Oct. 23, 2015

October 23, 2015

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

A ‘synodal’ Church Pope Francis and the Synod of Bishops discuss challenges to the family, role of the family in the Church, and God’s mercy

FULL COVERAGE INSIDE, 16-17

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INDEX Contact us.......................... 4 Español.................................. 9 Events calendar................. 4 Our Faith............................. 2 Our Parishes.................. 3-8 Schools..........................10-11 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies.......................13 U.S. news...................... 14-15 Viewpoints................... 18-19 World news.................. 16-17

Christian marriage celebrated as God’s masterpiece 3

INSIDE: Diocese of Charlotte 2014-’15 annual report

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

This 19th century painting of the “Battle of Nándorfehérvár,” or the “Battle of Belgrade,” depicts St. John of Capistrano in the middle of the battle, holding the cross in his hand. The siege and battle of Belgrade, Hungary, occurred from July 4 to 22, 1456, pitting the Western forces under the command of John Hunyadi against Moslem attackers led by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. The sultan invaded Hungary in response to the fall of Constantinople in 1453, with his first target being the border fortress of Belgrade on the Danube River. Hunyadi’s forces, with help from St. John of Capistrano, successfully fended off the Ottoman invasion with this victory, halting the Muslim advance toward Catholic Europe for the next 70 years.

Pope Francis

Promises must be made in freedom, honored with sacrifice

B

ring honor back to keeping one’s promises, which must be made in full freedom and kept by making sacrifices, Pope Francis said.

The beauty of love and promises is that they are carried out in freedom, he said during his weekly general audience Oct. 21 in St. Peter’s Square. “Without freedom there can be no friendship, without freedom there is no love, without freedom there is no marriage.”

The pope also prayed for the intercession of “the pope of the family,” St. John Paul II, whose optional memorial is Oct. 22. He asked that the Synod of Bishops on the family “renew in the whole church the meaning of the indisputable value of the indissoluble marriage and healthy families, based on the mutual love between a man and woman and divine grace.”

The pope dedicated his catechesis to the promise of love and fidelity made between a husband and wife.

“The identity of the family is founded on promise,” he said, which can be seen in the loving care families provide one another in sickness and in health, and by accepting each other’s limitations and helping each other realize their full potential.

It is a promise of love that must not stay holed up in the home, but must expand to embrace one’s extended family, the community and the whole human family, the pope said.

Unfortunately, he said, honoring one’s promises has lost its standing.

That is because, on the one hand, “a misunderstood right to pursue one’s own pleasure at all costs and in any relationship is exalted as a nonnegotiable principle of freedom,” he said.

On the other hand, people “exclusively entrust the bonds of life’s relationships and the commitment to the common good to the requirements of law,” he said.

But in reality, he said, nobody wants to be loved because of selfish reasons or out of compulsion.

“Love, just like friendship, must find their strength and beauty in this fact: that they generate a bond without removing freedom.”

There is no better place than marriage and the family to teach the beauty and strength of keeping promises. “If we look at its audacious beauty, we are intimidated, but if we scorn its courageous tenacity, we are lost,” he said.

But this “masterpiece” and “miracle” of being true to one’s word must be an honest desire rooted in one’s very heart and soul – because promises “cannot be bought and sold, they cannot be coerced with force but nor can they be safeguarded without sacrifice,” he said.

St. John of Capistrano Feast day: Oct. 23 On Oct. 23, the Catholic Church celebrates the life of St. John of Capistrano, a Franciscan priest whose life included a political career, extensive missionary journeys, efforts to reunite separated Eastern Christians with Rome and a historically important turn at military leadership.

Invoked as a patron of military chaplains, St. John of Capistrano was praised by St. John Paul II in a 2002 general audience for his “glorious evangelical witness,” as a priest who “gave himself with great generosity for the salvation of souls.”

Born in Italy during 1385, John lost his father – a French or possibly German knight who had settled in Capistrano – at a young age. John’s mother took care to have him educated, and after learning Latin he went to study both civil law and Church law in Perugia. An outstanding student, he soon became a prominent public figure and was appointed governor of the city at age 26.

John showed high standards of integrity in his civic career, and in 1416 he labored to end a war that had erupted between Perugia and the prominent House of Malatesta. But when the nobles had John

imprisoned, he began to question his life’s direction. Encountering St. Francis of Assisi in a dream, he resolved to embrace poverty, chastity and obedience with the Franciscans.

Abandoning his possessions and social status, John joined the religious order in October 1416. He found a mentor in St. Bernardine of Siena, known for his bold preaching and his method of prayer focused on the invocation of the name of Jesus. Taking after his teacher in these respects, John began preaching as a deacon in 1420 and was ordained a priest in 1425.

John successfully defended his mentor from a charge of heresy made against his way of devotion, though he found less success in his efforts to resolve internal controversy among the followers of St. Francis. A succession of popes entrusted important matters to John, including the effort to reunite Eastern and Western Christendom at the Ecumenical Council of Florence.

Drawing immense crowds in his missionary travels throughout Italy, John also found success as a preacher in Central Europe, where he opposed the Hussites’ error regarding the nature and

administration of the Eucharist. After Constantinople fell to Turkish invaders in 1453, Pope Nicholas V sent John on a mission to rally other European leaders in defense of their lands.

Nicholas’ successor Pope Callixtus III was even more eager to see the Christian world defend itself against the invading forces. When the Sultan Mehmet II sought to extend his territorial gains into Serbia and Hungary, John joined the celebrated general Janos Hunyadi in his defense of Belgrade. The priest personally led a section of the army in its historic victory on Aug. 6, 1456.

Neither John nor the general, however, would survive long past the battle.

Weakened by the campaign against the Turks, Hunyadi became sick and died soon after the victory at Belgrade.

John survived to preach Janos Hunyadi’s funeral sermon, but his own extraordinary life came to an end on Oct. 23, 1456, after a painful illness. He was buried in the nearby town of Ilok, Croatia.

St. John of Capistrano was canonized in 1724. Known as the “soldier saint,” he is the patron of military chaplains and jurists.

— Catholic News Agency

Your daily Scripture readings OCT. 25-31

Sunday: Jeremiah 31:7-9, Hebrews 5:1-6, Mark 10:46-52; Monday: Romans 8:12-17, Luke 13:1017; Tuesday: Romans 8:18-25, Luke 13:18-21; Wednesday (Sts. Simon and Jude): Ephesians 2:19-22, Luke 6:12-16; Thursday: Romans 8:3139, Luke 13:31-35; Friday: Romans 9:1-5, Luke 14:1-16; Saturday: Romans 11:1-2, 11-12, 25-29, Luke 14:1, 7-11

NOV. 1-7

Sunday (All Saints): Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12; Monday (The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed): Wisdom 3:1-9, Romans 5:5-11, John 6:37-40; Tuesday (St. Martin de Porres): Romans 12:5-16, Luke 14:15-24; Wednesday (St. Charles Borromeo): Romans 13:8-10, Luke 14:15-23; Thursday: Romans 14:7-12, Luke 15:1-10; Friday: Romans 15:14-21, Luke 16:1-8; Saturday: Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27, Luke 16:9-15

NOV. 8-14

Sunday: 1 Kings 17:10-16, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44; Monday: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12, 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17, John 2:13-22; Tuesday (St. Leo the Great): Wisdom 2:23-3:9, Luke 17:7-10; Wednesday (St. Martin of Tours): Wisdom 6:1-11, Luke 17:11-19; Thursday (St. Josaphat): Wisdom 7:22-8:1, Luke 17:20-25; Friday (St. Francis Xavier Cabrini): Wisdom 13:1-9, Luke 17:26-37; Saturday: Wisdom 18:1416, 19:6-9, Luke 18:1-8

Our parishes

October 23, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Bishop Curlin receiving Drexel Award Nov. 6

Register now for Youth and Young Adult Pilgrimage to WYD 2016

Spiritual, corporal works of mercy earn highest honor from ‘SOAR!’ sueann howell senior reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Diocese of Charlotte’s third bishop, Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin, will receive the Supporting Our Aging Religious (SOAR!) Saint Katharine Drexel Award for a lifetime of service Nov. 6 at the annual awards banquet in the nation’s capital.

The Saint Katharine Drexel Award honors organizations or individuals who have made significant contributions on a national level to the Catholic Church. The award is named for Katharine Drexel, a saint known across Curlin the U.S. for her philanthropic work and ministry.

This is only the fifth time in SOAR!’s 29-year history that the Saint Katharine Drexel Award has been presented, and only the second time to an individual.

Bishop Curlin, now retired, served as Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte from 1994 to 2002. From his first parish assignment after ordination as assistant to the senior auxiliary bishop of Washington, Bishop Curlin devoted his life to spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

During his time in Washington, D.C., he founded several homes for the poor and homeless with terminal diseases, especially AIDS, and began a lengthy collaboration with Mother Teresa. In 2001 he founded the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp., and Curlin Commons, an affordable senior community in North Carolina, is named in his honor.

As a retired priest he sees his current ministry as one of providing spiritual support to God’s people. In this capacity he visits nursing homes and hospitals in the Charlotte area on a daily basis.

Bishop Curlin is receiving the award in honor of his leadership and his lifetime of work of outstanding charity and civic responsibility, and because of his generosity and encouragement of philanthropic leadership in others.

“I’m still going, I’m still moving,” Bishop Curlin said with his characteristic Irish humor Oct. 19, adding that he is humbled to be receiving this recognition.

Award recipients are chosen by the SOAR! board of directors.

“The board chose to honor Bishop Curlin for his life-long support of AWARD, SEE page 12

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Photos by Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Couples from across the Diocese of Charlotte renewed their marriage vows Oct. 18 during a Mass honoring those celebrating a silver or golden jubilee anniversary. See more photos from the Mass online at www. catholicnewsherald.com.

Christian marriage celebrated as God’s masterpiece Bishop Jugis offers jubilee anniversary Mass for couples Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

CHARLOTTE — “Christian married couples are signs of God’s love,” Bishop Peter Jugis told dozens of married couples during a special Mass offered in their honor Oct. 18.

“You are God’s masterpiece.”

Couples from across the Diocese of Charlotte who are marking their silver or golden wedding anniversary this year renewed their marriage vows at the annual Mass, celebrated this year at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte.

Bishop Jugis noted that this year the celebration of marriage and family life is receiving greater emphasis because of the ongoing Synod of Bishops in Rome and the recent conclusion of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

Why? Because it is important to highlight the special mission of Christian married couples and families, he said.

In essence, he said, “the vocation of marriage and family is love.”

Christian married couples are called to share the love of God with others, both in the Church and in the broader MARRIAGE, SEE page 12

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte Office of Youth Ministry is sponsoring a trip for youth and young adults aged 16-35 to World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland. The 10-day pilgrimage from July 24 to Aug. 3 will coincide with WYD 2016, which will be held July 25-July 31.

In addition to participating in all of the WYD events, the pilgrimage includes visits to: the convent at Lagiewniki where St. Faustina spent the last two years of her life so pilgrims can pray before the miraculous image of the Divine Mercy at the chapel where St. Faustina is entombed; Czestochowa for Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa to see the miraculous icon of Our Lady known as the “Black Madonna” and the monastery and its treasury; Auschwitz, to pray at the tiny cell where St. Maximilian Kolbe died; Wadowice, the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla (St. John Paul II) to see the church he attended and was baptized in.

The tour then proceeds to Krakow. Not ruined by the war, it stands as a medieval treasure house full of architectural and artistic heritage. The tour includes the imposing Wawel Castle, former seat of Polish regal authority and the Coronation Cathedral with its tombs of Polish monarchs; Krakow’s Market Square and St. Mary’s Tower; and the oldest shrine in Krakow, the Skalka, which is dedicated to the bishop and martyr St. Stanislaus.

Pilgrims will then set off for Prague with a stop in Velhrad to visit the shrine in memory of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, who brought Christianity to the Czech lands; and then once in Prague pilgrims will tour the Church of Our Lady of Victory where there will be veneration of the Infant Jesus of Prague.

The final portion of the pilgrimage includes all of the activities and special Masses associated with WYD 2016 in Krakow.

Cost for the pilgrimage varies, depending on room occupancy, from $4,170 for a twin room; $3,970 for a triple; and $3,770 for a quad.

