Feb. 13, 2015

February 13, 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

Monsignor Anthony Kovacic, historic Catholic leader in N.C., dies aged 95, 3 INDEX

Contact us.......................... 4 Espa単ol............................12-13 Events calendar................. 4 Our Faith............................. 2 Our Parishes................. 3-11 Schools......................... 14-16 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies.......................17 U.S. news...................... 18-19 Viewpoints.................. 22-23 World news.................. 20-21

Celebrating

Subscribe today! Call:

704-370-3333

FUNDED by the parishioners of the diocese of charlotte THANK YOU!

Catholic Schools Week INSIDE: More photos and coverage, 14-15

Consecrated religious and jubilarians honored at Mass, 5

Shelby parishioner reunites with his family after threat of deportation, 7, 12-13

Lent begins Feb. 18 with Ash Wednesday, 2

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis

Life is enriched with the birth of children

C

hildren are a blessing, not a burden, and are a sign of the confident hope of a couple and of society, Pope Francis said.

“If a family that has been generous in having children is looked upon as a burden, something’s wrong,” he said Feb. 11 at his weekly general audience.

“The generation of children must be responsible,” as Blessed Paul VI wrote in his encyclical “Humanae Vitae,” the pope said. “But having more children cannot be looked upon automatically as an irresponsible choice. What is more, not having children is a selfish choice.”

Continuing a series of talks about the family, Pope Francis said birthrates are a clear indication of the optimism and hope of a couple and of the society in which they live.

A society that pressures people not to have children, “that considers them a concern, a burden, a risk, is a society that is depressed,” he said, pointing particularly to European countries with declining populations because of their low birthrates.

“Life is rejuvenated and energies are increased when life multiplies,” he said. “It is enriched, not impoverished!”

“Think about this,” he said.

“Children are the joy of the family and of society. They aren’t a problem of reproductive biology or another way of self-realization. Even less are they a possession of their parents. No! Children are a gift. Understand?

“Children are a gift,” he said. “Each one is unique and unrepeatable.”

Departing from his prepared text, Pope Francis told the estimated 11,000 people in St. Peter’s Square that he was one of five children. “I remember my mom would say, ‘I have five children.

Who’s my favorite? I have five children like I have five fingers. If you slam this one, it hurts. If you slam that one, it hurts. All five would hurt. All are mine, but they are all different like the fingers on my hand.’”

“A child is loved not because he or she is beautiful or has this quality or that one. No,” he said, parents love their children because they are their children.

Being a son or daughter is an experience of unconditional love, he said, because “children are loved even before they are born.” Pope Francis said he is always moved when a pregnant woman “shows me her belly and asks for my blessing. These babies are loved even before they come into the world. This is love.”

Pope Francis ended his talk asking parents to pause in silence to think about their children and asking everyone to think about their parents “to thank God for the gift of life.”

Father Carl Del Giudice distributes ashes last Ash Wednesday at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte.

David Hains | Catholic News Herald

Ash Wednesday Feb. 18

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent. It is a day of fast and abstinence, though not a holy day of obligation. During the Ash Wednesday Mass, ashes are marked on the foreheads of the faithful with the Sign of the Cross. The ashes are a symbol of penance and remind us that we are creatures of the earth and mortal beings: “For dust you are and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19). On Ash Wednesday, the priest marks the foreheads of the faithful with the ashes while saying, “Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return,” or “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”

In 325 the Council of Nicea set the 40-day preparation period for Easter. Originally the Lenten season began on Quadragesima (which means “40th day”) Sunday, the sixth Sunday before Easter.

But because no fast was kept on Sundays, the penitential season consisted of only 36 days of fasting. So that the faithful may imitate Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert, in the sixth century Pope St. Gregory the Great moved the start of Lent to the Wednesday before Quadragesima Sunday.

The ashes, which help us to develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice, are made from the blessed palms used in the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. While the ashes symbolize contrition, “they are also a reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who call on Him with repentant hearts,” states Catholic.org.

The customary use of ashes as a sign of repentance is seen in

the Old Testament books of Jeremiah, Daniel and Jonah. And in the Book of Judith, acts of repentance involved ashes being put on people’s heads: “All the Israelites in Jerusalem, including women and children, lay prostrate in front of the Temple, and with ashes on their heads stretched out their hands before the Lord” (Judith 4:1).

Dallas Bishop Kevin Farrell notes in his blog, “The first liturgy for Ash Wednesday appeared in the 10th century and in the 11th century Pope Urban II called for the distribution of ashes on that day. Although Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, many Catholics treat it as one and would not think of missing being marked with ashes on the forehead. Originally, ashes were sprinkled on men’s heads and only women received them on the forehead, but the sprinkling for men soon gave way to the forehead. Ashes symbolize the first theme of Lent, repentance.

They are the traditional symbol of repentance in the Old and New Testaments.”

Beyond the practice of receiving ashes, Bishop Farrell points out, Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season are about our spiritual preparation as Christians: “In short it is about repentance, forgiveness and baptism. It is one of the most ancient Christian observances recognizing the need to prepare for Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection, the greatest of Christian feasts.”

— Catholic News Herald

Your daily Scripture readings FEB. 15-21

Sunday: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46, 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, Mark 1:40-45; Monday: Genesis 4:1-15, 25, Mark 8:11-13; Tuesday: Genesis 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 10, Mark 8:14-21; Wednesday (Ash Wednesday): Joel 2:12-18, 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2, Matthew 6:1-16, 16-18; Thursday: Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Luke 9:22-25; Friday: Isaiah 58:1-9, Matthew 9:14-15; Saturday (St. Peter Damian): Isaiah 58:9-14, Luke 5:27-32.

FEB. 22-28

Sunday: Genesis 9:8-15, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15; Monday (St. Polycarp): Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Matthew 25:31-46; Tuesday: Isaiah 55:10-11, Matthew 6:-15; Wednesday: Jonah 3:110, Luke 11:29-32; Thursday: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25, Matthew 7:7-12; Friday: Ezekiel 18:21-28, Matthew 5:20-26; Saturday: Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Matthew 5:43-48

MARCH 1-7

Sunday: Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18, Romans 8:31-34, Mark 9:2-10; Monday: Daniel 9:4-10, Luke 6:36-38; Tuesday (St. Katharine Drexel): Isaiah 1:10, 16-20, Matthew 23:1-12; Wednesday (St. Casimir): Jeremiah 18:18-20, Matthew 20:17-28; Thursday: Jeremiah 17:5-10, Luke 16:19-31; Friday: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28, Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46; Saturday (Sts. Perpetua and Felicity): Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Our parishes

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

3

Tributes for ‘Father Tony’: ‘Monsignor Kovacic was deeply imbued with a fervent missionary spirit – a spirit which brought him beyond the borders of his native Slovenia, to be educated at the Pontifical University of Propaganda Fide, and which brought him finally to the Catholic missions of North Carolina in 1951.

Monsignor dedicated his priesthood – his life, his considerable energy, and his talents – to building up the mission Church here in our state. We pray God to grant Monsignor the reward of his untiring labors for Christ and His Church.’

— Bishop Peter J. Jugis

Survey questions baffle responders David Hains Director of Communication

‘Tony was a ‘ball of energy’ in his pastoral work and in his life of prayer. Having had the privilege of living with him for a while, I will always treasure his warmth, his humor, his love and his commitment to the people he served. Now, as pastor of a parish that he himself once served, I appreciate his ministry even more since his heartprints are still evident in the stories and lives of people here in Belmont.’

— Father Frank Cancro, pastor, Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont ‘There was so much grace and so much goodness in his five-foot frame. He was a wonderful friend. He loved to play golf. He’d always drag me out to play golf. Sometimes we’d be out there and had just finished 18 holes and he’d want to play more – even in his 70s and 80s. He loved the Knights of Columbus and he started the council (at Queen of the Apostles Church). When we finally got around to the assembly of the Fourth Degree, he was the first to step up to be a Faithful Friar, our official chaplain.

‘For many years after he retired, a group of us would go over to his apartment in Belmont and he would celebrate Mass for us every Thursday morning and then we would take him out to breakfast. He loved that. He told us we were his angels. Now he’s up there watching over us; we don’t need to be his angels anymore.’

— Don Holler, first Grand Knight at Queen of the Apostles’ Knights of Columbus council ‘Father Anthony was my pastor in Salisbury when I was in high school. He was my supervisor for one summer in Belmont when I was a seminarian, and he was my predecessor as the diocesan director for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

He was also a very good friend. I admired him for his perseverance. He had overcome many difficulties to become a priest and I can imagine that coming to North Carolina in those days was also a challenge. In Rome, many years ago, I met one of Monsignor’s friends from his seminary days. He told me, “Anthony was not the best student, but no one worked harder than he did.” He had a great memory and a great knowledge of the Church. I was fortunate to have him as a mentor.’

— Father Mark Lawlor, pastor, St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte ‘When Monsignor Anthony Kovacic took on the role of director of the Permanent Diaconate for the diocese, he engaged with dedication and a commitment to excellence.

He visited other dioceses to determine best practices; after all, the U.S. bishops did not publish the ‘Basic Norms for Formation of Permanent Deacons’ until 1998. Appointed to the task in November 1979, he organized the course of studies, secured the teachers and spiritual directors, and gathered together TRIBUTES, SEE page 24

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

A pioneer of desegregation in the diocese, Monsignor Anthony Kovacic served as a priest for more than 67 years. He is shown here at Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point, a retirement community, in 2011. In the background is a photo of the house he lived in as a child in Slovenia.

Monsignor Kovacic, historic Catholic leader in North Carolina, dies at 95 HIGH POINT — Monsignor Anthony Kovacic, one of the Diocese of Charlotte’s “founding fathers” who ministered to the people of North Carolina during more than 67 years of priestly ministry, passed away Feb. 8, 2015, at Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point following a period of declining health. He was 95, and the longestserving priest of the diocese.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 12, 2015, at Queen of the Apostles Church with Bishop Peter J. Jugis as principal celebrant.

Committal will take place at Monsignor Kovacic’s home parish, St. Lawrence of Brežic in Slovenia.

Father Tony, as he was known by his friends, was born Jan. 11, 1920, to Joseph and Neza Vrek Kovacic in the former Eastern European Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (modern-day Slovenia). He was one of seven children, all of whom preceded him in death.

He expressed a desire to become a priest at a very early age, and his vocation was encouraged by his family.

But after the Nazis invaded and took control of his homeland in 1941, life became very difficult for the Kovacic family. A few years ago, Monsignor noted that the day the Nazis invaded “was the saddest day of my life, to see Hitler’s divisions marching in and seeing flags everywhere with the swastika on it.” He was one of the

fortunate ones who escaped the tyranny, sneaking over the border into Italy one harrowing night to seek shelter with his uncle’s family. If the guards who had detained him that night had killed him as they had been told, so many seeds of faith planted by his hands would have never grown and flourished during the years of his priestly ministry.

Pursuing his dream of being a priest became more difficult during World War II, but with perseverance and the assistance of Pope Pius XII, he and five other seminarians were rescued from occupied Yugoslavia and brought to Rome to complete their seminary studies. From 1941 until 1949 he studied in Rome, where he was ordained a priest on April 6, 1947, by Pietro Cardinal Fumasoni Biondi at the Seminary Chapel of the Pontifical Urban University. He earned a doctorate in Sacred Theology in 1949. During his seminary years, he met seminarians from all over the world, including two Italian priests who would later become Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. His priestly work began in camps for displaced persons near Salerno, Italy, where he served as chaplain from 1949 to 1951. On July 5, 1951, he came to the United States aboard the USS General Sturgis and began his service as a priest of the Diocese of Raleigh, which at that Kovacic, SEE page 24

CHARLOTTE — Complex questions in a Vatican survey about the family have annoyed some people in the Diocese of Charlotte who have responded to Pope Francis’ request for input.

The survey is on the topic, “The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization.” The Synod of Bishops is scheduled to meet in Rome in September to continue discussions begun last fall about the indissolubility of marriage; use of artificial contraception; reception of the sacraments by divorced Catholics who have remarried but have not gotten an annulment; and pastoral care for people suffering from same-sex attraction, among other thorny issues.

The survey – online at www.charlottediocese. org and in the Jan. 30 edition of the Catholic News Herald – contains 46 questions in addition to an 8,800-word introductory document, the “Relatio Synodi,” which summarized the bishops’ preliminary synod discussions in November. When it sent out the survey to all of the world’s conferences of bishops in December, the Vatican prohibited any changes to the wording or simplifying the survey format.

To date, the Charlotte diocese has received 255 survey responses. The deadline to participate is Friday, Feb. 27.

The online survey allows people to answer any or all of the open-ended, essay-type questions posed by the synod. In the surveys received so far, 80 percent of the answers have been left blank.

Like many survey participants, Teri Shanahan of Union County was frustrated by the complexity of the questions. “My eyes glazed over as I read question after question that I could not understand, let alone answer,” she said.

Chip Marshall of Huntersville said, “I would have needed doctorates in philosophy and theology to begin to address the depths of the questions posed. It would have taken a month to answer properly.” ”I have more time on my hands than most folks do (and I have a master’s degree in theology) and the survey is still over my head,” said Nancy McCall of Morganton.

But they and others slogged through the difficult wording because, as William Zweigle of Durham said, “Pope Francis needs our help.

I have been urging everyone I talk with to respond to the survey, if only to point out how remote the questions are from families and the people of the Church.”

Despite the concerns, the latest survey will likely have more participation than a similar 2013 Vatican survey.

With two weeks remaining before the Feb. 27 deadline, this survey is expected to receive more responses than the 2013 survey’s 304 responses.

After the survey closes, responses will be summarized and then sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The USCCB will compile results from all of the participating dioceses and forward them to the Vatican in April.

As with the 2013 Vatican survey, these results will not be publicized.

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events: Feb. 14 – 8 a.m.

Mass for Carmelite Promises St. Ann Church, Charlotte

Feb. 21 – 7 a.m.

Mass for Missionaries of Charity Missionaries of Charity Convent, Charlotte

Feb. 28 – 1 p.m.

Rite of Election St. Matthew Church, Charlotte

Feb. 18 – 7 p.m.

Holy Mass for Ash Wednesday St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Feb. 22 – 2 p.m.

Rite of Election St. Pius X Church, Greensboro

March 7 – 12 p.m.

Rite of Election Immaculate Conception Church, Hendersonville

Feb. 20 – 10 a.m.

Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

Feb. 26 – 10 a.m.

Diocesan Foundation Board Meeting Catholic Conference Center, Hickory

Diocesan calendar of events FEBRUARY 13, 2015 Volume 23 • Number 10

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 Online reporter: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org Hispanic communications reporter: Rico De Silva, 704-370-3375, rdesilva@charlottediocese.org

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

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

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

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

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

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Film series, “John Paul II The Powerful True Story”: 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, in the Parish Hall at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte.

Presented by Father Patrick Hoare. Everyone welcome.

Please bring a side dish to share. For details, go to www.4sjnc.org.

“Cecilia Ensemble performs 16th-20th Century Music”: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, at Belmont Abbey College, 100 Belmont-Mount Holly Road, Belmont. A group of professional singers from South Carolina will perform an all-English program. Included will be William Byrd’s “Mass for Four Voices,” English anthems and motets, James MacMillan’s “Cantos Sagrados” and Benjamin Britten’s “Five Flower Songs.” Admission is free; donations will be accepted. Part of the “Arts at the Abbey” series. For details, call 704-461-6012 or email karenjacob@bac.edu.

Carolina Catholic Chorale Lenten Program: “Adoramus te Christe,” featuring 14 polyphonic settings of the “Adoramus te” text sung as responses to each of the Stations of the Cross, will be performed by the Carolina Catholic Chorale at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, and at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.

Admission is free; donations will be accepted. For details, go to www.carolinacatholicchorale.weebly.com.

LAY ORGANIZATIONS PARISH Blood Drive: 7 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 14, at St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Road, Mint Hill. For an appointment, call Jane Hodapp at 704-847-5459.

Community Breakfast: 8-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, in the MAK Family Life Center at Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 Main St., Belmont. Everyone welcome.

Knights of Columbus blood drive: 2-6:30 p.m.

