toner

Knowing and doing what is right

Consecrated persons live in the light of the Transfiguration

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n Aug. 6 the Church celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, the event when He manifests His glory to three of His Apostles: Peter, James and John.

By His Transfiguration, Our Lord clearly reveals His divinity to the three chosen Apostles. He uses this occasion as a means to strengthen their faith, which in turn prepares them for the scandal of the Cross and also gives them a glimpse of the Resurrection.

They do not realize the full implications of this event until later, of course. But this mystery and revelation of Christ was not limited to these three witnesses. They handed their testimony of the Transfiguration on to us, through the Scriptures, so that we could all ponder and contemplate in it the transfigured Face of Christ.

In a beautiful document, “Vita Consecrata,” Blessed John Paul II pointed out that by looking at the event of the Transfiguration, we can find an overall picture of the essential characteristics of the consecrated life.

Those of us who profess the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience have a special experience of the light which shines forth from the Lord and so can say in a particular way with Peter, “Lord, it is well that we are here!” As the Apostles hear the Father’s voice, their vocation is confirmed to make Christ the center of their lives, to trust Him completely.

In the event of the Transfiguration, the Apostles are prepared for the event of the Crucifixion. The eyes of Peter, James and John are fixed upon Jesus, who is thinking of the Cross. It is in the contemplation of the Crucified Christ that all vocations find their inspiration, for no matter what our vocation is, we are all called to love.

Christ’s death on the Cross was His supreme expression of His love for the Father, and also His love for us.

Our fidelity to the love of Christ is revealed in the humility of a hidden life, in silent sacrifice and abandonment to God’s Will. It is the total gift of self. Fidelity to God is inseparable from devotion to neighbor, and so consecrated persons share the hardships of others and participate in the concerns and trials of the Church. We as Poor Clares participate in this sharing by embracing in Christ all mankind, whose hopes and struggles, joys and sufferings we carry in our hearts and intercede for daily.

After Our Lord was transfigured and was alone again with His Apostles, He came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” Like the three Apostles, consecrated persons know from experience, despite what some people may think, that their lives are not always marked by the glory manifested at the Transfiguration. But it is always a life “touched” by the hand of Christ, a life sustained by His grace. After the enthusiasm of the first meeting with Christ, there comes the constant struggle of everyday life, a struggle which turns a vocation into a tale of friendship with the Lord.

The path before Jesus from the point of His Transfiguration is a difficult one prior to the light of the Resurrection. So too, the consecrated life, despite its renunciations and trials – and really because of them – is a path of light over which the Redeemer keeps constant watch: “Rise, and have no fear.” May the light of Christ enlighten each of our hearts and may He strengthen us all to live with fidelity the path He has chosen for us!

‘Consecrated persons know from experience that their lives are not always marked by the glory manifested at the Transfiguration.

But it is always a life “touched” by the hand of Christ.’

Sister Mary Gabriella of the Annunciation is professed with the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, St. Joseph Monastery, in Charlotte. Learn more about the community and subscribe to their newsletter by going online to www.stjosephmonastery.com.

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“Remember the Lord in everything you do, and He will show you the right way.” (Proverbs 3:6)

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here is a story about a pilot whose last message was “Am lost, but am making record time.” We live at a time and in a place increasingly bereft of the intellectual and moral signposts that could give us direction and protection. More and more, we are lost but are making record time.

Confronted with moral challenge and seeking guidance, we humans rely upon or resort to certain concepts or ideas or reference points in making judgments. But whose advice should we accept?

Where do we get our reference points? How do we know that they are accurate? What is true and what is false?

Our religious and moral education is – or used to be – founded upon several axioms. An axiom or postulate is generally understood as the beginning point of reasoning. For example, we know we exist.

An axiom may also be understood as a statement beyond quarrel or controversy; it is traditionally, sensibly and widely regarded as true.

So what are the axioms by which most people decide right from wrong, or good from bad, or just from unjust?

The common argument that “You should make up your own mind” begs the question. What is assumed is that someone can reasonably make up his mind without solid information and, even more important, excellent formation. That can be very difficult in these days of moral relativism and indifferentism.

(For more on this, read the Catechism of the Catholic Church 407-409, or read J. Budziszewski’s “The Revenge of Conscience.”)