The WYD 2016 pilgrimage package includes: round-trip air from Charlotte International Airport; daily Mass in Poland; 3-star hotel in Poland and Czech Republic; breakfast daily and five dinners provided by Canterbury Tours; other meals provided by WYD; tour escort and daily sightseeing; entrance fees; luxury motor coach in Poland and some use of WYD-provided transportation at some WYD events; official World Youth Day program; and WYD registration fee.

For more information, go online to www. education.charlottediocese.net/youthministry/youth-services/world-youth-day or contact the diocesan Office of Youth Ministry at 704-370-3211.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: Oct. 23 – 5 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mocksville

OCT. 31 – 4:30 P.M. Mass for the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration St. Ann Church, Charlotte

Oct. 25 – 12:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Nov. 1 – 1:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Eugene Church, Asheville

Oct. 28 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Monroe

NOV. 3 – 6 p.m.

Seminarian Education Campaign Dinner Charlotte

NOV. 4 - 7 p.m.

Closing Mass for 40 Hours Devotion for National Vocations Awareness Week St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte NOV. 5 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte NOV. 7 – 4 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. John Baptist de la Salle Church, North Wilkesboro

Diocesan calendar of events October 23, 2015

Entertainment

Volume 24 • Number 2

‘Moving Movies’ Adult Education Fall Film Festival: 7 p.m. Fridays, Oct. 23-Nov. 6 at St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Road, Mint Hill. Films will center on social justice and tolerance. All adolescents and adults are welcome. For details, call Dave Galusha at 704-256-9294.

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

STAFF 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

‘PTSD SHOW’ Jason Moon in Concert: 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 7, at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte. Support and healing for veterans, families and communities suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. For details, visit www.jasonmoon.org.

Holiday bazaar and vendor fair: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 7, in the Parish Life Center at St. Thérèse Church, 217 Brawley School Road, Mooresville. Lots of vendors, fall and Christmas crafts, bake sales and much more. For details, call Lisa Cash at 704-664-3992, ext. 105.

35th Annual Perpetual hope gospel choir concert: 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, in the Parish Life Center at Our Lady of Consolation Church, 1235 Badger Ct., Charlotte. Everyone welcome.

Online reporter: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org

LECTURES & REFLECTIONS

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org

Discussions on ‘Laudato Si’ (‘care for Our common home’): 10:30 a.m.-noon Tuesdays, Oct. 27, and Nov. 3; 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, at St. Pius X School, 2200 N. Elm St., Greensboro. For details, contact Derek Rotty, faith formation director, at 336-2724681 or drotty@stpiusxnc.com.

COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org Hispanic communications reporter: Rico De Silva, 704-370-3375, rdesilva@charlottediocese.org

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

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

‘Myths of the Reformation’: 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Our Lady of the Mountains Mission, 315 North 5th St., Highlands. Presented by Dr. David Dorondo, professor of history at Western Carolina University, who will examine the most common myths about the Protestant Reformation. Everyone welcome. For details, email Matthew Newsome at smff@wcucatholic.org.

ADVERTISING: Reach 165,000 Catholics across western North Carolina! For advertising rates and information, contact Advertising Manager Kevin Eagan at 704-370-3332 or keeagan@charlottediocese.org. The Catholic News Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason, and does not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (nami) Program: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, in the Multi-Purpose Room at St. Thérèse Church, 217 Brawley School Road, Mooresville. Duane Carpenter, local NAMI president, and Joyce Carpenter, teacher of NAMI, will speak about the local NAMI organization. Keynote speaker Barbara Smith, professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, will speak on Critical Time Intervention. Everyone welcome. Program will include Q&A, pamphlets on various types of mental illnesses and contact information. Refreshments will be served. For details, call Lisa Cash at 704-664-3992, ext. 105.

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

Day OF Reflection on ‘Laudato Si’ (‘CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME’): 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Road, Winston-Salem.

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

‘Being good Stewards of God’s creation; pope Francis’ call to global solidarity’: Following the 6 p.m. Mass, Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the Parish Hall at Good Shepherd Church, 105 Good Shepherd Dr., King.

Event speakers are Matthew Burkhart of Catholic Relief Services and Joseph Purello of Catholic Charities.

Registration required at 704-370-3225 or email jtpurello@charlottediocese.org.

‘Vatican II’s Decree on Religious Life 50 Years Later’: 2-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at Ilderton Hall at Pennybyrn at Maryfield Community Center, 109 Penny Road, High Point. Guest speaker will be Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey, who will also touch briefly on the upcoming opening of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Hosted by the SMG Sisters in High Point.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING NFP Introduction and Full Course: 1-5 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 14, at St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Drive, Arden. Topics include: effectiveness of modern NFP, health risks of popular contraceptives and what the Church teaches about responsible parenting. Sponsored

by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at 704-370-3230.

OTHER Pilgrimage of Mercy, ‘tour of the major relics of st. maria goretti’: The major relics of St. Maria Goretti will make a pilgrimage to the U.S. in preparation for the Jubilee Year of Mercy that begins Dec. 8. St. Maria Goretti is the patroness of purity, chastity and rape victims. The major relics will visit: Friday, Oct. 23, Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro, and Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24-25, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte. Details at www.MariaGoretti.com.

sexual abuse. Upcoming workshops are listed below.

For details, contact your parish office. To register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus.org.

Asheville: 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, St. Lawrence Basilica, 97 Haywood St. CHARLOTTE: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road; 9:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy.

HUNTERSVILLE: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road SUPPORT GROUPS RETROUVAILLE: Retrouvaille is a program for married couples who are struggling with problems in their marriage. For confidential information, call 1-800-4702230 or 1-434-793-0242, or email retrouvaillenc@msn. com. Learn more at www.retrouvaille.org.

COPING WITH GRIEF DURING THE HOLIDAYS: 2-4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 15, at St. Pius X Church, 2210 North Elm St., Greensboro. Designed for anyone who has had a loved one pass away or experienced another significant loss such as a divorce or loss of a job during the holidays.

Program will help to deal with some of these concerns and share helpful ways to manage grief during this season, which can be a time of stress, anxiety and sadness. For details, call the parish office at 336-2734681 to register or email spx@stpiusxnc.com.

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS Masses in the Extraordinary Form for All Souls’ Day: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 West Market St., Greensboro, and at 7 p.m. at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte.

Pro-Life Rosary: 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive, High Point. Outdoors, rain or shine. Parking available nearby. Come to pray for the end of abortion. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman at 336-848-6835.

Alan Ames Healing mass and prayer service: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville; and 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at St. Dorothy Church, 148 St. Dorothy’s Lane, Lincolnton.

For details, go to www.stmarknc.org, email Jean Whelan at jeanwhelan6@gmail.com or call the parish offices.

RETREATS Women’s Autumn Evening retreat: 4-8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, in the MAK Family Life Center at Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 North Main St., Belmont. Retreat will encourage individuals to deepen their relationship with God. Bring a salad topping to share. For details, call Cam Tracy at 704-853-0654.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING “Protecting God’s Children” workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent

YOUNG ADULTS AQUINAS’ FINEST: A social group for Charlotte-area Catholics in their 20s and 30s, under the patronage of the Angelic Doctor. Go to www.stacharlotte.com/finest for details about upcoming events.

Asheville Theology on Tap: For Catholics in their 20s and 30s in the Asheville area. For details, check them out on Facebook, Twitter or MeetUp. Charlotte Area Young adults: Groups for Catholics in their 20s and 30s, single or married, are active in Charlotte at: St. Gabriel Church (on Facebook at “St. Gabriel Young Adult Ministry”), St. John Neumann Church (Meg VanGoethem, 815-545-2587), St. Mark Church (look them up on MeetUp), St. Matthew Church (on Facebook at “Young Adult Life: A St. Matthew Ministry”), St. Patrick Cathedral (on Facebook at “St. Patrick Cathedral Frassati Fellowship-Young Adult Ministry”), St. Peter Church (look them up on MeetUp) and Our Lady of Consolation Church (Denise Duliepre, 917-575-0871); and Holy Spirit Church in Denver (Nicole Lehman, 704-607-5207).

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.

October 23, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

Forty Hours devotion planned for Vocations Week CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week with a Forty Hours devotion Nov. 3-4 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. Eucharistic Adoration will begin at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and end at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. The Forty Hours devotion will conclude with a solemn Holy Hour and Benediction from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by Mass at 7 p.m. celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis.

This prayerful time of Adoration presents an opportunity for people to spend time with the Lord in relation to their own vocation, as well as the opportunity to pray for the whole Body of Christ; for all the young men and women who are called by Christ to grow in holiness through their vocation to marriage, the priesthood or religious life. The ancient tradition of 40 hours of continuous Adoration consists of continuous Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, exposed on the altar, by shifts of people over 40 hours. The length of the devotion comes from the calculation that Jesus was in the tomb for 40 hours before He rose from the dead.

Everyone is encouraged to participate or, alternatively, spend a Holy Hour at their parishes.

Kneelers made especially for the men expected to be ordained to the priesthood in June 2016 will also be at the cathedral, before they go on tour throughout the diocese later this year. The kneelers are being organized by Mary’s Sons, which works to pray for priests and an increase of vocations in the diocese.

For details about the Forty Hours Devotion, go to www.stpatricks.org. For details about Mary’s Sons, go to www.maryssons.com.

— Catholic News Herald

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Our Lady of Grace rededicates parish life center, hall Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro blessed and rededicated a new Parish Life Center and the Kathleen Price Bryan Hall Sunday, Oct. 4. The event marked the conclusion of more than six years of planning, construction and remodeling, noted Father Eric Kowalski, pastor.

“What you see today, in a new and unified school building next door, and a total remodeling of this building into parish office spaces, meeting rooms, and this exquisite banquet hall and terrace is the direct result of that planning and vision,” Father Kowalski remarked at the rededication ceremony.

“This was part of a campusPhoto provided wide $4.5 million capital This is the new terrace adjacent to Kathleen Price Bryan Hall at Our Lady of Grace Church. campaign, which included a new school building and the dedication and financial support,” Father Kowalski offered relocation of parish offices to the third floor of the Parish special words of thanks to parishioners John Englar, Don Life Center. The second floor houses meeting rooms and Brady, Ken Kemp and Joseph Bryan Jr. for their vision and conference room with the lower floor a banquet hall,” parish generous financial support throughout the project. business manager MaryAnn DiPaola said.

The Kathleen Price Bryan Hall is located on the lower During the rededication ceremony, Father Kowalski floor of the Parish Life Center. Joseph Bryan Jr., the son of expressed special gratitude to all the members who formed Kathleen Price Bryan, donated the funds for renovation of the parish’s committees and sub-committees, and all those the hall, kitchen and terrace. who volunteered during the lengthy construction process.

“This was a historic moment for our parish. It has allowed Father Kowalski also offered special thanks to “those us to close a six-and-a-half year chapter. At the same time, longtime dedicated parishioners who six years ago helped it has allowed us to open a new chapter for Our Lady Grace then-pastor Father Fidel Melo lead the process of our entire Parish and position ourselves to meet the needs of our family as it evaluated the future needs of the parish and parish and the community in general moving forward,” formulated a parish plan to meet those needs in the future.”

Father Kowalski said.

Noting that “a plan and a vision doesn’t happen without

David Hains | Catholic News Herald

Lunchtime at Cherubs Café ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

OUR PARISHESI

BELMONT — In a new www.catholicnewsherald.com video, diocesan Communication Director David Hains profiles Holy Angels, a 60-year-old institution in Gaston County that serves people with profound physical and mental challenges. Holy Angels also operates a restaurant, candy story and a small market – all of which are staffed, in part, by its handicapped patients. Holy Angels was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in Belmont. Its residential facility serves 100 severely challenged people who are provided with love, learning, hope and dignity. Pictured above is David Stines, Cherubs’ chef, and two Holy Angels supported workers doing prep work for the lunchtime crowd.

SueAnn howell | catholic news herald

‘Celebrate Life’ fundraiser generates $539,000 CHARLOTTE — The Pregnancy Resource Center of Charlotte (PRC) hosted its annual fundraising banquet Oct. 8 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Ballroom at the Charlotte Convention Center. More than 1,450 people from 79 churches attended.