Friday, March 27, at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St., Greensboro.

LECTURES “A Short History of the Catholic Church in North Carolina”: 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at St. Peter Church, 507 South Tryon St., Charlotte.

Presented by Mercy Sister Mary Hugh Mauldin. Part of the Growing in Faith & Theology (GIFT) program. To register, go to www.stmatthewcatholic.org/GIFT. “The American Church at the Crossroads, Who are American Catholics and Where are they Going?”: 2:30-4:30 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 21 and 28 and March 7, in the Family Life Center at St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Road, Mint Hill. Led by Growing in Faith & Theology (GIFT) teacher David Galusha, adjunct professor of philosophy and theology at the College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, N.J. Light refreshments available. For details, call Ann Helms at 704-289-8105.

“End of Life” Seminar: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 1, in the Family Center Rooms 3-4 at Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Road, Clemmons. A priest, financial planner, lawyer and funeral pre-planning director will answer questions and aid in your preparations. RSVP to

a2harrison@aol.com so the presenters will be able to provide enough materials for everyone.

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

Saturday, March 7, at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte. 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.

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS BLESSING FOR EXPECTING PARENTS: All expecting parents are invited to a special blessing during the 12:30 p.m. Mass Sunday, Feb. 15, at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte.

Anointing of the Sick: 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Road, Mint Hill. Anointing is typically offered to those who need healing from physical or mental illness or someone who will be undergoing surgery. Refreshments will be served after Mass. Sponsored by the HOPE Committee. For details, call Mary Adams at 704-545-1224.

“Mercy – A Lenten DVD-based small Study Group”: Feb. 22-March 15, in the MAK Family Life Center at Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 North Main St., Belmont. Created by Father Frank Cancro, pastor, and Benedictine Father Christopher Kirchgessner of Belmont Abbey, the series is a DVD-based study group program with small faith community gatherings weekly during Lent. For details and to sign up, call Debbie at 704-8259600, ext. 26, or email qoaformation.aol.com.

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

Thursday, Feb. 26, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. St. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer and grave diseases. The healing prayer service is offered for all those suffering with cancer or other diseases. For details, call the parish office at 704-543-7677.

Byzantine Rite Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at Immaculate Conception Mission, 42 Newfound St., Canton. Ukrainian Catholic Father Mark Shuey will celebrate Vespers and the Divine Liturgy (Mass) in English. Catholics of any rite are welcome.

RETREATS Lenten Retreat, “Transfigure Me, O Lord – How God’s Being and God’s Presence Transforms Us”: 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 21, at St. Peter Church, 507 South Tryon St., Charlotte. Light breakfast provided.

Small Ignatian Guided Retreats Group: Feb. 22-March 7 at St. Peter Church, 507 South Tryon St., Charlotte. Thirty minutes of individual prayer using provided materials. To register, go to www. stpeterscatholic.org.

“O Holy Pascha – A retreat in Preparation for Easter”: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7, in the chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. Led by Father Deacon Kevin Bezner of St. Basil Ukrainian Catholic Mission in Charlotte. He will read and comment on sections of St. Gregory Nazianzen’s oration “On Holy Pascha,” and conclude with praying the Liturgy of the Hours’ sixth hour in the Byzantine Catholic tradition.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING “Protecting God’s Children” workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent 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: 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at St. Eugene Church, 72 Culvern St. Huntersville: 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road (conducted in Spanish), and at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville, in Room 200 of the Family Center.

Shelby: 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, at St. Mary Help of Christians Church, 818 McGowan Road (conducted in Spanish).

SCRIPTURE STUDIES Adult scripture study about marriage: “And they Become One Flesh: The Beauty and Splendor of Christian Marriage”: six sessions March 5-April 30 at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. Register

by Feb. 19. For details, email Margaret Gustafson at jmgusto@bellsouth.net.

SUPPORT GROUPS Called to be Mom: 10 a.m.-noon Thursday, Feb. 26, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Supports the vocation of motherhood by strengthening mothers’ faith through Scripture readings.

YOUNG ADULTS High School Lenten Retreat: Feb. 27-March 1, hosted at St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church, 259 Pilgrims Way, Boone. Will include prayer, fellowship, Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. The sacrament of confession will be available. Registration required by Feb. 24. For details, call the Diocesan Office for Youth Ministry at 828-2281692 or email Youth Ministry Director Paul Kotlowski at pjkym@ymail.com.

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.

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

Capuchin priest who formerly served at OLC dies at 87 BEACON, N.Y. — Capuchin Franciscan Father Jude Duffy passed away Jan. 15, 2015, at St. Lawrence Friary in Beacon, N.Y. He was 87.

A Duffy Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Jan. 20, 2015, at St. Lawrence Friary. Burial followed at the St. Lawrence Friary Cemetery.

Father Duffy was born in Kingston, N.Y., on Jan. 31, 1927, the son of the late John and Mary Heenan Duffy. He made his profession of vows on July 18, 1954, at St. Lawrence Monastery in Beacon. He was ordained on March 1, 1958, at Immaculate Conception Church in Bronx, N.Y., by Bishop Joseph Pernicone. He was elected the first provincial minister of the newly formed Province of the Sacred Stigmata of St. Francis in 1971. He also held many leadership positions in his Capuchin province as well as various dioceses in which he served.

Father Duffy was last in parish ministry at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers, George, Frank and Jack Duffy.

He is survived by his sister, Eileen Hendrixson; his many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; and the brothers of his province.

Halvey Funeral Home of Beacon was in charge of arrangements.

— Catholic News Herald

OUR PARISHESI

5

Consecrated religious honored at Mass Feb. 7 SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter Jugis celebrated a Mass for the World Day for Consecrated Life Feb. 7 at St. Patrick Cathedral.

More than 80 religious brothers, sisters, clergy and faithful attended the Mass to mark this special year in the Church set aside to honor those who give their lives in service to Christ in the Church.

Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, officially began the celebration on the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 30, 2014, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

“Today here we are in our diocesan celebration of the World Day for Consecrated Life, honoring the gift of the consecrated life that you are to the local Church,” Bishop Jugis said Feb. 7. “That is why I consider it so important for myself personally to be welcoming you at this Mass and at this reception, because of your great contribution, by your very presence here in our local Church.”

During his homily he reminded the consecrated religious, “The Lord delights in you and in the gift that you make of yourselves of total consecration to Christ.

And the Church also delights in your witness of total consecration, leaving everything behind out of love for Christ and becoming one with Him in mind and heart.”

“Our Gospel today reminds us that He is the vine and we are the branches,” he continued. “We remain in Him, totally dependent upon Him, drawing our sustenance from Him and then offering our lives, offering our work – the fruit of our holiness which He Himself has brought about within us.”

Bishop Jugis urged them to

continue their witness of the charity of Christ, which they can do in a special way because of their consecrated lives.

“The society in which we live is so fractured, so divided into camps, one faction fighting against another. The culture is also very coarse. Many times people are treated with such disrespect. It seems that as people lose the sense of God in their daily lives, they then lose the sense of the dignity of their neighbor.”

Being a consecrated religious is more than being a social worker, as secular media often reduce it to, he noted.

“I think maybe it is because it is so difficult to understand the mystery of consecration to God, of being called especially by God for this vocation, leaving all to throw in one’s lot completely with the Lord. Or maybe it is a vocation that is just too difficult to express in a sound bite or in a couple of sentences in a paper.

“But the consecration is the foundation, it is a special call, the Lord looking with love upon you and choosing you to be consecrated to Him.” The Year of Consecrated Life marks the 50th anniversary of “Perfectae Caritatis” by the Second Vatican Council, on the renewal of religious life in our times.

Noted Bishop Jugis, “We honor your pursuit of perfect charity – ‘perfectae caritatis’ – and the tremendous positive impact that your presence is having here in the Diocese of Charlotte for building up the local Church in holiness, and also helping our society to experience the presence of Christ and the presence of His love.”

“I pray for a flourishing of vocations in all of the congregations, all of the communities, represented here in our diocese,” he said.

Photos by SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter Jugis presented papal blessings Feb. 7 to those celebrating their jubilee anniversaries this year: Mercy Sister Maureen Dees and Mercy Sister Jeanne Marie Kienast (70 years); Mercy Sister Mary Hugh Mauldin and Mercy Sister Rosalind Picot (60 years); Dominican Sister Ana Celestial, Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity Sister Marie Frechette, Poor Servants of the Mother of God Sister Loretta O’Connor, Sister of Providence Betty Paul, and Mercy Sister Antonette Schmidt (50 years); and Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart Sister Eileen Spanier and Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Archana Nariparayil (25 years). “We have several centuries of consecrated life standing here before us, and our diocese is so greatly enriched by the variety of religious charisms that are represented here before us, in our congregation today,” Bishop Jugis told them with a smile. “What a wonderful, marvelous blessing Our Lord is giving to our diocese!”

Four Charlotte seminarians admitted to candidacy for holy orders COLUMBUS, Ohio — Charlotte seminarians Matthew Bean, Brian Becker, Christopher Bond and Christian Cook were admitted to Candidacy for Holy Orders at Pontifical College Josephinum during Mass Jan. 31.

This marked a defining moment in their priestly formation, as Columbus Bishop Frederick F. Campbell, vice chancellor of the Josephinum, admitted them to Candidacy for Holy Orders in St. Turibius Chapel.

The Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders is celebrated when a seminarian, usually in his second year of graduate study, has reached a maturity of purpose in his formation and has demonstrated the necessary qualifications for ordination. In the presence of the bishop, he publicly expresses his intention to complete his preparation for holy orders and his resolve to fully invest himself to that end, so that he will serve Christ and the Church faithfully.

The seminarians are pictured with Monsignor Christopher Schreck (rector of the Josephinum), Bishop Campbell, and Father John Allen (priest of the Diocese of Charlotte).

Photo provided by Carolyn A. Dinovo and Ken Snow, Pontifical College Josephinum

6

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 OUR PARISHES

Prayer Service for Christian Unity brings together five east Charlotte churches Jennifer Noto Special to the Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — During the east Charlotte area’s fifth annual Prayer Service for Christian Unity Jan. 22 – this year held at Joy Church in Matthews – “the presence of the Lord was overwhelming.”

So said Joy Church’s Pastor McLean Faw, who along with music director Rick Lapinsky organized this year’s prayer service that included leaders and members of four other east Charlotte area congregations: St. John Neumann Catholic Church, God Cannot Lie Ministries, Morning Star Lutheran Church and Christian Faith Assembly.

“We were honored and blessed to host the service for Christian Unity this year,” Faw said. “The love of God touched all of our hearts. God is at work in our midst.”

“Over the past five years, I have had the great pleasure of getting to know the pastors and ministers of the East Charlotte/Matthews vicinity,” said Father Patrick Hoare, pastor of St. John Neumann Church. “United by our common faith in Jesus Christ, we continue to seek areas where we can collaborate in doing the Lord’s work. Each time we work together, I am filled with real hope that the Lord’s desire that ‘they all may be one’ will be fulfilled. We only need to cooperate with His grace.”

A potluck dinner was held in the Community Center prior to the service. Each minister offered a different prayer with the intent of uniting Christians of every denomination. Dr. Leon Threatt, pastor of Christian Faith Assembly, delivered the message of unity, focusing on the recent tragedies involving police officers, race relations and peace in our nation. “America does not have a ‘skin’ problem, but a ‘sin’ problem,” he said, “nor does it have a ‘race’ problem, but a ‘righteousness’ problem.”

The service featured praise and worship from members of all five churches’ music ministries. Nearly 100 people from Christian parishes gathered to hear the message of Christian unity. “Too often, people are busy with their own agendas and miss opportunities to really see the folks that are right next to us or maybe a bit down the street,” said Pastor John Mouritsen of Morning Star Lutheran Church. “Right here in the ‘city of churches,’ we will drive past numerous congregations without considering the people that gather there for worship and service and how much we have in common. The unity prayer service was a welcome reminder of the joy that comes when we make the effort to go beyond our own walls and routines.”

Jennifer Noto is the communications chairperson for St. John Neumann Church.

Photo provided by Marty Schneider

Pictured are (from left, front row): Roger Guinn, Dr. Leon Threatt of Christian Faith Assembly, Shea Barja of St. John Neumann Church and Pastor Anthony Griffith of God Cannot Lie Ministries; and (from left, back row): Pastor McLean Faw of Joy Church, Pastor John Mouritsen of Morning Star Lutheran Church, Pastor Ed Crotty of Morning Star Lutheran Church, Deacon Joe Denzler of St. John Neumann Church, and Father Patrick Hoare, pastor of St. John Neumann Church.

Mercy Sisters exhibit showcases their role in the Civil War Mike FitzGerald Correspondent

BELMONT — The Sisters of Mercy have a rich 123-year history in the Charlotte area, but on Jan. 31 the Sisters’ Mercy Heritage Center in Belmont brought to life the order’s deeper history in the United States with the exhibit “Civil War Sisters: Sisters of Mercy Healing the Wounds of the Nation.” The public exhibit – a first for the center – focused on the role of women religious, particularly the Sisters of Mercy, in caring for the sick and wounded during the American Civil War. Visitors were greeted by several Civil War era re-enactors who explained the hardships Civil War soldiers endured on the battlefield and how they were treated at field hospitals. Mercy Sister Paula Diann Marlin portrayed Sister Mary Augustine McKenna, a nurse who served at several hospitals in North Carolina during the Civil War. She described the critical contributions that the Sisters of Mercy made, including improved medical and sanitary practices they developed while caring for sick and wounded soldiers in the Crimean War in Russia only a few years prior.

Don Rivera and his wife Peggy, members of Immaculate Conception Parish in Hendersonville, were impressed by the

extensive collection. “I was amazed because I didn’t know that the Sisters of Mercy provided nursing for both sides of the Civil War. We don’t know too much about what the women themselves did,” Don Rivera said.

Added Jenny Malatesta, a parishioner at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, “When you think of the history they have and what they have done in just this community, it’s a miracle what they’ve accomplished.”

The Civil War exhibit was the first hosted by the Mercy Heritage Center, established in 2011 as the national archives of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. The center boasts 5,000 linear feet of shelf space including 30 collections dating from 1843 to 2008 from Sister of Mercy communities (both closed and active). These include books, records, film and other artifacts that comprise the world’s largest collection by a single religious order, according to the center.

The center is open to the public as a research and education facility for those looking to research the influences the Sisters of Mercy had on society and the role of women, as well as general genealogy and history of the order founded

by Catherine McAuley. The Civil War exhibit is displayed in its public museum, which plans to host a variety of exhibit and events throughout the year.

Mike FitzGerald | Catholic News Herald

Sister Mary Augustine McKenna, as portrayed by Sister Paula Diann Marlin, speaks to visitors about the Sisters of Mercy’s role during the Civil War, during an exhibit at the Sisters of Mercy’s new Mercy Heritage Center in Belmont.

Grant Gerlich, archivist for the center, said he hopes people will find interest in the center and its museum.

“This (history) is something that people don’t really know about,” Gerlich said.

“The sisters did a lot of cutting-edge things.

(For example) those interested in women

studies, this is a very good resource for them to learn.”

The Mercy Heritage Center’s public museum is open 1-5 p.m. each Thursday.

For more information, go online to www. sistersofmercy.org/heritage.

Have You Had A Financial Check Up Lately?

For the past 18 years it has been my pleasure to help the employees of the Diocese of Charlotte plan for a secure retirement.

I would be happy to do the same for you!

Retirement planning – Life – LTC – Auto & Home Insurance 704-839-3755 kaltman1@metlife.com www.kenaltman.metlife.com Member: National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors (NAIFA) St. Mark Catholic Church – Huntersville

L0213304211(exp1215) NC

Ken Altman

Prices starting at $2,699 ~ with Airfare Included in this price Prices are ALL-INCLUSIVE w/Airfare from anywhere in the continental USA Several trips to different destinations: the Holy Land; Italy; France, Portugal, & Spain; Poland; Medjugorje, Lourdes, & Fatima; Ireland & Scotland; Austria, Germany, & Switzerland; Greece & Turkey; Camino de Santiago; Viking Cruises; Budapest, Prague; etc...

