April 11, 2014

CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC ASSEMBLY ON SEXUALITY STIRS DEBATE, PETITIONS, NATIONAL ATTENTION, 24 April 11, 2014

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HOPE

Guilford Schools OK buying old IHM School, 25

Belmont Abbey College to trim staff, budget, 3 INDEX

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Hundreds gather at Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage, 20-23

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Author of ‘Dead Man Walking,’ Vatican investigative reporter visit diocese to give presentations on their work, 5, 7

IHM in Hayesville gives thanks for new church Bishop Jugis dedicates new 30,000-squarefoot church in the mountains, 3

‘I carry your heart with me’ St. Thomas Aquinas parishioner travels to Democratic Republic of the Congo, 8-9

Our faith

catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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Holy Week Pope Francis

Face life’s problems with God’s love, wisdom

P

eople can choose either to tackle life’s challenges with the loving and wise heart of God or be driven by their own passions and interests, Pope Francis said.

All people, whether they know it or not, have access to the gift of the Holy Spirit, “who teaches us to see with God’s eyes, to feel with God’s heart, to speak with God’s words,” helping people build a peaceful and loving home, church and world, he said.

During his general audience in St. Peter’s Square April 9, the pope began a new series of audience talks on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

He started the new series focusing on the gift of wisdom, which is not anything like the human wisdom that comes from study and experience, he said. The spiritual gift of wisdom “is simply this: seeing the world, situations, circumstance and problems with God’s eyes.”

Often people see the world and what goes on around them “according to our own liking or according to where our heart’s at,” colored by personal feelings of love, hate, envy and other emotions, he said.

“Let’s think about a mom at home with the kids – like when one kid is going after one thing, another wants something else and the poor mom runs back and forth dealing with the problems,” he said. “When moms get exhausted and they scream at their kids, is this wisdom? I’ll ask again: Is this wisdom? What do you say?” asked the pope, coaxing his audience to respond.

“No! Instead, when a mom takes the child and scolds him gently and says, ‘You don’t do this for this reason’ and explains with a lot of patience, is this God’s wisdom?” he asked. “Yes! This is what the Holy Spirit gives us in life.”

This kind of wisdom cannot be learned from books or from others, and “we can’t wing it, we can’t get hold of it on our own. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit and for this reason we have to ask the Lord to give us the Holy Spirit and give us the gift of wisdom.”

The gift of wisdom also helps people distinguish between what comes from God and what doesn’t, “thus making the Christian a ‘learned’ person,” he said. It doesn’t mean one knows the answer to everything or understands everything, but rather, this person has “a taste” for God, can sense His presence and His love and knows how God works in the world.

The gifts come when one keeps a close relationship with God, he said.

April 13-19, 2014

H

oly Week is the week which precedes the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. From the Church’s earliest times, the week has been filled with commemorations of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, His Passion, death and Resurrection.

Palm Sunday

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

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

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

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

Holy (Maundy) Thursday

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

“Maundy” derives from “Mandatum” (the first word of the Office of the Washing of the Feet). This marks the central rite of the day.

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

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

Image provided by the British Museum

The Crucifixion by Michelangelo, a drawing in black chalk: Michelangelo made this devotional image for his friend Vittoria Colonna. An aristocratic poet and religious reformer, she became his confidante in the mid-1530s. Unusually, Michelangelo shows the Crucified Christ alive and suffering, at once human and divine. This imagery, as well as Michelangelo’s late additions of the lamenting angels and a skull, may reflect Colonna’s input into the design. Michelangelo was a devout Catholic and during the last three decades of his life, his faith deepened. This was partly inspired by Colonna as well as a growing sense of his own mortality.

The Crucifixion was a subject which he returned to right at the end of his life in a series of three drawings. The potency of this earlier image inspired a number of painted and engraved versions.

Follow us online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Get daily coverage of the events of Holy Week, both here in the Diocese of Charlotte and in Rome At www.facebook.com/catholicnewsherald: Share your photos and comments about Lent, Holy Week and Easter

HOLY WEEK, SEE page 15

Your daily Scripture readings APRIL 13-19

Sunday (Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord): Matthew 21:1-11, Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Matthew 26:14-27:66; Monday: Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11; Tuesday: Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 36-38; Wednesday: Isaiah 50:4-9, Matthew 26:14-25; Thursday: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-36, John 13:1-15; Friday (Friday of the Passion of the Lord): Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9, John 18:119:42; Saturday: Exodus 14:15-15:1, Ex 15:1-6, 17-18, Isaiah 54:5-14, Romans 6:3-11, Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23, Matthew 28:1-10.

APRIL 20-26

Sunday (The Resurrection of the Lord): Acts 10:34, 37-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-9; Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-23, Matthew 28:8-15; Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41, John 20:1118; Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10, Luke 24:13-35; Thursday: Acts 3:11-26, Luke 24:35-48; Friday: Acts 4:1-12, John 21:1-14; Saturday: Acts 4:13-21, Mark 16:9-15

APRIL 27-MAY 3

Sunday (Divine Mercy Sunday): Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31; Monday (St. Peter Chanel, St. Louis Grignion de Montfort): Acts 4:23-31, John 3:1-8; Tuesday (St. Catherine of Sienna): Acts 4:32-37, John 3:7-15; Wednesday (St. Pius V): Acts 5:1726, John 3:16-21; Thursday (St. Joseph the Worker): Genesis 1:26-2:3, Matthew 13:54-58; Friday (St. Athanasius): Acts 5:34-42, John 6:1-15; Saturday (Sts. Philip and James): 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, John 14:6-14

Our parishes

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Belmont Abbey College to trim jobs, refocus budget on academics

Photos by Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Members of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville gathered for the first Mass in their new church, which was dedicated April 2 by Bishop Peter Jugis.

IHM in Hayesville gives thanks Bishop Jugis dedicates new 30,000-square-foot church in the mountains Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

HAYESVILLE — It was the first Mass offered in their new church.

Members of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission – everyone smiling and excited – sat down on the new wooden pews that fanned out before a simple yet elegant altar. The new tabernacle gleamed from its place of prominence in the center of the sanctuary, with floor-to-ceiling windows that captured the rays of the setting sun and illuminated the holy place. As Mass began, the new church and its people came to life as they gave thanks to God. The Wednesday evening liturgy, celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis, was the culmination of more than two years’ effort from the 200-plus families who call the Hayesville mission home. The new church that Bishop Jugis dedicated April 2 had been converted from a former motorcycle and ATV store into a spacious center of worship and parish life right on the main street of Hayesville – giving these local Catholics a visible location for their varied evangelization, community outreach and charitable work in the far western corner of the Diocese of Charlotte.

“Always remember this dedication day,” Bishop Jugis told congregants in his homily, encouraging them that as Christians they are called to witness to the Gospel through worship at Mass and service to their brothers and sisters in Christ. The new church will sanctify them in this effort, he said.

After 28 years of service, the old building used by the mission had been sold in 2012 to New Life Church for

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos of the new church and its dedication

$395,000. IHM bought the Smith Power Sports building and land for $1 million, then set to work completely gutting it and then transforming it into a spectacular worship space.

The $1.8 million project included $1.25 million for renovations as well as new furnishings and liturgical appointments. The campaign, entitled “Building for Tomorrow in Faith Today,” drew in more than 100 people to various leadership roles on the project, and many more people contributed financially.

“We had a lot of people participate in this,” said IHM IHM, SEE page 15

BELMONT — In a move that it describes as a “bold next step,” Belmont Abbey College announced April 7 that it will reduce its administrative budget by $1 million per year over the next three years and eliminate 16 administrative positions.

The announcement comes less than a year after the Benedictine-run college championed a “tuition reset” – combating what it called the “college affordability crisis.” It reduced its tuition by 33 percent to $18,500 per year, and other small private colleges followed suit.

The goal of this follow-up effort, said president Dr. Bill Thierfelder, is to align the college’s annual operating budget so that it is funded on tuition alone within the next three years, starting with the 2014-’15 academic year.

“For most small private colleges there is a gap between what it costs to operate a college and the revenue received from tuition,” Thierfelder said. “In the past, the only way to close that gap was to raise tuition prices and rely on endowment earnings and annual donations.

We’re closing that gap by creating more efficient and effective ways of serving our students.

These improvements will reduce the size of our administration, which will move us closer to operating exclusively on tuition.”

The college’s administrative staff of 85 people will be reduced by 13 full-time and three parttime employees, said Colleen Brannan, who issued the college’s statement April 7.

The new strategy, which Thierfelder called the “Affordable Private College Model,” will enable the college to focus “all future fundraising efforts on student learning and success,” Thierfelder said in the statement. “At the most basic level, a college exists to bring together individuals with wisdom, knowledge and experience with those who are seeking them.

It is about the student-teacher relationship.

Therefore, the majority of financial resources should go to teaching and learning, not to administration.”

Belmont Abbey College’s annual operating budget is $26 million, and Brannan said this move is projected to keep that budget essentially flat over the next three years. U.S. News and World Report states the college has an endowment of $8 million. In comparison, nearby Davidson College reports an endowment of $537 million.

With this new strategy, Brannan said, fundraising will focus on student learning and success with investments in areas like the development of new academic programs, increasing the number of scholarships and enhancing facilities and technology.

The college will continue to meet the needs of its 1,600-plus students through a new administrative organizational structure, improved processes, enhanced systems and a cross-trained staff, she added. Simultaneously, it will launch a new self-service website designed to provide students an online resource for their administrative needs.

In its press statement, the college emphasized some benefits to the layoffs.

“As a national leader in higher education financial reform, Belmont Abbey College is committed to making a private college education more affordable and accessible by minimizing the cost of administration and maximizing student success. The long-term benefit of the Affordable Private College Model will be lower tuition and the elimination of students’ need for state and federal financial aid,” said the statement.

— Catholic News Herald

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar of events BELMONT

Lenten activities

QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES church, 503 North Main St. — Young at Hearts Covered Dish Supper: 5 p.m.

Saturday, April 12. All parishioners over 50 are invited to attend. For details, call Charlie at 704-825-4669.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the coming weeks:

— Community Breakfast: 8-11 a.m. Saturday, April 12, in the MAK Family Life Center. All are welcome to attend.

April 13 – 11 a.m.

Palm Sunday Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

— Women’s Evening of Retreat: 5-9 p.m. Sunday, April 27. Sister Mary Hugh will lead the evening with a reflection and sharing on “Who is God in Your Life?”

Build a salad supper will be available. Bring a topping to share. For details, call Tracy at 704-853-0654.

April 15 – 10 a.m.

Chrism Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

— Retiro de Emaús para mujeres: 25-27 de Abril. Si estas interesada, comunícate con Alba Cadavid al 704-904-7988.

CHARLOTTE

April 17 – 7 p.m.

Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

st. Matthew church, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY. — Lectures on Africa entitled, “Cell Phones, Gorillas, and the Forgotten War in the Congo”: 2 p.m. Sunday, April 27, in the New Life Center. Presented by Dr. Beth Whitaker. No registration required. For details, contact the parish office at 704-332-2901.

April 18 – 3 p.m.

Celebration of the Passion of the Lord St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

ASHEVILLE ST. EUGENE CHURCH, 72 Culvern St. — Easter Egg Hunt: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 19. All children aged 2-10 are welcome to attend.

— Easter Vigil: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 19

CHARLOTTE OUR LADY of the Assumption Church, 4207 Shamrock Dr. — Easter Eggs-Travaganza: 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 13. All children 9 and younger are welcome to the enjoy the egg hunt, crafts, fellowship and prizes.

ST. ANN CHURCH, 3635 Park Road — Blessing of Easter Baskets: Noon Saturday, April 19 — Easter Vigil: 8:15 p.m. Saturday, April 19 ST. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road — Blessing of Easter Foods: Noon Saturday, April 19 — Easter Vigil: 8 p.m. Saturday, April 19

— Adult Faith Formation video series, “Meeting the St. Paul You Never Knew”: 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, in the Banquet Room. No registration required. For details, contact Michael Burck at 704-541-8362.

April 19 – 8:15 p.m.

Easter Vigil St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte April 23 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Queen of THE Apostles Church, Belmont April 25 – 3:30 p.m.

Priesthood Ordination of Brother Elias Correa-Torres, O.S.B. Belmont Abbey, Belmont April 27 – 11 a.m.

Mass celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the church’s Dedication Our Lady of the Highways Church Davidson County Fairground April 29 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Cross Church, Kernersville May 1 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Spirit Church, Denver May 5 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Francis of Assisi Church, Franklin

— Called to be Mom Support Group: 10 a.m.-noon, Thursday, May 1. For details, call Kerry Long at 704-243-6319.

St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East — The Carolina Catholic Chorale will sing a Lenten devotional, “Adoramus te, Christe”: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 11. The program features 14 polyphonic settings of the text sung as responses to the Stations of the Cross. For details, call 518-878-5660.

St. Vincent de Paul CHURCH, 6828 Old Reid Road — Natural Family Planning Introduction and Full Course: 1-5 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Topics include: effectiveness of modern NFP, health risks of popular contraceptives and what the Church teaches about responsible parenting. Sponsored by Catholic Charities. RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at 704370-3230.

GASTONIA St. Michael Church, 708 St. Michael’s Lane — Holy Happy Hour: 7 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at Nick’s Steak & Taphouse, 182 S. South St., Gastonia.

Join Father Matthew Buettner on the discussion, “What the Heck is the New Evangelization?” Open to adults aged 21 and older. For details, email st.michaelsholyhappyhour@gmail.com.

GREENSBORO — Senior Mass and Luncheon: 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, in the Kloster Center. For details, call the parish office at 336-272-4681.

Volume 23 • Number 13

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 Hispanic communications reporter: Rico De Silva, 704-370-3375, rdesilva@charlottediocese.org

— Blessing of the Easter Baskets (in English and Polish): Noon Saturday, April 19, by Deacon James Witulski. For questions, call him at 704960-3704.

St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road

OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, 2205 West Market St. — Bilingual Veneration of the Cross: 3 p.m. Good Friday, April 18 — Blessing of Easter Food: 1 p.m. Saturday, April 19 ST. PIUS X CHURCH, 2210 N. ELM ST. — Easter Vigil: 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 19 — Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Basket Blessing: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 19

LEXINGTON OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY Church, 619 South Main St. — Easter Vigil Mass: 7 p.m. Saturday, April 19

MOCKSVILLE ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI Church, 862 Yadkinville Road — Bilingual Mass with Adoration: 7 p.m.-midnight, Thursday, April 17 — Blessing of the Easter Food: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 19

MOORESVILLE St. ThÉrÈse of Lisieux church, 217 Brawley School road — Blessing of the Easter Food: Noon Saturday, April 19

— Bilingual Mass of the Lord’s Supper: 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 17

HIGH POINT Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St. — International Club is sponsoring an Immigrant Story Contest to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the International Festival. All submissions must be in English. A $500 award will be given to the winner.

Deadline is April 30. For details, visit www.ihmchurch. org.

HENDERSONVILLE Immaculate Conception Church, 208 Seventh Ave. West — Divide Mercy Devotion: 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 27, in the church. We will sing the Chaplet, along with Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. Father Robert Williams will lead the bilingual service.

MOORESVILLE

ST. PIUS X Church, 2210 N. ELM ST.

April 11, 2014

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS Church, 1400 suther road

— Easter Vigil: 8 p.m. Saturday, April 19

GREENSBORO

St. ThÉrÈse of Lisieux church, 217 Brawley School road — Poverty Simulation: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 3,

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in the Parish Life Center. The poverty simulation experience is designed to help participants begin to understand what it might be like to live in a typical low-income family trying to survive from month to month. No cost to participate. For details, go to www.sainttherese.net/poverty or contact Carmen SanJuan 704-664-7762.

MURPHY ST. WILLIAM CHURCH, 765 ANDREWS Road — Grief Support Group: 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays in the conference room. “Embracing Your Grief” should be helpful for those mourning the recent loss of a loved one.

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.

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

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

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April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com

Author of ‘Dead Man Walking’ recounts ministry to death row inmates David Exum Correspondent

MOORESVILLE — Renowned death penalty abolitionist and best-selling author Sister Helen Prejean spoke passionately about her life’s work and the importance of human dignity before an overflow crowd at St. Thérèse Church April 4.

Sister Prejean, author of the bestselling “Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty,” opened her powerful presentation by reiterating statements Blessed Pope John Paul II made against capital punishment during a papal visit to St. Louis in 1999.

“We have prisons. We have a way to incapacitate dangerous people,” Sister Prejean said. “We have a way to keep ourselves safe now.”

The 74-year-old founder of Ministry Against the Death Penalty described her humble beginning growing up in a devout Catholic family in Baton Rouge, La. She lived in Prejean the suburbs, sheltered from the crime and police brutality that plagued other communities.

Her parish was segregated: AfricanAmerican Catholics were not allowed to sit in the same pews with white parishioners, and black children received First Holy Communion at a separate Mass.

“Black people and white people never did anything together, and I never questioned it,” Sister Prejean said, whose book “Dead Man Walking” was made into a major motion picture in 1995. Susan Sarandon portrayed Sister Prejean in the criticallyacclaimed film and won an Academy Award for best actress.

Sister Prejean spent years doing charitable work and teaching in the safe surroundings of suburban Baton Rouge, before devoting her life’s work to the service of the poor and the abolishment of the death penalty.

“I never went into the inner city. Those were the people on the 10 o’clock news who had their hands in handcuffs and were shipped off to the police station,” she said. Eventually, she said, she “had an awakening” and realized that to truly live the Gospel, her works of charity also needed to be about justice.

“Charity was never going to be enough.”

So in 1981, she moved into an apartment with four other women religious in the hardscrabble St. Thomas housing project in New Orleans. There she received the education of her life concerning the conditions of the poor, especially for people of color.

“They were now my neighbors and they began teaching me what it mean to be African-American and living in New Orleans. What it meant to send your kids to public schools and by the time they were juniors in high school, they couldn’t read a third-grade reader.”

Her foray into the capital punishment system was not intentional, she said. When the U.S. Supreme Court reinstituted the death penalty in 1976, Sister Prejean said, “I didn’t even notice. I didn’t even know it happened.”

DEATH ROW, SEE page 15

Diocesan campaign continues Shelby parish surpasses goal by 137 percent David Exum Correspondent

SHELBY — Parishioners at St. Mary Help of Christians Church have raised an additional $100,000 recently for the ongoing Forward in Faith, Hope and Love campaign, according to Father Michael Kottar.

Parishioners at St. Mary Help of Christians have now raised a miraculous $513,495 – 138 percent of the parish’s goal.

The diocese-wide Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love campaign is designed to financially support the Diocese of Charlotte’s growth, its future and its 92 parishes and missions. So far, $43.5 million in pledges has been raised from more than 7,700 families and individuals. The diocesan campaign goal is $65 million after expenses, which is comprised of $16.25 million for parishes and $48.75 million for broader ministries.

Father Kottar said the generous response is thanks to people identifying with the diocese’s underfunded Priest Retirement Trust Fund.

The campaign’s goal is to add $10 million more to the fund to account for increases in retired priests’ pension benefits, projected longer life expectancy and other factors. “(Parishioners) were emphatic that the retired priests be taken care of,” said Father Kottar.

Currently, there are 21 retired priests in the diocese and over the next decade it is projected that 29 of the 89 active priests will reach retirement age. The diocese’s Priest Retirement Trust Fund is also funded through contributions from the Priest Retirement Annual Appeal.

Father Kottar added that his parishioners

were also deeply moved to give because they realize that the money raised will go directly to spreading the Gospel, works of charity and aiding the poor of western North Carolina.

“I made a joke that I’m not here to try to sell you snake oil or a Fuller Brush. I’m here to ask you to help advance the work of Jesus Christ in western North Carolina,” said Father Kottar. “The goals in the campaign are exactly what Pope Francis has told us we need to emphasize: evangelization and works of charity.”

Father Kottar also said that additional resources raised by the Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love campaign will be used to expand the parking lot area at his parish.

It will also enable construction of a new entrance plaza and soccer field as well as improved outdoor lighting. The parish also hopes to add stained glass windows in the church.

“That really made some people excited that we could finally begin and enhance that project with the monies from Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love,” he added. “So it was a win-win for everyone.”

Lincolnton parishioners hope to expand classrooms David Exum Correspondent

LINCOLNTON — Members of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton have committed more than $333,000 to the Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love campaign – including $106,000 from Latino parishioners, according to first-year pastor Father David Miller.

After a recent Sunday Spanish Mass, Father Miller held an informational luncheon about the campaign and said he was thoroughly impressed by the number of Hispanic parishioners interested in investing in not only their parish, but also the Diocese of Charlotte.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout,” said Father Miller. “We tried to educate them about the overall importance of the campaign – especially the nature of pledging. That’s kind of new to a number of Hispanics. There were very good questions.”