A performance by Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman and a keynote address by Ryan Bomberger of The Radiance Foundation made for a faith-filled, inspiring evening. Organizers report that more than $539,000 in donations and pledges were raised that evening to help women in crisis pregnancies. PRC is on track to save 1,800 babies from abortion this year. For more information, to donate or to volunteer with PRC, go online to www.prccharlotte.com or call 980-224-8357.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 OUR PARISHES

Alan Ames brings healing ministry to diocese Nov. 5-6 CHARLOTTE — Two parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte will host Alan Ames, a layman who travels the world sharing his powerful conversion story and his gift of healing. Ames, with the permission of his bishop in Perth, Australia, will visit St. Mark Church in Huntersville Nov. 5 and St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton Nov. 6.

Mass, a talk by Ames and a healing prayer service will take place each evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. Six priests will be hearing confessions during the healing service.

Ames Ames was born in London and in his youth was a member of a motorcycle gang, on a path towards violence and alcohol. Later, he got married and moved to Australia with his family.

His life changed in 1993 when Ames realized how the sins of his former lifestyle had hurt God. He also came to realize that Jesus offered him forgiveness from the cross.

After some struggles, Ames accepted the forgiveness offered by Jesus. The Lord helped Ames to come back to the sacraments and to the Church and changed his hatred and pain into love.

Later God called Ames to be one of His witnesses, sent to carry God’s love into the world.

Ames has brought hope and blessing to hundreds of thousands of people over the past 21 years in more than 50 countries – the hope and blessing which he himself draws from his sacramental relationship of love with God. His gift of healing has led to thousands of documented healings of individuals around the world. He will be signing books after the healing service.

For more information about Ames and his healing ministry, go to www. alanames.org/en.

To RSVP for the St. Mark Church evening Nov. 5, go to www.signupgenius. com/go/30e0f45acae29a3f85-alan.

Questions regarding his visit to the Diocese of Charlotte can be directed to Jean Whelan at jeanwhelan6@gmail.com or call one of the parish offices.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

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

(803) 327-2097

Center for Spirituality rockhilloratory.org rockhilloratory@gmail.com

Longtime Our Lady of Consolation parishioners preserve African legacy through music, song and dance Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Toni Tupponce and Rocky Whitaker sing with a purpose.

Both Tupponce and Whitaker have been parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte for more than 10 years.

Both of them are accomplished vocalists, and both are committed to preserving the legacy of their African heritage using their musical talents.

A Virginia native, Tupponce moved to Charlotte from Winston-Salem in 2000 as a government employee, but retired in 2005 and started her own consulting business at the time. Tupponce married Tyrone Jefferson, the band director of A Sign of the Times, a Black Big Band at the time, whom she had been working with since 2001.

“We started a non-profit (group) in 2006 called ‘A Sign of the Times of the Carolinas.’ We keep black history alive through music, dance and spoken words.

Our byline is: ‘Preserving the Legacy,’” Tupponce said.

Whitaker moved to Charlotte from Washington, D.C., in the late 1990s and has been a parishioner at Our Lady of Consolation Church since then.

Whitaker also runs his own business

and has a strong musical background.

Whitaker and Tupponce sing for Our Lady of Consolation’s choir, where they quickly became friends and also started collaborating outside church walls. “Toni and I have been singing in this choir and singing at the Church and A Sign of the Times for a long time,” Whitaker said.

“We are a group of musicians that come from a time period where a lot of black history happened. And for us, it is like, ‘OK, we lived that; we understand it.’ We have a mission to make sure that legacy carries on to the next generation, so they understand how we got to where we are and how they can help continue to preserve that legacy,” Whitaker said.

“We don’t just do music that you think of as African American music… This is why our non-profit is so important, because we use our programs to help teach our community that the African diaspora is wide. You’re talking about Brazil, Puerto Rico, you’re talking about Cuba – the music of all of these countries, as well as the African continent and the United States.

“That music is what ties us together now,” Tupponce said.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Watch our full video story about A Sign of the Times

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Online video from the Eucharistic Congress At the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel: Watch the full homily delivered by Bishop Peter Jugis at the 11th annual Eucharistic Congress in September, in both English and Spanish.

October 23, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

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at Maryfield Community Leader Rich Newman. “We are also appreciative of the staff at Jamestown Park Golf Course for their valued partnership.”

Planning for next year’s tournament is already under way. For details, contact Edward Cordick at ecordick@pbmccrc.org or 336821-4020.

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

— Pamela Olson

Fall festival winners

Perpetual Hope Gospel Choir in concert CHARLOTTE — The award-winning Perpetual Hope Gospel Choir will present its 35th annual concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte. The concert will be held in the Parish Life Center, located next to the church at 1235 Badger Ct. All are welcome.

Vatican II’s take on religious life topic of upcoming presentation

Solari

OUR PARISHESI

HIGH POINT — The Sisters of Mary, Mother of God in High Point will host a special presentation on “Vatican II’s Decree on Religious Life 50 Years Later,” with guest speaker Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari from Belmont Abbey, from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at Ilderton Hall at Pennybyrn at Maryfield Community Center, 109 Penn Road in High Point. Abbot Placid will also touch briefly on the upcoming opening of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. All are welcome.

Retreat coming up for college students BLACK MOUNTAIN — Catholic Campus Ministry will host a College Discipleship Retreat Nov. 13-15 at Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain. The theme is “Restless Hearts.” Life is busy, but God offers rest. How does faith in God help to deal with the anxiety and stress of a college (and post-college) life? Come find out. All college students are welcome to attend. For details and to register, contact an area Catholic campus minister or go online to www.catholiconcampus/retreat. Deadline to register is Monday, Nov. 2.

Cajun Fest nets $8,000 for Murphy parish MURPHY — Ask anyone in Murphy where to get good seafood, and you might hear a variety of answers. To be sure, catfish and trout are served in abundance, but fresh shrimp, white fish and crawfish étouffée are scarce treats at the dinner table here, unless you include a trip to St. William Church’s annual Cajun Fest.

This year’s Cajun Fest was another large and successful fundraiser, netting $8,119 that will be placed in the parish’s general fund for various uses.

Citizens from Murphy and surrounding areas came by the hundreds during Friday, Saturday and Sunday in late September to be served inexpensive and delicious Cajun fare. The food was prepared on site at St. William’s outdoor pavilion. Over 100 people were served in the first hour of the Fest.

Louisiana native Rene Madere, a longtime parishioner, organized the event and traveled all the way to his home state and back with fresh seafood to supply the Fest. St. William volunteers prepared the food at Chef Rene’s direction, and others served and cleaned up.

BOONE — Angel Powell and Tom Grogan (pictured left) were declared the winners of the pie baking contest at St. Elizabeth Church’s Fall Festival celebrated earlier this month.

Pictured below are the winners of the popular chili contest: (from left) Ellisa Hayes, third place; Julie Truman, first place; and Carolyn Kanoy, second place.

— Amber Mellon

— Craig Allen, correspondent

Knights build ramps for parishioners BOONE — Knights of Columbus Council 11966 in Boone recently built a ramp for a member of St. Elizabeth Church who has been seriously ill. The ramp was made of aluminum parts and retrieved from a friend of one of the Knights who no longer needed it. After installation, the Knights built a second ramp for another parishioner in need.

— Amber Mellon, correspondent

Bowling tournament held for 33rd year FRANKLIN — There were many winners at the 33rd annual Angie Harris Memorial Bowling Tournament held Oct. 2 at Franklin Lanes in Franklin.

Sponsored by St. William Church in Murphy, along with IOI (Industrial Opportunities Inc.) in Andrews and MCE (Macon County Enterprises) in Franklin, the annual bowling tournament is for mentally and physically challenged adults from workshops.

October marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans Disability Act, and this activity demonstrated the parish’s continued commitment to embracing the local disabled community.

Medals were given to each athlete who participated in the tournament, as well as awards for the winners. Thanks to cochairpersons Carole Johnson and Jean Hobbs (pictured above with volunteer Pat Craige) and all the volunteers who made the day an excellent experience for all the participants.

— Karen M. Francis

St. Pius X Knights in action for LAMB GREENSBORO — The St. Pius X Knights of Columbus Council 11101 set up for business at the Harris Teeter in Greensboro to raise funds for L.A.M.B. (“Least Among My Brethren”) Sept. 23.

The popular “Tootsie roll” campaign ran from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and raised almost $1,000 thanks to the generosity of others, and it will be spent to financially support local programs, institutions and organizations that work to give aid to those among us who have intellectual disabilities. Pictured are (from left) Grand Knight John Joyce Jr., Warren Duhaime, Ed Calouri and Jameson McCann with his daughter Amelia.

— John Russell

Golf tourney raises money for Pennybyrn

Dancers help Urban Ministries

HIGH POINT — Pennybyrn at Maryfield announced that its fifth annual golf tournament raised $21,000 for Maryfield Resident Care. Proceeds from the tournament assist residents in Maryfield Healthcare households who have exhausted their financial resources.

The Sept. 25 tournament at the Jamestown Park Golf Course in Jamestown was organized entirely by Pennybyrn employees and volunteers. Money raised by the event included participant and resident donations along with corporate sponsorships. Local companies also donated generous prizes for raffles held during the awards ceremony. Those participating in the tournament included Pennybyrn employees, residents and local businesses.

Low gross winners of the tournament were David Hardison, Gregg Paschal, John Maynard and Larry Blackwell.

“We are very appreciative to our sponsors and participants who chose to support our residents in this way,” said Pennybyrn

CHARLOTTE — Dancers from the Charlotte City Ballet Company spent an evening in mid-October assembling sandwiches for the Urban Ministries. The dance company is unique in that it operates as a (501c)(3) non-profit and includes a mission of public performances and outreach programs.

Pictured are dancers Taylor Harris of St. Gabriel Church and Rose Hollingsworth of St. Ann Church.

— Tammy Harris We welcome your parish’s news! Please email news items to Editor Patricia L. Guilfoyle at catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Sealed with the Holy Spirit

Dorice Narins | Catholic News Herald

BREVARD — Bishop Jugis also recently confirmed 10 young people at Sacred Heart Church in Brevard.

Amber Mellon | Catholic News Herald

BOONE — Bishop Peter Jugis administered the sacrament of confirmation to 19 youths at St. Elizabeth Church in Boone Sept. 27.

Craig Allen | Catholic News Herald

HAYESVILLE — Bishop Peter Jugis confirmed five candidates at Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission Sept. 20. The confirmation class is pictured above with Bishop Jugis and Father Alex Ayala, pastor. During his homily, Bishop Jugis compared this sacrament with the sacrament of baptism and the sacrament of marriage. All three sacraments are similar, he said, because they don’t end with one act but are just a beginning in witnessing for Christ throughout their lives. He also told the students that confirmation will seal them with the Holy Spirit the same way the Apostles were sealed during Pentecost. He then exhorted them to attend weekly Mass to witness to all that they are not afraid to show their faith.

Photos by Patrick Hession | Catholic News Herald

SPARTA — The confirmation class of St. Frances of Rome Mission in Sparta recently hosted the confirmation class of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson for the celebration of the sacrament of confirmation with Bishop Peter Jugis. Pictured (top) are Julian Maria Castillo, Jose Daniel Perez Velarde, Jesus Nasario Rico Sierra, Vamilet Torres Canela, Cecilia Torres Madrigal and Fernando Torres Madrigal. Pictured (above) are Maria de la Luz Aguilar, Cori Isabelle Richardson, Adrian Jhoe E. Arada, Nathalie Marie Cabrera, Cristal Alejandra Juarez and Jonathan Rayan H. Reyna.

facebook.com/ catholic news HERALD ESPAÑOL

October 23, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Diácono Dario Garcia

Misioneros del Santo Rosario

Fotos por ROMY MACHICAO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(Arriba) Sahumadoras y Cargadores del Señor de los Milagros durante la procesión el Domingo, 11 de Octubre en el estacionamiento de la Parroquia St. John Neumann en Charlotte.

(Derecha) El Párroco de St. John Neumann, Padre Pat Hoare, bendice la Imagen del Señor al principio del evento.

Con procesión celebran devoción al Señor de los Milagros Romy Machicao Corresponsal

CHARLOTTE — El domingo 11 de octubre, devotos de la imagen del Señor de los Milagros asistieron a una misa en su honor, seguida de una procesión alrededor de la Iglesia Saint John Neumann.

Hombres, mujeres y niños vestían el tradicional hábito morado, que visten durante todo el mes para agradecer o pedir una gracia al Cristo Crucificado.