We also specialize in custom trips for Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. www.proximotravel.com anthony@proximotravel.com carmela@proximotravel.com

Call us 24/7

508-340-9370 | 855-842-8001 Carmela Manago Executive Director

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

7

Father Michael Kottar, pastor of St. Mary Help of Christians Church in Shelby, blesses Fidelio and Eva Gonzalez and their seven children during the offertory at Mass Feb. 8. Gonzalez, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, was reunited with his family Jan. 14 after spending 41 days in the Stewart Detention Center in southwest Georgia. Gonzalez was scheduled to be deported back to his native Mexico, but was released on humanitarian grounds since his children are all American citizens.

RICO DE SILVA CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

More online At www. catholicnewsherald. com: Video interviews with the Gonzalezes, their supporters, and Father Michael Kottar

St. Mary’s parishioner reunites with family after threat of deportation Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

SHELBY — Oscar Wilde once quipped, “Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.” Fidelio Gonzalez’s past came knocking on his front door Dec. 5, two days after he turned 41.

Gonzalez, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, husband and father of seven children, and an active parishioner at St. Mary Help of Christians Church in Shelby, broke the law in 2002. Now, two agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were at his house wanting to deport him back to Mexico.

“They showed up at my door dressed as police officers and told me they were investigating some crime activity in the neighborhood. After they asked for my name, then they told me they were with ICE and that they were taking me to a detention center in Georgia to be sent back to Mexico,” Gonzalez remembers.

Father Michael Kottar, St. Mary’s pastor, describes what happened next.

“So he called and my phone went to voice mail. When I checked my voice mail, he asked me if I could pay his wife Eva the balance that was due him for some of the work he has done in the parish. He said she was going to need the money, because he had been picked up by ICE that morning.”

Gonzalez was immediately taken into custody and then shuttled within a few days to the Stewart Detention Center, south of Columbus, Ga., near the Georgia-Alabama state line. He wasn’t sure he’d ever see his pregnant wife or seven children ever again.

Gonzalez was not alone. He is among hundreds of undocumented immigrants taken recently from western North Carolina to be deported.

Gonzalez was on immigration agents’ radar screen because he had a felony drug conviction. In 2002 during a traffic stop in Cleveland County, police found marijuana in his vehicle. He was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell or deliver, and later sentenced to 36 hours of community service and two years of probation.

According to Byron Martinez, director of Unidos We Stand, an immigrants’ advocacy group based in Gaston County, the steppedup immigration enforcement was prompted

by President Barack Obama’s directive last fall for immigration agents to “focus on the deportation of people who threaten national security and public safety,” placing “anyone suspected of terrorism, violent criminals, gang members, and recent border crossers at the top of the deportation priority list,” according to the White House’s website.

Says Martinez, ICE “is picking up a lot of people with criminal history. A lot of people that had a conviction 10 years back, 12 years back, with criminal history. Even if you have been clean for 15 years, they’re going to come and look for you and knock on your door.”

But for Gonzalez and his family and friends at St. Mary Parish, his sudden detention came as a surprise.

“We all make mistakes. I complied with my sentence, and since then I have worked hard to be a productive member of the community. I think I have done a lot of good things since then,” Gonzalez says.

He is self-employed as a building contractor, and he is the sole bread-winner for his family. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Hispanic representative on the parish council, and a well-known and respected member of the Shelby community.

He pays his taxes, and he and his family have lived in North Carolina since 2000.

“Fidelio has done a lot of work here in

the parish,” Father Kottar says.

Father Kottar’s immediate concern became Eva Gonzalez and her children, and the whole parish rallied to come to their aid.

“He has a very large family and his wife is pregnant… So, word trickled out in both the Anglo and the Hispanic community that Fidelio had been taken away. No questions were asked if he’s legal or not legal. It was so wonderful that everyone asked, ‘What can we do to help?’” Father Kottar recalls.

“Besides praying, the first thing we realized was that letters needed to be written in support of his good character.

Not through any effort of my own – I did not make an appeal from the altar, or anything like that – but word spread so quickly. And since so many people knew him, they were able to speak from their own personal conviction on how they knew him. And not only here in the parish community, but what surprised me was that Fidelio was well known in the community here in Cleveland County, as well. So we had other people outside the parish calling and asking what they could do to help.”

More than 20 letters on Gonzalez’s behalf were soon given to his wife to send to immigration authorities in Georgia in order to appeal her husband’s looming deportation. The letters described Gonzalez’s extensive volunteer work, his work ethic, his commitment to his family and his neighbors, and his desire to give back for all the blessings he has received: “Fidelio has provided countless hours of volunteer service in the reconstruction of a very old home for the Pregnancy Resource Center that is set to open next year. ...

Fidelio is a hardworking man. He does not look for handouts.”

“I have known Fidelio Gonzalez for approximately 5 years and have considered

Learn more According to the Pew Hispanic Center, about 11.2 million unauthorized persons live in the U.S. Each year, approximately 300,000 more unauthorized immigrants enter the country, largely compelled to enter by either the explicit or implicit promise of employment.

The U.S. bishops oppose “enforcement only” immigration policies and support comprehensive immigration reform that protects family unity, recognizes the dignity of each person, and addresses the root causes of migration.

Learn more: www.justiceforimmigrants. org and www.usccb.org.

it an honor to work beside him” in the Knights of Columbus council, where Gonzalez organized a “stay in school” program for at-risk kids, a youth soccer event and fundraisers. “In my judgment, he is a man of both dignity and honor.”

“I am absolutely convinced that deporting Mr. Gonzalez would be a terrible mistake, from the standpoint of the good of the country, as well as for justice.”

While Gonzalez prayed for a miracle at the detention center, his wife prayed for a sign from God about what to do about legal representation for her husband.

“I had already paid close to $750 to a local immigration attorney, and she had not given me any hope as far as stopping Fidelio’s deportation,” she says. “So I asked the Lord to give me a sign. The same day, GONZALEZ, SEE page 8

talking.

8

Let’s keep talking.

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 OUR PARISHES

GONZALEZ: FROM PAGE 7

Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Ga., seeks a qualified Catholic to serve as Principal.

For more information, please call (912) 644-7000 or visit http://www.thebc400.com/file/job-postings/Principal.pdf

2015 Catholic Camporee March 20 – 22

two women from the Legion of Mary at the parish came to check on me. When I shared my frustration with them, one of them gave me Byron’s (Martinez) card.”

After praying silently again, Eva Gonzalez called Unidos We Stand and Martinez answered the phone.

“She said, ‘Look, I’m pregnant and have seven kids.’ First I thought I misunderstood her when she said she had seven kids. But, later that day, we sat down and talked.

When she explained to me the entire situation and what her husband was facing, something told me, ‘You need to help this family,’” Martinez says.

Martinez decided to take Gonzalez’s case, and three days later he drove the nearly seven hours to the Stewart Detention Center to meet Gonzalez face to face.

Martinez described that first meeting: “I saw him as a humble person. And yes, he admitted that he had made a mistake. And he regretted it. I started looking at all his character letters and a lot of good people, doctors, priests, church members – a lot of good people wrote good things about this guy.”

Martinez then decided to fight Gonzalez’s case and wrote letters to government officials offering evidence that Gonzalez was now a law-abiding member of the community, and sole provider of seven American-born children with another child on the way. Unidos We Stand asked the challenging question: “Who is going to take care of these kids if Fidelio Gonzalez is deported tomorrow?”

Martinez’s plea was heard by immigration authorities, and Gonzalez was released from detention on humanitarian grounds under a deferred action called DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents. Martinez and his brother, Carlos Martinez, also an activist with Unidos We Stand, drove Eva Gonzalez and her seven children – Alma, 15; Marco Antonio, 14; Gloria, 11; Ruby, 10; Eva, 6; Victoria, 3; and Maria Valeria, the youngest at 2 – to pick up their father early on the morning of Jan. 14.

“This was truly a miracle. I think the reason Fidelio wasn’t deported was because God wants something and has plans for us here in the U.S.,” wife Eva says.

Father Kottar also sees the hand of God behind the Gonzalez family’s ordeal. “The miracle is that (Fidelio) is with us. He has been reunited with his family so he can provide for them.”

He also emphasizes that this case illustrates exactly what the U.S. bishops have long criticized about current U.S. immigration policy: it splits up families and leaves people vulnerable.

“First of all, I just want to say that everyone agrees that drug dealers, people who are abusers, people that have flagrantly violated serious laws in our country, they all need to go back,” he says. “Comprehensive immigration reform is needed for the vast majority of people in this country who want to do the right thing, who want to pay taxes, who want to buy property, who want to start a business, who want to raise a family. Isn’t that the American way? Isn’t that what our country was founded upon?”

Father Kottar also says that what happened to the Gonzalez family shocked many of his parishioners who had not thought much about immigration reform, or who thought it was a remote issue that did not affect their community.

“We watch the news, read the newspaper.

We have a lot of opinions, politics. But when something like (what happened to) Fidelio happens, it’s like, ‘Oh, Fidelio, what do you mean he is not here anymore, Father?! Where did Fidelio go?’ All of the sudden it hits home: ‘That’s not right!’

That’s where I think the flesh and blood came in,” he explains. “Something is wrong that he can just simply be taken away. He’s here one day, and now he’s gone.”

Gonzalez’s future looks somewhat brighter now that he’s back home with his family, but the danger of deportation still looms.

As a condition of his release, he must report every Friday to the immigration office in Charlotte, and he must stay at home every Thursday in what is called an “order of supervision.” He also still needs to find an attorney to stop the possibility of a future deportation.

“I’m not the same the person that I used to be,” Gonzalez says. “I’m sorry for what I have done. I hope the federal government sees my good side, for the good of my children and wife.”

He adds, “I don’t live in the past. I live in the present and look forward to the future.

We live here; we breathe here; we work here.

And some of us use some of the benefits that are offered locally, so we, as Latinos, have the duty and obligation to integrate in our society. That’s what I’m teaching my kids to do. Through community service and helping different non-profit groups here in Shelby, also on a parish level. I feel we have done a beautiful job integrating both communities, Anglos and Hispanics working together side by side.”

Calling all Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venture Crews!

Attend or visit the 39th Annual Catholic Camporee for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Camporee will conclude on Sunday, March 22 with Holy Mass celebrated at 10am

by Bishop Peter Jugis. The bishop will recognize all Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts who have earned their Religious Awards.

For more information please visit www.cdccos.info

The location of our camp this year is the Mecklenburg Scout Reservation – Camp Grimes 383 Vein Mountain Road Nebo, NC 28270

Principal Sacred Heart Cathedral School (www.shcschool.org), founded in 1956, is a SACS accredited Catholic school, grades K-8, with 580 students and a pre-school with 120 students. It is a ministry of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a diverse parish of over 1400 families located in Knoxville, TN, near the Smoky Mountains, an area with a growing Catholic population.

The start date for the position is June 1, 2015 The successful candidate will be a practicing Catholic with at least an MA in Educational Administration, 3-5 years of classroom teaching experience and 3 years of administrative experience. Interested candidates should email a current resume, cover letter and three references, including a pastor reference, to searchcommittee@shcknox.org.

The closing date for applications is March 1, 2015

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

The new Noah’s Ark mural in the St. Matthew Church Parish Center nursery is a colorful, inspiring backdrop for children’s play.

Photo provided by dean kiradjieff

‘IT SYMBOLIZES HOPE’

Mural in St. Matthew Church nursery a gift of love SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Dean Kiradjieff has always had a passion for art. Even as a child, he was fascinated with drawing and painting. He double-majored in geography and art at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, and had the opportunity to study art in Italy in college. Although he went to work in the field of employee benefits, he always kept sketching, painting and creating artwork for friends and relatives.

“I’ve been doing art for as long as I can remember,” says Kiradjieff, 50. “I took art classes in college and even studied in Florence. That was a great experience.”

This past Christmas Eve, Kiradjieff completed his largest mural to date – 22 feet by 10 feet – in the St. Matthew Parish Center nursery, which has served thousands of children over the past two decades.

Kiradjieff, who has been a parishioner at St. Matthew Church since 1992, was unexpectedly laid off from his full-time job in October, and felt that he was being called to lend his artistic talents to the Church in this interim period between full-time employment. With time on his hands, he decided to answer the call by saying “yes” to painting a mural in the

nursery, which needed a facelift, he says.

“I wanted to paint the mural to brighten it up a bit. When I knew I was going to do something in the nursery, Noah’s Ark was a no-brainer!” he jokes.

“I wanted the ark to be the story – to tell the whole story, not just show it and the animals before or after the flood.”

He told his wife Diane that is what he wanted to convey, and she agreed that was the way to do it.

Kiradjieff spent 30 hours over the course of two weeks in late December painting the mural, which takes up a whole wall in the nursery. He did it all by freehand, using bright colors and images of animals that would inspire children’s imaginations.

“I knew what I wanted it to look like in my head, it was just a matter of letting my paintbrush go and seeing what happens… I knew that not only can I do it, but I love to do it.”

Kiradjieff has never taken on a mural that large before, but he believes God gives people talents like his to share with others and knew it was God’s perfect timing to take this next step with his art.

“It symbolizes hope,” he says. “It symbolizes that no matter how bad things are, there is always tomorrow.”

Maria King coordinates child care for

See the many ways you can make a difference Christian Appalachian Project, a nonprofit organization that seeks to build hope, transform lives, and share Christ’s love through service in Appalachia, offers a variety of short and long term missionary opportunities close to home.

St Luke Church will host a trip to Eastern Kentucky May 10th through the 15th to provide home repair for an elderly resident in need.

For information on this trip contact Dave Esposito (djesposito@Hotmail.com), Steve Uzzell (soulman13@carolina.rr) or Jim Lawrence (jdl0628@earthlink.net).

To learn more about Christian Appalachian Project visit www.christianapp.org.

More online At www.kreationsbykiradjieff.com: Learn more about Dean Kiradjieff, the mural at St. Matthew Church, and his artwork At www.youtube.com/ stmatthewcatholic: The mural is featured in Episode 8 of the parish’s new series “MATTtv”

the nursery and had been hoping for a beautiful mural for a long time. “It took about a year for it to all fall into place and wow, it exceeded my vision and expectations. When I walked in and saw it done, I stared at it and tears just rolled down my face as it was amazing and my vision came a reality thanks to Dean.

“What a God-given talent Dean has and what a gift he has given the children, staff and families of St. Matthew,” she says.

Kiradjieff hopes to continue using his talents for other churches and people in the community.

“I’m looking for the next mural!” he says. “I’m excited about the next chapter in my life. We’ll see what happens.”

OUR PARISHESI

9

St. Joseph Vietnamese Church to host Tet Festival Feb. 20-22 CHARLOTTE — To celebrate the beginning of the Lunar New Year next week, St. Joseph Vietnamese Church in Charlotte will host its annual Lunar New Year Festival Feb. 20-22.

The Lunar New Year – Tet Nguyen Dan in Vietnamese — is the most important celebration of Vietnamese culture. Translated to mean “the first morning of the first day,” it is called Tet for short and is marked by traditional dress, food, music and dance.

The Vietnamese people decorate their homes with flowers and fruit trees during this festive time to symbolize the fertility and fruitfulness that their families hope to gain in the coming year. They also offer greetings and best wishes to one another for a prosperous new year. They enjoy traditional Tet food and dancing as they come together to celebrate.

The Tet Festival at St. Joseph Vietnamese Parish will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22; 6-11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21; and 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22. There will be traditional Vietnamese food, games, activities, live entertainment including lion dancers, and raffles. Admission is free.

A special Mass for the festival will be celebrated at the church on 4929 Sandy Porter Road at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 22.

The Mass will be offered in Vietnamese. All are welcome to attend the Tet Festival and the Mass to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2015, which on the Vietnamese zodiac is the Year of the Goat.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

10

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 OUR PARISHES

Candles blessed on Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Feb. 2

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — The feast of the Presentation of the Lord (also known as the Feast of Purification) was celebrated throughout the Diocese of Charlotte Feb. 2, and parishioners also celebrated “Candlemas,” the traditional day in which parishes bless their candles for the new year. This tradition marks the unofficial end of Christmastide, which celebrates the coming of the Light of the World: in the day’s Gospel reading, Simeon proclaims when he holds the Christ Child in the Temple, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32) Pictured is Father Christopher Roux, pastor and rector, blessing the candles before Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. In his homily, Father Roux meditated on the Christ Child’s presentation in the Temple by His mother and foster father. Simeon’s words of thankfulness and praise to God at seeing the infant Savior, he said, were understandable. “Even as a small baby, that light was very clear to those who had eyes to see,” he said.