Father Miller said a great motivating factor was the fact that 25 percent of the funds raised are being directed back to improvements to St. Dorothy Church. For instance, the parish is hoping that funds raised will be able to go towards building additional classroom space for its Hispanic Faith Formation program, which now has 200 students.

Father Miller also mentioned how a fellow Hispanic parishioner spoke passionately about the importance of giving back to the parish. She also explained that other parishes have better facilities than St. Dorothy because of financial donations from parishioners.

“What she said was very beautiful and very touching. I think that was very motivational for a lot of them, as well,” Father Miller

Learn more At www.forwardfaithhopelove.org: Get detailed information about the Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love campaign and explore how you can get involved

said. “Besides coming from their pastor, the individual testimony was very moving. I didn’t ask anyone to talk, and I think she was moved by the Spirit.”

Father Miller also credits the past work of former pastor Father Matthew Buettner for how involved the Hispanic community is at St. Dorothy’s.

“Our Hispanic community is very diverse.

We have families from Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, Peru and other areas. They are very united, which is just beautiful, and there is such a good union between our Hispanic parishioners and our Anglo parishioners.

Even though a lot of them don’t speak English, they want to be involved in their parish.”

Father Miller also said that the diversity and bonds between Hispanic and Anglo parishioners at his parish also extend to nearly all of the parish’s faith formation classes.

“We do have a few unique exceptions, but for the most part our classes are combined all the way up through high school,” he said.

Father Miller would also like to see combined Masses at his parish. “I am praying and working for that.”

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Easter brings opportunity to assist seminary, priests’ education programs CHARLOTTE — A second collection taken up at all parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte on Easter weekend, April 19-20, will help meet the needs of the diocese’s Seminary and Priests’ Continuing Education Programs.

The diocese has 22 men studying for the priesthood in two seminaries: the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. It costs approximately $30,000 each year to fund each seminarian’s education.

“This collection is just one of the ways we fund seminarian education,” said Barbara Gaddy, assistant director of development for the diocese.

“Our Seminarian Education Program is primarily funded through the Diocesan Support Appeal, the Friend to Seminarians Program, and (also) the second collection held on Easter Sunday.”

Priests’ continuing education is a priority as well. The diocese sponsors workshops and programs to help keep active priests informed of developments in theology and pastoral practices, enabling them to better serve the faithful.

“The education of our seminarians and the continuing education of our priests is an important priority in a growing, vibrant diocese such as ours,” Monsignor Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese, wrote in a letter to all parishioners about the upcoming collection.

“It is through your generosity that we are able to meet the escalating cost of education today. Please be assured of our gratitude for your generous response to the Seminary and Priests’ Continuing Education Collection to be taken Easter weekend.”

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

More online At www. charlottediocese. net/vocations/ seminarians: Meet the 22 men studying for the priesthood in the Diocese of Charlotte

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 OUR PARISHES

Photos by Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Catholic Scouts go on annual Camporee MIDLAND — Scouts from across North Carolina came to the 2014 Catholic Camporee at Belk Scout Camp in Midland last weekend, ending the camporee with Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis. After Mass, boys who earned their religious emblems (Light of Christ and Ad Altare Dei) were recognized by Bishop Jugis for their achievements. In his homily, Bishop Jugis urged the Scouts to use the time

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from the 2014 Catholic Camporee, provided by Chuck Eaton Photographers (www.

ChuckEaton.net)

that’s left in Lent to seek God’s mercy and love, through conversion of heart. Just as Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb of death, Bishop Jugis said, referring to the day’s Gospel reading, so too does Jesus call each one of us out of the tomb of sin and into everlasting life. Also pictured, Connor Nielsen of Troop 8 (St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte) gave the first reading and led the Responsorial Psalm at Mass.

Girl Scout Sunday BOONE — Local Girl Scouts were recognized during Mass at St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church in Boone on Girl Scout Sunday, March 8.

Amber Mellon | Catholic News Herald

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Investigative journalist speaks at Wake Forest University Annette K. Tenny Correspondent

WINSTON-SALEM — Despite facing three unprecedented challenges, Pope Francis has transformed how many view the papacy and the Vatican, according to an author and investigative journalist who spoke at a series of lectures in the Diocese of Charlotte last week.

Jason Berry, who is also a documentarian, spoke during a series of classroom discussions and evening lectures at High Point University, Guilford College and Wake Forest University, as part of the campus consortium of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in Washington, D.C. The Pulitzer Center is a nonprofit organization offering financial and other support to journalists, primarily freelancers, to cover stories of international importance that are under-reported. The colleges, in conjunction with the Pulitzer Center, host a journalist each spring semester.

Berry was a co-producer of the “Secrets of the Vatican,” an episode of PBS’s “Frontline” series in February. Over the years, Berry, a lifelong Catholic born and raised in New Orleans, has written numerous articles in magazines, print and online news publications concerning the clergy sex abuse scandal. He also has written three books: “Lead Us Not Into Temptation,” “Vows of Silence,” co-written with Gerald Renner, and “Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church.”

At his final lecture, “Pope Francis and the Church at the Crossroad of Reform,” at Wake Forest University, Berry described the life of an investigative reporter.

Berry He had covered the Vatican investigation of the orders of American nuns who make up the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), and used that to illustrate how freelance journalist sometimes depend on foundations and nonprofits to pay for complex stories that often include travel to foreign lands.

Covering the resignation of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI led Berry to return to Rome to cover the conclave and the election of Pope Francis, he said.

He said there was beauty and awe the moment Pope Francis first stepped out onto the balcony.

“He was an image of beneficence and kindness,” he said.

Berry then discussed the challenges faced by the past two popes, and outlined the obstacles and opportunities now facing Pope Francis.

“The three major crises that (Francis) is facing are the clergy sex abuse crisis, the scandal in the Vatican Bank and the whole balkanized culture of the Roman Curia,” Berry said.

He said he thinks the clergy sex abuse crisis and Curia reform are the two most difficult issues the new pope must address.

The underlying problem, in terms of the sexual abuse scandal that Francis must address, is he said, the lack of accountability among some of the bishops and cardinals.

“So my argument has been, for the longest time, that the Church needs a realistic system of justice, internally.”

Berry said that Francis is moving slowly and carefully but noted Pope Francis’ first motu proprio (Latin for “by my own hand”), issued last July. It is a document that, in part, dealt with updating and revising the criminal laws of Vatican City State dealing with abuse of a minor, terrorism financing and extradition proceedings – and apply to all Vatican personal, paid and unpaid. Berry said a papal ambassador from the Dominican Republic has been recalled to the Vatican to stand trial for abuse of children, something he said has never happened before.

Berry discussed his impressions of how Catholics and nonCatholics alike have embraced the new pope.

“I think the reason for that is he is doing something no president or prime minister can afford to. He is speaking about one of the great, unresolved issues of our age, and that is the radical disparity between wealth and poverty.”

Berry said he hopes Pope Francis has a long and fruitful papacy and added that he hopes someday to write a book about the pope and his achievements.

“Is the power of the pope’s bully pulpit such that he can do something that will cause changes in the law, in politics?” Berry asked. He said he didn’t know, but he asked the audience to consider Blessed Pope John Paul II. “Look at John Paul, who insisted on making the Iron Curtain an issue, insisted on going back to Poland, and within 12 years was a triumphant figure when the Soviet Empire collapsed.

It didn’t all happen because of him, but in the end he stood vindicated on the world stage.”

SueAnn Howell | Catholic news herald

Dancers from the Rince Na h’Eireann Traditional School of Irish Dance performed for the parishioners of St. Patrick Cathedral on the parish’s patronal feast day, March 17. Pictured (from left) are Gracie Prentice, Ciaran Traynor and Brianna Connick. All three will travel to London for the World Championships of Irish Dance April 13-20.

Local youths travel to London for World Championships of Irish Dance SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — The prestigious World Championships of Irish Dance are about to get underway in London April 13, and two teens with Charlotte Catholic High School ties have earned the right to compete there with other elite Irish dancers from around the world.

Ciaran Traynor, 16, a sophomore at Charlotte Catholic High School, and Brianna Connick, a junior formerly enrolled at Charlotte Catholic, will make the 8,000-mile round-trip journey across the Atlantic to compete with the top 10 percent of Irish dancers in the world in their age brackets.

Traynor, who was born in London, left April 10 with his parents Mike and Susan Traynor. He will have a large fan club of family from Great Britain in attendance at the championships. His grandmother and relatives from Dublin will also travel there to watch him compete.

He began dancing at the age of 5 and greatly enjoys being able to spend time with friends and travel the world doing something he really enjoys.

“My faith applies to Irish Dance because we learn to accept everyone into dance; also we dance at many of the parishes around the Charlotte region,” Traynor explained.

Both Traynor and Connick had to qualify for the World Championships by placing at the Southeast Regional Championships in Washington, D.C. Traynor took first place in his division, and Connick took fifth place in hers. Their team dances also qualified, with Traynor’s team taking second and Connick’s taking first.

Both teens dance for the Rince Na h’Eireann Traditional School of Irish Dance, which holds classes in both North and South Carolina. There are about 400 students in the school, from beginner to champion and

Let’s keepLet’s keep talking. talking.

Let’s keep talking.

Rince na h‘Eireann dancers heading to London In addition to Ciaran Traynor and Brianna Connick, the Rince na h’Eireann Traditional Irish Dance School will be represented by: Shannon, Lucas and Athena Martini; Keegan Burr; Henry, Andrew and Tara Sneed; Conor Quinlivan; Gracie Prentice; Erin Kammer; Grace DeSena; Elizabeth Belnap; and Grace Gregory.

from toddler to adult. There are six other youths from Charlotte Catholic who dance for Rince Na h’Eireann.

“During the year the dance school is heavily involved in dancing at retirement homes for the residents, and many of the students dance during these visits,” said Susan Traynor.

“They also support a feis (Irish dancing competition), where all the profits go to Holy Angels of North Carolina. Many of the students help to build stages, direct people, sell food and anything else that needs to be done so that the profit to Holy Angels will be increased.”

Ciaran Traynor encourages young people who may be interested in Irish dance to “just give it a chance and it will grow on you. It becomes one of the biggest parts of your life and is incredibly fun to do.”

He will perform in the solo competition Wednesday, April 16, and then with his team on Easter Sunday, April 20.

Organizers for the 2014 World Championships estimate between 15,000 and 20,000 people will attend the week-long competition. For more information, go to www.london-2014.com.

Classified Thank you St. Jude for answering my prayers.

J. R.

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 OUR PARISHES

‘I carry your heart with me’ St. Thomas Aquinas parishioner travels to Republic of the Congo David Exum Correspondent

CHARLOTTE — Putting life into perspective.

That was one of the main reasons Katie Herzing traveled 8,000 miles to the Democratic Republic of the Congo last month, paying her own way to visit a priest she first encountered at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte last year.

Father Emmanuel Luhumbu from the Diocese of Kole had come to Charlotte to talk about the needs of his parish in this war-torn, impoverished country in the heart of the African continent. Parishioners raised $10,000 to help the visiting priest, but what he said struck a deep chord with the 29-year-old parish office manager. Herzing felt compelled to learn more, to help in whatever way she could.

“It was just something that I felt like the Lord was calling me to do,” Herzing wrote in a letter to her fellow parishioners before leaving March 5 for the three-week trip. “Take a risk, leap into the love and the joy of the African people in this small part of the Congo. I want my life to mean something. I don’t want to just go along focusing on how life can serve me.”

So Herzing packed her bags, got immunized against yellow fever and typhoid, and told her friends her plans. They all were astonished, she says, especially that she was going it alone.

“I came back with the perspective of the difference between things that are important and things that we refer to as First-World problems such as, ‘the air conditioning isn’t working in my Mercedes,’” Herzing says. “I’m also trying to look lovingly when it comes to others and look with the love of Christ, and not for what someone can do for you or what you can do for them.”

Unlike back home in Charlotte, Herzing didn’t have the comforts of electricity or running water while she was in the DRC. She also had to deal with ravenous mosquitoes, and she relied on heavy doses of bug repellent. But Herzing said she overcame them quickly and couldn’t think of any place she’d rather be.

“Sure, I must have gotten bitten by 100 mosquitoes, but that’s better than being bitten by 10,000!”

Food was another adventure, she says.

There were no grocery stores, as fruits and vegetables are usually bought at roadside markets and meat comes from buying the actual animal. Herzing received many fruits and vegetables as gifts. She also received chickens, a goat and a pig. Herzing said she gave the animals to Father Emmanuel to be put to good use.

Herzing was also completely overwhelmed not only by the curiosity she evoked from the numerous people she met, she was also touched by their kindness and generosity.

Mobs of people welcomed her pretty much everywhere she went, she says. While riding from the airport, people came up to the road and yelled “Osungo Moyo,” which translates to “white (woman) hello” in Lingala, one of the country’s four spoken languages.

“Some of the people had never seen a white woman before,” she says.

PARISHIONER, SEE page 9

Photos provided by Katie Herzing

(Above) As we were driving to the village of Mukumary, people shouted “Osungu Moyo” (“White hello”), and whenever we stopped they wanted to take a photo with me.

(Left) The exterior of St. Clare of Assisi Church (Below left) The interior of St. Clare of Assisi, where doors are being installed and cement is being poured for the floor. Local children took two days to work for the church by carrying dirt from one part of the property to the parish so it could be mixed with the cement.

(Below) The school buildings are made of mud walls with a banana leaf roof. Not all have benches for the students to sit on, and when there are severe rain storms the children cannot attend school because the buildings are unsafe.

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com

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PARISHIONER: FROM PAGE 8

(Let) Women of the Village of Mpete were the first to welcome me. One of them even knew the song “Bring Back My Bonnie to Me” and sang it for me.

(Above) Abbé Blaise took me on a motorcycle tour of Lodja. (Abbé is the term they use for Father.)

(Above) When I we arrived in Mukumary, the people were waiting to greet us about a kilometer from the church to walk me in, singing and dancing as their way of welcome.

(Right) Father Emmanuel and Sisters Julie, Astrid and Christine with the items that were donated by parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Church to say thanks.

(Below) Lodja is a major city of about 100,000 people.

She also celebrated her birthday while she was in the country.

“Everybody just sang to me all day and gave me cards (in French) that I still need to translate.

I was given more gifts than I can ever imagine.

I was even given a goat. I felt so loved that day.

Even though I didn’t have air conditioning or running water and I wasn’t able to go on Facebook to see all the people who wished me happy birthday, it was the best birthday I ever had.”

Herzing flew from the capital city of Kinshasa to Lodja in a small prop plane and recalled landing on a dirt runway. There she met Father Medta, president and rector of John Paul II Major Seminary. She also said several seminarians greeted her and sang and prayed outside her room. She also traveled five hours to Mukumary, a village that is the location of St. Clare of Assisi Parish, part of the Diocese of Kole.

“About a kilometer away from the church we stopped and were greeted by the children of the schools. They were singing and dancing, so very happy to finally have me with them. We walked and sang and danced to the church, where we did more of the same. I introduced myself (with Father Emmanuel translating).”

Father Blaise Elembe, vocations director at the Diocese of Kole, gave Herzing a guided tour of Lodja from the back of his motorcycle. Without a helmet, Herzing held on for dear life as Father Blaise zipped around the village.

“If I could have decided ahead of time that I was not going to get on a motorcycle without a helmet, on a dirt road, with a strange priest, then I never would have met Father Blaise and had the experience of riding around the village. It was the first time I’ve ever been on a motorcycle and taking a tour through a strange city in the middle of Africa with a priest I just met sounded like a great way to spend a Sunday evening.”

There were many times during her visit in which she would sit with Father Emmanuel and others and not even talk, she says.

“This happened many, many times. We couldn’t communicate, but we would just sit and be in each other’s presence. Sometimes we did sit and play cards. I must have played this one game 100 times, but it bonds you.”

Although the people she met in Mukumary are oppressed by a government that cannot or will not provide better drinking water, roads and electricity, they truly know what is important in life, Herzing says.

“They have a lot of trouble there. They have a terrible government that is not taking care of basic needs for them. There is fighting everywhere, especially in the east. In Lodja, where I was, three schools were burned (on March 27) and a person was killed. But the people there understand the true value of life. They value family, they value love.”

She brought along prayer cards, rosaries, pens and pencils to give to people she met.

“It was amazing to me that people didn’t have pens or pencils, and I have like 20 on my desk.

They were so grateful, loving and thankful.”

Herzing admits she did have some reservations about going alone to the DRC, but once she was there the people she met and the experiences she had are something she will cherish forever.

“My time in the village has probably been my favorite time of my adult life,” says Herzing, who studied theology at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. “If I could be there right now, I would.”

Herzing says the poem “i carry your heart” by e.e. cummings sums up her devotion to the people of the DRC and her longing to return someday. It begins: “i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling).”

“This is how I feel when I think about them,” she says. “Absolutely. Part of my heart is there.”

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 OUR PARISHES

First Asheville area Theology on Tap event focus on virtues, vices Tim Reid Correspondent

ASHEVILLE — “Sin is slick. Sin is attractive,” but developing and practicing virtues helps us to combat vices, Paul Kotlowski recently told a roomful of young Catholics.

The director of youth ministry for the Diocese of Charlotte was speaking at the inaugural Theology on Tap program for Catholics throughout western North Carolina. About two dozen Catholics in their 20s and 30s from the Asheville region attended the program at Havana Restaurant, organized by the Diocese of Charlotte’s campus/young adult ministry and local parishes.

Theology on Tap is a nationwide program designed to give young adults the opportunity to learn more about their Catholic faith in a relaxed atmosphere.

Recalling God’s More online creation of the world and Adam’s and At www.facebook.com/ Eve’s decision to eat TOTAVL: Learn about the forbidden fruit, other upcoming events Kotlowski said Yahweh with Theology on Tap in puts before mankind the Asheville area the same decision today: whether to choose life or death.

“Each one of us has to face that each day of our lives,” he said, adding that developing virtues instead of vices equips us for that faith journey.

“A virtue is an habitual and firm discipline, an attitude we can work on,” Kotlowski said. “In little steps, we make significant steps to the good.”

Christ underwent the torture of crucifixion to give us a brand new life, Kotlowski said. “As Christians, we hold up Christ crucified. It reminds of who we are because of whose we are.”

The Christian life is one of dying to ourselves, picking up our cross and carrying our own mortification, which

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we offer up to Christ, he said.

“Faith without works is dead,” Kotlowski said. “It’s a matter of uniting my suffering with His, remembering He said His yoke is easy.”

People speak of seven cardinal virtues, although there are many more, he noted, with just as many corresponding vices. Each virtue builds upon and reinforces our spiritual growth, he said.

“Prudence is right reason in action. It guides other virtues by setting rules and measures,” he said.

“Temperance moderates the attraction of pleasure and keeps desires to what is admirable. Our entire world could use an extra dose of temperance.”

Fortitude, justice, faith, hope and love all work together in the habitual perfection of intellect and will, Kotlowski added.

Members of The Vine from St. Lawrence Basilica, which helped put together the program, were pleased to see other young adults from the Asheville Vicariate attend Theology on Tap. “This was a really good turnout,” said Elizabeth Harris.

“It brought people together from the different parishes and was a really good opportunity for us to deepen our faith and fellowship.”

Harris said that participating in The Vine has been wonderful for her.

“We have a really solid core group, and we’ve become very close. It’s like a second family,” she said, “I’m a single mother and it has been incredible to have that level of support.”

Gloria Schweizer, Asheville area coordinator for the Diocese of Charlotte Campus and Young Adult Ministry, helped arrange for The Vine to use the Theology on Tap format, which is copyrighted and licensed. She said a second Theology on Tap program is in the works for May, hosted by the Frassati Society young adult ministry at Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville.

Schweizer, one of eight full-time campus ministers employed by the diocese, works with about 100 young Catholics attending UNC-Asheville. Before that

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Young adults from the Asheville area gathered for the first Theology on Tap presentation led by Paul Kotlowski, director of youth ministry for the Diocese of Charlotte. assignment she spent many years with Catholic students at Western Carolina University. A lot has changed on college campuses over the past two decades, she said.

“The technology is different with all the cell phones, Facebook and computers, but the issues are the same,” Schweizer said. “We all want to be part of a community that’s supportive, that shares our values.”

According to Schweizer, one attendee said, “There is a huge thirst for conversation among young Catholics.”

Another said the program is “a great way to meet other Catholics our age, potentially forming new relationships in Christ.”