En Charlotte, esta devoción religiosa se realiza desde el 2003 y se ha llevado a cabo también en la Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y Saint Mark.

En Perú, octubre es considerado el mes morado, debido a la devoción al Señor de los Milagros, imagen de Cristo crucificado pintada originalmente por Pedro Dalcón en

un muro y que permaneciera intacta luego del terremoto que azotó Lima en 1655. Al paso de los años se construyó el templo de las Nazarenas y en el que permanece actualmente. Una réplica de esta imagen es la que sale en procesión todos los años y en la parte posterior fue pintada la imagen de la Virgen de las Nubes.

Los devotos del Señor de los Milagros salen en procesión cada año y recorren junto a esta imagen milagrosa las principales calles de la ciudad de Lima y de todo el Perú.

El anda de esta imagen es muy pesada por la madera, oro, plata y piedras preciosas y por las ofrendas o dijes de oro o plata que ofrecen los devotos para agradecer por los milagros obtenidos.

Los hombres se organizan por cofradías y vestidos de morado llevan en sus hombros

la imagen de Cristo, el Padre Eterno, el Espíritu Santo, la Virgen María y María Magdalena.

Las mujeres van rezando, cantando y ofrecen incienso en señal de oraciones al Señor.

“Señor de los Milagros, aquí venimos en procesión, tus fieles devotos para implorar tu bendición…”, son las primeras frases de la canción dedicada en honor del Cristo milagroso.

“Estoy muy agradecida, vengo cada año para acompañar la procesión”, dijo María Pineda, una mujer quien después de pasar por varias operaciones y tratamientos, pudo obtener la gracia de su curación.

“Mis padres me inculcaron esta devoción y yo hago lo mismo con mis hijos y ellos tienen una gran confianza en la protección de nuestro Señor de los Milagros”, dijo Ruth Álvarez.

Iglesia de San Felipe celebra la fe en familia durante Encuentro Mundial de las Familias STATESVILLE — La Parroquia de San Felipe el Apóstol, en Statesville, se unió a la celebración del Encuentro Mundial de las Familias en Filadelfia con el Papa Francisco y tuvo un día de celebración con un picnic familiar el Domingo, 27 de Septiembre, coincidiendo con la Misa de clausura del Papa Francisco en Filadelfia el mismo día. El Párroco de esa parroquia, el Padre Tom Kessler, dijo durante la Misa en español, que “el Papa Francisco hizo una muy buena labor durante su gira por los Estados Unidos,” y que “el Papa fue un gran ejemplo de cómo tratar a las demás personas, especialmente a los pobres, los enfermos y los presos.”

En el canal de YouTube del Catholic News Herald: No se pierdan el video en español de la celebración RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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a Misión del “Santo Rosario” se ha convertido en un movimiento apostólico que está aglutinando buen número de familias hispanas en varias parroquias del Vicariato de Hickory, por medio del rezo del Santo Rosario en familia durante 33 dias y la “consagración” al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús y al Inmaculado Corazón de María.

El apostolado nació en la Parroquia de “San José” de Newton por iniciativa de dos hermanos de la comunidad muy devotos de la Santísima Virgen María: Florencio y “Toñito” hace ya 3 años.

Con la llegada al Ministerio Hispano del material sobre el Rosario y la consagración contenido en el libro “33 días hacia un Glorioso Amanecer” del P. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC y distribuido por el Padre Fidel Melo, Vicario del Ministerio, tomó una nueva fuerza al tener un manual como guía no solo para el rezo del Rosario, sino para la consagración.

Con la distribución del material se empezó a cubrir más número de familias y creció la cantidad de “consagrados” involucrando más hermanos dedicados a la promoción y al cuidado de la “Misión”. Se creó la necesidad de buscar casas para reunir a las familias por sectores y encargar misioneros para acompañarlas conformando grupos de trabajo, asistencia, celebración y acompañamiento, como coordinadores, asistentes y asesores del movimiento.

En la actualidad la Misión tiene consagradas más o menos 150 familias, cuatro “Casas de Oración”, un grupo de Coordinadores de 4 personas y un Equipo de Trabajo de 17 parejas que se reúne cada cuarto jueves de mes para evaluar, programar y recibir formación, fuera de la oportunidad para convivir como familia. Cada año se tiene un Encuentro en el cual se reúnen la mayoría de los consagrados para “renovar” la consagración y los nuevos para ser consagrados.

El párroco de la Parroquia de “San José”, el P. Jim Collins acompaña con su presencia, generosidad y oración al movimiento que ante la decisión de los que lo integran va llegando a otras parroquias como “San Aloysius” de Hickory, “Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles” de Marion, “San Carlos Borromeo” de Morganton y “Santa Dorotea” de Lincolnton.

Misioneros, SEE page 12

Our schools 10

catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

Honoring Mary with a ‘living rosary’

In Brief

St. Gabriel students raise over $2,000 for Catherine’s House CHARLOTTE — Students at St. Gabriel School spent their summers hosting lemonade/cookie stands to raise money for children at Catherine’s House, a home in Belmont that serves women and children facing homelessness due to a variety of circumstances such as domestic violence, unemployment or underemployment, the shortage of affordable housing, unexpected tragedies, and lack of a support network.

Students hosted these lemonade/cookie stands in neighborhoods all over south Charlotte and raised $2,043 – a new school record. With that money, the students bought clothing, shoes, jackets and school supplies for three elementary school children currently living at Catherine’s House. It was the first time some of the students had ever received new clothes with tags.

“I love doing lemonade stands,” said Maggie Schugel, a third-grader at St. Gabriel. “And this one was so fun because we were helping other kids.”

“St. Gabriel Catholic School is dedicated to helping others in our community,” said Principal Sharon Broxterman. “These yearly lemonade stands not only to teach our students to spread the love of Jesus Christ in everyday life, but to open their eyes to a world beyond their own driveways.”

St. Gabriel students have been hosting lemonade stands for Catherine’s House for the past eight years.

Photos provided by Michele Snoke and Darby McClatchy

CHARLOTTE — Teachers and parents joined all 553 students at St. Gabriel School in Charlotte Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, to pray a living rosary together. The fifth-graders led the school community in reciting the rosary, holding individual beads over their heads and standing in the formation of a rosary.

— Cheryl Perry

BMHS girls’ soccer team earns academic honors KERNERSVILLE — The Bishop McGuinness High School girls’ soccer team has received the NSCAA High School Team Academic Award for 2014-’15, given annually by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America to teams for exemplary performance in the classroom, earning a minimum grade-point average of 3.25 during the year.

The team compiled a collective 3.79 grade-point average.

This is the second national academic award for the team, which was NCHSAA Western Region 1-A champion and runner-up for the 1-A girls soccer state championship. Kally Saffar, a senior captain last spring, earned NSCAA High School All-South Scholar Athlete earlier this summer and is now a freshman at Hollins University.

The Villains were one of 246 spring girls’ teams nationally honored with the team award and one of only of 11 honored in North Carolina.

— Jeff Stoller IN BRIEF, SEE page 11

Photo provided by Carrie Vest

HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary middle school students formed a living rosary at church to commemorate the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Photo provided by Amy Burger

HUNTERSVILLE — More than 800 St. Mark students, staff and families also came together Oct. 7 to pray a living rosary, led by the sixth-grade class.

Let’s keep talking.

October 23, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

IN BRIEF

Isaac Kohl, Elizabeth Lloyd, Drew Lodics, Olivia Martin, Mason Mount, Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Kailey Pritchett, Collin Register, Ben Ritzel, Cami Rivas, Sophie Wells and Caroline Wyrick.

Students were selected based on scores at or above the 95th percentile on their standardized achievement or aptitude tests. The TIP program identifies and serves academically talented young people and informs them about various educational resources.

— Jean Navarro

FROM PAGE 10

and other items available in the community.

Matt Carroll also donated several items from the Hornets basketball team that were raffled off at the end of the evening.

— Michele Snoke

St. Michael School celebrates patronal feast day GASTONIA — Students, teachers and parents at St. Michael the Archangel School in Gastonia celebrated the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael on Sept. 29 with a Mass in the Extraordinary Form. The school’s PTO also organized an ice cream party for students and teachers after lunch

Grandparent’s Day at IHM HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary School celebrated Grandparent’s Day with the pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students joining their grandparents and friends to celebrate Mass together. After Mass, grandparents were treated to light refreshments, had a chance to visit the classrooms and enjoyed this special time with their grandchildren, completing a Family Tree activity and playing bingo together.

— Carrie Vest

SPX seventh-grade Duke TIP nominees named GREENSBORO — St. Pius X School is proud to announce that 25 of its seventh-grade students have been nominated to participate in the Duke University Talent Identification Program.

The nominees are: Megan Bourgeois, Joey Clampett, Preston Cobb, Anthony Costello, Grace Dunaway, Max Eddington, Briggs Edwards, Sam Emerick, Ethan Graff, Owen Griffith, Natalie Henn, Alyssa Hernandez, Daniel Jones,

St. Gabriel hosts second annual ‘Family Fun and Fit Night’ CHARLOTTE — Kelli Dumser and Patty Martin, physical education teachers at St. Gabriel School, are always looking for ways to keep students, teachers and families in shape. So, last year they decided to organize an evening of fitness activities and awareness for the school community. On Sept. 23, they hosted the second annual “Family Fun and Fit Night” for about 250 of the school’s families.

The event included an obstacle course, a MACS nurse to offer blood pressure checks, a Zumba instructor, a karate demonstration, the Charlotte Catholic High School varsity basketball team, a tranquil area for stretching, a nutritionist, water and fruit stations, and several booths to showcase fitness activities

— Pat Burr

OLG celebrates Day of peace GREENSBORO — To celebrate the International Day of Peace Sept. 21, many of the faculty, staff and students at Our Lady of Grace School dressed up in 1960s fashions and decorated the school hallways, as well as donated 185 cans of food and $151 to the “Out of the Garden” food assistance program in Greensboro.

— Lori Eanes

OLG takes part in public art project

SueAnn Howell and Heather Moeller | Catholic News Herald

A big check makes a big difference. Literally!

CHARLOTTE — At the Sept. 25 Charlotte Catholic High School football game, Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools principals and MACS Education Foundation board members walked to the 50-yard line to deliver a larger-than-life-sized check totaling $304,998. The donation came from MACS families and friends to benefit the 5,000-plus principals, teachers and students in the MACS system. This year, nine principals and 57 teachers received grants from the foundation.

J.P. Knapp, grants committee chairman for the foundation, presented the check to Dr. Janice Ritter, diocesan schools superintendent. Pictured with them are Kevin O’Herron, Kurt Telford, Kevin Parks, Allana-Rae Ramkissoon, Debbie Mixer, Kathy McKinney, Debbie Butler, Peter Hall, Lisa Keller, Chris Kelly and Heather Moeller. This year’s goal for the foundation is to raise $450,000 to fully fund every qualified principal and teacher grant in the MACS system. Contributions toward the campaign provide essential funds to equip principals and encourage teachers so they can educate their students for a life based on Catholic values and academic success. Go to www.macseducationfoundation.org for details.

GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace School recently participated in the public art project “Rise Together Greensboro” in downtown Greensboro.

Hundreds of ladders were donated or loaned for the display by area businesses, schools and individuals. Principal Amy Pagano delivered a blue OLG-decorated ladder to add to the sculpture, designed by Charlie Brouwer (both pictured above). The towering display on Lindsay Street, which kicked off the National Folk Festival, is a collaboration of many ladders, each with their own special story and background. As Pagano noted, “We enjoy being part of the community and connecting with others. We are pleased to be included in this creative project.”

— Lori Eanes

Seven Gifts Fine Catholic Merchandise

Come visit us November 11-22 Southern Christmas Show Park Expo and Conference Center Charlotte, NC - Booth 7

Prepare the way for the Holy Season of Advent with our: Advent wreaths, calendars and candles, Nativities & Ornaments, Meaningful Catholic Gifts Hours: T/W/TH 10-4, F 10-6 And Saturdays during Advent 10-5 1200 S. York Road Gastonia, NC 28052

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

AWARD

MISIONEROS

MARRIAGE

FROM PAGE 3

FROM PAGE 9

FROM PAGE 3

consecrated life, in particular for his commitment to helping religious communities of men,” explains Sister Kathleen Lunsmann, IHM, president of SOAR!. “Congregations of Franciscans and Carmelites, to name a few, have invited Bishop Curlin to preside at priest or deacon ordinations because he exemplifies servant leadership.