Photo provided by Sid Cundiff

GREENSBORO — A Mass in the Extraordinary Form was celebrated at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro Feb. 2 for the Feast of the Purification. Pictured are Father Eric Kowalski, Father Jason Barone and Father Noah Carter during the procession, as people in the pews light the way – including James Jakubek, the son of Craig and Elizabeth Jakubek.

Candles were lit three times during the Mass: once for the procession, then for the Gospel, then for the Canon of the Mass. More than 100 people attended the Mass.

A heritage of compassion.

A revolutionary approach to skilled care.

F

or more than six decades, Pennybyrn at Maryfield has been building a foundation of respectful, compassionate care. Today, the Maryfield Health Care Households at Pennybyrn enhance this mission with a resident-centered approach to rehabilitation and skilled nursing care.

We offer: • Short-term Rehabilitative Services • Memory Support • Long-term Skilled Nursing Care

Maryfield Health Care Households Call 336-821-4000 to request information, or to schedule a private tour of a Maryfield Health Care Household.

Located less than a mile from downtown Jamestown and only 10 minutes from Greensboro. All faiths welcome.

at

Sponsored by the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God

109 Penny Road • High Point, NC 27260 www.PennybyrnAtMaryfield.org

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Bean joins seminarians CHARLOTTE — Matthew P. Bean has been accepted as a seminarian of the Diocese of Charlotte, effective Jan. 16. Bean is a former seminarian from Bean the Diocese of Arlington, Va., and is currently in his second year of theology studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.

The Charlotte diocese currently has 18 seminarians preparing for the priesthood.

Deacon assigned to Asheville basilica CHARLOTTE — Deacon Philip B. Miles has been granted faculties and an assignment by Bishop Peter J. Jugis to St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville. Deacon Miles was ordained for the Miles Archdiocese of Atlanta on Feb. 6, 2006, by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, and he served Transfiguration Parish in Marietta, Ga., until recently. He and his wife Eileen moved to Asheville to be near their family.

OUR PARISHESI

11

Call for Rice Bowl grant applications Does your parish help run a food pantry, operate a thrift store, or sponsor an emergency services program? If so, consider applying for a CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grant for up to $1,000 in grant funds. Grants will be accepted through the postmark deadline of March 16, 2015, in a special round of grants with more than $9,000 available for distribution.

Information about this upcoming round of grants (including application, guidelines and eligibility) is available at www.ccdoc.org/cchdcrs.

Only one grant can be submitted per Catholic entity and grant applications must be reviewed and signed by the pastor of the parish, principal of the school, or director of the diocesan office applying for the grant. Parishes and Catholic entities in the diocese which received a Rice Bowl grant in the most recent fall 2014 round are not eligible to apply in this special round of grants, but are eligible to apply in next year’s fall 2015 round of grants.

Upcoming Eastern Catholic liturgies planned CANTON — Byzantine rite Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom will be celebrated at Immaculate Conception Mission in Canton on Saturday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, March 21, by Father Mark Shuey, a Ukrainian Catholic priest from Cary.

Vespers will begin at 4 p.m. and Divine Liturgy (Mass) at 5 p.m., all said in English. Participating in Divine Liturgy fulfills the Sunday obligation for Catholics of any rite.

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is located at 42 Newfound St., Canton.

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

“No one in the Church of Jesus Christ should feel excused from receiving catechesis.”

— St. John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae

How well do you know your Catholic Faith?

A four-part Lenten Lecture Series on the Catechism of the Catholic Church Part I The Profession of Faith “I believe.” The 17 doctrines of faith in the Apostles’ Creed Fr. Jason Christian -- Monday, February 23d, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Part II The Celebration of the Christian Liturgy The Sacred Liturgy. The seven sacraments.

Fr. Noah Carter -- Monday, March 2d, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Part III Life in Christ The dignity of the human person, the natural moral law and the Ten Commandments Fr. Matthew Kauth -- Monday, March 9th, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Part IV Christian Prayer Our life in prayer. The Lord’s Prayer Fr. Adrian Porras -- Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

St. Barnabas Catholic Church 109 Crescent Hill Drive Arden, NC 28704 Call 828-684-6098 for more information

Photo provided by Katie Herzing

St. Thomas Aquinas ‘Making Room for the Spirit’ CHARLOTTE — Construction on a new parish activity center officially began at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on their patronal feast day, Jan. 28, as an official groundbreaking ceremony was held. More than 60 people attended the event.

Father Patrick Winslow, pastor, and Father Jason Christian, parochial vicar, were on hand with building and planning leaders as well as parishioners to break ground on the 10,600-square-foot facility. Edison Foard of Charlotte will serve as general contract for the project, which has an anticipated completion date of November 2015.

“As a family has a home, the parish must have a place to live and grow as the family of God,” said Father Winslow. “As our campus has developed over the past few decades, we have been greatly blessed. The addition of a parish center to our campus will allow our various groups to serve and be served. This upcoming fall will be an exciting time for the people of the parish.”

For more photos from the ceremony or to watch video from the groundbreaking, go to www.stacharlotte.com.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 12

RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

El Padre Michael Kottar, Parroco de la Iglesia de Santa Maria en Shelby, bendice a Fidelio y Eva Gonzalez y sus siete hijos, durante el ofertorio de la Misa Dominical el pasado 8 de Febrero. Fidelio Gonzalez es un inmigrante sin documentos mexicanos quien fue detenido por agentes de ICE el pasado 5 de Diciembre. Gonzalez estuvo detenido por mes y medio en el Centro de Detencion Stewart de Georgia, y estuvo a punto de ser deportado a México. Gracias a la ayuda de Byron Martinez de Unidos We Stand del Condado de Gaston, Gonzalez fue liberado el 14 de Enero y se le dio la oportunidad de regresar con su familia en Shelby.

Hispano de la Parroquia de Santa Maria en Shelby se reúne con su familia después de estar en peligro de deportación Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

SHELBY — Fidelio Gonzalez, esposo y padre de una familia de siete hijos, y miembro activo de la Parroquia de Santa Maria, en Shelby, fue separado de su familia el pasado 5 de Diciembre por agentes de Aduanas e Inmigración (ICE) y estuvo detenido en el Centro de Detención Stewart en Lumpkin, Georgia, por mes y medio.

Gonzalez estuvo a punto de ser deportado a su país natal de México, sin la posibilidad de ver a su familia más aquí en los Estados Unidos.

Sin embargo, gracias al apoyo de la comunidad parroquial, miembros de la comunidad de Shelby, y la ayuda de la organización, Unidos We Stand, del Condado de Gaston, Gonzalez fue liberado milagrosamente del Centro de Detención de Stewart y se reunió con su familia otra vez el pasado 14 de Enero.

“La verdad es que ha sido un milagro de Dios,” dijo Eva

Gonzalez, esposa de Fidelio y madre de familia, quien está embarazada con el hijo número ocho de la familia Gonzalez. “El doctor dijo que él bebe está supuesto a nacer a finales de Marzo,” agregó ella.

Gonzalez dijo que el pasado 5 de Diciembre, dos días después de que cumpliera los 41 años, dos agentes vestidos con uniformes de policía, tocaron en la puerta de su casa, y le dijeron que estaban investigando unos crímenes en su vecindario. Sin embargo, después que confirmaron la identidad de Gonzalez, se identificaron como agentes del ICE e inmediatamente detuvieron al mexicano indocumentado y lo llevaron al centro de detención en Georgia.

La razón por la cual los agentes detuvieron a Gonzalez fue porque las autoridades de ICE están buscando y deportando a cualquier inmigrante indocumentado con historial criminal. Fidelio Gonzalez admitió que en el 2002, en un momento de desesperación, cometió un error y fue arrestado por delitos de drogas. Gonzalez fue sentenciado a

36 horas de servicio comunitario y dos años de probatoria.

“Todos cometemos errores, y desde ese entonces yo he hecho muchas cosas buenas y me he integrado a la comunidad. Tanto la Anglo como en la comunidad Hispana,” dijo Gonzalez.

“Están deteniendo (ICE) a mucha gente. Mucha gente que fueron convictos hace 10, 15 años atrás. Se los llevan, no importa si has tenido una historia limpia por los últimos 15 años,” dijo Byron Martínez, Director de la organización, Unidos We Stand, un grupo sin fines de lucro que ayuda a luchar por los derechos humanos de inmigrantes indocumentados en el área de Gastonia y sus alrededores. Martínez visitó a Gonzalez en el Centro de Detención Stewart en Georgia antes de manejar su caso y luchar para evitar la deportación de Gonzalez.

“Yo lo vi a él como un hombre humilde que sí admitió que había cometido un error y que él estaba arrepentido.

GONZALEZ, SEE page 13

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

13

(Izquierda) Milagros Gonzalez de 6 años hija de Fidelio Gonzalez, su esposa Eva Gonzlaez que está embarazada con él bebe número ocho, y la hija menor, María Valeria de dos años.

(Derecha) Fidelio Gonzalez describiendo los varios trabajos de renovación que ha hecho para la Parroquia de Santa María en Shelby.

RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

GONZALEZ: FROM PAGE 12

Todo lo que Fidelio me dijo, vino del corazón,” recuerda Martínez después de su primera visita con Gonzalez.

El Padre Michael Kottar, Párroco de la Iglesia de Santa Maria, describió a Fidelio Gonzalez como “Un pilar de la comunidad.

Fidelio es miembro del consejo parroquial, miembro de los Knights of Columbus (Caballeros de Colón) y con una esposa, Eva, muy devota.” El Padre Kottar dijo que cuando Gonzalez estaba en peligro de deportación, “muchas personas en la comunidad, especialmente los Anglos, se dieron cuenta que el problema de la inmigración está separando a las familias,” dijo el sacerdote.

Durante la ausencia de Fidelio, su esposa Eva recuerda el apoyo de su Parroquia, y de la comunidad en general, ya que la familia entera dependía de su esposo para su mantenimiento. “Recibimos mucho apoyo de la Parroquia de Santa Maria.” Frank Kopenec, de los Knights of Columbus de Santa Maria, dijo que ellos también ofrecieron asistencia económica a Eva y a su familia durante esos duros momentos.

“Nosotros en los Knights of Columbus ayudamos a las viudas y a los huérfanos.

Así que por cualquiera que haya sido la razón nuestro gobierno federal había dejado a la esposa y los hijos de Fidelio como una viuda sin esposo y a los niños como huérfanos, así que nosotros tuvimos que tomar acción en el asunto y ayudar a un hermano de los Knights que lo necesitaba,” dijo Kopenec.

Después de la detención de Fidelio, Eva trató en vano de conseguir un abogado que pudiera defender a su esposo y evitar su deportación, incluso hasta pagando una abogada local casi $750 no habían muchas esperanzas. Eva decidió entonces pedir la ayuda de Dios, “Yo le pedí a Dios que me diera una señal, y entonces dos señoras de la Legión de Maria me tocaron la puerta y me preguntaron como estaba,” recuerda ella. “Entonces cuando compartí mi frustración una de ellas me dijo que tenía un número de alguien que me podía ayudar. Y ahí fue que me dieron el número de Byron (Martínez).”

“Cuando decidí tomar su caso, empecé a leer las cartas que las personas habían escrito acerca del buen carácter moral de Fidelio. Muchas personas buenas

como doctores, sacerdotes, miembros de su parroquia. Muchas personas escribieron cosas buenas acerca de este hombre. Entonces, ahí yo decidí darle la oportunidad de luchar por este caso,” recuerda Martínez.

Después de su encuentro con Gonzalez, Martínez le dijo que confiara en Dios y que iban a tener que luchar porque no iba a ser fácil, pero que tuviera confianza en que Martínez iba a tener éxito en lograr su regreso a Shelby. Unidos We Stand entonces escribió muchas cartas a oficiales gubernamentales a favor de Gonzalez para prevenir su deportación. “Básicamente, en las cartas explicábamos, que si es verdad que esta persona cometió un error hace 12 años atrás, pero desde entonces ha sido una persona que aporta a la sociedad; tiene 7 hijos que son ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos; su esposa está a punto de dar a luz el próximo mes. ¿Quién se va a encargar de esos niños? El Señor Gonzalez es la cabeza y soporte de su familia.,” dijo Martínez.

“Yo soy un hombre cambiado, y lo único que necesito es una oportunidad. Yo estoy arrepentido de lo que hice. Yo solo espero que el gobierno federal vea mi lado bueno para el bien de mis hijos y mi familia,” dijo Fidelio Gonzalez.

“Yo creo que fue en realidad un milagro que Fidelio haya regresado… A causa de las cartas que se escribieron a su favor, a causa de su buen carácter, la posibilidad de que su familia se iba a quedar sin padre y el daño que eso iba a causar. Entonces, a causa de esa presión, o lo que le quieran llamar, por esa razón liberaron a Fidelio…

El milagro es que él está con nosotros.

Fidelio se ha unido a su familia otra vez para que así él pueda proveer para su familia,” dijo el Padre Kottar.

En la madrugada del 14 de Enero, Byron y Carlos Martínez de Unidos We Stand, llevaron a Eva Gonzalez y sus siete hijos en su Suburban a buscar a su esposo y padre de sus hijos. Fidelio Gonzalez fue puesto en libertad condicional por razones de causas humanitarias.

“Yo tenía fe en Dios. Y yo le dije ‘Señor, la razón por la cual no mandaron a Fidelio de vuelta es porque Tú tienes un plan para nosotros aquí,’” recordó Eva alegremente.

“Yo no soy la misma persona que era antes. Yo no vivo en el pasado. Yo vivo en el presente y buscando un buen futuro.

Nosotros los Latinos vivimos aquí; respiramos aquí; trabajamos aquí, y algunos de nosotros usamos algunos de los beneficios que ofrecen aquí. Entonces, tenemos la obligación de integrarnos en la sociedad. Eso es lo que yo le estoy

GLOBAL CATHOLIC TOURS OF VIRGINIA

Para mayor información

2015 PILGRIMAGES

9 Days HolyLand Aug 17- 25, $2800 each 5 nights in Jerusalem & 2 nights in Nazareth with Fr. Bartlett - Winchester, VA.

Para mayor información acerca de Unidos We Stand, vaya a www.unidoswestand.org.

enseñando a mis hijos que hagan. Por medio del servicio a la comunidad y ayudando a diferentes organizaciones sin fines de lucro aquí en Shelby. También, a nivel de la parroquia, yo creo que hemos hecho un bonito trabajo integrando a las dos comunidades, tanto los Anglos como los Hispanos trabajando juntos uno al lado del otro,” concluyó Fidelio Gonzalez.

12 Day Italy Pilgrimage Aug 31- Sep 11, $3880 each 3 nights Venice, 2 nights Florence, 1 night Assisi, 4 nights Rome. Visit Padua & Siena with Fr. Mattingley - Williamsburg, VA. 11 Days Catholic Ireland Sep 7- 17, $3250 each 3 nights each in Dublin & Galway, 2 nights Killarney, 1 night in Limerick. .

With Fr. Higgs - Elkins, WV. 13 Days Spain-Fatima Sep 14-26, $3550 each 4 nights Madrid, 1 night Burgos, 2 nights Santiago de Compostela, 3 nights Fatima, 1 night Lisbon with Fr. Pisano - Wellsburg, WV. 11Day Poland -Prague Sep 28-Oct 8 $3090 each From Dulles - 2 nights Warsaw, 1 night Czestrochowa, 3 nights each in Krakow & Prague. Visit Wadowice, Divine.Mercy Shrine with Fr. McGinnis - Huntington, WV 6 Days Mexico Dec 8-13, $1930.

Anniversary of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

With Fr. Goldsmith - Harrisonburg, VA.

La pared de la sala de la Familia Gonzalez decorada con diferentes fotos de la familia.