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April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com

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The movement to bring Theology on Tap to western North Carolina started last year with young Catholic adults in the area, who had seen the program in other dioceses and expressed an interest in bringing it to the area. They began working with Schweizer to make that happen. Soon after, Mary Wright, diocesan director of campus and young adult ministry, was able to secure the

RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Vincent de Paul’s ESL Program student, Elia González, receives English conversation instruction from Beverly Fongsam, a volunteer tutor and St. Vincent de Paul parishioner. González meets with Fongsam once a week for an hour of ESL instruction at the parish faith formation building.

Long-running ESL program empowers Latino Catholics to learn English, live their faith Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CHARLOTTE — The faith formation building at St. Vincent de Paul Parish helps build the faith of Latino parishioners not only on a spiritual dimension, but also on a personal level. It’s the usual meeting place where some of them can learn the language of the land they now call their home.

Today, in Room 4 of the parish facility, Elia González is learning the basics of conversational English with the help of volunteer and English-speaking parishioner, Beverly Fongsam. Gonzalez is one of the 42 students paired up with one of 34 volunteer tutors with the St. Vincent de Paul’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Program.

Virginia Stuhrenberg, long-time parishioner at St. Vincent de Paul, started the program in 2004 at the suggestion of Father Mark Lawlor, pastor. “I knew Virginia had a teaching background, and I suggested to her in passing to start a small ESL group class to address the growing number of Hispanic parishioners here at St. Vincent.”

Stuhrenberg took her pastor’s suggestion seriously, going in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament to ask God for His will. “God started this program. It was His initiative. I went to the (Eucharistic) Chapel at St. Gabriel’s and asked Our Lord, ‘Should I start the program that Father asked me to do, or not?’”

Soon after that, she started ESL lessons with several small groups of about four or five students and just a handful of volunteer tutors. Today, Stuhrenberg runs the volunteer-only St. Vincent de Paul’s ESL Program with the help of her husband Maurice, 52 tutors and bilingual staff members.

She is quick to point out, “We feel this is a ministry, not a language school. So, we are ministering to our Catholic population – in fact, kind of teaching English through our Catholic faith that we share. For that reason, we don’t take non-Catholics students.”

Eventually Stuhrenberg decided to adopt a one-on-one teaching format, modeled after the Literacy Council. “We found that students would eventually stop coming to the classes because of schedule conflicts with work. So we decided to switch to the one-on-one model that we have today. We

OUR PARISHESI

rights to the program from RENEW International.

Jessica Oliveti, a member of the Theology on Tap-Asheville leadership team said, “Gloria and Mary Wright were so instrumental in getting Theology on Tap for the Diocese and into the Asheville Area. We can’t thank them enough.”

“Then everything seemed to fall into place,” said David Mayeux, another team member. “Father (Wilbur) Thomas (pastor of St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville) helped us pick the venue; Paul (Kotlowski) agreed to be our speaker – and we’re so grateful to him for helping us start this – we had a date; and we were off !”

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

(803) 327-2097

Center for Spirituality rockhilloratory.org

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Mary the Mother of God in the Life of St. Philip Neri

More online At the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel: Watch a short video of St. Vincent de Paul Parish’s ESL Program in action

Thursday, May 8, 2014 7pm – 9pm Presented by: Fr. Joe Pearce, C.O., D.Min.

found that’s more effective.”

Students are paired up with a tutor, and they meet once a week for an hour in one of the parish’s faith formation classrooms or elsewhere as needed.

In spite of the program’s longevity, Stuhrenberg said a constant road block is to successfully schedule the weekly lessons with the tutors at a time when students can attend consistently.

“Most of our students have very busy lives, and while they know the need to learn English, they have a hard time fitting regular lessons into their schedules.”

She relies on bilingual volunteers to call both students and volunteers to set the weekly lessons up at a flexible time for the tutors to meet their students’ need.

“Numbers are not as important as the relationships that are built with this program. Tutors become friends with their students. They help them with real things in real life,” she said.

Students and tutors find out and become involved in the ESL Program through the parish bulletin and during quarterly Sunday Mass announcements.

Father Lawlor has been completely supportive of it from the beginning. “I’ve been very impressed by the dedication and effort Virginia and all the volunteers have put into this since day one. I know the tutors have to go through a half-day training before they are allowed to work with a student. That’s really impressive that they have been able to maintain and expand this program for such a long time,” he noted.

Stuhrenberg said she hopes the success of the ESL Program carries over to other parishes in the diocese, as the number of Latino Catholics continues to increase. “It doesn’t make any difference what methods are used to set up an ESL Program in a parish. What’s most important is that the parish community knows that we are all Catholics who care about each other.

Volunteers help because of a sense of mission of what they can do to contribute.”

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Saint Philip Neri had a close relationship with the Blessed Mother and credited her with being the founder of the Congregation of the Oratory. Her role in his life and that of the Oratory will be explored in this program.

Cost: $15

A Journey with the Church Fathers through the Rosary Saturday, May 3, 2014 (The Glorious Mysteries) Saturday, May 31, 2014 (The Luminous Mysteries) Presented by: Fr. Joe Pearce, C.O., D.Min. A continuation of the four part program examining the scriptural stories that underline the rosary meditations through the writings of the Church Fathers, Romano Guardini and Blessed John Henry Newman.

Overnight accommodations available at an additional charge.

The programs run from 9am – 3pm and include Eucharist & lunch.

Cost: $40 per Saturday session $40 for Friday overnight and Saturday breakfast.

Fr. Joe Pearce, C.O., D.Min. of the Rock Hill Oratory serves as associate at St. Philip Neri and OL of Grace Churches.

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 OUR PARISHES

Rich Adams from the Knights of Columbus St. John Neumann Council 7343 presents a donation of $1,450 to Sandy Buck, program director for Be Not Afraid, and Bishop Peter J. Jugis, who serves on the BNA Board of Trustees. The funds will be spent to support BNA’s program coordinator position, providing direct assistance to expecting parents with a poor prenatal diagnosis.

Rico De Silva | Catholic News Herald

Photo provided by Marjorie Storch and Raquel Bushnell

21st Annual Walk for AIDS raises $35,566 for House of Mercy BELMONT — House of Mercy, a nonprofit residence in Belmont serving low-income persons living with AIDS, held its 21st Annual Walk for AIDS April 5. Approximately 300 people participated in the walk on a beautiful spring morning to raise AIDS awareness and more than $35,500 to benefit House of Mercy.

Stan Patterson, president and CEO, welcomed participants and introduced guest speakers Maggie Baucom, House of Mercy’s board chair, and Sister Jill Weber, also a member of the board. Both spoke about the impact House of Mercy has made with the help of community support. House of Mercy has been home to 306 men and women living with AIDS. Members of Sacred Souls Community Church sang the National Anthem to kick off the three-mile walk.

Following the walk through historic downtown Belmont, participants gathered on the House of Mercy grounds for a picnic lunch. DJ Buddy Love provided music and inspiration for dancing. Stan Patterson announced $35,566 was donated to support services at House of Mercy. Prizes were awarded to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Charlotte, the top fundraising team for raising more than $5,100, and to Scott Cloninger, the top individual fundraiser, for raising more than $1,600. South Charlotte Mercy Associates was the second-place fundraising team, and St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte was the third-place fundraising team. Madeline Yap was awarded second place for individual fundraiser.

Sponsors providing financial support for the event included the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas-South Central Community, Gilead Sciences, RK T-Shirts, CaroMont Health, MetroGraphics, Wells Fargo and the Newton Family in memory of Doug Newton. Also providing financial support were Beam Electric Co., Catawba Heights Animal Hospital, Cherry Bekaert LLP, St. Mary Church in Shelby and media sponsors QNotes and WSGE 91.7 FM radio.

For more information about the1 House of Mercy,12:28 go to www.thehouseofmercy.org.

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Extraordinary Memory ExtraordinaryGift I wanted to make a donation in honor of my parents with some money I inherited from them. The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte appealed to me because I was able to establish an endowment with their name on it, and it will benefit the parish they loved so much.

To receive the free brochure, “A Simple Guide to Gift Planning” contact Judy Smith, Director of Planned Giving at 704-370-3320 or jmsmith@ charlottediocese.org

BNA receives support from Knights’ LAMB funds Tracy Winsor Special to the Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — The Knights of Columbus St. John Neumann Council 7343 recently donated a portion of their LAMB funding to Be Not Afraid, a peer-based service which supports parents carrying to term following a poor prenatal diagnosis.

BNA’s work is informed by the ethical teachings of the Church, and founded on a commitment to provide pastoral care and works of mercy that speak to the dignity of every baby.

The LAMB Foundation of North Carolina Inc. was officially incorporated in 1999 to help fund services and programs serving those with intellectual disabilities.

LAMB fundraising is part of the ongoing work of most councils in the Diocese of Charlotte. LAMB is an acronym derived from the Biblical phrase from Matthew: “to serve the least among my brethren.” BNA submitted an application and was formally approved to receive LAMB funding by the state leadership.

“We greatly appreciate the efforts of the St. John Neumann Council to assist us in securing approval to receive this disability funding,” said BNA Program Director Sandy Buck. “The Knights nationally, statewide and locally have been very supportive of our efforts on behalf of parents experiencing poor prenatal diagnosis and their precious babies.”

Increasingly, intellectual disabilities and other disabling 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 past 20 years.

Up to 150 genetic syndromes or conditions and numerous structural defects can now be diagnosed in utero. Additional tests are continually being developed.

Moreover, the availability of prenatal testing has also resulted in a more routine use of testing in obstetric medicine. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists currently recommends routine prenatal screening for all expectant women.

“Almost 70 percent of the infants carried to term with BNA support in 2013 had a prenatally-diagnosed intellectual disability associated with such genetic conditions

More online At www.benotafraid.net: Learn more about how the Be Not Afraid ministry helps parents and their vulnerable unborn children

as Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 21, or had structural brain anomalies producing intellectual disability such as anencephaly,” said Buck.

Often the level of intellectual disability experienced by BNA babies is so significant that their basic autonomic functions are compromised, causing respiratory, body temperature and other difficulties that result in death.

What BNA offers to parents carrying to term is a free, direct service which is comprehensive, practical and peer-based. It focuses on meeting the needs of expectant parents without regard to religious preference as they seek to honor the life of their baby – no matter how frail or how brief.

The positive impact of the BNA model of care is best evidenced in the responses of parents collected in a parent survey last summer. One hundred percent of parents surveyed believe that they benefitted from BNA support and considered it important to their personal well-being in the experience of carrying to term, and 100 percent reported that BNA provided support not otherwise available to them.

“In addition, 100 percent reported that BNA improved their relationship with their medical providers,” Buck added. “BNA impacts patient care by helping parents better articulate their concerns and needs to medical providers.”

LAMB funding will be used to support those BNA families carrying to term following the prenatal diagnosis of an intellectual disability.

“We would be happy to provide other area Knights councils with information and programming regarding our work as a means to secure additional LAMB funding from other parishes,” Buck said. “Eighty percent of the infants prenatally diagnosed with a serious disability are aborted, so we know that these infants are in fact the most vulnerable unborn and the least among us.”

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Deacon Nash joins Hendersonville parish HENDERSONVILLE — Deacon Mark Nash has been assigned to Immaculate Conception Parish in Hendersonville effective Nash March 14. Deacon Nash was ordained for the Diocese of Charlotte by Bishop William G. Curlin on July 3, 2001. Since ordination, he has been serving at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Charlotte. He will reside seasonally in the Hendersonville area.

— Deacon Ron Steinkamp

those who live in hunger and poverty around the world. While acting in solidarity with those in need, the youth also were able to consider their role in shaping our world. Issues of clean water, fair trade and food security were examined.

Places like Honduras, Cameroon and India were explored. The participants reflected on their responsibility to care for God’s creation and to share their gifts and resources with the poor.

Family and friends were invited to sponsor the youth in their challenge. The youth raised money for Catholic Relief Services, which provides emergency relief as well as developmental assistance to the world’s poor in more than 100 countries.

The fasting began at home Friday night at 6 p.m. The youth arrived at church Saturday at 10 a.m. and began their day with prayer, followed by games and learning activities. The day was unusually warm and sunny and a walk to the Hickory Museum of Art was enjoyed by all, despite the sight and sound of a passing ice cream truck!

The fast ended Saturday evening during Mass at St. Aloysius and participants and their families enjoyed a delicious meal afterwards.

— Fran Herfurth

Diocese of Charlotte will have blessings for Easter baskets on Easter weekend, but you won’t want to miss the special blessing being planned at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. The blessing of the Easter baskets, also called the blessing of the Easter food (“Swieconka” in Polish), is an Eastern and Central European tradition – and in honor of that tradition, Deacon James Witulski will conduct the blessing in both English and Polish.

It will be held on Holy Saturday, April 19, at noon and will last about 30 minutes.

People are encouraged to bring traditional foods – such as sausage, eggs, bread and butter in the shape of a lamb – to the church neatly arranged in a basket. But people are also invited to use their imagination and include their own nationality’s foods. Children can even bring their own baskets with their own treats, including chocolate and Easter candy.

St. Thomas Aquinas Church is located at 1400 Suther Road in Charlotte. For details, call Deacon Witulski at 704-960-3704.

Quilting ministry marks 10th anniversary SALISBURY — The members of the quilting ministry at Sacred Heart Parish, affiliated with Sacred Heart’s Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court 1759, celebrated their 10th anniversary in March.

The women of the Sacred Heart Church quilters are: Diane Bruendl, Shelley Lenhausen, Ellen Waterworth, Phyllis Renn, Ruth Bowles, Irene Grigoletti, Monica Alfonsi, Janet Buige and Vickie Kotlarz. They meet each week at Diane

‘Holy Happy Hour’ coming up April 26 GASTONIA — Catholics aged 21 and older who are interested in engaging discussions about the faith in a fun and relaxed atmosphere are invited to a “Holy Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at Nick’s Steak and Taphouse, 182 S. South St. in Gastonia. Guest speaker will be Father Matthew Buettner, pastor of St. Michael Church in Gastonia, who will talk about the New Evangelization. For details, email st.michaelsholyhappyhour@gmail.com.

OUR PARISHESI

Bruendl’s home, where she provides the sewing facility and fabric.

This talented group is dedicated to helping faithfully with sewing quilts for various organizations in the parish community and also several other local organizations in Salisbury, including MiraVia (formerly known as Room at the Inn) in Charlotte, the Pregnancy Support Center and the battered women’s shelter in Salisbury, the Veterans Affairs Medical CenterHospice Unit and Oncology Department, and for the ministries supported by pastoral associate Sister Mary Robert Williams and for shut-ins and the ill of the parish.

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

CCDOC.ORG

Father Cancro addresses Couples for Christ

Hickory youth participate in 24-hour fast HICKORY — Pray. Fast. Learn. That’s what 26 seventh- and eighth-graders signed up to do March 15 at St. Aloysius Church in Hickory. The students chose to go without food for 24 hours, while engaging in a program known as FoodFast.

During their fast, the group participated in prayer, reflection, games and activities which taught them about the challenges faced by

CHARLOTTE — Father Francis Cancro, pastor of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont, was recently named the spiritual advisor to the local Couples for Christ and delivered two lectures to members March 22 at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte. He spoke about the characteristics of a Christian and discussed the connections between faith, repentance and baptism.

Couples for Christ is an international Catholic lay ecclesial movement whose goal is to renew and strengthen Christian family life and values.

— Dr. Cris Villapando

All invited to Holy Saturday blessing of Easter food baskets CHARLOTTE — Many parishes around the

Parish Administrator St. Peter Catholic Church staffed by the Jesuits in Charlotte, NC is seeking a full-time Parish Administrator. The Parish Administrator will work under the direction of

Celebrate Spring

Join us for the 28th Annual Spring Fling Catholic Charities invites senior adults from across the diocese to join us for fun and fellowship at the 28th Annual Spring Fling days in Hickory and Charlotte. Come reconnect with friends, while meeting new ones, in a daylong experience where you can learn about health information that could transform your life. Build upon your faith, while enjoying exciting activities and performances, creating wonderful memories and friendships.

• Tuesday, April 29 - Catholic Conference Center 1551 Trinity Lane, Hickory, NC 28602

the Pastor and will be responsible for all general operations of the parish including

• Tuesday, May 20 - St. Matthew Catholic Church 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28277

oversight of parish staff, business office, facilities, communications, ministry & faith

Visit ccdoc.org for a complete schedule of events and registration forms.

formation operations.

A complete job description can be viewed at http://www.stpeterscatholic.org. Send resume, cover letter and any questions to stpetersparishmanager@gmail.com

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For more information contact Sandra Breakfield at: 704.370.3220 or email sabreakfield@charlottediocese.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 OUR PARISHES

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Granson earns Eagle Scout BELMONT — Brendan Granson, a parishioner of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont, recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout. His Eagle Scout project was a restoration of the garden area surrounding the statue of the Virgin Mary in St. Benedict’s cemetery in Belmont, a historic cemetery established by the monks of Belmont Abbey for local African-American Catholics. The property now belongs to Queen of the Apostles Parish, which sponsored the project.

He is the son of Michael and Genevieve Granson, and is pictured with his brothers Kevin and James, who are also active in the Boy Scouts of America.

Camp SOAR receives donation CHARLOTTE — Camp SOAR director Bob Bowler (pictured at right) accepts a check for $1,000 from Al Tinson of Knights of Columbus Council 7343 at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte. The camp provides a full summer camp experience for more than 300 children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The 14th annual Camp SOAR will take place this year from June 9–13 at the Levine Jewish Community Center on Providence Road in Charlotte.

— Al Tinson

Divine Mercy Sunday Celebrate Canonization of Divine Mercy Saints: Saint John Paul II and Saint John XXIII

— Genevieve Granson

Emergency responders receive awards GREENSBORO — The Piedmont Council 939 of the Knights of Columbus in Greensboro honored local emergency responders March 22 during a special awards dinner, an annual tradition that dates back to 1973. Recognized for their service to the community were: Officer Steve L. Hall of the Greensboro Police Department, Capt. James Adams Williams of the Greensboro Fire Department, Deputy Chris Collins of the Guilford County Sheriffs Department, and William Butts of the Guilford County EMS.

Divine Mercy Sunday On Divine Mercy Sunday April 27, 2014 April 27, 2014 2:45pm Honoring Canonized 2:45pmasHonoring Canonized Popes Advocates of Mercy Popes as Advocates of Mercy 3:00 pm Hour of Great Mercy 3:00pm Hour of Great Mercy

3:00pm Hour of Great Mercy includes Prayer, Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament, Singing of The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy, Veneration of The Divine Mercy Image and Benediction Light Refreshments will follow in the Banquet Room

St. Matthew Catholic Church 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Charlotte NC 28277, 704-543-7677

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com

HOLY WEEK: FROM PAGE 2

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

Good Friday

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

First are the reading of three sets of lessons followed by “bidding prayers.”

Secondly, there is the Adoration of the Cross.

The dramatic unveiling and adoration of the Cross, introduced into the Latin Liturgy in the seventh or eighth century, originated in

the Church in Jerusalem, where a relic of the True Cross was venerated.

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

Holy Saturday

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

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

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The Holy Saturday ceremony has lost much of the significance it enjoyed in the early Christian centuries, owing to the irresistible tendency to celebrate it earlier in the evening. Originally it was held only in the late hours of Saturday and barely ending before midnight. To this day, however, the brevity of the Easter Mass preserves a memorial of the fatigue of that “watchnight” that ended the austerities of Lent.

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

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

IHM:

DEATH ROW:

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FROM PAGE 5

member Fred Sickel, who served as project manager.

“Everyone’s been very generous.”

Campaign chairman Dr. Bob McGinnis noted that the campaign was designed not just to raise funds for the building, but “to cement the community.”

“We’ve always had a strong community, but this has made us stronger,” McGinnis said, and it’s all thanks to God. The 30,000-square-foot building, which sits on 7.2 acres right on Highway 64 West about a half-mile from the old church, provides additional classroom space for religious instruction, as the number of youths in the mission has continued to increase. Mission members also have more room for various ministries and meetings, such as funeral receptions and socials.

It features a community meeting space, parish offices, seven classrooms, kitchen, nursery and cry room, library and gift shop.

Another 8,000 square feet of space is being used by Notre Dame Sister Terry Martin as a storage area for her ministry.

A memorial garden, with a stunning statue of Jesus overlooking the Appalachian mountains – His arms of mercy and love open wide – offers a quiet place for reflection. The garden is the new columbarium for the church. When the mission moved out of its old location, the remains of those interred there were moved and reinterred in the new space.

Stained glass windows, also taken from the old church and enlarged to fit the new space, will be installed this month in time for Easter.