“Bishop Curlin’s life in ministry is an inspiration to many diocesan priests and deacons as well.”

SOAR! was founded in 1986 by a committed group of lay people to raise funds and awareness of the needs of aging and retired religious. SOAR! brings together people of all religious denominations whose lives have been touched by the unparalleled contributions of Catholic religious sisters, brothers and priests.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, SOAR! is committed to assuring the safety, security, and well-being of elderly and infirm members of Catholic religious congregations in the United States, and augments the efforts of the institutional Church.

For more information or to register for the Nov. 6 dinner, contact Sister Kate Clancy, IHM, at 202-529-7627 or kclancy@soar-usa. org, or visit www.soar-usa.org.

— SOAR! contributed to this article.

En el último Encuentro que se realizó el 26 de Septiembre de 2015 se tuvo la presencia del Señor Vicario del Ministerio Hispano, Padre Fidel Melo, el Padre párroco Jim Collins y el Equipo Coordinador de la Misión, con una asistencia de 357 personas contando padres de familia, hijos mayores de 12 años y niños. Una particularidad que identifica la Misión es la presencia de la familia hasta en las reuniones del equipo.

Los hijos forman parte de las actividades que se programan, por ejemplo, dramatizaciones de eventos marianos y coro de la Misión.

La Misión pretende extender el trabajo a todas las parroquias del Vicariato y para eso adelanta la promoción de nuevas consagraciones insistiendo en que la “consagración” no es solo por la fecha de concesión o por el término de los 33 días, sino que es un compromiso que implica la asistencia dominical a la Eucaristía, la Visita frecuente al Santísimo, el rezo diario en familia del Santo Rosario y la invitación permanente a otros hermanos para que la hagan, lo mismo que el acompañamiento durante el proceso.

La Misión ha asumido también la “Virgen Peregrina”, el rezo del Santo Rosario todos los domingos antes de la Eucaristía y la cadena de rosarios preparatorios para la celebración de la “Virgen de Guadalupe” el 12 de Diciembre. Pedimos a todos los hermanos que lean este artículo mucha oración por el éxito de la “Misión del Santo Rosario.”

El Diácono Darío García es el Coordinador del Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Hickory.

world, he said.

Quoting from Pope Francis, Bishop Jugis noted, “Christians do not marry only for themselves. The Christian marriage is different from those who marry only in the secular order; Christian marriage is not a private affair, he says. Christians marry in the Lord for the benefit of the whole community of the Church and also for the benefit of all of society. What he means by that is that Christian married couples are signs of God’s love.

“People in society may be following a purely secular mindset, marrying for various reasons … but Christian marriage is different: as a sign of God’s love, meant to bring life to the Church by their love and by the children that they bring into the world and raise in the faith.”

“Christian married couples are meant to share the love and peace that they experience in their marriage with everyone they meet.”

Christian families thus help build up the Church and society, he said.

“Christian married couples, our Holy Father likes to say, are missionaries of Christ’s love – enriching the community of the Church and enriching the broader secular society.

“You bring the presence of Christ to others.”

Pope Francis also describes marriage between man and woman as “God’s masterpiece” – the supreme achievement of all His Creation, Bishop Jugis continued. God created the entire universe, lastly creating man and woman in His

image to live together in love and unity.

Jesus Christ affirmed and blessed the sanctity of marriage, elevating it to a sacrament, he added.

Bishop Jugis cautioned the couples not to let disunity or mistrust come between them.

“Beware of the devil. He is very jealous of you. He is jealous of the peace and the harmony and the mutual respect of Christian marriage and family,” he said.

The Book of Genesis not only describes God’s creation of the world and of man and woman, he said, it also describes how the devil tempts the couple into falling away from God. “He introduced mistrust and suspicion into their relationship, to destroy the beautiful masterpiece that God created,” he said. “And it has been like that from the beginning. The only remedy, as we all know, is Jesus and His saving grace.”

Among the couples celebrating their 25th anniversary were Rick and Sayenoh Mensah of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte. Their advice for a happy marriage? “Keep Christ at the center of your relationship,” Mrs. Mensah said.

Trusting each other is also key, said Vince and Alice Lombardo of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept. 24. That, and never letting disagreements go on too long, they added.

“May the love of Christ continue to shine brightly on your marriage,” Bishop Jugis told the couples. “This is your vocation and this is your mission in the Church and in the world: sharing the love of Christ which you have come to experience in each other.

May God’s blessing remain with you and with your families.”

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October 23, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters ‘99 Homes’ Trenchant, didactic and profoundly moral drama examining the human cost of the financial crisis that began in 2008.

Director Ramin Bahrani, who co-scripted with Amir Naderi, portrays the Faustian bargain struck between two bit players on the Orlando, Florida, real estate scene, one an unemployed construction worker (Andrew Garfield), the other a seemingly pitiless broker (Michael Shannon), as each tries to weather the maelstrom of forces unleashed by the meltdown. Frequent rough and crude language.

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

‘Crimson Peak’ Though handsome to look at, this luxurious turn-of-the-20th-century ghost story is relentlessly off-key in its human interaction while its initially isolated bouts

of gruesome violence multiply as the action intensifies toward a lurid conclusion.

Despite the misgivings of her loving father (Jim Beaver), an upstate New York heiress (Mia Wasikowska) falls for a titled but impoverished British mine owner (Tom Hiddleston) who, accompanied by his spooky sister (Jessica Chastain), has come to the new world in search of fresh capital to revive the family business. Following dad’s somewhat mysterious death, the couple marries and, with sinister sibling in tow, departs for the grand but dilapidated family seat in the English countryside where further eerie doings are bound to be added to the heroine’s unsettling childhood encounters with her deceased mother (Doug Jones in special-effects drag). Excessive gory violence and at least one rough term.

CNS: 0(morally offensive); MPAA: R

Other movies n ‘Woodlawn’: CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG n ‘Pan’: CNS: L (limited adult audience); MPAA: PG n ‘The Walk’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG n ‘Bridge of Spies’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13

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On TV n Friday, Oct. 23, 6:30 P.m. (EWTN) “Ukraine: Forgotten Generation.” After a long history of persecution, Ukraine declared its independence in 1991. This is the story of the country’s difficulty coping with dire conditions of education and child care. n Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Road to Rome: Training Priest for the Third Millennium.”

An inside look at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and its method for training the priests of the new millennium, includes interviews with various international seminarians and priests who have attended the institution n Wednesday, Oct. 28, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Hound of Heaven.” A lively documentary presenting the life and work of English poet Francis Thompson and the back story of his famous work “The Hound of Heaven,” a poem that has captured hearts and minds around the world for more than 100 years. n Thursday, Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Angola: Paulino the Catechist.” The story of Paulino Vitete, one of many lay catechists in the African country of Angola, a nation that has seen war and an oppressive government but where 55 percent identify still as Catholic. It is because of

catechists like Vitete that the Church survives there. n Saturday, Oct. 31, 11 p.m. (EWTN) “Margaret Sinclair: The Untold Story.” The untold story of Venerable Margaret Sinclair, an Exern Sister of the Poor Clares who devoted her young life to prayer and promoting love for the Eucharist. n Sunday, Nov. 1, 9 a.m. (EWTN) “All Saints Mass from EWTN.” The Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word celebrate Mass for All Saints Day, live from the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel in Irondale, Ala. n Sunday, Nov. 1, 5 p.m. (EWTN) “Fatima.” This feature film recounts the events of Fatima through the eyes of a Catholic peasant singer whose boyfriend converts from atheism by the supernatural grace of the apparitions. n Monday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m. (EWTN) “All Souls Mass from EWTN.” Celebrate Mass for All Souls’ Day with the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word from Our Lady of the Angels Chapel in Irondale, Ala. n Monday, Nov. 2, 2:30 p.m. (EWTN) “November Song.” After witnessing an old woman pray by a gravestone, a young girl is challenged of her careless ignorance of faith, life and death.

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Our nation 14

catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Papal favorability numbers rise following September U.S. visit Catholic News Service

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Marist Poll survey commissioned by the Knights of Columbus found Pope Francis’ favorability made significant gains among Catholics and among Americans overall in the wake of his Sept. 22-27 visit to the United States.

Among practicing Catholics, 90 percent now say they view Pope Francis favorably, up from 83 percent in August, one month before his visit. Among all Americans, the pope’s numbers jumped from 58 percent to 74 percent.

Asked if they are clear about Pope Francis’ vision for the Church, 55 percent of Americans said yes, up from 43 percent, and 88 percent of practicing Catholics said the same, up from 73 percent.

Fifty-six percent of Americans said they now feel better about their own faith because of his visit, including 86 percent of practicing Catholics. Strong majorities of the respondents said they agreed with the pope on: n Supporting religious freedom: 85 percent of Americans surveyed agreed, while 7 percent said they were more likely to agree now than before the papal visit. Of the practicing Catholics surveyed, 87 percent and 7 percent, respectively, shared that view. n Being more respectful of the earth and the environment: 84 percent of Americans agreed, and 7 percent were more likely to agree now. For practicing Catholics, the numbers were 81 percent and 10 percent, respectively. n Respecting life at every stage of development, including for the unborn: 62 percent of Americans agreed, and 6 percent were more likely to hold that view now. For practicing Catholics, the numbers were 81 percent and 5 percent, respectively. n Allowing people to opt out of CNS | Lisa Johnston, St. Louis Review actions contrary Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives to celebrate the final Mass to their religious for the World Meeting of Families along Benjamin Franklin Parkway in beliefs: 57 percent of Philadelphia Sept. 27.

Americans agreed, while 5 percent were more likely to agree now. For practicing Catholics, it was 70 percent and 6 percent, respectively. n Upholding marriage as between one man and one woman: 55 percent agreed; an additional 4 percent were more likely to agree now. For practicing Catholics, it was 60 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

There was more divergence among respondents on the death penalty, according to the survey results. Regarding the overall American response, 41 percent agreed with the pope on opposing capital punishment, and an additional 5 percent said they were more likely to agree now; 44 percent disagreed with the pope, and another 4 percent were more likely to disagree now. For practicing Catholics, the numbers on both sides of the issue were similar. Another survey finding showed that 58 percent of Americans, and 82 percent of practicing Catholics, are more likely to engage in charitable activity as a result of Pope Francis’ trip.

The telephone survey was conducted Oct. 1-9 among 1,095 U.S. adults ages 18 and up, including 269 self-identified Catholics, 160 of whom said they practice their faith. The margin of error in survey results was plus or minus 3 percentage points for Americans, plus or minus 6 percentage points overall for Catholics, and plus or minus 7.7 percentage points for practicing Catholics in that group.

Landline telephone numbers were randomly selected for one survey sample and cellphone numbers were randomly dialed for a second survey sample; the two samples were then combined.

“The data clearly show that Pope Francis’ trip to the United States was a success by any measure,” said an Oct. 16 statement by Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus. “Not only is the pope viewed more favorably on the heels of the trip, but Americans also feel he made a real difference in their own lives – motivating them to become more involved in charitable activity, and making them feel better about their own faith.”

The Marist Poll is a service of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which operates out of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

CNS | Nancy Wiechec

People walk outside San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission in Carmel, Calif., May 17. As the U.S. Latino Catholic population grows, shared parishes offer Hispanics the best change to influence the Church.

Latino Catholics are Church’s future, but also its present, says prof Jorge I. Dominguez-Lopez Catholic News Service

NEW YORK — The Hispanic Catholic presence in the United States predates the foundation of Jamestown, Va., by a century, a University of Notre Dame professor said at a discussion about Latino Catholicism at the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture.

The New York center, a Catholic space to debate ideas and to celebrate the enriching interaction of faith and culture, held the discussion Oct. 15 as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Timothy Matovina, a Notre Dame professor of theology and co-director of the Indiana university’s Institute for Latino Studies, and Valerie Torres, adjunct faculty of religious education at Jesuit-run Fordham University in New York, were the main speakers.

The room, which can hold nearly 300 people, was filled with an audience that included several seminarians and young priests.

America magazine, a national Catholic publication run by the Jesuits, sponsored the discussion and Jesuit Father Matt Malone, president and editor-in-chief of America Media, welcomed the attendees. Auxiliary Bishop Nelson J. Perez of Rockville Centre

invited everybody to pray the “Hail Mary” in Spanish.