For brochures or information, contact John Tagnesi PH 1-888-544-4461 or jtag1964@ verizon.net

!"#$%&"'(%&)*$+

At t o r n ey a t L aw, P L L C

Wills – Trusts – Advanced Directives – Planning for Children Special Needs – Probate – Veterans Benefits • Member of the Charlotte Estate Planning Council & Mecklenburg County Bar Association • 15 years of exclusive practice in the area of Estate Planning • Speaker at St. Matthew's annual End of Life Planning Seminar • Blog voted by LexisNexis as one of the top 25 Blogs on Estate Planning and Probate • Elite Attorney Honoree by Women With Know How

15720 John J. Delaney Drive - Suite 300 - Charlotte, North Carolina 28277 (704) 843-1446 swinters@sabrinawinterslaw.com www.ncestateplanninginfo.com

Our schools 14

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

At Catholic Schools Week Mass, Bishop Jugis encourages children to grow closer to Jesus

‘I thought the blanket-making project was one of the most fulfilling projects I’ve done at school, knowing someone won’t be cold anymore.’

Chloe Arnold

Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

CHARLOTTE — “The Kingdom of God has been planted in each one of your souls,” Bishop Peter Jugis told children at Mass for the conclusion of Catholic Schools Week, and they must now help that “seed” of faith to grow in their hearts and all around them.

The Jan. 30 Mass for students of Sacred Heart School in Salisbury was one of two Masses Bishop Jugis celebrated in honor of Catholic Schools Week. Father John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, and Father Noah Carter, parochial vicar, also participated in the Mass, and Sacred Heart eighth-graders served as lectors, altar servers and gift bearers.

Bishop Jugis summed up for the children the “beautiful theme” in the day’s Gospel from Mark (Chapter 4:26-34), in which Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed.

The Scripture passage reads, in part: “It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”

“He uses that as an image to describe what’s happening in the heart of every one of us who accepts the Kingdom of God, accepts Christ into our hearts,” Bishop Jugis explained to the children. “The presence of Jesus continues to grow and mature” in us “after being planted in us at our baptism.”

“How many of you have been baptized?” he asked them, and lots of little hands went up throughout the church. He smiled, then continued, “The kingdom of God has already been planted in your soul, and it’s continuing to grow and to mature.”

“Jesus wants to live in you,” he told them.

He described four ways the children could encourage that “seed” of faith to grow within their hearts.

First, “pray every day,” he told them, “whether in the morning when you get up, or the evening when you’re going to bed, or at meals.”

“As we pray, we’re inviting Jesus once again to come into our hearts.

You’re opening your heart to Christ and saying, ‘Come to me, Lord. Live within me, be with me today,’” he explained. “The more we pray, of course, the more the Kingdom of God – the presence of Jesus, and our faith – is continuing to grow within us.”

“By contrast, if we never pray or we stop praying, the Kingdom of God will begin to diminish and grow smaller within us.”

Second, he encouraged the children to attend Mass each week.

“If we want Jesus’ presence to grow within us, if we want Him to live within us, here is Jesus at the altar.

eighth-grader at Holy Trinity Middle School

Holy Trinity Middle School students show off their handiwork on “no sew” blankets they crafted Jan. 26 during Catholic Schools Week. Forty blankets were made to benefit the women and children at the Center of Hope homeless shelter in Charlotte.

Photo provided by holy trinity middle school

Bill Washington | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter Jugis greets students after Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury Jan. 30.

For more photos from the Mass, go online to www.catholicnewsherald.com.

He comes to feed us, to nourish us on His own Body and Blood,” he said.

“Another sure-fire way” of growing in our faith, he told them, “is by loving your neighbor: charity in practice.”

“Jesus said, ‘Love one another as I have loved you,’” he told them, and we do that by “loving the people in our family, our brothers and sisters, being kind to one another, loving our classmates, being helpful at home, being obedient to our parents – showing love in action.

“Because the more we love, the more the presence of Christ grows within us.”

He also encouraged the children to learn about their faith.

“What better way for the faith to grow strong within you than by studying your faith – learning about Jesus – and then putting that into practice.”

The seed of faith has been planted “here within your own heart, within your own soul,” he reminded the students, and Jesus “ wants His presence to grow.”

“Because as the Kingdom of God grows here,” he continued, putting his hand over his heart, “you’re going to be sharing your faith. The Kingdom of God – the presence of Jesus – is then going to grow outside us.

“We can be instruments of the Lord’s grace and of His love and of His presence to everyone around us.”

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2015

Holy Trinity students make blankets for homeless women, children SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Students and staff at Holy Trinity Middle School came together during a chilly Catholic Schools Week Jan. 26 to make 40 fleece “no sew” blankets for women and children at the Center of Hope homeless shelter in Charlotte.

Children in 36 homerooms made blankets – some making more than one – with several teachers and staff members helping to trim 160 yards of fabric, cutting the fringe around the edges so students could then knot them to create the brightly-colored blankets.

The whole school prayed a special prayer for the homeless and those who assist them before starting the project.

“The concept behind the project was to make helping the poor tangible to the students by having them physically help to create a blanket that will warm a homeless woman or child in Charlotte,” said Diane Buckley, director of sacramental programs at Holy Trinity Middle.

“Our faith becomes a vital part of our identity when we are actively engaged in continuing Christ’s work, when ours ‘are the hands with which He blesses all the world’ (St. Teresa of Avila in ‘Christ’s Body’). The project was also intended to build relationships within our school community and foster an

understanding that we are the Church, we are the Body of Christ,” she explained.

Here is what some students had to say about their participation in the project: Joey Schreder: “I thought the blanket-making project was a great way to connect with others and learn what the Catholic faith means.”

Michaela Pierce: “The blanket-making project made me smile because I knew I would make someone else smile when they received a cozy blanket.”

Gabby Stagnone: “I thought the blanketmaking project was a great bonding experience for our school! We all worked together for a good cause.”

Allie Michaels: “It was inspiring that we got to help those in need, and that even the littlest things can make a big difference.”

Grace Kunik:” I thought the blanket-making project was very humbling. I go to sleep each night with blankets on me, so the fact that some people aren’t as lucky is sad. I’m proud to say that I got to make someone a warm blanket.”

Brian Stieglitz: “I thought the blanketmaking project was inspiring, fun, and most of all, enlightening. Who knew that cutting and tying knots could do so much?”

Shane Straose: “When I made the blanket it made me feel so good because I knew someone would love to have a soft blanket.”

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

15

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2015 HUNTERSVILLE — Monsignor Richard M. Bellow, dean of students at St. Mark School, accepts a care package from seventh-grader Jiwon Yun during an all-school Mass for Catholic Schools Week. This box was one of many filled with donated items, such as socks, toiletries, stationery and candy to send to the seminarians of the diocese.

The “Seminarian Care Package” drive is the school’s primary service project for Catholic Schools Week each year. (Photo provided by Denise Romaniello)

GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace School students Josie Hernandez and Katherine Nettles dressed up in costumes from the 1960s during one of the activities for Catholic Schools Week. (Photo provided by Karen L. Hornfeck)

HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary School kicked off Catholic Schools Week with students and PTO parents delivering “thank you” baskets to police and EMS. (Photo provided by Anna Bragg)

GASTONIA — Belmont Abbey College Men’s Basketball Team participated in a pep rally at St. Michael School. Students of all ages were able to play games with the team. (Photo provided

by Katie Meseroll)

SALISBURY — Sacred Heart School kicked off its Catholic Schools Week with a pep rally and games. Father John Eckert, pastor, and Father Noah Carter, parochial vicar, joined in a faculty vs. student 3-point contest. Seventh-grader Julian Malnar beat Father Eckert in the finals. (Photo provided by Robin Fisher)

WINSTON-SALEM — Bishop Peter Jugis came to Our Lady of Mercy Church Jan. 28 to celebrate Mass for Catholic Schools Week. He also anointed two students who are battling cancer at this time. (Photo from Our Lady of Mercy School’s Facebook page)

GREENSBORO – St. Pius X students and teachers kicked off Catholic Schools Week by welcoming fellow students and parents during morning carpool. (Photo provided by Jean Navarro)

CHARLOTTE — Our Lady of the Assumption School’s band and guitars take over Our Lady of the Assumption Church at Mass Jan. 25 to kick off Catholic Schools Week. (Photo provided by Allana-Rae Ramkissoon)

CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel School celebrated Catholic Schools Week with many fun and faith-filled activities. The school’s Prayer Card contest is an annual tradition.

This year’s winners were Emily Knapp for her illustration and Michael Mullen for his prayer. Pictured with them are their mothers, Jennifer Knapp and Maris Mullen, Principal Sharon Broxterman, and St. Gabriel’s pastor, Father Frank O’Rourke and parochial vicar Father Gabriel Carvajal-Salazar. (Photo provided by Darby McClatchy)

CHARLOTTE — Students at St. Ann School collected and delivered items to the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration’s St. Joseph Monastery. (Photo provided by Kathy McKinney)

RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Patrick School students visit soup kitchen during Catholic Schools Week CHARLOTTE – Kindergarten students from St. Patrick School in Charlotte kicked off Catholic Schools Week Jan. 26 with a visit to the Dilworth Soup Kitchen. The students collected a variety of condiments as well as dish towels to be used for the guests at the soup kitchen. Students also made decorated place mats for St. Valentine’s Day. Pictured, Dilworth Soup Kitchen volunteer Mary Andujar

explains to the young students how their contributions make a difference in the lives of the Dilworth Soup Kitchen’s guests.

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See a video of the St. Patrick School students’ efforts, plus many more photos from Catholic Schools Week

16

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

check for $10,000. This money was part of a very successful Panther Prowl Fun Run that the PTO held in the fall. The school plans to use the money to purchase 24 iPads for students’ use. Pictured are second-grade teacher Celia McMullen, PTO copresidents Julie Taylor and Ashley Davis, Diocese of Charlotte Schools Assistant Superintendent Kathleen Miller, Principal Amy Pagano and PTO treasurer Bryan Hill.

— Karen Hornfeck

In Brief St. Leo spelling bee winners announced

Sacred Heart geography bee winners named SALISBURY — Eighth-grader Jason Matthews recently won Sacred Heart School’s annual geography bee, sponsored by National Geographic. Matthews will now continue in the competition by taking a written national exam to see if he qualifies for the North Carolina state competition to be held March 27. The champion from each state is invited to compete in the National Geographic Bee Championship in Washington, D.C., May 11-13.

Sacred Heart classroom winners were: (fourth grade) Drew Hansen, Kyna Zaldivar, and Dayanara Nunez; (fifth grade) Mabel Harrison and Will Webb; (sixth grade) John Coello and Katy Klein; (seventh grade) Cameron Pierson and Hannah Smith; and (eighth grade) Caleb Fleeman and Matthews.

— Robin Fisher

WINSTON-SALEM — Principal Georgette Schraeder is pictured congratulating St. Leo School’s spelling bee competitors for the school-wide bee in Winston-Salem. Students are in grades 4-8: Sophia Espenilla-Bochert, Francesca Moya, Maureen Cavanaugh, Charles Galyon, Liam Lang, Emelie Patti, Makenna Hartwich, Ethan Hodges, Iva Pestana, Caroline Deal and Bella Espenilla.

geography bee and spelling bee took place at Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem.

Niel Ingle, an eighth-grader, won the school-level National Geographic Bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography. Fourthgrader Sarah McDowell and seventh-grader Sophie Bowman tied for second place, and fifthgrader Brooke de Jong and sixth-grader Zac Merrill tied for third place. As the winner, Ingle will be submitting a written test to qualify for the State Geography Bee. Seventh-grader Jordan Duncan won the school-wide spelling bee and runner-up was fourth-grader Michael Golamco. Duncan will compete at the Non Public Schools Spelling Bee, hosted by Our Lady of Mercy School on Feb. 16.

— Lara Davenport

— Misty Riccoboni

PTO raises money for OLG

OLM names geography, spelling bee winners

GREENSBORO — In January, Our Lady of Grace School’s PTO presented school leaders with a

WINSTON-SALEM — Academic competition was fierce recently as both the school-level

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

Director of Marketing - MACS Charlotte, North Carolina Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS), a system of nine Catholic schools within the Diocese of Charlotte located in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area is accepting applications for a Director of Marketing to develop and implement comprehensive marketing plans to maintain and build enrollment in its schools.

The candidate for Director of Marketing must have a minimum of a Bachelors degree in business with an emphasis in marketing and a minimum of two years experience in a marketing related activity.

The individual should have the ability to develop a marketing plan independently and should possess strong communications skills and demonstrate a creative and analytical approach to business.

The individual should also possess strong computer skills with the ability to use various supportive software.

To apply please send your resume and a cover letter to: Theresa Ramirez Catholic Schools Office-Diocese of Charlotte 1123 South Church St. Charlotte, NC 28203 or email to: catholicschools@charlottediocese.org

ccdoc.org

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015

March 8, 2015.

Mix

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

American granddaughter (Jillian Estell). But his reliance on alcohol to assuage his grief raises questions about his fitness as a guardian, leading the girl’s paternal grandmother (Octavia Spencer), a successful entrepreneur, to sue for custody. As family antagonisms fuel the conflict, the attorney blames the lass’ dad (Andre Holland), a narcotics-dependent ne’erdo-well, for his own daughter’s needless death in childbirth, so too do racial tensions. Though its avoidance of stereotypes and easy answers is admirable, the film provides only modest entertainment for those grown-up viewers able to appreciate its moral shadings. Brief bloodless violence, a drug theme, mature references, several uses of profanity.

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

‘Seventh Son’

‘Jupiter Ascending’ Heavenly bodies, human and alien, collide in spectacular fashion in this 3-D sciencefiction romp through the cosmos, written and directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski. A young woman (Mila Kunis) leaves her Chicago home with a hunky alien (Channing Tatum) for a grand adventure on distant worlds. She is the unlikely heir to the entire universe, and so a pawn in a power struggle among three alien siblings (Eddie Redmayne, Tuppence Middleton and Douglas Booth), who harvest humans on Earth for an elixir offering eternal youth. Our damsel in distress strives to save her planet and return home to her family. Confusing, silly, and unintentionally hilarious, the film has strong opinions about industrial might, the abuse of power, and the plight of the individual, but these get lost in the ether. Intense but bloodless sci-fi action, occasional crude and profane language.

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

‘Black or White’ Large-scale issues of race and addiction are examined in microcosm in this fact-based drama from writer-director Mike Binder. After a car accident suddenly leaves him a widower, a prosperous white lawyer (Kevin Costner) struggles to go on raising his half-African-

An accessible throwback to Saturday matinee serials and mid-20th-century action-adventure films, this half-baked yet unobjectionable tale follows a knight (Jeff Bridges) and his young apprentice (Ben Barnes) as they battle a demonic cadre of supernatural assassins led by a witch queen (Julianne Moore). Russian director Sergei Bodrov proves adept at providing stirring 3-D visuals and orchestrating thrilling sequences in which live action and 21st-century special effects mesh in a manner that furthers the plot and showcases the natural beauty of the British Columbia scenery.

This facility does not carry over to Bodrov’s handling of his lead actor, however, since Bridges’ distractingly idiosyncratic performance makes it feel as though the Dude from “The Big Lebowski” has been teleported into this actionfantasy milieu. Frequent strong yet blood-free fantasy violence, much frightening imagery involving monsters and demonic creatures, several uses of crass language.

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

Additional reviews: n ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water’: CNS: A-I (general patronage); MPAA: PG n ‘Mortdecai’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: R n ‘Project Almanac’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13 n ‘Strange Magic’: CNS: A-I (general patronage); MPAA: PG n ‘The Loft’: CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R

Join us as we celebrate the family and its role in our society, and rejoice in the Holy Father’s first visit the to the U.S.

n Friday, Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “St. Anthony School: One Team, One Family.” An EWTN original documentary, Bob Dolan shows how St. Anthony School in Milwaukee, Wis., is successful in providing a solid and lifechanging Catholic education despite difficult economic conditions.

n Sunday, Feb. 22, 3:21 p.m. (EWTN) “A Lenten Pilgrimage: St. John Lateran.” Dr. Timothy O’ Donnell explores the church of St. John Lateran, which is associated with both John the Baptist and John the Evangelist and holds many sacred relics, including fragments of the skulls of St. Peter and St. Paul.

n Saturday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Bakhita.”