The construction work was overseen by Ron Cantrell Construction Inc. of Cleveland, Ga. During the dedication rite, Bishop Jugis blessed the congregation and the church with holy water, then he anointed the altar and columns of the church with sacred chrism and burned incense on the altar. Finally, the candles were lit and the altar was prepared for the first celebration of the Eucharist.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis explained the symbolism of each part of the dedication rite, noting that it was not just the consecration of a building, but a dedication of the people gathered there to the service of God. Just as the church is a temple of God’s Presence, so too does God dwell in each of us, he also noted.

The significance of both the physical temple and the spiritual temple come together poignantly in this rite, he explained, and every aspect – from the candles and incense to the reading of the Gospel and the Eucharistic Sacrifice itself – point to God’s covenant with His people.

“Everything here speaks of Christ,” he said. “The apostolic faith is present here.”

Father Alex Ayala, IHM’s pastor, as well as neighboring clergy Father Larry LoMonaco of St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville and Father Tien Duong of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin concelebrated the Mass.

April 2 was also a special day for Father Ayala, Bishop Jugis noted, as it marked the ninth anniversary of his ordination to the transitional

“Jesus is what I call a ‘sneaky Jesus’ because I got myself lured into things,” she said. Upon the request of a worker at the Prison Coalition in New Orleans, Sister Prejean became pen pals with death row inmate Patrick Sonnier in 1982. “You know what the problem was? He wrote back!”

Sonnier went to the electric chair at Louisiana’s Angola State Prison in 1984 for the execution-style killings of teenagers David LeBlanc and Loretta Ann Borque in 1977. Sonnier’s brother Eddie was also convicted for the crime but received a life sentence, and he died in prison in 2013.

From Sonnier’s letters, Sister Prejean realized Sonnier was completely alone. His mother was too distraught to visit either of her sons, especially one on death row.

In his letters, Sonnier wrote that he was glad she had found him and that she was praying for him. She also said Sonnier’s letters always ended with “Jesus loves you, Sister Helen, and so do I.” “I never dreamed I was going to be in an execution chamber when they electrocuted (Patrick Sonnier) to death,” she said.

“But I was there, and he looked into my face and my whole life changed.”

She went on to serve as a spiritual advisor for five other death row inmates, and she was also present at their executions.

When writing the first draft of “Dead Man Walking” Sister Prejean’s editor alerted her that she had neglected to write about the impact on the victims’ families.

“I had made a terrible mistake,” Sister Prejean admitted. “I downplayed reaching out to them. I didn’t know what to do with the victims’ families. I stayed away from them.”

Surprisingly, she became kindred spirits with Lloyd LeBlanc, the victim David LeBlanc’s father.

“The Borques were furious at me,” she said. “(Lloyd) was the gracious one. He is the hero of (“Dead Man Walking”). He said, ‘Sister, you need to come pray with me. You need to walk in our shoes and see what the victims’ families go through.”

After their first meeting, LeBlanc and Sister Prejean continued to pray with each other at St. Martin de Tours Church in St. Martinville, La. “I told him that I would be there,” she said. “There I was, driving along the swamps at night to kneel alongside a man who lost his only son,” she said. “As he prayed, I got a glimpse into his soul. Because when we said the intentions for the rosary, he prayed for his family, he prayed for his wife, he prayed for the Borques, and he also said a prayer for Gladys Sonnier. He was the first family of a victim that I had ever met that took me into his heart and into his journey of redemption.”

LeBlanc even reached out to Sonnier’s mother, who was relentlessly persecuted by neighbors in her community for her sons’ crimes. Sister Prejean remembered that LeBlanc delivered her a fruit basket and gave her his phone number in case she ever needed anything or wanted to talk.

Sister Prejean also showed the audience a cross she wears around her neck that Sonnier’s brother Eddie had made for her by a fellow inmate. Eddie paid for the cross by selling his plasma for $11.50.

“It is the only cross I have ever had purchased with blood.”

To those gathered in Mooresville to hear her talk, she compared the wrongfulness of capital punishment to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. She said one of Jesus’s arms represents the convicted sitting on death row, and His other arm represents the families of their victims. Down the middle, she said, is Jesus Christ.

“How shall we respond?”

Photos by Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Members of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville gathered for the first Mass in their new church, which was dedicated April 2 by Bishop Peter Jugis. diaconate, the final step before he was ordained a priest in 2006.

After Mass, Sickel thanked the many people who worked on the project, and he thanked Bishop Jugis and Father Ayala. But first, he said, “Thank you, God, for prayers answered.”

Samantha Calascione, 11, and José Mozqueda, 13, were among the youngest attending the dedication Mass. Neither had ever seen a church being consecrated before, and they both thoroughly enjoyed it.

“It’s so beautiful,” José said.

Janet Michaelson, who led the memorial gifts campaign, said the perseverance and hard work were well worth it for this close-knit faith community.

“This is the warmest parish,” Michaelson said. “We will do whatever it takes to get the job done, because we’re family.”

Father George Kloster, IHM’s long-time pastor who retired last year, was unable to be present at the dedication because he was traveling out of town, but he wrote in last week’s parish bulletin: “Congratulations and thanks to the IHM community for bringing the renovation of this worship space to a wonderful conclusion. ... It is beautiful and certainly represents the faith, sacrifice, dedication and hard work of many people.”

catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 16

El Padre Fidel C. Melo

“Siguiendo los Pasos de Jesucristo”: Mi experiencia en Tierra Santa

“

Que al visitar y orar en los Santuarios de Tierra Santa, profundice su Fe y su Amor por Jesucristo y que su santidad crezca. Usen este tiempo especial de peregrinación para acercarse más a Cristo y a nuestra Santa Madre” son parte de las palabras que nuestro Obispo Peter J. Jugis escribió en un mensaje que amablemente, como nuestro pastor diocesano, dedicó a los que peregrinamos a los Santos Lugares. Palabras que leímos para todos tan pronto empezamos a recorrer aquellas tierras y que nos emocionaron mucho, pues sentimos el apoyo espiritual de nuestro Obispo y Pastor en esta experiencia que ahora nos hace sentir más unidos a Cristo y a María Santísima.

Personalmente tengo que confesar que todavía estoy en el proceso de asimilar y discernir sobre la experiencia de haber visitado la Tierra Santa. Por ahora solo puedo decir que es algo inolvidable, enriquecedor, sorprendente e impactante en mi vida de fe. Es una vivencia íntima tanto en lo personal como en lo comunitario, es algo único porque se vive en lo interior y también en lo exterior junto a los demás peregrinos. Es una experiencia personal porque a cada uno nos tocó sentir y vivir la presencia especial de Cristo en el contexto de nuestra realidad individual de fe pero también es una experiencia con una dimensión comunitaria, de familia o hermandad, porque como grupo experimentamos momentos en los que estuvimos muy unidos en mente y corazón al compartir juntos en cada visita. En cada nuevo descubrimiento, en cada cosa que fuimos aprendiendo o reconociendo, cuando oramos en la Santa Eucaristía, cuando compartimos los alimentos, la amistad, etc.

Ahondando un poco en la dimensión comunitaria, quiero decir que como buenos hispanos nada nos costó deshacer los hielos y bien pronto nos familiarizamos y reconocimos como grupo, Cristo nos unía. Hasta volvimos a ser un poco “niños” pues reímos, bromeamos, compartimos, cosa que nos hizo sentir como en

Algunos de los cientos de jóvenes que asistieron al Peregrinaje Juvenil de Cuaresma del Obispo al Belmont Abbey el sábado, 5 de Abril. Cerca de casi 1000 jóvenes de diversas parroquias de la Diócesis de Charlotte asistieron al evento.

Más en la internet At http://www.youtube.com/ watch: Para ver un video corto del Padre Melo compartiendo algunas de sus experiencias durante “Siguiendo los Pasos de Jesucristo.”

familia. Esto es algo que tanta falta nos hace, salir al encuentro de los demás.

Un antes y un después; tanto al leer los Evangelios como al escuchar su proclamación en la Misa, puedo darme cuenta que hay una gran diferencia entre antes y después de visitar Tierra Santa, ya no es igual, ahora hay una sintonía especial, algo muy interno que no se puede explicar, pero que une mente y corazón a Cristo tanto en el tiempo pasado como en el presente.

Ahora bien, muchos me preguntan sobre las impresiones más grandes del viaje. Por ahora solo puedo decir que es la fe de los peregrinos y una “gracia misteriosa”, gracia que a todos nos fue tocando, a cada quien en su momento, el momento de Dios. Interesantemente en nuestra primera reunión, ya estando en Tierra Santa, nos dimos cuenta que esta gracia misteriosa estuvo operando desde mucho antes de iniciar nuestro viaje. Esto salió a la luz cuando compartimos un poco más de quiénes éramos y lo que esperábamos de la peregrinación, en cierta manera respondiendo a la pregunta de: ¿Cómo fue que el viaje se hizo realidad para cada uno? Y el resultado fue que en cada respuesta se vió claramente la Mano de Dios para hacer posible que cada uno de nosotros estuviéramos ahí, varios de nosotros nos emocionamos tanto ¡al punto de llorar! Se sentía el calor de Dios, su presencia, ahí nos empezamos a dar cuenta que nuestros corazones ardían, que el estar allá, era obra directa de Dios, no de nosotros. Nos dimos cuenta que Dios había hecho confabular las cosas y las MELO, SEE page 17

DOREEN SUGIERSKI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Cientos de jóvenes de la diócesis asisten al Peregrinaje Juvenil de Cuaresma del Obispo al Belmont Abbey Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

BELMONT — Cerca de mil jóvenes de varias parroquias de la Diócesis de Charlotte se congregaron en el campo de la entrada de la Basílica del Belmont Abbey College el sábado, 5 de Abril, durante el Bishop’s Lenten Youth Abbey Pilgrimage 2014 (el peregrinaje juvenil de Cuaresma del Obispo a la Abadía de Belmont---BLYAP). El evento auspiciado por el Obispo Peter Jugis sirve como una antesala y preparación para los jóvenes de la diócesis para la Pascua de Resurrección, y para el próximo Congreso Eucarístico que se celebrará en Charlotte el 19 y 20 de Septiembre del corriente.

“Este es un evento muy bonito que continua atrayendo más y más jóvenes y parroquias de la diócesis año tras año. Es una excelente oportunidad para todos nosotros, jóvenes y adultos de crecer en nuestra identidad como católicos, para crecer en el amor de Nuestro Señor y su Iglesia, para convivir unos con otros y nuestros pastores, y para adorar y alabar a Nuestro Señor en la Eucaristía,” dijo Paul Kotlowski, Director del Ministerio Juvenil de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

El evento tuvo como maestra de ceremonia a la joven cantante de música católica, Tori Harris de Nashville, Tennessee, la cual también amenizó el evento con sus dinámicas canciones y su excelente banda de acompañamiento.

La cantante les recordó a los jóvenes presentes que el tema del peregrinaje al Campus del Belmont Abbey ese día era, “He aquí, yo hago nuevas todas las cosas,” Apocalipsis 21:5. “Oremos juntos para preparar sus corazones para lo que el Espíritu Santo les quiera decir a Uds. en el día de hoy,” dijo Harris

a los presentes.

El Abad del Belmont Abbey, Placid Solari, OSB, ofreció la Misa temprano en la mañana para dar inicio oficial al evento. Durante su homilía Solari les dijo a los jóvenes en la Misa al aire libre que “Escuchen la voz del Señor en el día de hoy. La voz del Señor en la Palabra de Dios, su voz en todas las charlas que van a escuchar en el día de hoy y durante la Adoración del Santísimo en la tarde.”

El Padre Lucas Rossi, Vicario de la Catedral de St. Patrick en Charlotte, ofreció a los jóvenes una charla acerca de las vocaciones al sacerdocio y a la vida religiosa. Después del almuerzo, el Obispo Peter Jugis dio una reflexión durante un período de Adoración al Santísimo, el Obispo Jugis dijo, “La verdadera Presencia de Jesucristo en el Santísimo Sacramento con nosotros esta tarde confirma la Palabra de Dios que escuchamos en el Apocalipsis, ‘He aquí el tabernáculo de Dios con los hombres, y él morará con ellos; y ellos serán su pueblo, y Dios mismo estará con ellos como su Dios.’(Apocalipsis 21:3). Como se cumplen estas palabras de una manera tan hermosa en el Santísimo Sacramento. Jesús nos conforta; nos da su paz.”

“Nuestra vida con Jesús siempre es nueva y fresca…Jesús siempre nos está renovando con su Vida en la Eucaristía.” dijo el Obispo Jugis. “¿Por qué hace esto Jesús? Porque Jesús nos ama y Él ama a todas sus criaturas, y Él desea que toda su creación se acerque a Él y salga de la oscuridad del mundo y viva en la Luz de Cristo,” dijo Jugis.

Después de la charla del obispo, Jugis cargo al Santísimo en el relicario y llevo al Santísimo en una Solemne Procesión alrededor del campus de Belmont Abbey College.

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Católicos Hispanos de San Vicente de Paul en Charlotte practican su fe y aprenden inglés al mismo tiempo Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Elia González se reúne con su tutora de inglés como segundo idioma (ESL), Beverly Fongsam, por una hora semanalmente en una de las salas de formación de fe en la Parroquia de San Vicente de Paul en Charlotte.

González es una de los 42 estudiantes que participan en el Programa de ESL de la Parroquia de San Vicente de Paul. La estudiante hispana ya tiene cuatro meses de estar aprendiendo inglés con su tutora.

“Beverly me ha ayudado bastante. Yo práctico mucho mi inglés en mi trabajo porque trabajo en un restaurante con puros americanos. También vengo a la Misa aquí en San Vicente; a veces a la de español; a veces vengo a la de inglés para practicar el idioma,” dijo ella.

El programa fue creado por Virginia Stuhrenberg en el 2004 después que el Párroco de San Vicente, el Padre Mark Lawlor, le sugirió a la feligrés de San Vicente que empezará grupos pequeños ahí para ayudar al gran número de hispanos de San Vicente que necesitaban y querían aprender a hablar inglés. “Le mencioné a Virginia la idea porque yo sabía que ella había dado clases de ESL antes, pero en realidad no pensaba que ella lo iba a tomar en serio,” dijo el Padre Lawlor.

“La iniciativa de crear este programa de ESL fue de Dios. Nuestro Señor fue el que creó este programa aquí hace 10 años,” dijo Stuhrenbeg, quien no es solo la creadora, sino también la Coordinadora del Programa ESL en San Vicente de Paul.

Actualmente, el programa cuenta con 34 tutores y unos 18 voluntarios bilingües que sirven de enlace entre los estudiantes y los tutores. Las clases son siempre individuales ahora y el horario de reunión semanal es siempre flexible de acuerdo a la necesidad y horario de trabajo de los

MELO: FROM PAGE 16

circunstancias para que fuéramos nosotros los que estuviéramos ahí y no las demás personas que pensamos iban a viajar con nosotros y que al final no fueron. Y claro que siempre es Dios quien está ahí, pero al compartir aquel momento disfrutamos mucho al constatar su acción entre nosotros. Al escribir esto, no estoy pensando en dar una enseñanza teológica o doctrinal, solo es el compartir algunas de mis humildes y primeras impresiones de este viaje a Tierra Santa. Aunque debo de decir que el haber estado ahí, en los lugares donde Jesús nació, creció, predicó padeció, murió y resucitó para darnos vida es algo difícil de describir con palabras. Eso sí, me queda claro nuevamente que la intemporalidad de la Presencia y el Mensaje de Jesús es una realidad latente en nuestras vidas como un misterio que no es para razonarlo sino para sentirlo y vivirlo. Es decir, que la Persona de Jesucristo, su mensaje y su presencia no es una historia del pasado, sino que su mensaje de amor es para el mundo actual y toda la realidad que lo circunda, en otras palabras, que la salvación de Jesucristo es un mensaje de amor, perdón, reconciliación que se

Youth Minister St. Andrew’s Parish, a Vatican II inspired parish of 1800 households in Roanoke, VA, is seeking a full-time Youth Minister. Responding to a parish mandate for an increased outreach to our middle/high school youth, this person will be expected to be guided by Renewing the Vision (USCCB). Ability to collaborate with pastoral staff and youth/adult leadership is essential. Experience in parish liturgical and musical life is desirable.

Resumes should be forwarded to Jill Blanchard at jblanchard@standrewsroanoke.org or St. Andrew’s Catholic Church 631 N Jefferson St., Roanoke, VA 24016 by April 30, 2014.

RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Joanna Ramírez, de la Parroquia de San Vicente de Paul en Charlotte, recibiendo clases de inglés. estudiantes.

Sin embargo, Stuhrenberg aclaró que “este programa de ESL es un ministerio, y no una escuela de idiomas. Los estudiantes tienen que ser católicos porque se puede decir que nosotros compartimos nuestra fe de una manera especial como parte del método de enseñanza. Por esa razón no enseñamos a aquellos que no comparten nuestra fe,” dijo ella.

“Los números no son tan importantes como lo es la relación que entablan los estudiantes con cada tutor. Los tutores se convierten en amigos de los estudiantes y los ayudan a comunicarse en situaciones de la vida real,” dijo Stuhrenberg.

“La verdad que es impresionante el esfuerzo y la dedicación que Virginia y los otros voluntarios le han puesto a este programa de inglés,” dijo el Padre Lawlor.

“Estas clases de inglés se pueden empezar en otras parroquias de nuestra diócesis. No importa en realidad como se haga. Lo más importante es que la comunidad de la parroquia se dé cuenta de que todos somos católicos y nos preocupamos unos por los otros. Los voluntarios aquí ayudan porque se dan cuenta del sentido de misión de este ministerio,” concluyó Stuhrenberg.

ofrece como un regalo maravilloso para ayer, hoy, mañana y siempre. También me es muy importante decir que el haber estado en los Santos Lugares me hizo apreciar con mayor claridad que si bien llamamos Tierra Santa a los lugares donde Jesús estuvo hace dos mil años, nuestra tierra acá, también es una tierra santa porque Él la santifica con su presencia, en cada Eucaristía o Misa donde ocurre el milagro de su Presencia Real y en el milagro de su presencia en cada persona y comunidad que lo recibe en su Palabra y en la Comunión y que practica el mandato de amor que Él nos dejó. Puedo decir que fue muy conmovedor estar en el Santo Sepulcro pero que la hermosa realidad es que “ya no está aquí, sino que ha resucitado,” (Mt. 28,6), y que el sepulcro esta vació y que su presencia está con nosotros. Él va delante de nosotros. Invito a los que un día tengan la oportunidad de visitar Tierra Santa a que lo hagan. Será una experiencia maravillosa que creará un lazo especial con Jesucristo. ¡Felices Pascuas de Resurrección 2014!

El Padre Fidel C. Melo es el Vicario del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte. El Padre Melo fue el guía espiritual de los 25 católicos hispanos que participaron en el primer peregrinaje del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte a la Tierra Santa del 10 al 20 de Marzo de este año.

In 2010, Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake.

Today, the country is still reeling.

Watch the Mercy for Haiti film and help us continue to make a difference for those forgotten. Visit urgentcares.org/haiti

Visit urgentcares.org to make a donation, or mail your gift (payable to CMMF) to P.O. Box 16367, Asheville, NC 28816

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Missions in the Philippines “Pick Up The Pieces” With Help From Cross Catholic Outreach Catholic leaders in the Philippines have quietly but efficiently begun to “pick up the pieces” in their storm-ravaged country.

Some, like Sister Eloise David, saw a lifetime of work destroyed in a matter of hours when the super typhoon struck. Still, she insists on moving forward, carried forward by faith, hope — and charity.

“Sr. Eloise and I stood in the middle of a pile of rubble. It was another of the many buildings she had helped construct to better serve the poor. Like those we had toured earlier, it was smashed to splinters when the super typhoon struck this past November. I expected her to be heartbroken, but she wasn’t. As we moved on, her stride

conveyed a sense of purpose; her eyes sparkled with optimism. She has an amazing devotion to the poor.”

Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, said he found the same attitude everywhere he turned. Priests, nuns and Catholic lay leaders were all “rolling up their sleeves” and engaging in recovery plans. His organization hopes to collect donations from U.S. Catholics to support this important work.

“One priest told us about his plans to repair homes for poorest typhoon victims. Another Catholic mission was going to focus on helping families regain their livelihoods,” he said. “Each missionary is responding to the

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needs in their own community, and together they’ll have a big impact. This is why the Catholic Church is so respected among the poor in developing countries. Our priest and nuns aren’t afraid to take part in the heavy lifting. They respond to the problems of the poor. They rise to the occasion.”

Cavnar said he was also impressed by the approach Catholic leaders were taking as they worked toward a recovery. Rather than encouraging hand-outs, the resourceful people Cavnar met seemed intent on involving the poor as a workforce and on adopting an entrepreneurial approach to overcoming problems.