Torres spoke of the Hispanic community in the United States, citing statistics and their main cultural and religious attributes.

Matovina offered a panoramic view of the history and the current state of Latino Catholicism in the United States.

He emphasized three key aspects of Latino Catholicism.

After reminding the audience of Hispanic Catholics’ centuries-old presence in this country, he addressed the second historical wave of Hispanic Catholics in the United States: the inhabitants of the regions of Mexico that were annexed to the United States in the 19th century.

Next came the great migration wave that started halfway through the 20th century and continues until today, he said.

Matovina said that Hispanics are not only a “pastoral challenge” but also an enriching part of the Catholic Church. Not only are they the future of the U.S. Church but also its present.

The great challenge today, as it has been with each immigration wave, is to guarantee that the new generations of U.S.-born Hispanics maintain the faith that their immigrant parents brought with them.

October 23, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Immigrants ‘need our loving response,’ St. Louis archbishop says ST. LOUIS — In what he called a “pastoral statement on immigration and mercy,” Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis said, “Our Catholic communities and public squares are replete with new faces of immigrant sisters and brothers who need our loving response.”

He added, “As the local bishop and pastor of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, I am aware of the painful stories of immigrants whose ongoing sufferings and sacrifices reveal to us the presence of Jesus crucified.”

The statement was issued Oct. 12, the national Columbus Day holiday. The Catholic “journey and pilgrim identity is marked by a profound commitment to serving those around us, especially the most vulnerable, the poor and the migrant,” he said, adding that Catholics understand by serving “the least among us, we have touched the face of Christ.”

Archbishop Carlson noted how “in our country, the Church has been responsive to the waves of immigrants that have graced our American shores. The Irish, the German, the Italian, the Polish and other European immigrants have found a generous hospitality in our Catholic churches and institutions.”

He also said he is well aware of the complexities of working for immigration reform today.

Planned Parenthood says it will no longer take payments for fetal tissue NEW YORK — The president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America said Oct.

13 that the organization’s clinics will no longer accept reimbursement for fetal tissue procured in abortions and provided to researchers.

Cecile Richards said the decision was made “to completely debunk” a series of 11 videos released in recent weeks by the Center for Medical Progress showing physicians and others associated with Planned Parenthood describing the harvesting of fetal tissue and body parts during abortions at their clinics. Also discussed in the videos, which were filmed undercover, are what researchers are charged for the tissue and parts.

The revelation has prompted investigations by state and federal officials into Planned Parenthood’s activities across the country and has led to calls to end state and federal funding for the organization.

Planned Parenthood receives more than $500 million of its $1.3 billion annual budget from federal and state programs.

In reaction to Richards’ decision, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, called it “meaningless” and said it “does not settle any controversy. Nor does it answer any of the questions that the ongoing investigations into Planned Parenthood’s actions have raised.”

Archbishop Cupich urges Illinois, nation to back gun control measures CHICAGO — Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, saying it is time to “take meaningful and swift action to address violence in our society,” called for stricter gun control laws in Illinois. “Recently, the city of Chicago adopted a tough ordinance to tightly regulate gun stores here. I applaud Chicago’s leadership for taking this important step to protect our children and families,” Archbishop Cupich said in a commentary published Oct. 9 issue in the Chicago Tribune.

“For this measure to truly be effective, however, the General Assembly must pass a similar law, especially considering how many guns are sold in gun shops located outside of Chicago,” he added. “Let’s be honest. The Second Amendment was passed in an era when

organized police forces were few and citizen militias were useful in maintaining the peace.

Its original authors could not have anticipated a time when the weapons we have a right to bear now include military-grade assault weapons that have turned our streets into battlefields,” Archbishop Cupich said.

“The Second Amendment’s original intent has been perverted by those who, as Pope Francis recently commented, have profited mightily.

Surely there is a middle ground between the original intent of the amendment and the carnage we see today,” he added, noting that during the pope’s address Sept. 24 to Congress, many “stood ... to applaud Pope Francis’ call for an end to the weapons industry that is motivated by ‘money that is drenched in blood.’”

NCCW provides resource on domestic violence awareness WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Council of Catholic Women has developed a resource manual called “Women Healing the Wounds” that provides information about the impact of domestic violence and the Church’s response to it. The 52-page document in English and Spanish is available to download free at www. nccw.org in the site’s “Spotlight” section.

It includes a customizable safety flier, a section on teen-dating violence, various resources and Catholic teaching.

In the U.S., October is observed as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“For many years, NCCW has been active on the issue of domestic violence. We are hopeful this new resource will give courage to victims to leave their abuser as well as educate others on the signs exhibited by persons experiencing domestic violence,” Sheila Hopkins, NCCW president, said in a statement. “In the Catholic Church, we celebrate Respect Life in the month of October and this is a respect life issue as well.”

Citing statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in an announcement about the resource, NCCW said that nearly one out of every four U.S. women are the victims of severe violence from an intimate partner. It also said women are much more likely to be victims of

15

such violence because 85 percent of domestic abuse victims are women.

“Violence of any kind – physical, sexual, psychological or verbal – is never justified,” NCCW said.

National Association of Evangelicals changes position on death penalty WASHINGTON, D.C. — The board of directors of the National Association of Evangelicals approved a resolution Oct. 19 that changes its position on the death penalty, which the group supported in a 1973 resolution.

The new resolution, which is the standing policy of the group, does not reverse its initial position but acknowledges that some evangelicals are opposed to capital punishment.

It states that evangelical Christians “differ in their beliefs about capital punishment, often citing strong biblical and theological reasons either for the just character of the death penalty in extreme cases or for the sacredness of all life, including the lives of those who perpetrate serious crimes and yet have the potential for repentance and reformation. We affirm the conscientious commitment of both streams of Christian ethical thought,” it adds.

The resolution also notes that even as evangelicals hold differing views on capital punishment, they are “united in calling for reform to our criminal justice system. Such reform should improve public safety, provide restitution to victims, rehabilitate and restore offenders, and eliminate racial and socioeconomic inequities in law enforcement, prosecution and sentencing of defendants.”

Let’s keep talking.

— Catholic News Service

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Our world 16

catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Canonizing four saints, pope urges people to serve others with joy Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis called on people to replace their thirst for power with the joy of quiet and humble service, as he proclaimed four new saints, including the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

All of Christ’s disciples, especially its pastors, are called to model themselves after Jesus and “suppress our instinctive desire to exercise power over others, and instead exercise the virtue of humility.”

The pope said the new saints – a Spanish religious woman, an Italian priest and the first married couple with children to be canonized together – “unfailingly served their brothers and sisters with outstanding humility and charity in imitation of the divine master.”

On World Mission Sunday Oct. 18 in St. Peter’s Square, during the Synod of Bishops on the family, the pope created the following new saints: n Louis Martin (1823-1894) and Marie Zelie Guerin Martin (1831-1877), the French parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. They had nine children; four died in infancy and five entered religious life. During their 19-year marriage, the couple was known to attend Mass daily, pray and fast, respect the Sabbath, visit the elderly and the sick, and welcome the poor into their home. n Italian Father Vincenzo Grossi (18451917), founder of the Institute of the Daughters of the Oratory. n Spanish Sister Maria of the Immaculate Conception (1926-1998), a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross.

Some 65,000 people attended the Mass, including more than 300 cardinals, bishops and others taking part in the Oct. 4-25 synod on the family.

While the pope’s homily pointed to the new saints as inspiring examples of joyful servants who completely trusted in God, he dedicated the bulk of his reflection on the day’s readings and the Christian meaning of authority and hierarchy.

He said the prophet Isaiah said the servant of the Lord “is not someone of illustrious lineage; he is despised, shunned by all, a man of sorrows. He does not do great things or make memorable speeches; instead he fulfills God’s plan through his humble, quiet presence and his suffering.”

Jesus invites everyone to follow Him on this same path of love and service, he said, and to “reject the worldly temptation of seeking first place and commanding others.”

Because Jesus fully shares in the human condition, with the exception of sin, He can empathize with human weaknesses, the pope said. “Jesus exercises a true priesthood of mercy and compassion” by loving and accepting God’s children; by sharing in their weakness; by offering them “the grace which heals and restores”; and by accompanying them “with infinite tenderness amid their tribulations.”

Through baptism, all Christians must share in this ministry by opening one’s heart to God in order to receive His love and charity, which is to be received not only “for ourselves, but also for others.”

CNS | Paul Haring

Pope Francis leads the opening session of the Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 5. Also pictured are Cardinals Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, left, and Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, relator for the synod.

Pope calls for ‘synodal’ Church where all listen, learn, share mission Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Marking the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis outlined his vision for a Church that is “synodal” at every level, with everyone listening to one another, learning from one another and taking responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel.

“The journey of synodality is the journey that God wants from his Church in the third millennium,” the pope said Oct. 17. “A synodal Church is a listening Church, aware that listening is more than hearing. It is a reciprocal listening in which each one has something to learn.”

Pope Francis, members of the Synod of Bishops on the family, theologians and other guests dedicated a morning to marking the anniversary of Blessed Paul VI’s institution in 1965 of the synod as a forum for sharing the faith and concerns of the world’s Catholics, reflecting together and offering counsel to the pope.

Referring to the Greek roots of the word “synod,” Pope Francis said, “walking together – laity, pastors, the bishop of Rome – is an easy concept SYNOD, SEE page 20

Synod changes: Making less time for speeches, more time for dialogue VATICAN CITY — Although the public is given glimpses of what happens inside the Church’s world Synod of Bishops, the meetings themselves take place behind closed doors.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Synod of Bishops has been the object of a continual hunt to balance creating a protected space where bishops could speak freely with letting Catholics at home know that their bishops were working prayerfully and seriously on issues they, too, would find important.

As a theologian, bishop and then-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Pope Benedict XVI had attended 15 of the 20 general, special and regional synod assemblies held between 1965 and his election as pope in 2005. One of the first things he did as pope was to institute an hour of “free discussion” at the end of the synod’s evening session each day. Unfortunately, several synod members said, some synod participants insist on reading a text there, too, basically giving themselves the chance to make two formal speeches.

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, synod general secretary, said this year’s synod has participants spending more time working and discussing issues in small groups and less time listening to speeches.

Because the number of bishops in the world – and at the synods – continues to grow, the amount of time they are given for speeches to the assembly has been reduced. Prior to 2005, they each had eight minutes. For the 2008 synod, it was reduced to five minutes. This year it was slashed to three minutes.

— Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

October 23, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

More from the Synod of Bishops on the Family Pope says synod is not parliament, but place to listen to Holy Spirit VATICAN CITY — The world Synod of Bishops on the family is not a parliament where participants will negotiate or lobby, Pope Francis said, but it must be a place of prayer where bishops speak with courage and open themselves to “God who always surprises us.” Opening the first working session of the synod Oct. 5, the pope said the synod’s 270 voting members need courage, “pastoral and doctrinal zeal, wisdom, frankness and to keep always before our eyes the good of the Church and of families and the supreme law – the salvation of souls.”

The synod is not a convention or a parliament, Pope Francis said, “but an expression of the Church; it is the Church that walks together to read reality with the eyes of faith and with the heart of God.” Synod members must be faithful to Church teaching, “the deposit of faith, which is not a museum to be visited or even simply preserved, but is a living spring from which the Church drinks to quench the thirst and enlighten” people, he said.

CNS | Paul Haring

U.S. couple Anthony Paul and Catherine Wally Witczak, center, and other delegates leave a session of the Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 15. The couple were observers at the synod.

Synod observers call for empathy, support for struggling families VATICAN CITY — Couples attending the Synod of Bishops called for empathy and support from the Church to families suffering difficult circumstances. Several lay couples and a missionary sister addressed the synod Oct. 15-16, highlighting various issues facing families in their countries and abroad. Anthony and Catherine Witczak, the international ecclesial team of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter, stressed the need for better programs for engaged and married couples in the Church.

They also said couples should not be separated when taking part in parish ministry, “but rather let their sacrament shine by allowing them to work as a team.”

Anthony Witczak also called for a priestly formation that is geared to living a closer relationship with families in their parishes. “If a Church is meant to be a family of families, then we should encourage our seminarians to be priests in love with their people, not merely priests in charge of a parish,” he said. “Our faith is based on relationship with God, but it is learned and lived out in relationship with others.”