Blaise Pascal, the great French philosopher and mathematician, once wrote, “(Our) whole duty lies in thinking as (we) ought.” With that in mind, here are seven two-word axioms foundational to Catholic thinking, followed by a brief explanation and by one Catechism reference, a Scripture citation and a book recommendation: 1. God is. Because God exists, we must know, love and serve Him. At its core, sin means the effort to substitute something or someone else for God. If we think God exists but we act as though He does not, we are practical atheists. The Lord is everything, the Book of Sirach tells us (43:27). Only in God do we find truth and happiness (CCC 27). For more, read Peter Kreeft’s “Because God is Real.”

2. We sin. If we recognize that we need salvation and the “medicine” of the sacraments, then we are on the road to healing. However, secular society insists that sin is an outdated idea. St. Paul tells us to hate (that’s the infinitive he uses) what is evil and to hold fast to what is good (Romans 12:9). The Catechism tells us that denial of sin is self-delusion (CCC 1847). For more, read Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s “Peace of Soul.”

3. Christ saves. There is no sin that Christ cannot forgive, if we turn to Him. Salvation does not come to us from the world; it comes in and through Christ the King. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). The divine name of Jesus, so often casually or blasphemously referred to, “alone brings salvation,” the Catechism explains (432). For more, read “Making Sense of It All” by Thomas V. Morris.

4. Church teaches. A skeptic once asked the great English writer Hilaire Belloc how he could believe that the bread and wine at the Mass were transformed into the actual Body and Blood of Jesus. Belloc replied that he would believe that they

were changed into an elephant if the Church told him so. That hyperbole was Belloc’s expression of belief, together with St. Paul, that, as the Catechism instructs us, the Church is the pillar and bulwark of the truth (2032). The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, guided to all truth by the Paraclete (John 16:13). Younger readers may enjoy reading Amy Welborn’s “Prove It! Church.”

5. Fear man. One of Belloc’s great friends was G.K. Chesterton, who tells us in one of his Father Brown mystery stories: “If you do not fear God, you have good reason to fear man.” Modern politics is rooted in the totalitarian temptation to substitute political power for God. The Psalms, filled with wisdom, admonish us against trusting rulers (118:9, 146:3), and the Catechism offers us somber warning about the Church’s, and our, ultimate trial (675). For more, read “The Modern Age” by Jesuit Father James V. Schall.

6. Value virtue. Virtue is actually ridiculed in many places. Virtue must be taught by wise teachers, then practiced and reviewed. Everyone knows “faith, hope and love,” but the four cardinal virtues (moderation and prudence, righteousness and fortitude) are also critical. “Life,” notes Wisdom 8:7, “can offer nothing more valuable than these.”

Rudyard Kipling’s “Captains Courageous” merits reading, as does the Catechism’s key point about the formation of conscience (1783).

7. Tell people. The old saying is that until you’ve taught it, you haven’t learned it. We tell people best about the faith which comes to us from the Apostles by “using words when necessary.” The Gospel message “must be authenticated by the witness of the life of Christians” (CCC 2044). Thus the deacon dismisses people from Mass with: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” St. Paul told us to take every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor 10:5). When we do that, we will want to be modern “Andrews,” bringing people to Christ, to Mass, to the sacraments. For more, read “From Atheism to Catholicism” by Kevin Vost.

Practicing these seven axioms will not do much good unless we develop the habit of converting daily. “We must,” the Catechism tells us, “examine our conscience before the Lord’s cross” (1785).

As Catholics, we do not believe that we save our souls just once, but that, throughout our lives, we work out our salvation “with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), remembering the power and glory of the sacrament of confession, also known as “the sacrament of conversion” (CCC 1423). Every day we should think through what we have done and failed to do according to the standard of Christ and of His Church.

In short, a good education primarily teaches us not how to make a good living, but how to make a good life. Too often today, authentic moral instruction is not provided by schools and colleges for fear of being labeled sectarian or religious. For example, some schools do not even have honor codes, which help to inculcate the virtue of justice and “uprightness of conduct” (CCC 1807). Proverbs, again, has it right: “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (4:23 GNB).

These seven classic Catholic axioms help us to think as we should think and to act as we should act.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen said it best: “If we don’t behave the way we believe, we’ll end up believing the way we behave.”

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

catholicnewsherald.com | August 2, 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

Free Admission — Friday Evening, Concert of Sacred Music Registration for K-12 Tracks is Open Until August 31

GoEucharist.com

OF FAITH RY R TO CHRIST: O

THE MYS

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Holy Mass Celebrant

T EN THE D E OP O

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