“At one stop along the coast, we talked about donating boats so that fishermen could return to their trade and feed their families.

The leaders had a different idea. They preferred a plan to create a boat building enterprise. That way, they said, they could take part in the construction work, replace the lost boats and create a business capable of employing other poor men and expanding the outreach. I found their spirit and optimism inspiring,” Cavnar said.

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The recovery programs underway in the Philippines also illustrate the effective way Cross Catholic Outreach operates. Rather than solve problems by opening offices and sending U.S. staff, the organization empowers the priests, nuns and parish programs already in place. In this way, its donors’ dollars are used more cost effectively.

“Our goal is to give under-supplied missions the resources they need to better serve the poor. If a feeding program needs food, we supply the food. A clinic can depend on us for medicines. A school can get help with teacher salaries or books.

Through this kind of support, we can empower the Catholic Church’s existing programs,” Cavnar explained.

And now, more than ever, Catholic missions overseas need that help.

To support the worldwide outreaches of Cross Catholic Outreach, use the ministry brochure enclosed in this paper or mail your donation to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01039, PO Box 9558, Wilton, NH 03086-9558. All contributions to the ministry are tax deductible.

As Cross Catholic Outreach (CCO) continues its range of relief work to help the poor overseas, its efforts are being recognized by a growing number of Catholic leaders in the U.S. and abroad.

“We’ve received an impressive number of endorsements from Bishops and Archbishops — more than 80 at last count,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. “They’re impressed by the fact that we’ve done outreaches in almost 40 countries and that we undertake a variety of projects; everything from feeding the hungry and housing the homeless to supplying safe water and supporting educational opportunities for the poorest of the poor.”

Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis sent one of the more recent letters of encouragement, writing: “It is my hope that this ministry will continue to flourish and reach as many people as possible. I will inform the priests of the Archdiocese of St. Louis of the important work that Cross Catholic Outreach does and elicit

their prayerful and financial support for the service you provide to the less fortunate around the world.”

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

“Cross Catholic Outreach’s close collaboration with the Pontifical Council Cor Unum is a source of encouragement,” the Archbishop said. “The Holy See has unique knowledge of local situations throughout the world through its papal representatives in nearly two hundred countries and through its communications with Bishops and others who care for the poor and needy in every corner of the world.”

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

Cross Catholic Now Endorsed by More Than 80 Bishops, Archbishops

Pope Francis recently met with Cross Catholic Outreach’s president, Jim Cavnar.

“Our collaboration with Cor Unum allows us to fund outreaches in virtually any area of the world and we have used that method in special cases — to help the

victims of natural disasters, for example,” he said.“It only represents a small part of our overall ministry, but it can be a very important benefit in those situations.”

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI RIGHT SIDE PAGE

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Memories, Miracles and Opportunities – Priests, Nuns Describe Challenges Following Philippines Super Typhoon A ood of terrible images still haunt the memories of the priests and nuns who survived Typhoon Haiyan — known as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines. On that day, more than 6,000 perished. More than four million lost homes. A wall of water smashed the coast like a bulldozer blade, sweeping away everything in its path. Few imagined the devastation the “super storm” would bring.

“Sister Eloise David of the Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing told us a story that I found chilling,” recounts Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a U.S.-based Catholic relief agency on the scene shortly after the storm hit. “Nuns from a convent in Leyte had decided to ride out the storm in their building, but the Mother Superior warned them against it. Most evacuated at that point, but a few resisted. She nally called upon them to honor their vow of obedience and forced them to leave. I visited the site of that convent with Sr. Eloise after the storm had passed, and it was a shambles.

A 21-foot storm surge had engulfed the place

“The rst structure Fr. Bart reached was the shrine. The statue of Mary was missing.

He assumed it had been demolished — cast to the four wind, as they say. But to his amazement, he saw the statue as he neared the chapel about twenty-ve yards away.

Mary was positioned right in front of the door, facing outward as if warding off the storm. The statue had only sustained minor damage, and the chapel itself was in good condition too. The hand of God was clearly on that place because the compound’s other buildings were seriously damaged.”

As Cross Catholic Outreach’s emergency response team continued its work, more stories surfaced and a growing sense of optimism prevailed. Although the island chain’s central section was extremely hard hit, the Catholic Church in the Philippines has rebounded quickly and is now playing a central role in the recovery of the country.

“Within hours of the storm’s impact, Sr. Eloise David of the Benedictine Sisters had started a medical outreach and a feeding

Jim Cavnar, Cross Catholic Outreach’s president, and Sister Eloise David discuss recovery plans in the Philippines at the site of a destroyed Catholic medical clinic.

Fr. Bart can’t explain how the statue of Mary miraculously moved to the chapel door — or why the building sustained so little damage from Super Typhoon Yolanda’s ravaging winds. and destroyed the nearby school. The nuns would surely have drowned if not for the Mother Superior’s persistence.”

The day the typhoon struck was also a day for miracles.

Father Bartholomew Pastor — known as Fr. Bart in the parish — experienced one of these miracles rsthand. His mission, located on a mountainside in Tacloban, was hit hard by the typhoon’s record high winds. The site includes a shrine to Mary and a chapel, and Fr. Bart expected both to be severely damaged by the wild storm. But God had other ideas.

“After the typhoon passed, Fr. Bart returned expecting the worst,” explains Jim Cavnar, who toured the mission as part of Cross Catholic Outreach’s efforts to help.

program,” Cavnar explains. “Cross Catholic Outreach helped with that, and we intend to continue our efforts as Catholic leaders here help poor typhoon victims recover. I should add that Sr. Eloise’s hospital in Tacloban is also something of a miracle. It survived the storm and was one of the only functioning hospitals serving the area in the weeks immediately after the disaster. I believe that was an act of God. Sr. Eloise has a heart for the poor and has served others with compassion her whole life.

I believe God’s hand of protection was on her and her mission.”

Now, as the Church in the Philippines shifts from emergency relief work to recovery projects, Cross Catholic Outreach wants to increase its support with the help of U.S. Catholic donors.

“There’s always a big inux of help when a disaster strikes, but many of those groups move on after a few months. Cross Catholic Outreach believes the recovery stages after a disaster are just as important as the earlier period of emergency relief. We want to work with the Catholic priests and nuns who are helping the poorest of the poor now — months after the disaster. These victims need help reestablishing their lives,” explains Cavnar. “With our support, Catholic missions can repair homes, reopen schools and clinics, and set up self-help programs so people can become self-sufcient again. It’s a critical mission, and I thank God the Catholic Church is taking such an active role. It will have a tremendous impact.”

In Cross Catholic Outreach’s plan, Fr. Bart, Sr. Eloise and other Catholic mission partners will play a prominent role. This method of helping the poor through existing Catholic missions is a hallmark of Cross Catholic’s outreach. It’s very cost effective and empowers the greater work of the missions involved.

“The people in the community being helped are aware that American Catholics are helping them, and they are deeply grateful for that support. I wish everyone who contributes to these recovery projects could see the success of our Catholic leaders

rsthand as I have,” Cavnar says. “They would be inspired by what our Church is accomplishing. They would see how the poor are responding; praising God and celebrating their faith. Catholics worldwide are brothers and sisters, and the missions here in the Philippines really illustrate that fact. The poor pray for those who help them.

They’re deeply grateful they haven’t been forgotten in their time of trial.”

Cavnar says he is condent American Catholics will continue to help these brothers and sisters overseas. To give them those opportunities, his organization has gathered information about specic projects that will need funding. American Catholics will be asked to help with contributions for those causes.

“The gifts we are collecting now are as critically needed as those we sought during the emergency relief stage — perhaps even more important because they will be used to help the poor get back on their feet, regaining self-sufciency,” he explains. “As homes are repaired, schools reopened, and people are restored, new hope will return to the poor families who were victimized by the typhoon. And isn’t that how we would want to be treated if a similar disaster swamped us?”

How to Help: To support the worldwide outreaches of Cross Catholic Outreach, use the enclosed postage-paid brochure to mail your gift or send it to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01039, PO Box 9558, Wilton, NH 03086-9558.

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 FROM THE COVER

‘God is always ready

The lawn in front of the Belmont Abbey Basilica was a sea of yellow during the Bishops Lenten Youth Pilgrimage April 5. Event T-shirts were emblazoned with the word “HOPE.” photos by sueann howell, doreen sugierski and ruben tamayo | Catholic News Herald

Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage a day of hope, happiness SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos and videos from the 2014 Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage

BELMONT — Maybe it was the bright yellow ‘Hope’ T-shirts. Or maybe it was the band opening the event with the song “Happy.” Either way, from beginning to end, the 10th annual Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage was a joy-filled, spiritually uplifting day for approximately 1,000 young people at Belmont Abbey College.

The theme for this year’s Eucharistic Congress is “Behold, I make all things new” from Rev. 21:5, and this theme was the thread that connected all the events of the April 5 pilgrimage.

“What is encompassed in ‘Behold, I make all things new?’

It’s hope,” said Belmont Abbey College sophomore Mary Kate Reid in her opening statement to the youth. This is Reid’s second year spearheading the event at the college.

“With renewal comes hope. No matter what, no matter how down you are, Christ will always be there as a beacon of light,” Reid said. “We’re not to hide that light under a bushel basket. We’re supposed to have it up and out for everyone to see. And here we are for everyone to see – in bright yellow.”

The lawn in front of the Belmont Abbey basilica was a field of dazzling yellow as young people from more than 35 parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte brought their enthusiasm, which proved contagious during this year’s event.

Tori Harris, a 25-year-old Catholic recording artist who with her band provided the music for the event, was also

the emcee for the pilgrimage. Throughout the day, she got the young and not-so-young on their feet to celebrate the faith and give witness to the joy that comes from loving Jesus. She also gave a stirring talk for the middle school students in the afternoon.

“There’s something inherently powerful about song and especially prayerful song,” Harris said. “Song opens up the heart to receiving the Holy Spirit. I came here today because I believe in the richness and the beauty of the sacraments of the Church, and I would give anything to let every kid here be aware of it. However, I can’t change hearts – but the Holy Spirit can! Through music and song, I think this band can facilitate an environment of receptivity to the Holy Spirit.”

“When these teens are receptive, maybe they will be more open to the sacraments and receptive to the wisdom of our priests and bishops, and claim their faith and live life more abundantly,” she added.

The keynote address from Father Lucas Rossi, parochial vicar of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, centered around Jesus and the Eucharist and the account of the feeding of 5,000 in Matthew 6.

“Jesus never provides just enough,” Father Rossi said.

“He always provides in abundance. God provides to nourish us. He comes to give us supernatural bread. Our hungering for food should give way to an awakening for spiritual food. We should hunger more for Christ.”

HOPE, SEE page 23

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com FROM THE COVERI

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to make you new!’

(Above) Bishop Peter J. Jugis processes with the Blessed Sacrament during the pilgrimage. Deacon Art Kingsley of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia accompanied the bishop and carried the monstrance in the procession.

(Right) Tori Harris, emcee for the event, also provided the musical entertainment.

(Above, from top) Bishop Peter Jugis plays frisbee with the youth during the pilgrimage; the shadow of the Most Blessed Sacrament held by Bishop Jugis during the procession; more than 800 youth cheer during event; Benedictine Brother Edward Mancuso shows off his moves during the dance contest, scoring himself a Tori Harris CD.

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 FROM THE COVER

(Above) Dr. Bill Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College, thanked the youth for attending the pilgrimage; youth speak to a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia during the vocations fair.

(Right) Father John Eckert, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon, distributes Holy Communion during Mass. Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey was the main celebrant for the Mass.

(Left) Father John Eckert gazes upon the Eucharist being elevated by Abbot Placid at Mass; youth hold hands at Mass during the pilgrimage; Bishop Jugis has a private talk with a boy during a quiet moment of the pilgrimage.

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com FROM THE COVERI

HOPE: FROM PAGE 20

(Above) Bishop Jugis prays during Eucharistic Adoration; Father Lucas Rossi, parochial vicar of St. Patrick Cathedral, gives the keynote address; Bishop Jugis poses at the day’s end with Tori Harris and members of her band.

(Left) Two youth pray during Mass.

(Below) A young man snaps a “selfie” with Bishop Jugis.

Father Rossi has a great devotion to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at the age of 24 and is one of the spiritual patrons of the annual youth pilgrimage.

“When God takes the ordinary and transforms it, He creates saints,” Father Rossi said. “Jesus in the Eucharist was the source of (Blessed Pier Giorgio’s) joy. Blessed John Paul II said that Pier Giorgio was the ‘saint of the Beatitudes.’

He was an ordinary guy, but the Eucharist and Jesus Christ transformed him into a saint.

“That’s what we are called to do.”

Between the talks, Mass and Eucharistic Adoration – all held outdoors – youth were able to enjoy some free time, basking in the sun, playing games on the expansive lawn in front of the basilica or just listening to Harris and her band.

There was a special session for college students this year: a talk given by Father John Eckert, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon.

Several religious orders were at the event including the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, who serve at Christ the King Church in High Point, and Dominican sisters from Greenville, S.C. They, the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey, and the priests of the Diocese of Charlotte enjoyed fielding questions about vocations from the young people throughout the day.

“It’s very exciting to see the all the teens here. They’re very energetic,” said one of the Vincentian Sisters. “They want to know at what age they can enter the convent.”

“One girl asked me why we wear habits,” chimed in another sister, smiling.

The monks of Belmont Abbey were seen laughing and interacting with the students, as well as waving their arms “concert style” in time with the music during the song “Don’t Stop Believing.”

A highlight of the day was the dance contest in which people competed for one of Harris’ CDs. A usually shy and softspoken Brother Edward Mancuso, one of the monks at Belmont Abbey in charge of campus ministry, won the prize – much to the delight of the crowd.

Chris Beal, a coordinator of youth ministry for the diocese, was overjoyed at the level of participation at this year’s event.

“This is the biggest crowd ever. It’s overwhelming! Everybody gathering together for the Eucharist is wonderful,” Beal said.

Anna Lopez, a parishioner at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, attended the event for the first time with her son Juan, who is in the sixth grade.

“It is just wonderful,” Lopez said.

“When the Mass was going, the tears just came.”

A team of more than 60 students from Belmont Abbey College helped run the event. They worked in concert with the Eucharistic Congress Committee and Father Roger K. Arnsparger, who chairs the annual congress events.

“I went to this four years in a row as a high school student. I came here as a freshman and realized that the seniors who had done it were graduating. When they asked for someone to do it, I said yes,” said Reid, who was in charge of the college volunteers for the second year in a row.

“Even if just a handful of them actually see Christ for the first time and choose their faith for themselves at a young age, and their life changes because

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of that, then this whole thing was worth it,” she said.

As enthusiastic as the young people were during the more interactive times of the pilgrimage, they were equally as reverent at Mass and Adoration. Many of them took time to stand in long lines for confession.

“I’m sorry for my sins and I want to do better,” said Sarah Breeding, an eighth-grader and parishioner at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville who is considering a religious vocation.

“When I was young I used to be afraid of confession, but after going many times you realize even the priest sins and they are only there to help you. The more you go to confession, rather than being nervous, it becomes more of a consolation because you see Jesus more in place of the priest than you see the priest.”

Bishop Jugis warmly greeted the young people throughout the afternoon, shaking hands, playing frisbee and blessing religious objects. A young boy also asked to speak privately with him and they stood at the steps of the Abbey basilica with Bishop Jugis bending down so the boy could speak quietly into his ear.

“It is the Holy Eucharist who brings us together today,” said Bishop Jugis.

“The Eucharist brings us together as one family from many different parishes from across the diocese, and yet as we come before the Lord in the Holy Sacrament He unites us and He makes us one.

“So this Lenten Pilgrimage to Belmont Abbey is all about spending the day with Jesus.”

During his Holy Hour address, Bishop Jugis’ enthusiasm and encouragement for all those gathered was evident in his remarks and their delivery.

“God says, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ God is speaking to us. God is speaking to you. Behold! Look! Pay attention! ‘I make all things new.’

“When you consider all that He did for us in Jesus Christ – ‘I make for you a new beginning, for the human race through Jesus my Son, forgiving your sins and saving you’ – that’s making all things new.”

God made a new covenant with us, a covenant of grace and love, Bishop Jugis said. As a reflection of that covenant, we become new children of God through our baptism.

Similarly, we become new through reception of the Eucharist, he explained.

When Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, He tells us that this is His new gift for us, for those who are God’s children. It is the “Blood of the new and everlasting covenant.”

The pilgrimage day closed with a Eucharistic Procession around the campus of Belmont Abbey College. The sea of youth in their yellow “Hope” T-shirts following Bishop Jugis as he processed with the Blessed Sacrament, winding their way down the cobbled pathways and main street on campus before returning to the lawn in front of the Abbey basilica.

Bishop Jugis’ words, spoken just moments before, took on new meaning for the young people who participated in the Eucharistic Procession.

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them (Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist), they will be His people and God will always be with them as their God. He comforts us. He gives us His peace. He makes you new every time you come before Him.” “‘Behold, I make all things new’: We are part of that ‘newness’ that He makes.”

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Charlotte Catholic student petition taken offline Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

Bishop Peter J. Jugis

‘We must look forward to healing with charity, the hallmark of our Christian life’

D

ear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The past few weeks have been very difficult for Charlotte Catholic High School. We have all experienced a great deal of pain. During this difficult time I want to express my support and encouragement for all the parents, students, staff and faculty at the high school. We must move forward toward healing with charity, the hallmark of our Christian life.

Different viewpoints regarding Sister Jane Dominic Laurel’s presentation to students on March 21, 2014, have been discussed in a variety of venues.

At the parent meeting on April 2, 2014, many expressed concern about the lack of advanced communication with parents regarding the subject matter of the assembly. Apologies were made at the meeting for that lack of advanced communication.

The content of the Church’s moral teaching was not raised as a matter of contention at the parent meeting. All of our Catholic schools are committed to hold and teach the Catholic faith in its fullness and with integrity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains an explanation of our faith and is accessible to all.

During this difficult time I support the continued work of Father Matthew Kauth, the chaplain; Mrs. Angela Montague and Mr. Steve Carpenter, the assistant principals; and Mr. Randy Belk, the dean of students; and all they are doing for our Charlotte Catholic High School students. All of us are indebted to them.

I am shocked to hear the disturbing reports of a lack of charity and respect at the parents’ meeting, and outside the meeting in conversations and in social media. There simply is no room in the Catholic Church for such displays of uncharitableness and disrespect. If we have failed in this regard let us make amends to God and neighbor. Even when we disagree, that disagreement should be expressed respectfully in love.

We ask the Lord Jesus Christ for His mercy and His healing as we approach the celebrations of Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection.

Please be assured of our continued dedication to the mission to teach and live the truth of the Catholic faith at our Charlotte Catholic High School.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis leads the Diocese of Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Catholic High School student who launched a petition critical of a recent assembly on human sexuality has taken it down and thanked supporters.

The petition at www.change.org garnered 4,689 names – some real, some fabricated – before being closed by the author.

It was drafted in response to a talk by Sister Jane Dominic Laurel, a Dominican from Nashville, Tenn., and a frequent speaker in the Diocese of Charlotte. She spoke to an all-school assembly March 21 on “Masculinity and Femininity: Difference and Gift,” which explains Catholic teaching about gender using Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

The assembly, arranged by the school’s

chaplain Father Matthew Kauth, was based on a series of instructional videos she created for Aquinas College in Nashville where she is an associate professor.

The petition listed 10 objections to the presentation, concluding with “We the students of Charlotte Catholic High School are confused why time was spent condemning the practice of homosexuality,” it said in part.

In the wake of ensuing anger from parents, along with national media scrutiny over the assembly and the actions of school officials, Sister Jane withdrew from a scheduled May appearance in the diocese.

The president of Aquinas College, Sister Mary Sarah Galbraith, issued a statement April 4 that Sister Jane was taking a sabbatical from teaching.

In the message announcing it was being closed, the author of the petition wrote,

“Thank you to everyone in the CCHS community who supported my petition.

I have now removed it from change. org because I feel that its goal has been accomplished. I wanted to call attention to something I felt was wrong so that something similar would not happen in the future. Certainly enough attention has been brought to the issue, and I believe that our school system is working towards a meaningful change. The petition has served its purpose and can now be put to rest. It’s time to look forward and not backward. Not forget but move on. The Charlotte Catholic community is one I have grown up with and love. I have faith that our community can weather this storm.”

A counter petition also launched on www. change.org entitled “Stand Up for Catholic Beliefs” is still online and had more than 2,500 commenters as of April 8.