Families need homilies connecting Gospel to real life, observer says VATICAN CITY — Families need to hear homilies that connect the Gospel to the troubles and joys they experience, said a synod participant. Maria Gomes, the Family and Life director at St. Mary’s Church in Dubai, and an observer at the Synod of Bishops on the family, said the typical scenario is “the priest just talks about the Gospel, ‘Peter said this, John said this’ and then it’s finished and it’s done and

over.” But Catholics, she said, want their priest “to cover real facts of what’s happening in the family and how important the family is today.”

Gomes, who is one of a number of non-voting lay observers, said urging priests around the world to connect the Gospel to people’s real lives is the focus of her presentation to the synod. Accompanying God’s word with a real example or story from someone’s life helps people know “the facts, that there are so many other people also having problems” and how Christ offers healing, Gomes said.

While the quality of homilies is important, the pastor’s personality and the dedication of the community are also key, she said.

Families have a mission in the Church, archbishop says VATICAN CITY — The family is not just an object of Church discussion, but must be a subject – an actor – that shares its life and witness with the wider Christian community, said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky. At the Synod of Bishops, he said, members agree that “the family is also meant to be an agent and instrument of mercy,” promoting healing and reconciliation among their members and in reaching out to others, both their neighbors and strangers.

Archbishop Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he would return home from the synod with a commitment to finding new ways to “call forth families” and to give them the formation they need to continue to strengthen their relationships at home and with others. The archbishop, who for years worked for Catholic Charities with a wide variety of families in difficult situations, said the ministry of the Church begins with “presence. We need to look at the way we speak, but we know the best priests, the best pastoral ministers are the ones who know how to be present with others.” The Church must be careful and precise with her doctrinal language, he said, but members of the synod also seem to agree that it would benefit from a greater use of biblical language, which often is more accessible than the philosophical sounding words of Church doctrine.

Synod members are focused on helping families, Archbishop Gomez says VATICAN CITY — While “a few problems” are grabbing media headlines, members of the Synod of Bishops on the family are highlighting the good things happening in the Catholic Church and identifying programs they think should be done better, said Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles. “For me, it’s a little bit frustrating to talk about just a few problems when we have so many things out there we need to address in the future,” the archbishop said. “I think the important thing is that the synod must provide the Holy Father with advice on what to do in those specific things.”

One of the often discussed issues at the synod is marriage preparation.

In the synod’s first week, many calls were made for a more extended program of preparation for marriage. Archbishop Gomez echoed the sentiments of several synod fathers, saying that it is an essential part of the Church’s response to challenges facing marriages and the family in today’s society.

Pope Francis noted how long seminarians prepare for the sacrament of ordination and how, in some places, preparation for the sacrament of marriage is just one weekend.

Archbishop Gomez said marriage preparation should not last as long as seminary training, but he stressed the importance of improving the “good, solid programs of formation” that currently exist.

Infertility can lead to sadness, broken marriages, Nigerian bishop says VATICAN CITY — Married couples need more help in dealing with infertility and childlessness, which is “one of the major causes of divorce in Africa,” said a Nigerian member of the Synod of Bishops on the family. In a culture where “children are celebrated with all kinds of ceremonies” and are so important to society, the trauma that couples, especially women, experience, “is beyond anything I can say,” said Bishop Jude Arogundade of Ondo.

“Everybody wants to leave a child behind,” he said. “If you don’t have a child and you die, it’s like you never lived,” he said. He said the increasing rate of infertility in Nigeria and other parts of Africa “is really alarming,” so he dedicated his brief presentation to the synod to this problem. The “complex process” involved with adoption means it is not typically an option for poorer couples, he said, and reproductive health treatments are usually not available.

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In Brief At audience, pope asks forgiveness for scandals in Rome, Vatican VATICAN CITY — With 30,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis asked forgiveness for scandals that have occurred within the Church recently. “Before beginning my catechesis, I would like – in the name of the Church – to ask your forgiveness for the scandals which have occurred recently both in Rome and at the Vatican,” the pope said.

“I ask your forgiveness.” The pope’s off-thecuff remarks Oct. 14 followed a reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel in which Jesus warns of scandalizing the “little ones. Jesus’ words are strong, aren’t they?” the pope said. “’Woe to the world for scandals.’ Jesus is a realist. He says it’s inevitable that there will be scandals, but ‘Woe to the one who causes the scandal.”

Pope Francis did not explain what scandal or scandals he was referring to, but his comments came during a week that saw the leak of a private letter sent to him by several cardinals expressing concern with aspects of the Synod of Bishops on the family.

Pope to visit Africa Nov. 2530; including Central African Republic CNS | Paul Haring

Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington leaves a session of the Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 6.

God’s mercy, forgiveness are good news for all, cardinal says VATICAN CITY — The heart of the Synod of Bishops on the family is the challenge of discerning ways to reach out with God’s mercy to people, who might not be perfect, and to help them move closer to perfection, said Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington. The first step, the cardinal said, is to “recognize what the human condition is and that we are all caught up in it – that’s what the fall was all about and that’s what Jesus’ death on the cross was all about.

We do live in an imperfect world and each one of us is imperfect, but we also have the salvific grace of God at work in each one of us.”

Cardinal Wuerl said it was important for the synod members to show people around the world both that the Church still believes firmly that marriage and family are blessings, but also that Church leaders know there are challenges raised by society and by the individuals themselves. “I think it’s good for people to hear that their shepherds recognize that they are struggling, that it isn’t as easy as it sounds in the catechism,” he said. “At the same time, God’s grace is at work in our lives.”

Polish bishop: Communion for remarried undermines doctrine VATICAN CITY — Allowing civilly remarried divorcees to receive Communion would not only open the door to the sacrament for all who live in mortal sin, but also would cause great damage to the Church’s doctrine on sanctifying grace, said Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki of Poznan, Poland. The Church must help divorced and remarried couples “with special charity” and “in a spirit of mercy,” but cannot allow them FAMILY, SEE page 20

VATICAN CITY — Despite continued instability and outbreaks of violence in the Central African Republic, the Vatican announced Pope Francis will spend about 33 hours in the country during a Nov. 25-30 visit to Africa. Releasing the schedule for the trip, the Vatican said that while the pope is in the Central African Republic Nov. 29-30, he will visit a refugee camp, hold a meeting with evangelical Christians and visit a mosque in Bangui, the nation’s capital. The country has known little peace or development in its 55 years of independence.

Kenya is the first stop on Pope Francis’ first visit to Africa as pope; there, too, he will meet with ecumenical and interreligious leaders, but he also will visit the Kangemi slum on the outskirts of Nairobi.

Traveling to Uganda Nov. 27, the pope will honor the memory of the 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic Ugandan martyrs, killed for their faith on the orders of King Mwanga II between 1885 and 1887.

India’s Missionaries of Charity to end adoption work KOLKATA, India — The Missionaries of Charity will close their adoption centers in India, citing new regulations that would allow nontraditional families to adopt children, reported ucanews. com. Founded by Blessed Teresa of Kolkata, the congregation runs orphanages across India, with 18 of them government-recognized centers that offer children for adoption. But the nuns do not want to run adoption centers in India now, said Sister Mary Prema, the congregation’s current superior general. “The decision of seeking the government’s de-recognition status for adoption centers applies only to India,” Sister Mary Prema said. The nuns decided on this voluntarily after the Missionaries of Charity headquarters in Kolkata was informed about complying with the new Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children by the federal Ministry of Women and Child Development, said an Oct. 10 statement issued by Sunita Kumar, spokeswoman for the congregation.

— Catholic News Service

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Jyllian Carter

The Canticle of Canticles: A song of divine love “

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Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth! More delightful is your love than wine!” Thus begins the Canticle of Canticles, one of the most beautiful books of Scripture. Attributed to Solomon, this inspired love song in the Old Testament represents the love between Christ and Our Lady, His Church and, more specifically, faithful souls. However, some are unaware of this traditional representation established by Holy Mother Church, and, consequently, take the strong love expressions literally and nothing more.

Many saints, particularly St. Teresa of Avila, have written about the Canticle of Canticles, trying to aright the distorted viewpoints of this book. Nevertheless, despite the saints’ noteworthy efforts, some people still believe that the Canticle of Canticles is unfitting for many occasions and safer to read only privately. Though to these people the amorous Canticle of Canticles seems unfitting, the love displayed in its dramatic expressions is indeed only part of the extent of love between Christ and the perfect soul.

However, it is a beautiful, unashamed love worthy of the exchange of holy thoughts on its mysteries.

Since God is infinite, the love between Him and the perfect soul is infinitely beautiful. However, this love is only imperfectly expressed in the words of the Canticle of Canticles, for our finite language is incapable of expressing the language of heaven. Nevertheless, this goal is attempted and can hardly be surpassed by other theologians. From the very beginning of the Canticle of Canticles, we realize that the soul is taken with the love of Christ when she begins the song with the words: “Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth! More delightful is your love than wine!” The Divine Spouse in turn begins His chorus: “Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved, ah, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves!”

The song is filled with such beautiful love expressions from Christ to His bride, and rightly so, for, “there is no exaggeration of words whereby He might prove His love for us, which He has not exceeded by deeds,” notes St. Teresa of Avila in “The Way of Perfection, and Conceptions of Divine Love.” If this is the case, then we should imitate the boldness of the bride in the Canticles, who in turn imitates the boldness of Christ. This will inflame and enrich the beauty of the loving harmonies passing between Christ and the soul.

If the love between Christ and the perfect soul is so beautiful, then we should make use of the expressions in the Canticle of Canticles and not be ashamed of their strength and ardor. Even though the words are ever so bold, they are but a poor

representation of reality.

St. Teresa of Avila says that it is “owing to our having too little practice in the love of God, which makes us think a soul cannot speak with God in such expressions.” The words of the Canticle of Canticles are inspired by the Holy Spirit, she says, and no one should be ashamed of them. It is the baser impulse which gives rise to shame of this kind since to be ashamed of the Word is to be ashamed of God who is the Word.

The Word is Eternal and thus is beneficial to souls of all ages, countries and times.

Therefore, thinking that the Canticle of Canticles is merely an out-of-date love song of Solomon is incorrect. We must resist shrinking from in-depth conversations and lectures on this song just because the subject may be uncomfortable. We must set our feet on this steep mountain, for as we near the peak our understanding will increase – and with it our love for God. For the sake of the beauty and truth in the Canticle of Canticles, it is well that this inspired book hold the central theme of spiritual conversations to unite souls more closely to the aim of life: the love of God. The Canticles describes so well this love that it demands our attention and discussion about the mysteries contained within its pages. With sorrow St. Teresa of Avila points out that people “neglect considering the great mysteries contained in those words, which are inspired by the Holy Ghost.” However, voicing personal meditations to fellow travelers on the road to holiness actually matures our musings, developing them more quickly by the exchange of ideas. Then, with a better understanding of the love of God, the soul imitates the bride of the Canticle of Canticles by the natural increase of her own love towards Him. Overall, the beautiful mysteries contained in the Canticle of Canticles speak of the love between Christ and His bride – an unfathomably beautiful, unashamed love from which we should share our fruitful meditations. Sadly, the world today is desperately lacking in true love. As lights to the world, we members of Holy Mother Church must imitate the love displayed in the Canticles and promote a similar, holy, charitable affection among our fellow exiles of this world. The goal of this life is heaven and the means: imitating the Divine Love only imperfectly expressed in the divine love song, the Canticle of Canticles.

Jyllian Carter is a parishioner of St. Ann Church and is the eldest of nine siblings. For several years, she has been an aspirant of the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Elysburg, Pa., and hopes to become a postulant after high school graduation in 2016. This month the Catholic Church is celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Carmelite reformer, St. Teresa of Avila.

October 23, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Letter to the editor

No woman need kill her baby Deacon James H. Toner

What we know that ain’t so:

“What you think is the right road may lead to death” (Prv 14:12)

Reflection inspection What we think is the right road

S

aying you are sorry – even to yourself – is a sign of weakness. We do not need reflection, meditation or prayerful self-examination.

Instead, we need decisive action! Sitting around contemplating philosophy accomplishes nothing.

What’s done is done. Move on!