Dramatic life of Josephine Bakhita, Sudaneseborn slave who became a nun in the Order of the Cannossian Sisters and was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II. Part 2.

n Monday, Feb. 23, 4:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Image of God: What is Lent?” Mary Jo Smith discusses the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday, and how it marks the beginning of our repentance in preparation for Christ’s Passion and our redemption.

n Monday, Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land: Mount Carmel, The Dead Sea and Nazareth.” Host Diana von Glahn tours the Carmelite chapel on Mount Carmel, floats in the Dead Sea, explores Qumran, and later visits Jerusalem’s Church of St. Anne, the Basilica of the Annunciation, Church of St. Joseph, and the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Gabriel.

Limited Seats Available!

For more information or to register please contact: Henry Dennis Mrs. Jean Judge

Secretary, St. Mary Help of Christians 704-487-7697 ext: 103 jmjudge@charlottediocese.org

n Tuesday, Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Crusades: Journeys of Faith.” A look at the history and reasons for the Crusades, which originally was called an “armed pilgrimage,” aiding safety for pilgrims visiting the Holy Land against Muslim conquerors.

n Friday, Feb. 20, 3:20 p.m. (EWTN) “A Lenten Pilgrimage: St. John and St. Paul.” Dr. Timothy O’Donnell’s series continues with a look at the Church of Sts. John and Paul, who were martyred for refusing to worship pagan gods. n Saturday, Feb. 21, 4 p.m. (EWTN) “A Man for Others: The Life of Father Roberto Balducelli.”

The life and work of Italian immigrant priest Father Roberto Balducelli of the Diocese of Wilmington, Del., who had been an inspiration to everyone who knew him, from victims he aided during World War II to the local Italian community. n Saturday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Thérèse.” The mesmerizing story of a young girl’s romance with God. Her faith and sacrifices reveal a way of life based on love and simplicity. A contemplative film based on the true story of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the most popular saint of modern times.

Our Lady of

Mercy for

Lead by Father Michael Kottar from the Diocese of Charlotte 4 nights accommodations Roundtrip motor oach from Charlotte to Philadelphia 4 dinners / 4 breakfasts Half day guided tour of Philadelphia Visit two local shrines Daily Mass / Papal Mass … and much more!

AAA Vacations 800- 645-9650 ext: 14811 hddennis@mailaaa.com

On TV

A Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

Diocese of Charlotte Pilgrimage September 23 – 27, 2015

17

PreK-8th

Catholic School

Faith Academics Values Join us for Open House: -- Tuesday, February 24, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

See what it’s like to be part of our Mercy family!

1730 Link Road Winston-Salem, NC 27103 (336) 722.7204 www.ourladyofmercyschool.org Welcoming students of all races, religions, ethnic and national origins.

Our nation 18

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis will address Congress, also visit New York WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, announced Feb. 5 that Pope Francis will address a joint meeting of Congress Sept. 24.

The pontiff’s “historic visit” would make him the “first leader of the Holy See to address a joint meeting of Congress,” Boehner said in a statement, adding that he was “truly grateful that Pope Francis has accepted our invitation.”

Boehner noted that “in a time of global upheaval, the Holy Father’s message of compassion and human dignity has moved people of all faiths and backgrounds. His teachings, prayers, and very example bring us back to the blessings of simple things and our obligations to one another.”

“We look forward to warmly welcoming Pope Francis to our Capitol and hearing his address on behalf of the American people,” he added.

A statement from the Archdiocese of Washington called it “a great honor and tremendous joy to welcome our Holy Father, Pope Francis, to the Archdiocese of Washington during his proposed pastoral visit to the United States in September.”

The statement said the announced visit “will be a time of grace for all of us.” It also said the archdiocese looks forward “to the official announcement of more details of the visit.”

On Jan. 19 when the pope was on the plane returning to Rome from his visit to the Philippines, he told reporters that his September trip to the U.S. would take him to Philadelphia, New York and Washington – where he intends to canonize Blessed Junipero Serra.

The pope also confirmed he would visit the United Nations in New York. He had already announced his participation Sept. 26 and 27 in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families there.

— Catholic News Service

Catholics called to do everything in their power to end trafficking Katie Scott Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Highlighting the life, suffering and enduring hope of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese slave, Washington Auxiliary Bishop Martin D. Holley called for reflection and action to combat modern-day slavery during his homily on the first International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking Feb. 8.

We must “do everything in our power through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy to eradicate human trafficking,” the bishop told the nearly 1,000 people – including trafficking survivors – gathered for the noon Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

Held on the feast of St. Josephine, the day was designated by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Union of Superiors General. Last year, the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services organized a national day of prayer for victims and survivors of human trafficking, and it spearheaded this year’s liturgy at the shrine.

The day offered the fruits of “compounded prayer” and was an opportunity to shed light on a pervasive tragedy, said Hilary Chester, associate director of the U.S. bishops’ anti-trafficking program.

According to the U.N. International Labor Organization, there are nearly 21 million human trafficking victims worldwide.

While there has been increased education and awareness, Chester said, human trafficking is increasing.

In the United States, victims of labor trafficking are “all around us” in poorly regulated industries like agriculture, inhome domestic work, nursing home work and the food-service industry. Sex trafficked victims can be foreign nationals, but they also are U.S. citizens, often children who are in abusive homes or foster care situations.

“You see it all across the board,” Chester said.

In his homily, Bishop Holley told the story of St. Josephine, who was born in 1869 and enslaved as a child. Beaten and whipped nearly every day, young Josephine eventually was taken to Italy and freed with the help of

CNS | Tyler Orsburn

Survivors of human trafficking carry offertory gifts during at Mass celebrated Feb. 8 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., to mark the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. the Canossian Daughters of Charity, an order she later joined. Canonized in 2000, she has been proposed as the patron saint of victims and survivors of human trafficking.

The bishop emphasized that human trafficking involves everyone and quoted Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”). The pope writes that many are guilty of “comfortable and silent complicity” in relation to the crime and have “blood on their hands.”

The pope addressed the global issue during his Sunday Angelus Feb. 8, asking government leaders to act decisively “to remove the causes of this shameful wound ... a wound that is unworthy of civil society.”

About a dozen women who know such wounds firsthand were present at the shrine Mass and helped carry up the gifts during the offertory. The women, all highly educated teachers from the Philippines, were lured to the United States by recruiters with promises of a better life.

Because of corruption and a poor economy in the Philippines, may people are forced to migrate, according to Jo Quiambao, secretary general for Gabriela DC, a grass-roots organization that works with Filipina human trafficking survivors.

Illegal recruiters use sophisticated tactics to exploit the situation in the island nation, and high-level government agencies are

Thinking about a will?

Request a free Wills Kit from CRS. Learn what you need to know before you see an attorney.

1-800-235-2772 CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES Giving hope to a world of need.

involved, often approving fraudulent travel documents, said Quiambao.

Such was the case with around 300 women – 200 now in D.C. – who were promised lucrative teaching jobs in the United States.

After selling their homes and exhausting their savings to come to the States, the women found themselves jobless, moneyless and with illegal status.

The U.S. bishops’ anti-trafficking program, carried out through MRS, is working with Gabriela DC to connect the women to social services and to educate and empower them.

Quiambao said the international day of prayer is “essential because it helps survivors heal, and because they are encouraged by knowing other people care – that they are not alone.” She said it also affirms the need to speak out against the crime.

Along with Gabriela DC, a number of representatives from coalitions and organizations attended the Mass, including the Mid-Atlantic Coalition Against Modern Slavery. Composed primarily of women religious, it focuses on advocacy and education while providing some direct service to victims.

Coalition member Sister Carol Ries, of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, said human trafficking is an issue that should be close to all Catholics’ heart.

It’s a “pro-life issue,” she said. “It’s about respect for women and children; it’s about human rights.”

In partnership with the USCCB, Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Charities of the Washington Archdiocese, the National Catholic School of Social Service at The Catholic University of America in Washington will host a two-day conference on human trafficking this July. Will Rainford, dean of the school, said the conference will raise awareness among priests, diocesan leaders and lay staff who come into contact with victims.

Chester hopes this year’s day of prayer motivates “Catholics in the pews” to discern their own ability to fight human trafficking, whether through volunteering, material donations, awareness-raising or working to change and enforce laws. “There are a lot of opportunities,” she said, “where people can start making a difference.”

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Bishops welcome court’s review of using lethal injection in executions WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to review the use of lethal injections in carrying out executions is a welcome move, said the chairmen of two U.S. bishops’ committees. The court said Jan. 23 it will review the drug protocols of lethal-injection executions in the state of Oklahoma and consider whether such procedures violate the U.S. Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. “I welcome the court’s decision to review this cruel practice,” said Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. “Our nation has witnessed through recent executions, such as occurred in Oklahoma, how the use of the death penalty devalues human life and diminishes respect for human dignity. We bishops continue to say, we cannot teach killing is wrong by killing.”

Archbishop Wenski made the comments Jan. 27 in a joint statement issued with Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-life Activities.

The court will consider the case of Glossip v.

Gross, brought by three death-row inmates in Oklahoma. Last year, prison officials botched the execution of Clayton Lockett in Oklahoma using lethal injection. Lockett writhed in agony for 40 minutes before being unhooked from the drug dispenser in the prison’s death chamber and died soon afterward of apparent heart failure.

Catholic officials: Rulings show ‘misunderstanding of marriage’ MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Same-sex couples began marrying Feb. 9 in Alabama after the U.S. Supreme Court refused a request from the state’s attorney general to prevent such ceremonies from taking place until the high court rules later this year on the constitutionality of state bans on same-sex unions. The court’s action cleared the way for Alabama to become the 37th state to allow same-sex couples to marry. U.S. District Court Judge Callie “Ginny” Granade in Jan. 23 and Jan. 26 rulings said that Alabama’s 1998 law and its 2006 constitutional amendment banning same-sex “marriage” were both unconstitutional but she put her decision on hold until Feb. 9 to let the state prepare for the change. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange, who requested that the hold be extended, said in a statement that the Supreme Court’s decision not to block same-sex “marriage” will likely to lead to more confusion.

“No court decision can change the truth” about marriage, Mobile Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi said in a Jan. 26 statement released by the archdiocese. “The truth is marriage is between a man and a woman. People can choose to love and live with whomever they wish, but that does not make it a marriage.”

Obama at prayer breakfast decries faith distortions, lauds good works WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Barack Obama decried the use of “twisted and distorted” faith as a wedge or a weapon in remarks Feb. 5 at the National Prayer Breakfast.

The president also lauded the faith-based work typified by others on the program for the annual event, including the Sister of Mercy who co-

America’s best choice for affordable travel since 1967!

founded Project HOME, a Philadelphia program that aims to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty; and Dr. Kent Brantly, the physician affiliated with Samaritan’s Purse, who returned from Liberia last year with Ebola. “Around the world, we see faith inspiring people to lift up one another – to feed the hungry and care for the poor, comfort the afflicted and make peace where there is strife,” Obama said, pointing to Sister Mary Scullion of Project Home and Brantly as epitomizing “faith driving us to do right.” Sister Mary and Brantly each delivered prayers at the event. But faith also is distorted and sometimes used as a weapon, Obama

said. “From a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris, we have seen violence and terror perpetrated by those who profess to stand up for faith, ... but, in fact, are betraying it,” Obama said. He singled out the Islamic State, calling it “a brutal, vicious death cult that, in the name of religion, carries out unspeakable acts of barbarism – terrorizing religious minorities like the Yezidis, subjecting women to rape as a weapon of war, and claiming the mantle of religious authority for such actions.”

— Catholic News Service

Life Teen Song Leader

St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Charlotte seeks a faith-filled song leader who wants to ignite the faith of youth and families by leading music during our Sunday Life Teen Mass!

Responsibilities: • Leading Life Teen praise band during rehearsal, Sunday Mass, youth events, retreats and Easter Sunrise Mass.

• Work closely with Youth Minister and report to Director of Music Ministry.

Requirements: • Familiar with the Roman Catholic Liturgy.

• Familiar with / willing to learn contemporary Christian music on a regular basis.

• Strong vocals, good people skills and ability to work with others.

Preferences: • Practicing Roman Catholic, faithful to Church teachings.

• Ability to play guitar or keyboard and sight read music.

Stipend position per call.

Send cover letter and resume to Director of Music Ministry, Soo-Jin Ridgell, at ridgell@4sjnc.org.

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

(803) 327-2097

Center for Spirituality rockhilloratory.org

oratorycenter@gmail.com

Penitential Psalms Thursday, March 5 or Saturday, March 7 9:30 am – 4:00 pm Father Paul Maier

Sights of Scotland Tour

There are seven of these beautiful, powerful prayers in the Psalter. Lent is an ideal time to look more closely at these Psalms. Bring your own texts for a variety

Hosted by Father Jose Chacko

of translations. The day will include noon Eucharist and lunch.

10 days from $1549*

The same program is offered both days.

Departs September 9, 2015. Start in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland with a panoramic tour where you’ll visit the medieval Edinburgh Castle that is visible for miles and see the Scottish Crown Jewels. Travel to The Highlands, with a stop at the iconic Scone Palace along the way and enjoy a scenic drive through Cairngorms National Park. Witness the stunning views of Inverness and Loch Ness where you’ll take a short scenic cruise. Continue to the Isle of Skye and Fort William, near the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Head South along Scotland’s shoreline into Argyll with a visit to Inveraray Castle. Complete your vacation in Glasgow, the biggest city in Scotland for a city tour where you’ll visit the popular park - Glasgow Green and George Square. Mass will be celebrated some days on tour and includes eight breakfasts and four dinners. Your Chaplain is Father Jose, from Gadsden, AL. He is the Pastor at St. James Catholic Church. This will be his 4th trip with YMT. PPDO. Plus $299 tax/service/government fees. Alternate departure dates available. Add-on airfare available.

*

Call for Details!

877-530-6913 Please mention promo code EC0951

Tra with ovel Catho ther lics!

19

Father Paul Maier is a retired priest of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia and currently lives at the Oratory.

Cost : $40

A look at the “Our Father” with the Church Fathers and John Henry Newman Saturday, March 14 9:30 am – 4:00 pm Father Joe Pearce, C.O., D.Min. The Our Father or Lord’s Prayer is familiar to all, we pray it by heart and it give us great comfort to pray as Jesus taught us. But do we truly understand and mean what we pray? We will use the Church Fathers and Blessed John Henry Newman as the lens to examine this beloved prayer.

Noon Eucharist and lunch are included.

Cost : $40

Our world 20

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Accountability is key concern for pope’s child protection commission Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Bishops who do not comply with the child protection norms adopted by their bishops’ conferences and approved by the Vatican must face real consequences, said Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

The commission, he said, “is very, very concerned about this whole area of (bishops’) accountability” and has a working group drawing up recommendations for Pope Francis.

The proposed new norms, the cardinal told reporters at the Vatican Feb. 7, “would allow the cChurch to respond in an expeditious way when a bishop has not fulfilled his obligations.”

“We think we have come up with some very practical recommendations that would help to remedy the situation that is such a source of anxiety to everybody” on the pontifical commission, he said. The recommendations will be presented to Pope Francis.

The cardinal and members of the commission, which includes survivors of clerical sex abuse, spoke to reporters at the end of their Feb. 6-8 meeting at the Vatican.

Peter Saunders, a survivor and commission member, said, “Bishop accountability is most definitely something that is a concern and central to some of the work that is going to be carried out by the commission.”

Saunders, who is from London, said he knows the Vatican and the Church at large “operate in a slightly different time dimension” where the definition of “quick” may be months or years. “I get that,” Saunders said, “but when it comes to time, children only get one stab at childhood.”

“It is not disputed that there have been far too many cover-ups, there have been far too many clergy protected, moved from place to place – this has got to be consigned to history very quickly,” he said.

Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, a psychologist and member of the commission, said, “as far as we know,” the number of bishops who have not followed their conference’s child-protection norms is not large, “but it is certainly a huge problem in terms of publicity and in terms of the authenticity of the Church. If you have bishops who do not comply with the Church’s own norms, we have a problem.”