Angry parents condemn Charlotte Catholic student assembly on sexuality David Exum Correspondent

CHARLOTTE — Hundreds of parents packed the gym of Charlotte Catholic High School April 2 to criticize a recent student assembly on human sexuality and the school leaders who arranged it.

The presentation March 21 by Dominican Sister Jane Dominic Laurel of Nashville, Tenn., drew the ire of many students and parents and sparked two online petitions – one for, one against – that garnered thousands of names.

About 900 people attended the April 2 meeting, arranged by school and diocesan leaders to hear from concerned parents and explain the intended purpose of the assembly. There were comments from parents who supported the school and the presentation, but most of the comments were critical.

Parents said they felt betrayed by school administrators for not being told about the March 21 all-school assembly beforehand. Other parents objected to some of the controversial material Sister Jane presented about the alleged causes of same-sex attraction and the way she presented it.

The first parent to speak said her student came home after the March 21 assembly feeling ashamed and embarrassed.

“Where was the trust? Where was the communication?” she said, directing her comments to Father Matthew Kauth, the school’s chaplain who arranged for the assembly. “It is

‘There was a lot of passion from two different viewpoints.’

trust. It is respect. It is confidence. I have lost confidence. I do not trust your judgment and I do not respect (Father Kauth).” Her comments drew loud applause from many others.

Parents heard apologies and statements from Father Kauth, as well as from Father Roger Arnsparger, diocesan vicar of education, and Charlotte Catholic’s dean of students David Hains and two assistant Diocesan communications principals. director School leaders asked parents to engage in a respectful dialogue, and a statement was read aloud from Bishop Peter Jugis, who was unable to attend because he was presiding at a church dedication in Hayesville. Bishop Jugis prayed there would “be a friendly and respectful conversation among Catholic brothers and sisters, united in the one faith and in the love of Almighty God.” But many parents’ emotions boiled over, with arguments even carrying over into the school’s

students and their supporters, and the questions and criticisms raised about the March 21 student assembly – primarily from local media like the Charlotte Observer and WBTV-TV and gay activist media such as QNotes and Advocate. com who generally sympathetically viewed the student petition opposing the assembly.

These headlines stated “Parents outraged by presentation from Catholic nun” and “Anti-gay

CHARLOTTE — The Dominican sister who gave a presentation on sexuality to students at Charlotte Catholic High School that sparked controversy among students and parents last month is taking a sabbatical from teaching and cancelling her other speaking engagements.

Among the speaking dates she has cancelled, Sister Jane has withdrawn from speaking at the 2014 Diocesan Youth Conference at the Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville in May. The presentation March 21 by Dominican Sister Jane Dominic Laurel of Nashville, Tenn., was entitled “Masculinity and Femininity: Difference and Gift.”

Sister Jane has a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, and her presentation was based on a series of instructional videos she created for Aquinas College in Nashville where she is an associate professor.

She gave similar talks to youths and parents at St. Mark Church in Huntersville on March 23 and gave a related talk at Charlotte Catholic High School last fall.

In an April 4 statement, the president of Aquinas College defended the school’s curriculum and Sister Jane’s credentials as a theologian, but acknowledged that the portion of Sister Jane’s presentation of social science data about the alleged causes of same-sex attraction – which prompted many of the concerns from parents and students – was outside the scope of her academic background.

“We believe it is our privilege

HEADLINES, SEE page 27

SISTER, SEE page 27

PARENTS, SEE page 26

School assembly grabs national attention, headlines Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

CHARLOTTE — The controversy that erupted at Charlotte Catholic High School attracted local and national attention from media outlets and Catholic commentators, many of whom seized upon the local matter to talk about the larger issues of homosexuality, Church teaching and Catholic education in the U.S. First, it was attention over the petitions of

Dominican sister takes leave from teaching

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Charlotte Catholic students head to Jamaica on mission trip for Holy Week, Easter SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Two groups of Charlotte Catholic High School students will head to Jamaica to work with the Missionaries of the Poor in Kingston during their Holy Week, April 14-19, and Easter break, April 21-26. The first group will work in the missions during Holy Week, and the other group will assist the Missionaries of the Poor during Easter week.

A total of 37 people from Charlotte Catholic – including students and adult chaperones – will make the 2,440-mile round-trip journey to work in the care centers among the poorest of the poor in Jamaica. The men, women and children in the care centers suffer varying degrees of mental or physical disabilities, HIV or AIDS, among other health problems.

Kingston is the founding location of the international organization of religious brothers begun in 1981 by Father Richard Ho Lung. The order now has more than 550 men in 17 countries around the world serving the poor. The brothers’ single monastery in the United States is the Guardian Angels Monastery in Monroe.

This will be the first Holy Week and Easter that the Missionaries of the Poor will celebrate with their newly-elected superior general, Brother Augusto

Silot, recently of the Guardian Angels Monastery in Monroe. He assumed the duties of leadership from Father Ho Lung effective March 25.

“I am going on this mission trip to change the lives of others through service,” Charlotte Catholic senior Ashley Fisher said. “It is so fulfilling to serve the Lord. I went last year and cannot wait for this year.”

Lindsey McCormick, assistant to the campus minister at the high school, is assisting with the efforts to organize the mission trip and has traveled to Jamaica herself.

“It is amazing to see how everyone takes care of each other (there),” she said.

McCormick is helping the Charlotte Catholic community collect much-needed items to take down to Jamaica for the Missionaries of the Poor. Among the items are baby changing table pads, diapers, baby lotion and soap.

“It is very touching to see the smiles on their faces as you spend time with the people throughout the week,” Fisher added.

“It is amazing to see the patience and love the brothers have for everyone in the centers.”

For more information about the Missionaries of the Poor, go to www. missionariesofthepoor.org.

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Guilford Schools OK buying old IHM School Marquita Brown The Greensboro News & Record

HIGH POINT — The former Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point is being sold to Guilford County Schools for approximately $1.75 million. The Guilford County Board of Education voted March 27 to buy the old school, which will be converted into a new home for The Academy at Central.

The academy is currently housed in the Tomlinson Building on the High Point Central campus. About 145 students attend the academy, a public high school that focuses on training in health and life sciences, medical careers and information technology.

Guilford County Schools hasn’t secured money to renovate the 60-year-old building located at the corner of Montlieu and Barbee avenues.

The total project to buy and renovate the campus of three buildings, which totals about 35,000 square feet, would cost between $6.05 million and $8.75 million, according to school system estimates.

Some parents of Academy at Central students have repeatedly asked the school board to buy the property. They’ve described limited space in the Tomlinson Building, which they say has inadequate space for tutoring students during the day and for parents and teachers to meet. The current building also lacks a cafeteria and media center.

Some school board members earlier had expressed reluctance to buy the old school, saying that it would require too much maintenance and upgrades and has other

problems including reported asbestos in the carpeting and soil contamination.

The old school campus was built in 1953 and once also included a rectory and a convent for Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.

Founded in 1947, IHM School moved into Immaculate Heart of Mary Church’s new Parish Life and Education Center on Johnson Street last year. The $10 million facility is the first LEED-certified “Green School” in the Diocese of Charlotte.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor, contributed

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

PARENTS: FROM PAGE 24

parking lot when the meeting ended after two hours. Two observers called the meeting’s climate “disrespectful” and “hate-filled.”

“There was a lot of passion from two different viewpoints,” David Hains, diocesan director of communication and moderator for the parents meeting, said afterwards.

In his statement, Father Arnsparger explained that Sister Jane “has been invited to give this presentation very many times throughout the country in many dioceses and with great interest and success. Many said that the first part of her presentation at Charlotte Catholic High School was excellent and fully in line with the Catholic faith. There was unfortunately a misunderstanding about the content of the last part of the presentation. In that part, I understand that Sister used data from the Linacre Quarterly, a reputable journal, and from other sources. That data can be debated and, in fact, is debated back and forth by scholars who are researching the

areas of human sexuality. Because of the ongoing debate, it would have been better if these studies and data were omitted from the presentation to the students.”

In his remarks, Father Kauth likened the Catholic faith to a light that dispels the darkness, and the truth which sets people free from sin.

“When I came here, I experienced to an increasing degree the suffering that comes to our children and the blackness they feel inside. They are taught by nearly every form of media that Christ’s teachings in His Church are restrictive bars, medieval torture chambers to keep them from happiness. When they have ‘broken free’ I get to see their agony,” he said.

His intention, Father Kauth explained, was to bring back a popular speaker to give a different voice on the topic of sexuality to students. Sister Jane’s talk last fall at Charlotte Catholic was so well received, he said, that he invited her back to deliver a presentation to the entire school.

He defended Sister Jane’s presentation on same-sex attraction as it related to Church teaching, but he distanced himself from the social science data she quoted as being appropriate for the forum of the student assembly. He said later that he takes

CCDOC.ORG

responsibility for not making that clear.

Father Kauth repeatedly told the crowd of parents that Sister Jane should not be blamed, and that any fault should be pointed towards him.

“I take my responsibility very seriously,” he said. “No one here has a monopoly on love. Everyone in this room wants what is best for these children.”

Parents were given three minutes each to express their concerns and ask questions, but as moderator Hains frequently had to remind speakers to control their emotions.

One parent told Father Kauth, “You have divided parents, you have divided students, and we’ve lost respect for you.”

A parent who said she was representing homosexual and bisexual students at Charlotte Catholic said Sister Jane “pounded home the message” that if these students are questioning their sexual identity, they had better stay in the closet.

She also said she felt the presentation created nothing but an unsafe environment for these students at the school.

Several parents questioned why Father Kauth did not stop the presentation once it went awry.

He responded, “She didn’t say anything that was contradicting to our faith.”

Some parents tried coming to Father Kauth’s defense but were shouted down by other people. Several parents thanked Father Kauth profusely for the positive impacts his ministry has had on their children, who are students at the school.

“I trust the administration here and it has brought very good and energetic talk into our household,” one parent said, but

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they were booed.

Another parent told Father Kauth, “You don’t know best for our children. What are you planning on doing for the healing? We want our children to remain Catholic, but we are being pushed away by the climate of what is going on here.”

In an effort to express his displeasure with the discussion by Sister Jane, one parent said he suggested to his child that they should have just gotten up and left the assembly.

“We all need to recognize that there are gay and lesbian students at Charlotte Catholic High School,” said the parent.

The parent further explained that gay and lesbian students need to be embraced with love, not hatred. He said the discussion was “over the top” and never should have been allowed in the first place.

Afterwards, Hains said the meeting was designed to assure parents of “a commitment on the part of the school to better communicate when dealing with issues of sexuality.”

School administrators Angela Montague, Randy Belk and Steve Carpenter said they regretted not notifying parents about the assembly in advance, as has been done for other assemblies in the past.

“It is our hope that the feedback from you this evening, combined with our own reflections, will provide insight for considering any beneficial changes in our current practices. We recognize and value the love, care and concern our students have for each other as has been made evident the last couple of weeks,” they said.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor, contributed

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

HEADLINES: FROM PAGE 24

Charlotte Catholic High lecturer sparks controversy.”

A subsequent parents meeting April 2 by Charlotte Catholic administrators and diocesan leaders sparked another round of news coverage, mostly from Catholic bloggers and conservative groups who roundly denounced the school, diocesan officials, students and parents as not being Catholic enough on the issue.

When the Dominican sister announced that she was withdrawing from her scheduled appearance at the Diocesan Youth Conference, and when her Nashville, Tenn., religious community issued a statement that she was taking a sabbatical, national interest in the Charlotte Catholic controversy grew exponentially. The story was picked up by the Huffington Post, USA Today and FOX, among others.

Catholic blogs including The Crescat, Father John Zuhlsdorf, Catholic Culture, novusordowatch. org, liturgyguy.com, Women of Grace, TraditionalCatholicPriest.com, and conservativeleaning websites such as Life Site News, breitbart.com and freerepublic.com all featured the story, among several others.

Their coverage decried the state of Catholic education and catechesis, in one case calling Charlotte Catholic an “oasis of heterodoxy.” They condemned the criticism of the school chaplain and the Dominican sister, and they staunchly defended what they characterized as Catholic teaching on homosexuality.

Their headlines shouted “Sister explains the situation. Spittle-flecked nutty, bullying, intimidation ensue” and “A Catholic High School Teaches Catholic Doctrine and Everyone Loses Their Minds…” and

“What the Charlotte controversy reveals about the acceptance of Catholic teaching.”

AmericanCatholic.com blogger Donald R. McClarey even publicly lambasted Bishop Peter Jugis for not being present at the parents meeting, labeling a April 3 blog post “Profiles in Cowardice.”

These conservative Catholic bloggers also linked the situation to what breitbart.com called “increasing climate of hostility to Christianity from the same-sexattracted and their allies” – lumping the controversy in with the Boy Scouts and Disney World, the former CEO of Mozilla, and “homosexual activists in Germany (who) threw feces at Christians demonstrating over educational questions.”

One local Catholic school parent wrote with exasperation to Deacon Greg Kandra, who writes the blog The Deacon’s Bench, that everyone who had a part in the assembly could have done a better job, but they all had students’ welfare at heart and the apologies were “good enough for me.”

“All this media attention is a bit disconcerting,” she wrote. “I feel as if I am on the middle of a battle field right now.”

The uproar prompted local priests including Father Timothy Reid of St. Ann Church in Charlotte to urge people on both sides of the issue to go to confession and pray for reparation for the “hate-filled tirades and malicious and calumnious accusations,” he said in his April 6 homily.

Summarizing the local and national attention over the issue, diocesan communications director David Hains noted, “The attention of the past weeks has presented an unplanned opportunity to emphasize once again that the teaching of the Catholic Church challenges each of us to think about our relationship with God. There has been a lot of emotion over this issue, but in the end it is a good thing when people of faith are talking about faith.”

CCDOC.ORG

27

SISTER: FROM PAGE 24

to bring the best aspects of our faith tradition to bear on the moral and cultural questions of the present age. In her presentation, Sister Jane Dominic spoke clearly on matters of faith and morals,” her statement said.

“The unfortunate events at Charlotte Catholic High School are not representative of the quality of Sister’s academic contributions or the positive influence that she has had on her students. The students at Charlotte Catholic were unprepared, as were their parents, for the topic that Sister was asked to deliver. The consequence was a complete misrepresentation of the school’s intention to bring a message that would enlighten and bring freedom and peace,” it continued.

“There are no words that are able to reverse the harm that has been caused by these comments. The community of Aquinas College is saddened by this extreme outcome and wishes to reiterate that this is not something the College condones or desires to create. There is division where there should be unity. The events and discussions that have transpired over the last two weeks reflect that there is something in this that surpasses an ordinary high school assembly.

“It is our sincere hope that the community of Charlotte Catholic High School will soon begin a process of healing and renewal, and that all who have been affected by this event will be drawn into profound reconciliation as we approach this great season that commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

— Catholic News Herald

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In Brief

St. Matthew author applies Theology of the Body to help heal poor body image Book ‘meant for all, not just Catholics’

The big guy with the red, white and blue shield returns to save the planet in this rousing follow-up to 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger,” and 2012’s “The Avengers.” The head (Samuel L. Jackson) of an international crime-fighting bureau discovers the agency has been compromised from within by one of his fellow leaders (Robert Redford). He turns to Captain America and his sidekicks, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie), to unravel the conspiracy that threatens world peace and freedom. But first they must defeat the baddies, led by the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), whom Captain America seems to have met before. This 3-D popcorn movie, directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, is sure to please fans of the Marvel Comics superhero with its patriotic, gung-ho tone and grandiose action sequences.

Intense but largely bloodless violence, including gunplay.

CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG-13

‘Noah’ A fairly straightforward recounting of the biblical story of the flood veers off into a grim, scripturally unfounded drama about a family dispute driven by the titular patriarch’s (Russell Crowe) misguided interpretation of God’s purposes in causing the deluge. His extreme pro-nature, anti-human reading of the situation brings him into conflict with his wife, Naameh and his two older sons, Shem and Ham. Director and co-writer Darren Aronofsky serves up predictably impressive special effects, and convincingly portrays the wickedness from which the Earth is to be cleansed. A range of sinful tendencies embodied in the impious selfproclaimed “King” Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone).

But his script, written with Ari Handel, departs from its inspired source material in order to turn Noah into a religious fanatic who will stop at nothing to carry out the mission entrusted to him. Much stylized violence with minimal gore.

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

Additional reviews: n ‘Bad Words’: CNS: 0 (morally offensive); MPAA: R n ‘Cesar Chavez’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13 n ‘Sabotage’: CNS: 0 (morally offensive); MPAA: R n ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: R

CHARLOTTE — Let’s be honest. Each one of us has struggled with our body image at some point in our lives. Whether it was the painful journey through adolescence, coming to terms with “middle aged spread” or embracing our wrinkles and fine lines in our “golden years,” we’ve all experienced the pain that can come from not seeing our true beauty as God’s children, made in His image and likeness.

Enter Dr. John Acquaviva, who holds a doctorate in exercise physiology and is professor at Wingate University and offers a class on body image at the college. He believes that Blessed Pope John Paul II’s work known as “Theology of the Body” is an essential component of addressing issues of poor body image.

“I have come to admire the work of John Paul II’s work known as ‘Theology of the Body,’” says Acquaviva, who is a member of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte. “As the instructor of a class on body image, I became convinced that true healing of body distortion would best be facilitated if God were directly involved. Although TOB language has been tightly embraced by those promoting strong marital relations, I saw Theology of the Body as a way to assist so many who suffer from a poor body image.”

Acquaviva also feels strongly that people need to rely on prayer and the sacraments to calm the obsession that so many have with their bodies.

“Putting all of these concepts together is, what I feel, the best way to help readers of all ages and even different religions. Theology of the Body is universal and was meant for all people, not just Catholics.”

His 116-page book entitled “Improving Your Body Image Through Catholic Teaching: How Theology of the Body and Other Church Writings Can Improve Your Life” is published

by Alchemy-Publishers LLC. It is currently available as an eBook on Amazon and will be available in hardcopy by April 11.

The book’s foreword is written by Teresa Tomeo, renowned author, syndicated Catholic talk show host and motivational speaker with more than 30 years of experience in TV, radio and newspaper. She has a weekday radio program on Ave Maria Radio and is co-host of “The Catholic View for Women” on EWTN. In the foreword, Tomeo speaks frankly about her own struggle with anorexia as a teen and as a young professional working in the media. “Back then we didn’t have too many Dr. Acquavivas around to help us develop a healthy body image and lifestyle,” she writes.

“As a matter of fact, there was very little the medical and psychological world knew about eating disorders in general. Even today, there are very few Catholic experts who can address

n Sunday, April 13, 6:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “For God So Loved The World – The Washing Of the Feet.” Frances Hogan shows how through the washing of the feet, Jesus helps us to interpret the horror of the coming crucifixion and how we are all cleansed as we enter into Christ’s baptism. n Sunday, April 13, 3:30 a.m.

(EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Palm Sunday from Rome with Pope Francis.” Pope Francis celebrates the Eucharistic liturgy for Palm Sunday, followed by the Angelus. n Monday, April 14, 2 p.m.

(EWTN) “Icons: Windows Onto Heaven – His Passion and Cross.”

Images that depict Christ as the Bridegroom. The bridegroom image is an ancient image of God who is married to and has a covenant with His people.

SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’

On TV

n Thursday, April 17, 11:30 a.m.

(EWTN) “Chrism Mass in Rome with Pope Francis.” Pope Francis celebrates the Chrism Mass in this live broadcast from Rome. n Thursday, April 17, 4 p.m.

(EWTN) “Image of God – Holy Thursday” Mary Jo Smith and the Faith Factory kids discuss the mystery of Holy Thursday, when Jesus instituted the great sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. n Friday, April 18, 11 a.m. (EWTN) “Celebration of the Lord’s Passion from Rome.” In this live broadcast, Pope Francis presides over the solemn celebration of the Lord’s Passion. cover art provided by Dr. John C. Acquaviva

this major issue plaguing so many, from the physical as well as a faith perspective.”

Acquaviva admits that although not everyone feels dissatisfaction about their body’s appearance, nearly everyone knows someone who does, and probably all would welcome an improved understanding of the human body.

“This book can help with that,” he says. “Each chapter is inspired by Theology of the Body – a series of lectures given by Pope John Paul II, scripture, and the teachings of the Church – all of which are designed to improve our understanding of the body’s purpose and can assist in the healing of our own body issues.”

He says learning to value the Church’s teaching as it relates to the body can lead to “a greater appreciation of this wonderful gift.”

Moreover, he believes that addressing this matter early in life may help avoid decades of frustration, pressure and psychological trauma.

“After all, if we really believe in God as our Creator, who better to direct us in these areas than Him?” Tomeo writes.