But it’s the wrong road In Plato’s famous dialogue the Apology (meaning an explanation of his life), Plato has Socrates say that the unexamined life is not worth living. If we do not know where we have come from, it is almost impossible to get a fixed bearing on where we are going. If we do not know what has been right and true in our lives, we cannot know what has been (and will be) wrong and false in our lives.

There are unreflective and unthinking people, of course. Synonyms for “unthinking” include “inconsiderate,” “selfcentered,” “disrespectful,” and “uncharitable.” It is, therefore, not hard to make the argument that we want our friends to be reflective and introspective 2 Cor 13:5 (RSV) – and that they want to find the same trait in us (cf. Tobit 4:15, Mt 7:12).

Still, it is not easy to confront our mistakes and misjudgments. Too many times we simply don’t see ‘Lord, Have Mercy: the time go by, despite The Healing Power of the classic warning of Confession,’ by Scott Sirach: “Whatever you do, Hahn (New York: Doubleday, remember that someday 2003). you must die. As long as you keep this in mind, you will never sin” (7:36 GNB).

French composer Charles Aznavour put it this way in his haunting song “I Didn’t See the Time Go By”:

‘Examine yourselves to see whether you are holding to your faith.’

Suggested reading

Now as the wheel of life turns faster Now as the seasons seem to fly I see so many things at last, but didn’t see the time go by I’ve known delight, I’ve known disaster The caviar, the humble pie From the absurd to the sublime I didn’t see the time go by I didn’t see the years roll on I didn’t know the road would bend Refused to see when youth was gone Pretending it might never end Now, there is price to pay for every day I threw away It seems I’ve wasted half a lifetime within the blinking of an eye I didn’t hear the midnight chime I didn’t see the time go by In stolen nights and brief romances I kissed the girls and made them cry

While there were balconies left to climb I didn’t see the time go by I was the one with all the answers, the halfway-truth, the harmless lie So sure, so certain, in my prime I didn’t see the time go by I hit the heights, I bit the dirt I left some wreckage in my way I didn’t see that lies can hurt I didn’t know that hearts can break And now, they come to haunt my mind, the lives I touched and left behind I’ve sung a hundred songs of longing, of sweet regret and hopes run dry I’ve searched for melody and rhyme, but never saw how time can fly, never saw the darkening sky I was a minstrel of my time Who did not see the time go by.

St. Paul teaches that we should “see the time go by,” that we should routinely examine our conscience, and that there is a very close connection between confession and Communion (1 Cor 11:28, 31; John 20:23). The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it succinctly: “In the formation of conscience the Word of God is the light for our path; we must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience before the Lord’s Cross.

We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church” (1785).

When we examine our conscience, we do so not on the basis of what has been profitable for us, but on the basis of whether what we have done has been consistent with Christ’s will as we know it through the teachings of His Church. We judge ourselves and our actions on the measure, rule, standard or canon of what is true, not what is true for us.

That last two-word prepositional phrase “for us” is at the heart of almost all contemporary moral debate.

If there are only “my” standards, then I am merely a “minstrel of my time”; if, though, as a Catholic, I accept Christ’s teaching as universally true, then I will pray that His will be done and I try, by the grace of God, to serve as His witness.

The longing expressed in Aznavour’s song is but a pale reflection of the yearning in everyone’s heart and mind and soul. In German, the word is “Sehnsucht” – a deep craving for something (actually, for Someone) which makes us whole. The psalmist explains this for us in Psalms 63 and 42. The regret, the sorrow, the confusion, the sense of failure in the Aznavour song – all these would have been, and yet still can be, cured by cognizance of and commitment to knowing, loving and serving God. Italy’s greatest poet, Dante, told us that “In God’s will is our peace.”

We are prideful and unreflective people but, with “amazing grace,” as another composer (John Newton) told us, we who were blind can now see, and we come to understand that the time which passes is not ours, but His (Ps 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8). We are not minstrels of our day, but singers of eternal joy (cf.

Pss 95 and 100) to the God who loved us to His own death.

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

Abortion is the murder of a human being. No excuse or euphemism can change that.

A baby in the womb is a separate person deserving of the right to life. He or she has separate DNA, a separate heart and a soul.

Yes, carrying a child for nine months is inconvenient if the child is not wanted. But the mother will soon be over it. A child murdered in the womb will never get over it.

The state has the right to take the life of certain vile offenders, but none of them are children in the womb.

More than 10,000 families in America are waiting to adopt a child.

Need a practical reason to oppose abortion? Since 1973, America has allowed the legal murder of more than 57 million children in the womb. There would be no Social Security crisis if those people had not been killed before they had the opportunity to become educated, married and productive members of the workforce.

All across America, crisis pregnancy centers are eager to help women with unplanned pregnancies. The amount of support, resources and prayer to be found in such facilities is beyond measure. No woman need kill her baby.

Hale Meserow lives in Hendersonville.

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‘God is not a petty God: He does not know pettiness.’

Pope Francis

From online story: God’s love is overabundant, limitless, pope says Through press time on Oct. 21, 6,994 visitors to www. catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 13,701 pages.

The top eight headlines in October were: n Two parishes to host relics of St. Maria Goretti relics coming to Greensboro, Charlotte Oct. 23-25................................................................489 n St. Gabriel students form living rosary for Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary...................................................................................................................409 n Charlotte Catholic student earns Hispanic honor....................................267 n St. Mark Adoration Chapel redesigned ‘for glory and honor of God’...261 n Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration announce merger of two communities..........................................................................................................191 n Photo Gallery: Faithful form prayer chains for Respect Life Sunday.. 163 n McCanless ordained to transitional diaconate.......................................... 145 n Master Artist Babailov presents painting to Pope Francis in D.C.........124

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 23, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

SYNOD FROM PAGE 16

to express in words, but is not so easy to put into practice.”

In fact, before Pope Francis spoke, five cardinals, an archbishop and the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church spoke about the blessings and challenges of the synod process over the past 50 years. They agreed that while the synod’s methodology has improved over the past five decades, there still is work to do.

“We must continue on this path,” Pope Francis told them. “The world in which we live and which we are called to love and serve, even with its contradictions, requires from the Church the strengthening of synergies in all areas of its mission.”

Using the Synod on the Family as an example, the pope said it would have been impossible for the 270 bishops and priests who are voting members of the assembly to speak to real needs and concerns without listening to and trying to learn from Catholic families.

“It was that conviction that led me when I asked that the people of God be consulted” before the synod, the pope said. “How would it have been possible to speak of the family without calling upon families, listening to their joys and their hopes, their pains and their suffering?”

The need for everyone in the Church – from the pope on down – to listen and to learn from others is based on the conviction, clearly explained by the Second Vatican Council, that through baptism and confirmation all members of the Church have been anointed by the Holy Spirit and that the entire Christian community is infallible when its members discern together and speak with one voice on matters of faith and morals, Pope Francis said.

“The ‘sensus fidei’ (sense of faith) makes it

impossible to rigidly separate the ‘ecclesia docens’ (teaching Church) and the ‘ecclesia discens’ (learning Church) because even the flock has a ‘nose’ for discerning the new paths that the Lord is opening up to the Church,” the pope said.

But ensuring the synodality of the whole Church will be impossible, he said, if people misunderstand the Church’s hierarchy and see it as a structure in which some people are placed above others.

The Church’s structure, the pope said, “is like an upside down pyramid” with the top on the bottom, which is why the ordained are called “ministers” – they serve the others.

In a diocese, he said, the bishop is the “vicar of that Jesus who, at the Last Supper, knelt to wash the feet of the apostles,” and the pope is called to truly be “the servant of the servants of God.” The world needs the Catholic Church to witness to that Christian vision of community, participation, solidarity and joint responsibility, he said. In too many countries power is in the hands of just a few people, the dignity of many is denied and authority is abused.

A synodal spirit must be at work in dioceses as well as in the universal Church, Pope Francis said. Priests’ councils, pastoral councils and other consultative bodies in a diocese must “remain connected to the base,” to the grassroots, if they are to help a bishop respond to the real needs and concerns of the Catholic people.

Looking specifically at the Synod of Bishops, the pope said the process for each synod must begin with listening to the faithful. The second stage is to have the pastors listen to each other. The third stage of a synod is to listen to the pope, the bishop of Rome, called to make pronouncements “not based on his personal convictions, but as the supreme witness of the faith of the entire Church,” he said.

The fact that the synod is not a decision-making body and acts only “with and under” the pope, he said, “is not a limitation on its freedom, but a guarantee of unity.”

FAMILY FROM PAGE 17

to receive Communion, Archbishop Gadecki, president of the Polish bishops’ conference, told the Synod of Bishops.

The archbishop addressed the synod Oct. 10, saying he was speaking on behalf of the entire Polish bishops’ conference.

As baptized people, divorced and remarried Catholics should be encouraged to continue participating in the life of the Church, the archbishop said. “Let us, therefore, encourage them to listen to the word of God, to attend the sacrifice of the Mass, to persevere in prayer, to contribute to works of charity and to community efforts in favor of justice, to bring up their children in the Christian faith, to cultivate the spirit and practice of penance and thus implore, day by day, God’s grace.”

Observers: Discourage mixed marriages, women accepting abuse VATICAN CITY — Observers told the Synod of Bishops to discourage Christian women from marrying Muslim men, urge priests not to tell women to return to abusive husbands, share the truth of Church teaching about marriage, and embrace single mothers who are alienated from the Church.

The proposals were offered by more than a dozen observers – married couples and individuals – in their brief presentations to the synod assembly Oct. 16.

Father Garas Boulos Garas Bishay, who serves the migrant Christian community at the Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, told the synod that mixed marriages between Christian women from Russia and Europe with Muslim men is “a profound worry and concern.”

The differences between the two faiths, including Islam’s acceptance of polygamy and the obligation to teach children Islam, create “serious crises” for such couples, he said, including “irreparable rifts” and serious consequences for the children.

Sister Maureen Kelleher, a U.S. member of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sisters, said a large number of people she works with are victims of domestic violence. She called on the Church to prepare priests in their formation “so they might accompany these families and not tell the woman to go back home.”

Lucetta Scaraffia, a professor of contemporary history and coordinator of the Vatican newspaper’s monthly insert “Women, Church, World,” said the Church will find the right way to respond to today’s needs if they listen more to women’s changing roles.

However, the synod’s texts and contributions “say very little” about women. “It’s as if the mothers, daughters, grandmothers, wives, that is, the heart of families, were not a part of the Church, of that Church that understands the world, that thinks, that decides. As if one could keep pretending – even when talking about the family – that women do not exist” and forgetting the “revolutionary” approach to women Jesus had.

— Catholic News Service

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Friday, November 20, 2015 at 6:15 pm Carmel Country Club 4735 Carmel Road Charlotte, North Carolina 28226

At The Cathedral of Saint Patrick

Join Catholic Charities for an evening of thanksgiving and celebration with a cocktail reception followed by seated dinner.

Fruit of the Vine Recognition will be presented to Saint John Neumann Catholic Church, Reverend Patrick T. Hoare, Pastor RSVP by November 13: sluc@charlottediocese.org/704-370-3232 or register online at ccdoc.org/vineyardofhope The event is complimentary; however, you will be invited to make a very generous gift to help raise $150,000 to support the continued mission of Catholic Charities to strengthen families, build communities, and reduce poverty in the Charlotte area.

ccdoc.org

The Diocese of Charlotte Office of Vocations and the Cathedral of Saint Patrick will host 40 hours of Eucharistic adoration to commemorate national vocation awareness week. This prayerful time of adoration presents an opportunity for us to spend some time with the Lord in relation to our own vocation, as well as a chance for us to pray for the whole body of Christ; for all the young men and women who are called by Christ to grow in holiness through their vocation to marriage, the priesthood and religious life. The tradition of 40 hours of continuous Adoration goes back many centuries and offers us the opportunity to pray over an extended period, awakening our love for, and appreciation of the Holy Eucharist.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3

12:00 AM - 40 hours of Adoration Begins

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4

Adoration Continues Until 6:00 PM 6:00 - 7:00 PM - Solemn Holy Hour & Benediction 7:00 PM - Mass with Bishop Peter Jugis

ZÉ àÉ ãããAáàÑtàÜ|v~áAÉÜz ixÇ|? f| TÅtá The Cathedral of Saint Patrick

VÉÅx? \y lÉâ _Éäx 1621 Dilworth Road East * Charlotte, NC