Currently, he said, even though bishops are part of a bishops’ conference, they are accountable only to the pope and there is no procedure for investigating the way a bishop complies with the norms and nothing that spells out the consequences of noncompliance.

“Until now every bishop has been a little pope” in his diocese and “can do whatever he wants” with regard to national guidelines, Father Zollner said. “Only the pope has authority over him.”

Saunders told reporters that if in the next year there is not “firm action” on accountability and the implementation of child-protection policies around the world, he would leave the commission. Marie Collins,

an Irish survivor of clerical abuse, who was appointed to the commission about eight months before Saunders, told reporters she also would leave if no progress is seen soon.

“We’re not here for lip service,” Saunders said, but to protect children.

After the meeting, the commission issued a statement reiterating that “the commission is keenly aware that the issue of accountability is of major importance” and that members “agreed on an initial proposal to submit to Pope Francis for consideration.”

“Moreover the commission is developing processes to ensure accountability for everyone in the Church – clergy, religious and laity – who work with minors,” said the statement published Feb. 9.

Cardinal O’Malley said 96 percent of the world’s bishops’ conferences have sent the Vatican their child-protection norms, as requested in 2011 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Some of the norms are “weak,” he said, and the commission will work with those countries and countries without norms to bring them to full compliance.

Father Zollner said only five of the world’s 112 bishops’ conferences have not submitted norms. All five are in French-speaking West Africa and are facing the challenges of civil strife, the Ebola epidemic, poverty and a lack of people familiar with both canon and civil law, something necessary for drawing up effective guidelines.

Cardinal O’Malley publicly thanked Pope Francis for a letter, released Feb. 5, insisting that the protection of children – and not the avoidance of scandal or bad publicity – must be the priority for the way all bishops deal with accusations of sex abuse by Church personnel.

The pope’s letter also encouraged bishops to meet with and listen to survivors, which is something Cardinal O’Malley said “many bishops have not yet done.”

Saunders told reporters, “There are far too many bishops around the world who have refused to meet with survivors.”

If a victim of clerical sexual abuse feels able, he said, the first thing he or she should do is report the crime to police “because we know there is an abysmal record” of “illjudged responses” from bishops and priests.

Cardinal O’Malley said the commission also has set up working groups to design child protection workshops for members of the Roman Curia and for the courses for newly appointed bishops that the Vatican runs each September.

“The commission is also preparing materials for a Day of Prayer for all those who have been harmed by sexual abuse,” he said, which “underscores our responsibility to work for spiritual healing and also helps raise consciousness among the Catholic community about the scourge of child abuse.”

In addition, he said, commission members are contacting Catholic funding organizations “to ask them to include some requirements concerning child protection in their guidelines for eligibility for funding” and to consider giving poorer countries grants to establish child protection programs.

— Francis X. Rocca contributed.

What Pope Francis is saying Women are not guests, but full participants in Church life VATICAN CITY — Saying he knows the history of the subjugation of women continues to have a negative impact on how women are treated, Pope Francis called for greater roles for women in the Church and for greater assistance and workplace flexibility to ensure they can make the best choices for themselves and their families.

He told the Pontifical Council for Culture Feb. 7 that its study of women’s cultures was a topic “close to my heart,” and that he fully recognizes the need “to study new criteria and methods to ensure women feel they are not guests, but full participants in the various spheres of the life of society and the Church. This challenge can no longer be postponed.”

The preparatory document for the meeting said that in the West, more and more women aged 20-50 are leaving the Church. Many have “reached places of prestige within society and the workplace, but have no corresponding decisional role nor responsibility” within the Church community. Pope Francis told the council – whose members are all cardinals, bishops, priests and laymen – “I am convinced of the urgency of offering space to women in the life of the Church and to welcoming them, taking into account specific and changing cultural and social sensitivities.”

Teach critical thinking, values to protect youth from materialism VATICAN CITY — Education that teaches critical thinking and moral values can protect Africa’s young people from “harmful lifestyles” that pretend power and money matter more than anything else, Pope Francis told bishops from Africa. “It is the youth who need your witness. In Africa, the future is in the hands of the young, who need to be protected from new and unscrupulous forms of ‘colonization’ such as the pursuit of success, riches and power at all costs,” he said. “The most effective way to overcome the temptation to give in to harmful lifestyles is by investing in education.”

Discover your treasure, share it with others VATICAN CITY — Everyone is born with a treasure chest of gifts and talents that they need to discover and share, Pope Francis told a group of young people with disabilities who explained to him how technology has brought them joy and helps them communicate.

Seven young people from six countries shared their stories with the pope and asked him questions Feb. 5 during a Google Hangout, a live video conversation online. “You help us understand that life is a beautiful treasure that has meaning only if we share,” he told them. Alicia, a 16-year-old amateur filmmaker from Spain, asked Pope Francis if he, too, likes to take photographs and upload them to his computer. “Do you want me to tell you the truth,” he asked the young woman with Down syndrome. “I am a disaster with machines. I don’t know how to deal with a computer. It’s embarrassing, isn’t it?”

Martyrdom is not a thing of the past VATICAN CITY — Reading the Gospel account of St. John the Baptist’s death on the feast of St. Paul Miki and other Japanese martyrs, Pope Francis said his thoughts naturally turn to those Christians being persecuted and killed today because of their faith. “When I read this passage, I must confess, I get emotional,” he said Feb. 6 during the morning Mass in the chapel of his residence. He gave two reasons why he is so moved by the passage from Mark’s Gospel about Herod ordering St. John the Baptist’s beheading: first, because of the situation of persecuted Christians today; and second, because it is a reminder that everyone, even the great prophets, will die. “I think of our martyrs, the martyrs of today, those men, women and children who are persecuted, hated, chased from their homes, tortured and massacred.

This is not something from the past; it is happening today. Our martyrs are ending their lives under the corrupt authority of people who hate Jesus Christ.”

Obedience to God’s will brings wisdom, joy, hope VATICAN CITY — Total obedience to God’s will brings wisdom, joy and hope, Pope Francis told religious men and women. “Yes, the happiness of a religious is a consequence of this path of lowering oneself with Jesus and, when we are sad, when we complain, it will do us well to ask ourselves how we are living this dimension of ‘kenosis’” or self-emptying, he said.

His words came during his homily at a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Feb. 2 celebrating the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which the Church marks as the World Day for Consecrated Life. The Mass also came during the Year of Consecrated Life, which, called by Pope Francis, opened Nov. 30 and will close Feb. 2, 2016. In his homily, the pope said Jesus came not to follow His own will, but to obey the Father’s will. “Whoever follows Jesus takes the path of obedience,” which means lowering, emptying and humbling oneself like Jesus, he said.

Church preaches healing, freedom, not prosperity VATICAN CITY — Salvation has nothing to do with the “theology of prosperity” some people claim to see in the Gospel, thinking material well-being comes with faith, Pope Francis said.

In fact, he said, those who proclaim salvation must live simply, in accordance with Jesus’ instruction to His disciples to “take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts.” At morning Mass Feb. 5 in the chapel of his residence, he focused on the day’s Gospel reading, Mark 6:7-13, and how Jesus’ instructions to His disciples are still valid today. The Gospel “must be proclaimed in poverty,” he said, because “salvation is not a theology of prosperity,” but the “good news” of liberation for all who are oppressed.

“This is the mission of the Church, the Church that heals and cures,” he said. “Sometimes I have spoken of the Church as a field hospital. That’s true. How many of these injured people are there, how many wounds. How many people need their wounds to be healed. This is the mission of the Church: to heal wounded hearts, open doors, liberate, tell people that God is good, God forgives all, God is father, God is tender, God always waits for us.”

— Catholic News Service

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Church leaders dismayed with Canadian assisted suicide ruling OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadian Church leaders and advocates for the disabled reacted with dismay when the Supreme Court of Canada struck down laws against physician-assisted suicide. In a unanimous decision Feb. 6, the court ruled that doctors may help adults with severe and incurable conditions to die, overturning a 1993 ban against assisted suicide. Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher of Gatineau, Quebec, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, noted, “Catholics are called by their faith to assist all those in need, particularly the poor, the suffering and the dying.

Helping someone commit suicide, however, is neither an act of justice or mercy, nor is it part of palliative care. The decision of the Supreme Court of Canada today does not change Catholic teaching.”

House of Commons OKs genetic manipulation to fight diseases MANCHESTER, England — The British House of Commons voted to legalize a genetic process to fight the transmission of mitochondrial diseases, such as muscular dystrophy. If the legislation is approved in the House of Lords, Britain would become the first country to allow scientists to alter the human gene line in trying to defeat incurable diseases. The two procedures covered by the regulations are highly controversial because they are not permitted in any other

country in the world, with international scientific opinion divided over their effectiveness.

Catholic leaders and organizations expressed concern about the Feb. 3 vote on regulations governing the practice, saying that the process involves the destruction of human embryos. After a 90-minute debate in the House of Commons, members voted 328128 to approve the unamendable legislation.

Afterward, Auxiliary Bishop John Sherrington of Westminster issued a statement on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

“Whilst the Church recognizes the suffering that mitochondrial diseases bring and hopes that alternative methods of treatment can be found, it remains opposed on principle to these procedures where the destruction of human embryos is part of the process,” he said.

Church leaders urge ‘unity against aggression’ in Ukraine WARSAW, Poland — Catholic and Orthodox archbishops in Ukraine appealed for national unity against pro-Russia separatists as calls mounted for the United States to help arm Ukrainian forces.

Citing constant danger to Ukraine, the church leaders called the war “a crime against life” that brings “suffering and death, grief and injustice” in a Feb. 4 statement. Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki of Lviv, president of Ukraine’s Catholic bishops’ conference, and Ukrainian Orthodox Archbishop Filaret Kucherov of Lviv within the Moscow Patriarchate were among those making the appeal. “But Ukraine, tired and tested, remains unbowed in its faith and dedicated effort of will,” the religious leaders said. “Before our eyes, a new state is being born, a new generation of heroes willing to sacrifice life, forget comfort and tranquility and be the first to respond to the homeland’s cry for help.” The appeal was published as fighting intensified after a new separatist offensive in the self-proclaimed rebel republics of Donetsk and

Luhansk.

The United Nations estimated that at least 224 civilians have been killed and another 545 people wounded since mid-January, raising the death toll to more than 5,300 people since April. The fighting began after Russia annexed Crimea in March and pro-Russian separatists, widely thought to be working with the Russian army, then started taking over the far eastern regions of Ukraine.

Archbishop Romero’s beatification will be soon, archbishop says VATICAN CITY — Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero will be beatified in San Salvador “certainly within the year and not later, but possibly within a few months,” said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the postulator or chief promoter of the archbishop’s sainthood cause. Speaking to reporters Feb. 4, the day after Pope Francis formally recognized that the slain Salvadoran archbishop was killed “in hatred of the faith” – and not for purely political reasons – Archbishop Paglia said the two decades it took to obtain the decree were the result of “misunderstandings and

preconceptions.” During Archbishop Romero’s time as archbishop of San Salvador – from 1977 to 1980 – “kilos of letters against him arrived in Rome. The accusations were simple: He’s political; he’s a follower of liberation theology.”

To the accusations that he supported liberation theology, Archbishop Paglia said, Archbishop Romero responded, “Yes, certainly. But there are two theologies of liberation: one sees liberation only as material liberation; the other is that of Paul VI. I’m with Paul VI” in seeking the material and spiritual liberation of all people, including from the sins of injustice and oppression. All of the complaints, Archbishop Paglia said, slowed the sainthood process and “strengthened his enemies,” who, he said, included the late Colombian Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, who believed the Salvadoran archbishop tended toward Marxism and thought his canonization would be seen as a canonization of the materialistic, political form of liberation theology criticized by the Church.

Let’s keep talking.

— Catholic News Service

CCDOC.ORG

THE CATHOLIC PILGRIM OFFICE

Your Spiritual Pilgrimage Partner to the World!

“Celebrating our 37th year providing the best in Catholic Pilgrimages!”

We provide the best in industry service for groups of 15 or more pilgrims to destinations all across the globe. Visit our website for many sample itineraries. We can also customize any program to your liking. Call today to begin the planning process for your pilgrimage of a lifetime!

Custom Itineraries are our Specialty!

VISIT ITALY FOR FREE! November 16 - November 21, 2015

The Catholic Pilgrim Office is offering the opportunity to visit Italy for a 6-day, 4-night Familiarization Pilgrimage at no cost to pilgrimage leaders. Visit our website for further details.

RECEIVE A 100% REFUND OF THE BROCHURE PRICE (LESS TAXES) OF THIS FAMILIARIZATION PILGRIMAGE WHEN THE CATHOLIC PILGRIM OFFICE OPERATES YOUR NEXT PILGRIMAGE OF 20 OR MORE BY THE END OF AUGUST 2017!

www.catholicpilgrimoffice.com

C P O

THE CATHOLIC PILGRIM OFFICE

P.O.Box 53419 Atlanta, GA 30355 phone: (404) 467-­‐8041 fax: (404) 467-­‐8042 coordinator@catholicpilgrimoffice.com

21

Discover Natural Family Planning Modern Natural Family Planning (NFP) provides a practical and empowering alternative used to achieve or avoid pregnancy. It upholds the dignity of the person within the context of marriage and family and promotes openness to life by respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage.

What will you learn by taking a free, one-day class?

• Effectiveness of modern NFP methods.

• Health, relational, and spiritual benefits.

• Health risks of popular contraceptives.

• Church teachings on responsible parenting.

• How to use Natural Family Planning.

March 7th—St. Ann Catholic Church, Charlotte March 21st— St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Charlotte April 18th—St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Hickory For more information visit our website or contact Batrice Adcock, MSN at 704.370.3230 or bnadcock@charlottediocese.org.

ViewPoints 22

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Denise Bossert

Welcome people back to the Church by your love

I

t is disheartening when people walk away from the Church.

Sometimes, when we try to talk, they run at us like some kid on the opposite team in a game of Red Rover. They want to break through our line and pull somebody else from the Church. They may even attempt to pull us away.

We have a choice. When they run toward us, even if it is with a kind of adversarial spirit, we must be ready to receive them, ready to hold them tightly in our arms, ready to defend the faith, and maybe even ready to reclaim them for Our Lord and His Church.

“Red Rover, Red Rover, send them on over,” we pray.

It has happened to me many times. I write an article or post something on social media. Someone sends an email explaining why he is glad I am happy being Catholic, but he wants me to know that his choice was clear. It was time to walk away. Somebody disappointed him.

Something someone did scandalized her.

She lost the joy of being Catholic. He decided to walk away from God or just find God in some other faith community.

Many do build a relationship with Jesus somewhere else. Usually, it is in a church with a name that does not fit categories. No denomination. No labels.

No hierarchy. They find a place where they can begin again. It feels wonderful and they are happy, they say.

It makes me think. I believe we all have reasons to be bitter and walk away.

There are plenty of offenses to send us through the exit doors. Most of the ones who left didn’t hate the faith. There were just things that rubbed them the wrong way. Their love for the sacraments and the Church was not enough to keep them here.

It sometimes makes me wonder: Will my love endure? Am I strong enough to persevere when others scandalize the faith?

If I encounter a priest who is far from pastoral or an administrator in a Catholic workplace who has more vices than virtues, will I stay?

What about the young Catholic whose spouse cheats – after sponsoring her husband into the faith? Will he have the strength to stay when she leaves their family and the Church?

What happens when a bishop or cardinal causes scandal? What will we do when a high-profile Catholic falls off the pedestal in a very public way – or in a quiet way and nobody else has any idea?

These are not made-up scenarios. For some people, these things were enough to send them in the opposite direction. For others, nothing would take them away from the Eucharist. The ones who stick around seem to have some things in common. For them, truth is true, and God is God. If the Church is the Church in time, and devotions lead to holiness; if the saints light the way, and the Eucharist is Christ; if the Word is alive, and the poor are fed, the lost are found, the sick are healed; if miracles still happen, and Christ still calls disciples; if angels still aid, and the confessional still cleanses; if martyrs still die, and others rise to take their places; if a still small voice can be heard above the betrayal, wounds and doubts – then the Church is still the Church.