She points out that this is exactly what Dr. Acquaviva does with this book. “He takes us to the heart of who we are and what we were meant to be. It is only from that starting point that we can begin to heal and offer hope to others struggling to find out, as it says in Psalm 139, just how wonderfully made we are, being made in the image and likeness of God.” For more information or to order Acquaviva’s book, go to Amazon.com and search under his name or the book’s title.

n Saturday, April 19, 8 a.m.

(EWTN) “Life of Christ – Redeemer.” This dramatic presentation follows Jesus through the last days of His life. n Saturday, April 19, 2 p.m.

(EWTN) “For God So Loved the World – The Execution of God’s Beloved Son.” Scripture scholar Frances Hogan points out the parallels between the Passover lamb of the Old Testament and Jesus as the Paschal Lamb of the new Passover. n Saturday, April 19, 2:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Easter Vigil Mass.” With Pope Francis, broadcast live from Rome. n Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m.

(EWTN) “Easter Vigil Mass From the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.” Archbishop Vigano is the scheduled celebrant and homilist for this solemn liturgy. n Sunday, April 20, 6 a.m.

(EWTN) “Urbi Et Orbi Message and Blessing – Easter.” From St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Pope Francis gives the traditional Easter message and blessing to the city of Rome and to the world. n Tuesday, April 22, 9 a.m.

(EWTN) “Hill Number One.” The Korean War, and the battles that ensue, are correlated to Christ’s crucifixion on Golgotha.

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Debate team members excel CHARLOTTE — Eleven members of the Charlotte Catholic Debate and Speech Team were selected to compete in the two-day Carolina West District Tournament, March 21-22 at Asheville High School.

Several awards were given to recognize the top students and teams in the district. This is the tournament where qualifiers for the National Forensics League National Tournament will be selected from. Every district has a different number of qualifiers for debate and speech events depending on the numbers of competitors. For the Carolina West District, the team can send two qualifiers for each event except from Public Forum where they can send three qualifiers and just one for each chamber of the House Congress.

For the Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas events, it took five preliminary, semi-final and

final rounds. Policy debate had two rounds and Congress had two sessions with two chambers for the House Congress and one chamber for the Senate Congress. For the speech events, it took three preliminary, semi-final and final rounds.

The team received the following awards: Overall Sweepstakes – third place; Debate Sweepstakes – second place; Speech Sweepstakes – third place; and Congress Sweepstakes – third place.

Team members received the following individual awards: First place House Congress – Brett Heinz; First place Humorous Interpretation – Uwa Akhere; First place Dramatic Interpretation – Alexandria Osborne; Third place Lincoln-Douglas Debate – Angeline Morales; Fourth place Senate Congress – Ryan Kennedy; Fifth place Humorous Interpretation – Nicholas Firr; Sixth place International Extemporaneous Speaking – Ryan Kennedy; Sixth place Duo Interpretation – Uwa Akhere and Alexandria Osborne; Seventh place Senate Congress – Daniel Chavez; and 10th place Public Forum – Ian Miller and Angeline Morales.

Qualifiers for the National Forensics League National Tournament June 15-21 in Overall Park, Kan., are: Brett Heinz – House Congress; Uwa Akhere – Humorous Interpretation; Alexandria Osborne – Dramatic Interpretation; Angeline Morales – First Alternate Lincoln-Douglas; and Ryan Kennedy – First Alternate International Extemporaneous Speaking.

— Mary A. Morales

in that person’s own words. Pictured first are (back, from left) Sarah Humphrey, Claire Aufrance, Douglas Byrd, Andrew Heeden and Nicholas Graves; and (front, from left) Calliope McFadden, Austin Hill, Jeffrey Gentry, Justin Persaud and Chase Wiedwald. Pictured second are (back, from left) Ally Cupani, Marian Waterman, James Persaud, Evan Burfeind and Patrick Graves; and (front, from left) Luke Hall, Gabe Wilde, Jack Lambeth, Aidan Keefe and Maggie Foppe.

— Karen Hornfeck

Immaculata students’ history projects advance to state HENDERSONVILLE — Immaculata School participated in the WNC Regional National History Day March 22 in Asheville. The 2014 National History Day theme “Rights & Responsibilities in History” was coached by Hendersonville High School senior Margaret Dillion and Immaculata School teacher Yvonne Krowka.

The six projects from Immaculata earned state qualifying in four project areas: a first place in Junior Group Performance by seventhgraders Ryan McCurdy, Andrew Okpych and Lance Broadbooks, with their project about the Berlin Wall; first place in Junior Individual Website about the Geneva Conventions by eighth-grader Joe Maddock; second place in Junior Historical Paper about the Roman Influence on the American Court System by eighth-grader Connor Leidner; and second place in Junior Individual Documentary about the Japanese Internment during World War II by seventh-grader Lainey Auwarter.

These students (pictured above) will compete in Raleigh at the N.C. State National History Day in April for a chance to move on to the national competition in June.

Students present ‘living museum’ of history GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace School first-graders recently held a “Living Museum.”

Students researched a famous American of their choosing and then dressed up as that character. Visitors to the “museum” then heard presentations about each famous American

— Tina Okpych

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick

WELCOMES EASTER SEASON

St. Ann Catholic Church 3635 Park Road Charlotte, NC 28209 www.StAnnCharlotte.org

You to celebrate the joy of the

CHRISM MASS - APRIL 15 No Daily Mass/Confessions

10:00 am – Blessing of the Holy Oils Celebrant: Bishop Peter Jugis

Holy Week / Easter Schedule

HOLY THURSDAY - APRIL 17

Sunday, 13 April 2014 – Palm Sunday

No Daily Mass/Confessions

7 pm - Mass of the Lord’s Supper 8 pm - Midnight: Adoration

GOOD FRIDAY - APRIL 18 No Daily Mass/Confessions

Noon: Stations of the Cross 3 pm - Veneration of the Cross Celebrant: Bishop Peter Jugis

EASTER VIGIL - APRIL 19

8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

Thursday, 17 April 2014 –

Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7 p.m., followed by adoration until Midnight (no 7:00 a.m. Mass; no 5:30 p.m. confessions)

EASTER SUNDAY - APRIL 20 7:30 am; 9:00 am; 11:00 am & 12:30 pm

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick 1621 Dilworth Road East Charlotte, NC 28203 www.stpatricks.org

7:00 p.m.: Adoramus Te, Christe: A Lenten Devotion The Carolina Catholic Chorale Saturday, 19 April 2014 –

Holy Saturday

Friday, 18 April 2014 –

Noon: Blessing of Easter Baskets 8:15 p.m.: Easter Vigil (no 3:00 p.m. confessions)

Good Friday

Sunday, 20 April 2014 –

No Daily or Vigil Mass/Confessions

8:15 pm - Easter Vigil Celebrant: Bishop Peter Jugis

29

~ Fasting and Abstinence are obligatory ~ Noon: Stations of the Cross 12:45 – 2:00 p.m.: Confessions 3:00 p.m.: Passion of the Lord Liturgy

Easter Sunday 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., & 12:30 p.m.

Our nation 30

catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Atlanta archbishop will sell new home at center of controversy Catholic News Service

ATLANTA — Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory said April 5 that he will vacate the archbishop’s residence in May and move into another available archdiocesan property. He said he has decided to sell the property and “invest the proceeds from that sale into the needs of the Catholic community.”

The announcement followed public criticism about the new $2.2 million home.

Archbishop Gregory issued an apology in his March 31 column in the archdiocesan newspaper, acknowledging he had received “heartfelt, genuine and candidly rebuking letters, emails and telephone messages” during the past weeks about the residence.

“I have decided to sell the Habersham property and invest the proceeds from that sale into the needs of the Catholic community,” the archbishop said in a press statement after meeting April 5 with archdiocesan consultative bodies.

The new 6,000-square-foot residence is located on property donated to the archdiocese from the estate of Joseph Mitchell, nephew of Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone With The Wind.” In his will, Mitchell requested that primary consideration be given to the Cathedral of Christ the King, where he worshipped.

The cathedral received $7.5 million for its capital fund and spent roughly $1.9 million to buy the archbishop’s former residence.

Cathedral officials had budgeted another $1 million to expand the archbishop’s former home so its six priests could live there, freeing up space on the cathedral’s cramped campus. The cathedral rector, Monsignor Frank McNamee, asked Archbishop Gregory to sell the residence to the cathedral because it is within walking distance.

The sale funds were used to build the new residence. An additional $300,000 went toward making it handicapped accessible and including a larger chapel than the one in the older residence.

Archbishop Gregory moved into the new home in January.

Some local Catholics reacted unfavorably to the move and articles in the media were critical of it.

In his column, he wrote: “As the shepherd of this local Church, a responsibility I hold more dear than any other, certainly more than any configuration of brick and mortar, I am disappointed that, while my advisers and I were able to justify this project fiscally, logistically and practically, I personally failed to project the cost in terms of my own integrity and pastoral credibility with the people of God of north and central Georgia.”

CNS | Nancy Wiechec

Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., blesses people on the Mexican side as he distributes Communion through the border fence in Nogales, Ariz., April 1. A group of U.S. bishops, led by Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, celebrated Mass at the border calling attention to the plight of migrants and appealing for changes in U.S. immigration policy.

At border Mass, bishops call for compassion, immigration reform Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service

NOGALES, Ariz. — With the backdrop a few feet away of the rusted iron slats of the 30-foot wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley and a dozen other bishops from three countries prayed April 1 for compassion and for a return to ideals that welcome immigrants.

More than 300 people formed the outdoor congregation on the U.S. side of the border and hundreds more participated on the Mexico side, receiving Communion pressed into hands that stretched between the slats, illustrating that, as one teenage member of the choir put it, “we are all one community – we are all bilingual and bicultural.”

Referring to a visit by Pope Francis last summer to the Italian island of Lampedusa where migrants from the Middle East and Africa try to enter Europe illegally, Cardinal O’Malley in his homily quoted the pope’s comments about the “globalization of indifference.”

“We have lost a sense of responsibility for our brothers and sisters,” Pope Francis said. “We have fallen into the hypocrisy of the priest and the Levite whom Jesus described in the parable of the good Samaritan.”

Cardinal O’Malley quoted Pope Francis further: “The culture of comfort, which makes us think only of ourselves, makes us

insensitive to the cries of other people.”

The Mass at the intersection of International Street and Nelson capped a two-day experience of the border region for bishops from as far away as Atlanta and Guatemala. Beginning with a Mass the day before at San Xavier del Bac Mission outside Tucson, which dates from when the entire region was part of Mexico, the bishops then walked along rough desert paths used by migrants.

Crawling under strands of barbed wire, scrunching low to walk through a culvert beneath a road, dodging cactus and sticker bushes, the group came upon empty water bottles, backpacks and other belongings abandoned by the migrants who cross the hilly, rocky terrain as they try to get past the various Border Patrol security measures.

“We come to the desert today because it is the road to Jericho,” said Cardinal O’Malley in his homily, delivered largely in Spanish. “It is traveled by many trying to reach the metropolis of Jerusalem. We come here today to be a neighbor and to find a neighbor in each of the suffering people who risk their lives and at times lose their lives in the desert.”

He added that the group came also to mourn the loss of “countless immigrants who risk their lives at the hands of the ‘coyotes’ (smugglers) and the forces of nature to come to the United States.”

The Mass, livestreamed online, was organized by the Jesuits’ Kino Border Initiative and Migration and Refugee Services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Church audit: Abuse allegations down, spending on training up in 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The number of allegations of sexual abuse by clergy declined in 2013 while diocesan spending on child protection programs increased under the U.S. Catholic Church’s “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” according to a Church-sponsored audit.

Dioceses and Eastern-rite eparchies reported 370 new allegations of abuse of a minor from 365 people against 290 priests or deacons, said the Georgetown University-based Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, which gathered data for the report. The report includes information collected by StoneBridge Business Partners of Rochester, N.Y., which conducts annual audits of compliance with the charter by dioceses and eparchies under an arrangement with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

About 69 percent of the allegations reported last year occurred or began between 1960 and 1984. Three-quarters of the alleged offenders are already deceased or removed from active ministry. Eight of the alleged perpetrators were deacons while 282 were priests, the report said.

Meanwhile, the increase in spending on child protection programs by dioceses, eparchies and religious orders jumped to $41.7 million in 2013 from nearly $26.6 million in 2012. One reason for the increase was the cost of “rechecks of background for a majority of diocesan personnel,” the director of the USCCB’s Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection said in a statement.

Pope and Obama discuss religious freedom, life issues, immigration VATICAN CITY — In their first encounter, Pope Francis received U.S. President Barack Obama at the Vatican March 27 for a discussion that touched on several areas of tension between the Catholic Church and the White House, including religious freedom and medical ethics.

During an unusually long 50-minute meeting,

the two leaders discussed “questions of particular relevance for the Church in (the U.S.), such as the exercise of the rights to religious freedom, life and conscientious objection as well as the issue of immigration reform,” the Vatican said in statement. The mentions of religious freedom and conscientious objection presumably referred to the contraception mandate in the new health care law, which has become a major source of conflict between the administration and the Church.

According to the Vatican statement, Pope Francis and Obama also had an “exchange of views on some current international themes, and it was hoped that in areas of conflict, there would be respect for humanitarian and international law and a negotiated solution between the parties involved.”

In September, Pope Francis launched a highprofile campaign against Obama’s proposal for military strikes to punish the government of President Bashar Assad for its presumed use of chemical weapons. The pope wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin, host of a G-20 summit, decrying the “futile pursuit of a military solution,” and a few days later led a prayer vigil for peace in Syria that drew some 100,000 people to St. Peter’s Square.

The Atlanta Archdiocese and Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory and the Savannah Diocese and Savannah Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer were the plaintiffs who filed the federal lawsuit in 2012, along with Catholic Charities and the Catholic education corporation.

In his ruling Duffey said the two dioceses were already exempt from having to provide the contraceptive coverage in their health plans because they are considered to be “religious employers” under the final rules.

— Catholic News Service

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Court declines cases eyed over same-sex marriage, campaigns, executions

Richmond

Charismatic

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling that said a New Mexico photographer violated the state’s human rights law by refusing to photograph a commitment ceremony for a same-sex couple. The court April 7 also declined to review a case brought by the Iowa Right to Life Committee, challenging Iowa’s law prohibiting corporate contributions in state elections. A lower court had upheld the law, which bans direct contributions to candidates and committees by corporations, but allows unions to make such contributions.

And on a third issue, the court declined to take up cases over the type of chemicals that states use to execute inmates. There was no comment from the court in rejecting the cases.

Renewal

HHS barred from enforcing mandate on Ga. Catholic entities ATLANTA — U.S. District Court Judge William S. Duffey Jr. has ruled that two organizations affiliated with the Atlanta Archdiocese – Catholic Charities Atlanta and Catholic Education of North Georgia Inc. – cannot be forced to comply with the Affordable Care

Celebrate Holy Week with

St. John Neumann Catholic Church 8451 Idlewild Road – Charlotte, NC 28227 704-536-6520 www.4sjnc.org Sacrament of Reconciliation …

Saturday, April 12 3:30 to 4:45 PM Wednesday, April 16 5:30 to 6:45 PM No Confessions on Holy Saturday

Holy Thursday …

Morning Prayer - 9:00 AM Mass of the Lord’s Supper - 7:00 p.m. (incense will be used) Good Friday …

Morning Prayer Service - 9:00 AM Celebration of the Passion and Veneration of the Cross (English) 3:00 p.m.

Living Stations of the Cross 7:00 p.m.

Act’s contraceptive mandate. In a 91-page decision issued March 26, Duffey ruled that enforcement of final rules issued by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ last June to implement the mandate violated the Catholic organizations’ First Amendment right of freedom of speech, as well as protections established under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. His ruling permanently enjoined HHS from enforcing the contraceptive mandate against Catholic Charities Atlanta and Catholic Education of North Georgia Inc., or CENGI.

Celebration of the Passion and Veneration of the Cross (Español) 8:00 p.m.

Holy Saturday …

Morning Prayer - 9:00 AM Blessing of Easter Food - 12:00 Noon Easter Vigil - 8:00 PM (incense will be used) Easter Sunday …

6:30 AM Sunrise Mass (outdoors, weather permitting), 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:15 AM, 1:00 PM (Español) (incense will be used at the 6:30, 11:15 & 1:00 Masses)

31

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Our world 32

catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope declares by decree 3 new saints for the Americas Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Without a canonization ceremony, Pope Francis declared three new saints for the Americas, pioneers of the Catholic Church in Brazil and in Canada.

Pope Francis signed decrees April 3 recognizing: St. Jose de Anchieta, a Spanish-born Jesuit who traveled to Brazil in 1553 and became known as the Apostle of Brazil; St. Marie de l’Incarnation, a French Ursuline who traveled to Quebec in 1639 and is known as the Mother of the Canadian Church; and St. Francois de Laval, who arrived in Quebec 20 years after St. Marie de l’Incarnation and became the first bishop of Quebec.

In declaring the three saints, the pope used a procedure known as “equivalent canonizations,” which required a thorough study of the candidates’ life and writings, fame of holiness and reports of favors granted through their intercession.

Unlike a regular sainthood process, though, it did not require the verification of a miracle through their intercession, nor further studies by historians and theologians working for the Congregation for Saints’ Causes.

The three were beatified together by Pope John Paul II in 1980.

Pope Francis has used the “equivalent canonization” twice before; in October he signed the decree recognizing Italian St. Angela of Foligno, and in December, he signed a decree recognizing St. Peter Faber, one of the founding members of the Jesuits.

In addition to the three “equivalent canonizations” April 3, Pope Francis signed decrees recognizing the miracles needed for the future canonizations of Blesseds Giovanni Antonio Farina, the Italian founder of the Teaching Sisters of St. Dorothy; Kuriakose Elias Chavara, the Indian founder of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, a Syro-Malabar Catholic order; Nicholas of Longobardi, an Italian Oblate priest; and Euphrasia Eluvathingal, an Indian Carmelite sister and member of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

He also recognized the miracle needed for the beatification of Brother Luigi Bordino, an Italian member of the Brothers of St. Joseph Cottolegno, who died in 1977.

Pope Francis also declared eight men and women “venerable,” recognizing they lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way.

POPE FRANCIS’ LATEST WORDS Cross isn’t an ornament, Christianity isn’t a do-gooder’s guide VATICAN CITY — Christianity isn’t a philosophy or guide to survival, good behavior and peace, it’s a relationship with a real Person who died on the cross for our sins, Pope Francis said. “Christianity can’t be understood without understanding this deep humiliation of the Son of God, who abased Himself, becoming a servant to the point of His death and death on the cross” to serve humanity, the pope said. In his homily April 8, Pope Francis focused on the day’s reading from the Book of John (8:21-30), in which Jesus tells the Pharisees and the Jews that those who belong to this world and do not believe in Him “will die in your sins.” Jesus tells them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am,” the son of God, obeying God’s will. “Christianity doesn’t exist without the cross and a cross doesn’t exist without Jesus Christ,” the pope said. The cross, however, “isn’t an ornament” that is just placed in churches and on altars, and “it’s not a symbol” of identification, he said.

Priests: Draw people to confession, show mercy VATICAN CITY — Don’t be too lax or too harsh during confession and always make sure people know when the sacrament of reconciliation is available, Pope Francis said. “Let’s not forget that the faithful often struggle to take part in the sacrament, both for practical reasons and because of the natural difficulty in confessing one’s own sins to another person,” he said March 28. “For that reason we have to work really hard on who we are, on our humanity, so as to never be an obstacle, but to always help people be drawn to mercy and forgiveness,” he told confessors and other participants attending a course sponsored by the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court that handles issues related to the absolution of sin.

The power to forgive sins comes from the Holy Spirit, therefore, priests must be “men of the Holy Spirit” who are both tender and strong as they give witness and proclaim the new life offered by the Lord’s resurrection, the pope said.

Young: Be honest, discover what you hold dear VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis told a group of young people to be honest with themselves and others and figure out what they hold dear: money and pride or the desire to do good. He also told them he has made plenty of mistakes in life, being guilty of being too bossy and stubborn.

“They say mankind is the only animal that falls in the same well twice,” he said. While mistakes are the “great teachers” in life, “I think there are some I haven’t learned because I’m hardheaded,” he said, rapping his knuckles on his wooden desk and laughing. “It’s not easy learning, but I learned from many mistakes, and this has done me good.”

The pope spoke to six young students and reporters from Belgium, who were accompanied by Bishop Lucas Van Looy of Ghent. They videorecorded the interview in the papal study of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace March 31 and aired an edited version on Belgian TV April 3.

When asked why he agreed to the interview, the pope said he sensed they had a feeling of “apprehension” or unease about life and “I think it is my duty to serve young people,” to listen to and help guide their anxiety, which is “like a seed that grows and in time bears fruit.”