In that moment we realize that God never fails, even when people sometimes do. And the person running toward us with division in her heart is really a lost lamb running toward us. A soul in need of strong arms that wraps around her and gathers her back to the safety of the Church. “Red Rover, Red Rover, send her on over.”

‘The person running toward us with division in her heart is really a lost lamb running toward us.’

Denise Bossert is a Catholic columnist and author who blogs at www.denisebossert.com.

W.S. Melton Jr.

A

There’s nothing I love more than to share the faith

s a Southern writer and humorist who writes a weekly column that appears in several secular newspapers located within the Diocese of Charlotte, I often let people know I’m a Roman Catholic. I’m a convert to the faith from United Methodism, who once upon a time in the mid-1980s served for two years as pastor of two Methodist churches in Union County.

It is sort of an anomaly, I grant you: a Southerner, who hangs out at a volunteer fire department and would wear bib overalls all the time if he could get away with it, who is also a Roman Catholic.

The South isn’t globally known for its love of Catholicism or girth of Catholics.

I heard a priest tell a story one time about a politician who addressed the issue surrounding his reported dislike of Catholics. The politician said, “I know you’ve been told I don’t like Catholics. But I want you to know that’s not true. I like Catholics – Irish Catholics, Italian Catholics, German Catholics, French Catholics. It’s just those Roman Catholics I don’t care much for.”

And that’s been sort of the way it seems sometimes here in the sunny South.

But when I speak to audiences and tell my stories, I like to describe myself to the audience as “a right-wing, evangelical, snake-handling Roman Catholic.” I say that mostly because I’m proud of my faith, and because I love to see the terrified looks in the eyes of any Yankee persons who are new to this part of the country.

Of course, they’ve heard the tales of some of the snake-handling sects we have here in the South. The late humorist Wendy Bagwell told the tale of being confronted with snakes in church and thereupon asked, “Where’s the back door?” And upon finding out there wasn’t one, he replied, “Well, where do you reckon they want one?” Or they’ve heard of the late snake-handling preacher Jamie Coots and his TV show “Snake Salvation.” Coots ultimately got snake bit in the process and crossed the River Styx.

So when I say such a thing they’re naturally afraid I’m fixin’ to produce a venomous serpent and try to put it on them.

But so far I’ve only worked my up from rubber snakes to black and green snakes, so they really don’t have that much to worry about at this point.

But I am truly proud of my faith in Christ and His Church and therefore I love to chronicle it – live and in person, or here in print.

I mention all this to you because I recently received a letter in the U.S. mail. It had no return address, and it was postmarked Knoxville, Tenn. I opened it and found a handful of anti-Catholic brochures inside.

And I loved it!

I loved it so much I told my priest Father Matthew Buettner. Shortly after that, he happened to receive a similar letter in the mail.

The only part I didn’t like about the letter was that there was no note, return address or phone number that would allow me to be able to call and thank the sender – and thereby engage that person in a hearty spiritual debate.

There is nothing I love more than a hearty, spiritual debate. Sharing the faith. Evangelizing.

The best way to learn about one’s faith is to study it, practice it, share it with others, and have it questioned.

I love it so much that I’m the only person I know of who longs for the Jehovah Witnesses to drop by.

They used to come by when I was a Methodist pastor in Monroe. They dropped by the parsonage every Sunday afternoon over the course of several months. And I had a ball! They thought they were going to convert me, apparently oblivious to the fact I was trying to convert them. But every week they came, and sent a different team each time.

Since I’ve been married, they’ve only come to “High Grass Manor” – the name the neighbors gave my home – twice. And I wasn’t home on either occasion.

But God willing, one day I will be.

In the meantime, I’m much very obliged to whoever it was who took the time to send me that mail. I wish they’d give me a call sometime. I’d love to chat!

W.S. “Bill” Melton Jr. is a member of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia. He can be reached at wsmelton@wsmelton.com.

February 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

23

Letter to the editor

Tired rhetoric of race only creates division, not unity Deacon James H. Toner

What we know that ain’t so:

Being pastoral What we think is the right road

W

hat we must prize, beyond all else, are the virtues of tolerance, openmindedness and tenderheartedness – all of which may be subsumed under the heading of “being pastoral.” We are called to love people, meaning that we must never be judgmental. We must be welcoming and compassionate toward all.

But it’s the wrong road

Padre Pio once warned a man in confession to change his lifestyle because he was in danger of going to hell. When the man said he didn’t believe in hell, Padre Pio told him he would believe when he got there. Was Padre Pio intolerant? Closedminded? Hardhearted?

“God’s mercy does not dispense us from following His commandments or the rules of the Church,” wrote German Cardinal Gerhard Müller recently.

To be pastoral means, at its heart, that we principally care about the salvation of souls, and that we are willing to warn people if their words and deeds conflict G.K. Chesterton with Catholic teaching.

Imagine, say, a football coach who, in the name of being kind and compassionate, lets his athletes “Non-Negotiable: have easy Essential Principles practices. The of a Just Society and recent movie Humane Culture,” by “When the Sheila Liaugminas. San Game Stands Francisco: Ignatius, 2014.

Tall” (with Jim Caviezel) makes this point well. Good coaches reasonably challenge, criticize and urge their players to improve: “You can throw better.” “You can tackle better.” “You can block better.” And they provide good instruction and appropriate encouragement.

Parents, of course, must also do the same – which means that, from time to time, these parents will be “unpopular” with their children. The Good News Bible provides this translation of a well-known proverb: “If you don’t punish your son, you don’t love him. If you do love him, you will

‘When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing; they believe in anything.’

Suggested reading

correct him” (13:24). That is being truly pastoral.

When priests or parents or professors are more interested in being popular than in responsibly carrying out the duties with which they are entrusted, they are not being “pastoral,” they are being negligent.

However, although admonishing the sinner is a spiritual work of mercy, it’s difficult because we may run the risk of being self-righteous (see James 4:11-12 and 5:19).

St. Paul tells us that we are called, wisely and gently and usually privately, to correct sinners – and to seek such correction ourselves (Gal 6:1). We know there are moral standards above and beyond our own wills and wishes, and it is according to these standards that we examine our own consciences and encourage our family and friends to examine theirs (Col 3:16, 2 Tm 3:16).

Note that Mass begins with the Penitential Act – not because the Church wants us to grovel, but to help us to remember that we are sinners in need of divine grace and of conversion. All are welcome, but all are called to live according to God’s will, not according to the world’s seductions.

True teachers – priests, parents and professors – lead others to the moral law, but the education of conscience is never easy at a time and in a place which so often passionately corrupts freedom, exalts sin and praises permissiveness (see CCC 2526 and 1783). But if we fail to have the courage to counsel and correct, then we are cooperating with evil – and true love does not mix with evil. No one tries to justify abortion, or euthanasia, or embryonic stem cell research because such practices kill; rather, these evil procedures are disguised by being called compassionate, and they carry the promise of “scientific progress,” so the tenderhearted, the humane and the progressive must support them – or so we hear. But it ain’t so.

Being pastoral means refusing to countenance sin. “There can be no pastoral care that is not in harmony with the truths of the Church and her morality,” Italian Cardinal Velasio de Paolis has said. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI explained that we “must always guard against the risk of misplaced compassion, which could degenerate into sentimentality, itself pastoral only in appearance.” And Pope Francis in November was very clear: such rhetoric is “false compassion.”

The first task of anyone is to help our families and friends get to heaven.

There are differences between being open-minded and empty-headed. There may be differences between being popular and being truthful. There may be differences, too, between being pastoral and being prophetic (see 2 Tim 4:2). But we must never, as American Cardinal Raymond Burke has said, accept “false mercy, which is not concerned with the TONER, SEE page 24

In response to the Jan. 16 commentary “Race, bias and fear of ‘the other,’” we were both compelled to write a response.

As husband and wife, we are of a different mindset than the author of that commentary, Tom Sheridan. We are categorized by the world as Generation Xer’s. We grew up when schools were completely integrated. We were children when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday became a national holiday. We learned of Dr. King’s desire that a people would judge others by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

We heard and we lived as such. We went on to high school. Mr. Sheridan would see our classmates as of a different race; we knew them as friends. We went to college and into careers. Mr. Sheridan would see our co-workers as “the others”; we call them colleagues.

Is there racism present in the world?

Absolutely. As long as Satan exists, then hatred exists because racism is just another form of hatred. Conquering racism means we don’t even notice the color of another’s skin. Our country may not be perfect, but we have made great strides.

Mr. Sheridan brings up Trayvon Martin, the Ferguson incident and “countless” other cases as proof we remain a racist people. Trayvon Martin was killed by a Hispanic man. Ferguson

occurred because a young man attacked an officer and earlier attacked and robbed an Asian store owner. This is hardly evidence of “white privilege” or racism.

Some prefer to hold on to the tactics of racial division from the 1960s, but as long as people perpetuate this tired rhetoric, which has little basis in reality today, folks will continue to remain locked into labels which were created by Satan to divide us and keep us from God’s blessing for us as His people.

Please, let’s give younger generations some credit. Making a blanket statement such as “we are a racist people” demeans many people who are not, and does not give credit to those who have lived as Dr. King wished. Calling people names never changes a heart over to your side. Let us love everyone as Christ did, and pray that present and future generations will make even greater strides in that love for all.

Oh, in case someone is wondering what race we are: Donald is black and Carol is white. While some may view us as an interracial couple, we see ourselves as part of one race: the human race, created

by God in His own image. To categorize people in any other way only creates division. God blesses unity, not division.

Donald and Carol Woodard live in Charlotte.

Join the conversation online facebook.com/ catholic news HERALD

@CatholicNewsCLT

Diocese of Charlotte

Pinterest.com/ charlottecnh

Letters policy The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be written from a perspective of Christian charity.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.

The Catholic News & Herald does not publish poetry, form letters or petitions. Items submitted to The Catholic News & Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org Mail: Letters to the Editor

Catholic News Herald

1123 S. Church St.

Charlotte, N.C. 28203

Most-read stories on the web

‘I like to describe the feminine dimension of the Church as a welcoming womb that regenerates life.’

Pope Francis

From the online story, “Women are not guests, but full participants in Church life” Through press time on Feb. 11, 4,558 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 8,734 pages. The top 10 headlines in February so far have been: n Bishop Jugis encourages children: Grow closer to Jesus.............................................................326 n March for Life D.C.: Following Jesus means proclaiming gospel of life.....................................295 n Msgr. Kovacic, historic Catholic leader in N.C., dies at age 95....................................................266 n Four Charlotte seminarians admitted to candidacy for holy orders..........................................252 n Women are not guests, but full participants in Church life, pope says.....................................227 n Pope Francis and Bishop Jugis want your input about the state of the family today......... 200 n Candles blessed on Feast of the Presentation of the Lord............................................................196 n Student athletes at Charlotte Catholic sign college letters of intent.........................................155 n Queen of the Apostles Parish celebrates 50 years..........................................................................116 n A Christmas miracle: Quick action, defibrillator help save man’s life..........................................90

24

catholicnewsherald.com | February 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

TONER:

KOVACIC:

FROM PAGE 23

FROM PAGE 3

truth, and therefore cannot serve charity, which has as its only goal the salvation of souls.”

time encompassed all of North Carolina except the Abbey Nullius of Belmont. He served in various assignments within the Raleigh diocese, where he also led desegregation of the Catholic schools.

Monsignor Kovacic’s experiences in the seminary at the Propaganda De Fide at the Vatican helped him, he said. “I saw so many brown faces, and faces with color, looking out the windows when I walked up to the building for the first time that I thought I was in the wrong place,” he said in a 2011 interview of his first day at the seminary.

His love for all people helped him during the 1960s, when he was charged with creating the state’s first desegregated Catholic school, St. Joseph in New Bern. The school opened with 50 black students and one white student. He traveled to nearby military bases and communities and appealed to the families there to enroll their children, and eventually he saw enrollment grow to 100 students split evenly along racial lines.

He was serving as pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle when the Diocese of Charlotte was created by Pope Paul VI in 1972. In the Charlotte diocese, he served as pastor of St. Ann Church in Charlotte (1973-1979); Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury and VA Chaplain (1979-1982); St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem (1982-1985); and Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont (1985-1994). His legacy in the “missions of North Carolina” also included the construction of churches and activity centers, leading the Cursillo movement in the diocese for many years, and bringing the first Knights of Columbus council to Queen of the Apostles Church.

“Parish work was always enjoyable,” Monsignor Kovacic said in the 2011 interview with the Catholic News Herald. He said his ministry was to help people know the faith, and he said his greatest joys came from his work with converts, visiting the sick and spending time with his parishes’ families over the years.

He was also the founding director of the diocese’s Permanent Diaconate Program from 1980 until 1996, and he served as the diocesan director of the Propagation of the Faith until 2009, when he moved from his apartment in Belmont to Pennybyrn at Maryfield, a retirement community sponsored by the Sisters of the

Deacon James H. Toner, who serves at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, will be offering this new commentary, “What We Know That Ain’t So,” in every edition. Each column will highlight a popular or commonly accepted idea, suggesting that, for a number of reasons, the idea is logically defective or even morally dangerous. The column is inspired by his conviction that the principal ethical peril of our day is the exclusion of the divine from public life. As G.K. Chesterton put it: “Take away the supernatural, and what remains is the unnatural.” We sometimes too readily accept ideas as good, true, and beautiful which “ain’t so.” That is because, having been too obsequious toward secular society, we have sequestered the supernatural and the teaching of Christ’s Church. The result has often been not moral clarity, but moral confusion; not social progress, but secular paganism; not public virtue, but popular vice. It is more important than ever for Catholics to know, as Dante said, that “in God’s will is our peace.”

Deacon Toner earned his master’s degree at the College of William & Mary and his doctorate at the University of Notre Dame, both in political science.

For more than 30 years, he taught politics, ethics and philosophy at universities including: Norwich University, Auburn University, Notre Dame, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Air War College, and Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He has published and lectured extensively, and he has served as a permanent deacon for more than a decade. He and his wife Rebecca have three sons and nine grandchildren.

Take the Survey!

In preparation for the Synod on the Family later this year the bishops of the world are seeking your input on issues that affect individuals and families.

This is an opportunity to grow in your faith and share your thoughts with the bishops.

Poor Servants of the Mother of God. He was named a prelate of honor by Pope John Paul II on Dec. 29, 1989.

He is survived by his niece and nephew, Ana and Rajko Kovacic, both of Slovenia.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the building fund at Queen of the Apostles Church, the Seminarian Fund of the Diocese of Charlotte, or Pennybyrn at Maryfield.

McLean Funeral Directors of Belmont is in charge of the arrangements.

— Catholic News Herald

TRIBUTES: FROM PAGE 3

from across the diocese the men who went through the first four ordination classes. He was rigorous and very orthodox in his approach – it was really “formation” and not just education, with his desire that his charges become images of Christ the Servant. His first class was ordained by then Bishop Michael Begley in 1983. He retired in 1995 after the ordination of his fourth class. Monsignor Kovacic wisely took the advice from another formation director to include the wives in the program; thus from the beginning they were present at most formation events.

‘Each of us remember “Father Tony” coming to our local parishes to meet with the pastor and the new deacon to discuss our parish ministry: he wanted us to start with good communication and a clear understanding of our roles (in the early days many pastors were unfamiliar with deacons) and this smoothed the transition for us. He understood the role of deacons and often expressed his support and affection for the diaconate. When we saw him at daily Mass in the Maryfield chapel in recent years, he often said, “Tell the deacons I love them.” We loved him because we knew he had us in his heart.’

— Deacon Ron Steinkamp, director of the Permanent Diaconate Program “I first met the good Father in 1967 at (Our Lady of the) Annunciation Church. We had many wonderful occasions where he had dinner with my family. As an 8-year-old, I was in such awe of him and his history. That awe never left. God bless him.”

— Elizabeth Snow, one of many people who left comments on Facebook about their memories of Monsignor Kovacic

Please visit www.charlottediocese.org (click on the SURVEY link on the homepage).

Read a summary of the Synod meeting that took place in 2014 and then answer the questions.

Allow yourself several HOURS to complete the survey.

Photo by Catholic News Service