Married couples called to be icons of God’s love VATICAN CITY — Through the sacrament of matrimony, married couples are called to be living icons of God’s love in the world, Pope Francis said; and when they fight – and all couples do – they don’t have “to call the United Nations,” but find simple words and gestures to say they are sorry. Concluding a series of talks about the sacraments, Pope

CNS | L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters

A clergyman hears confession from Pope Francis during a penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican March 28. Pope Francis surprised his liturgical adviser by going to confession during the service.

Francis used his general audience April 2 to focus on marriage, and he asked the estimated 45,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray for the world’s families, especially for couples experiencing difficulty.

The sacrament of marriage, he said, “leads us to the heart of God’s plan, which is a plan of covenant with His people and with all of us.

We were created for love as a reflection of God and His love. In the conjugal union, a man and a woman fulfill this vocation under the sign of reciprocity and a full and definitive communion of life.”

Marriage is a response to a specific vocation and “must be considered a consecration,” he said. “The man and woman are consecrated for love.

Through the sacrament, the spouses are given a real mission to make visible – even through simple and ordinary gestures – the love with which Christ loves His Church.”

— Catholic News Service

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April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief Jesuit priest killed in Syria ROME — A 75-year-old Dutch Jesuit who refused to leave war-torn Syria, instead staying in Homs to help the poor and homeless, was beaten by armed men and killed with two bullets to the head, according to an email sent by the Jesuits’ Middle East province to the Jesuit headquarters in Rome. Jesuit Father Frans van der Lugt, who had worked in Syria since 1966, declined suggestions to leave because he wanted to help Syria’s suffering civilians – “Christians and Muslims – anyone in need,” said Father Giuseppe Bellucci, head of the Jesuits’ press office. The email, reporting that armed men had taken Father Van der Lugt, beaten him and then shot him dead in front of the Jesuit residence in Homs, was sent to the Jesuit headquarters April 7, Father Bellucci said.

In a later statement published, Father Adolfo Nicolas, superior general of the Jesuits, and the staff of the Jesuits’ headquarters expressed their sorrow “for the brutal assassination of a man who dedicated his life to the poorest and neediest, especially in Homs, and who did not want to abandon them even at times of great danger.”

Pope Francis confirms continuance of Vatican bank VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, accepting the recommendations of his international Council of Cardinals and other advisory groups, has decided the Vatican bank will continue to exist and has approved a plan to increase its transparency and accountability. The Vatican press office issued a statement April 7 saying the pope “has approved a proposal on the future” of the Institute for the Words of Religion (IOR), the formal title of the bank. The Vatican, however, did not release details of the proposal. In June 2013, Pope Francis established a commission to review the activities of the Vatican bank, asking the five commission members to study whether the bank was in harmony with the mission of the universal church. During a news conference in July on his flight back from Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis said some people had suggested the institute should be transformed into a “charitable fund, others say it should be closed. I don’t know. I have confidence in the work of the people at IOR, who are working a lot, and in the commission” studying the bank. “Whatever it ends up being – whether a bank or a charitable fund – transparency and honesty are essential,” he said.

Vatican to investigate Edinburgh Archdiocese VATICAN CITY — More than a year after Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien admitted to sexual misconduct amid allegations by three priests and a former priest, the Vatican Congregation for Bishops is sending an investigator to the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh to collect testimony. A statement distributed April 4 by the Scottish Catholic Media Office said Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, a longtime abuse investigator for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, had been appointed by the Congregation for Bishops “as its special envoy to listen and report on recent serious allegations of misconduct following a request from Pope Francis.”

Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh said in the statement: “I am grateful to the Holy Father and the Congregation for Bishops and see the latter’s action as indicative of the seriousness with which this matter is being taken. I believe that this is a positive step toward truth and eventual reconciliation; this may not be an easy thing to do, but it is the right thing to do.”

of Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg. Auxiliary Bishop Manfred Grothe of Paderborn was appointed to serve as apostolic administrator of Limburg in the meantime, the Vatican announced March 26. Bishop Tebartzvan Elst would be assigned, “at a suitable moment,” another unspecified assignment, the Vatican statement said. It said the Vatican accepted the bishop’s offer to resign “given that a situation exists in the Diocese of Limburg which prevents the fruitful exercise” of his office.

Pope Francis met with the bishop at the Vatican March 28. No details of the meeting were released. In Germany, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the bishops’ conference, said the resignation would “end a period of uncertainty” in the Limburg Diocese. He told a Berlin news conference March 26 that he believed Bishop Tebartz-van Elst’s case had been handled “fairly and transparently” by the Vatican and German Church.

— Catholic News Service

Vatican accepts resignation of Germany’s ‘Bishop Bling’ VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has accepted the resignation of a German bishop who was at the center of controversy over expenditures for his residence and a diocesan center.

Following a diocesan investigation, the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops studied the audit’s findings and accepted the resignation

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Pope asks Curia for ways to implement ‘Joy of Gospel’ VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis called together the heads of all Vatican offices to discuss how they could integrate into their work the teaching of his apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”). The Vatican said the meeting, held April 1 inside the Apostolic Palace, lasted two and a half hours.

The subject of the meeting was “a reflection on ‘Evangelii Gaudium,’” said Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, vice director of the Vatican press office. He said the pope wanted the group to talk about how the papal document, which calls on Catholics to be living examples of joy, love and charity, “can influence the work of the Curia.”

Those attending the meeting discussed their “reflections on and reactions” to the pope’s apostolic exhortation and “the prospects that are open for its implementation,” the Vatican said in a brief statement issued at the end of the discussion.

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Letters to the editor

Sister Jane’s talk is worth hearing again Anita Veyera

Living simple, ‘poor’ life keeps our attention focused on God O n a recent trail walk with my children, we turned to enter a park towards the end of the line. As we crested the hill, I saw something I’d never seen before on our many treks: a small group of men clothed in white.

Blue girded their waists and rosary beads hung from them. They were fishing off the dock that borders a small pond there, teeming with geese and fish. What followed was a lovely, peaceful hour of hardly-needed introductions and conversation, as these men attested to the Light of Christ without ever uttering His Name. We delighted to their steadily-increasing catch of small fish as we shared that unspoken fellowship.

The next morning, a Friday, I decided to pack up the children and visit their monastery on the outskirts of Monroe. One of the brothers of the Missionaries of the Poor met us at the door, surprised and glad we had come to visit them again and to share a little of what we had for their apostolate. Their house is modest, warm, well-planned and tidy, but blessedly poor. The chapel and tabernacle are housed in a space about the size of a small bedroom with just a curtain separating it from the stairwell. But their intimacy with Our Lord is palpable.

“Poor.” The word is evocative. Perhaps it conjures a mental picture of Third World living, homeless sleeping beneath old newspapers, or trailer dwellers in Appalachia. The “poor” seem foreign to many of us because they are. We are so used to being able to buy what we need – food, clothing, amusements – with little effort or true distress. When something is worn out or outdated, we replace it. When choosing the things we think we need, our senses are drawn to things that are well-made, stylish or new. But this is not the way of the truly “poor.”

Yet “poor” is exactly what we are called to be by our God. And “poor” – truly poor – is the life exemplified by not only Our Lord, but also His Blessed Mother and foster father. The Holy Family was not materially rich – far from it.

Jesus was born in a cave among livestock. His cradle was a feed trough. And when Mary and Joseph went to present God’s Son in the Temple, they could afford only the “poor offering” of two turtledoves.

Christ Himself said in the Gospels that He had nowhere to lay His head. He also plainly spoke about it being nearly impossible for a “rich” man to enter heaven, and He asked at least one man to sell all he had and give it to the poor.

Why? “If any man says he loves God but hates his brother, he is a liar.” Scathing words from St. John, the beloved Apostle. But he is not wrong.

Over and over, Christ admonishes us to love our neighbor as ourselves. To punctuate this, we are told the greatest love is to lay down our life for our friends. Can we do this if our hearts are insulated by other desires? Desires outside of humility and love obscure the face of our neighbor, and within it the Face of Christ.

Our “things” can serve our needs, truly. A reliable refrigerator keeps the food we need to nourish our bodies from spoiling. But a fridge with a television built into the door, for example, does not keep our food any fresher. And it plants a seed of pride in our hearts that is hard to kill.

If our things lead us to feel superior to our brothers and sisters in Christ, they must be replaced with things that do not. Not because we haven’t earned them. Not because we owe the poor anything as a consequence of our success.

Not because we should be ashamed of ourselves for being able to afford luxuries out of reach for the poor.

We should focus on living simply because material things pull us away from what is real, what is necessary, what is eternal, what is important. And because, while we do not strictly owe the poor anything, we do owe God. And He commanded us to give to anyone who asks of us. He said if we do it for them, we are in reality doing it for Him. But this is not the command of some greedy king. He “needs” nothing from us. He asks only that we turn our hearts from our things – our idols – to Him. He knows our hearts because He made them, and our hearts are made not for amassing “wealth”, but for loving. The fewer attachments we have, the more meaning we find in the hidden places of our hearts, and the more skillfully we can plumb the Heart of Christ.

As the fruits of that labor blossom and grow, the more we can bless others in our “poverty.”

The more we can bless others, the richer we are in divine love.

There is the great distinction. For someone to take our possessions by force and give them to those deemed “worthy” is an act of tyranny. For us to give them freely in the Name of Christ is an act of love – the same Love that walked the Via Dolorosa laden with a Cross for each one of us, as if we were the only one for whom He suffered.

It is freedom that we seek through Christ – not possessions, not power, not fame or reputation.

We seek freedom; the freedom to be at peace, set apart from the things of this world, counting them as nothing in comparison to the riches of His Love. The things that clamor for our attention and distract us from what He called us to do in love end only in slavery and distress.

They cloud our vision from the narrow way, the rugged path that leads to the mount where our true treasure lies: the Cross.

We can never out-give Him, to be sure. One drop of His precious Blood would have been enough to save all of humanity, born and unborn, but He chose to go further. He chose to give not one drop, but every drop. He did this not because we were good or worthy, clever or pretty, thin or rich. He came to save us from the poverty of sin for no other reason than Love.

Christ gave His all. What will you give?

Anita Veyera is a member of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

I’m a high school senior who heard Dominican Sister Jane Dominic Laurel’s talk at St. Mark Church in Huntersville March 23.

Leaving her talk that Sunday night, I experienced a wave of growing theological knowledge, a deeper understanding of my faith and the opposite sex, and one regret: the fact that more of my high school peers did not attend to hear her presentation.

I stand fully in support of Sister Jane and everything she shared. She was knowledgeable and concrete. She handled every subject with care, compassion and a real love for our faith and every human life. What she spoke about homosexuality can all be found in our very own Catechism and in the heart of Catholic teaching. She never once said anything hateful, derogatory or inappropriate regarding those who struggle with same-sex attraction. I even specifically recall her explaining how we as Catholics are called to nothing but the utmost respect, care, love and compassion towards all people.

After Sister Jane’s talk, I realized that she is probably one of the only speakers I have heard who had the bravery to speak the truth, no matter how difficult or controversial the subject may be. A true evangelist, she obviously has a passion to share the faith.

Certain subjects of the modern day are often difficult to acknowledge, let alone talk about with our brothers and sisters in Christ. What Sister Jane discussed and taught during her talk was brave and true. She is definitely someone I would love to hear from again.

Rachel McCormick lives in Huntersville.

The Church’s job is to teach It was with great sadness that I read about the reactions of so many Charlotte Catholic High School students and parents to a presentation of the Church’s teaching on human sexuality.

Why would students and parents at a Catholic high school be confused that time was spent explaining the Church’s teaching on homosexuality? The job of the Church is to teach, govern and sanctify.

Our Catholic churches and schools would not be doing their jobs if they stayed silent on this increasingly contentious issue.

Judging from the reactions, I think perhaps the Church has been silent too long. Even thoughtful presentations like Dominican Sister Jane Dominic Laurel’s are considered “condemning” and “offensive.” It will be extremely difficult to change hearts now.

Take courage and remember St. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy: “…proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage, through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths” (2 Tim 4:2-3).

I pray for those who continue to “put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; (and) fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim 4:4).

Susan Chaney lives in Concord.

More online At. www.facebook.com/catholicnewsherald: Lots more comments about the recent student assembly at Charlotte Catholic High School are on our Facebook page. Join in the conversation, ask questions, listen to others, and share your thoughts.

Letters policy The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, be marked with Christian charity, and be in good taste. To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. Items submitted to the Catholic News Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

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

April 11, 2014 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Allison Schumacher

Fred Gallagher

Take part in these 40 Days for Life E

ach spring and fall, the pro-life movement presents us with a special opportunity in which to dedicate time, attention, effort and even funds to witnessing to the beauty and dignity of life. Each time we launch the 40 Days for Life campaign, we really are entering into a time of prayer and penance for the grave evil of abortion so rampant in our world, but also into a period of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the gift of life itself.

The number 40 bears significance in both the Old and New Testaments.

In the time of the prophet Jonah, God threatened to severely punish the Ninevites for their grievous sins, but these people prayed and fasted for 40 days and God had mercy on them.

Jesus spent 40 days in prayer and fasting in preparation for His threeyear public ministry. These 40 days set aside each spring and fall give us, too, the opportunity to pray and fast for all sins against life, and also to strengthen us in our continued pro-life mission.

Considering the value and dignity of one human life alone and then noting the horrendous number of innocent human lives snuffed out and denied a future through abortion and euthanasia, (not to mention contraception), it is beyond our comprehension to know the offense mankind has thrown back at our Creator. This offense, though, does not belong solely to those who have abortions, or to the abortionists who carry out the murderous procedure.

In all actuality, each of us is guilty of contributing to the culture of death when we sin because every sin, in essence, is a statement that says, ‘I will not serve.”

Therefore, we must pray and humbly ask for forgiveness. To spend these 40 days acknowledging our personal sins that hurt the Mystical Body of Christ, and especially repenting for the abortions that have been committed, is truly necessary. Murder is the sin that calls down the wrath of God and in fact, it is “a grave act of disobedience to the moral law, and indeed to God Himself, the author and guarantor of that law” (“Evangelium Vitae”). Let us implore His mercy.

Through prayer and fasting, not only will we seek God’s infinite mercy, but we will pray for change of hearts and an end to abortion and other crimes against life.

Here are some suggestions for this time of dedicated prayer: Be committed to praying the rosary every day for life.

Meditating on the joyful mysteries, especially, will increase our respect for human life, which even the Second Person of the Trinity took upon Himself for our redemption.

In fasting, it is important to note that there many ways to fast. Besides

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Get involved 40 Days for Life campaigns are going on until the end of Lent in Charlotte, Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Go online to www.40daysforlife.com to learn how you can take part.

food, one can abstain from some form of entertainment, comfort or luxury.

We could hold back from making unnecessary comments, recognizing that millions of children have been denied the opportunity to ever speak.

Another aspect of the 40 Days for Life Campaign consists of the peaceful and prayerful vigils that take place outside abortion facilities. Please go and witness to life for the unborn babies who truly are defenseless and who are relying on our time, energies and efforts.

While these 40 Days for Life call for intense prayer and penance, and the sacrifice of time and energy, they are also a time of rejoicing as we witness to the beauty of life. Most often the way to touch hearts and convince minds is through positive influence and example. By showing our joy and gratitude for our lives, even amid trials, we demonstrate that life is always precious and something to rejoice over.

Positive witness to life includes respecting each other. If we treat one another with genuine kindness and respect, we show that we value all lives. Blessed Pope John Paul II said in a homily in Washington, D.C., in 1979: “All human beings ought to value every person for his or her uniqueness as a creature of God, called to be a brother or sister of Christ by reason of the Incarnation and the universal Redemption. For us, the sacredness of human life is based on these premises.

And it is on these same premises that there is based our celebration of life – all human life.”

As the late pope said, this is a celebration. Talk to others about the beauty of life, and may this witness be contagious until we turn our culture into a culture of life. Remember, culture embraces all parts of society.

This is not a one-issue topic. When life from conception is defended, then life in all stages will receive its proper protection and dignity.

Therefore, in a spirit of prayer and penance, let us rejoice in the hope and beauty of life in Him! Allison Schumacher is a freelance writer who works with MiraVia in Belmont.

Confessions of a restless Catholic

“

You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” How comforting those famous words of St. Augustine have been to me over the years.

When doubt seemed to be enveloping me or grief or confusion shook my foundations, those words gave me sustenance. I figure if a Doctor of the Church, one who laid so many of the theological foundations of the faith, can express such spiritual anxiety while at the same time noting that only God can answer our deepest questions, calm us and give us rest, well, then maybe I can hang in there, too.

Do you ever say, ‘”Why is it so hard being Catholic?” You see on one side fellow Catholics who don’t make it to Mass on Sunday because Junior has a soccer game and going to church is a little too inconvenient.

Smorgasbord Catholics are itching for more of what they refer to as “open-mindedness.”

G.K. Chesterton said, “An open mind is like an open mouth, at some point it must bite down on something of substance.” On the other hand, there are the good souls with orthodox zeal who can become annoyingly self-righteous and holier-than-thou. Some Catholics, who actually know the teachings of the Church, become subtly indignant that you don’t know them as well as they do.

But it looks to me like our new pope is not in the least afraid to call us on any of these behaviors!

We often use the unfortunate terms “liberal” Catholic and “conservative” Catholic because somewhere along the line we stopped being formed as just plain Catholics and the small-mindedness of modern political discourse took over our way of thinking about ourselves. I think it was the always witty and erudite writer and professor Peter Kreeft, who said, “A liberal is a conservative who has been arrested, and a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged.” In other words, some labels tend to be circumstantial and little more; they fail to get at the heart of things.

It’s not all our fault, either. Over the years, some bishops have been shy about shepherding and some pastors shy about teaching with conviction and compassion.

Add to that the clergy sex abuse scandals and the anti-religious bias of the media, and we all find ourselves shifting in our seats a bit.

As Macbeth said when all around him were dropping like flies, “Confusion now hath made

his masterpiece!”

One way to deal with the restlessness is to talk about it, to let someone I trust know that, although I love Holy Mother Church with all my heart, there are times I still ask Jesus if He is really there or just some figment of a collective imagination. Sometimes in voicing them, my doubts actually fade. And sometimes in the crying out, my Lord comes awfully close.

My commentaries will be bent on trying to break down some barriers, to connect with anyone who wants to be a good Catholic but stumbles along the way because of an antagonistic culture, a lack of good adult faith formation, or simply because of personal sin. I’ll share my restlessness and fears with you in hopes that we might bolster each other on the journey. What about Mass in the Extraordinary Form, immigration reform, homosexuality, or what it means to be married? What about our new pontiff, Catholic education, or Catholic politicians who don’t feel the need to uphold the faith publicly? And what about the Department of Health and Human Services mandate that forces Catholic business owners to choose between offering employees health care benefits at the cost of cooperating with the immorality of contraception and abortion? What about capital punishment, the oppressive pull of consumerism and the real struggle to raise children in the faith? That last one is certainly fresh on my mind these days – I’ve got two kids in college and one senior in high school. No wonder I’m restless!

So if you’re a “restless” Catholic, you’re not alone. Perhaps we can reach out to each other, with conviction and civility, with an eye for truth and a heart for understanding, in seeking the only real rest there is: Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Fred Gallagher, the latest columnist to join the Catholic News Herald, is a graduate of Belmont Abbey College and a former addictions counselor, lecturer and treatment program designer for seven years. Now editor-in-chief at Good Will Publishers Inc. of Gastonia, he is the author of several character education books for children, two books on marriage and three books on bereavement. He has presented material for the Diocese of Charlotte retreat for lay catechists and is a member of the RCIA team at St. Patrick Cathedral as well as a member of the parish council. He and his wife Kim have been married for 26 years and they have three children.

Most-read stories on the web Through press time on April 9, 18,288 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 39,357 pages. The top 10 headlines in April are: n Dominican nun at heart of Charlotte Catholic controversy takes leave from teaching.....................21,270 n Angry parents condemn Charlotte Catholic student assembly on sexuality..........................................4,774 n Charlotte Catholic student petition taken offline............................................................................................1,668 n Charlotte Catholic speaker sparks student petitions.....................................................................................1,606 n Missionaries of the Poor names new superior general....................................................................................648 n A special St. Patrick’s Day........................................................................................................................................ 290 n Raspberry Pi computer projects gives CCHS students hands-on engineering..........................................150 n Men’s Conference at St. Mark transforms men and sends them on a mission.......................................... 144 n Redesigned parish website aims to draw in students.........................................................................................112 n Pope declares by decree three new saints for the Americas...........................................................................110

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 11, 2014 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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