March 13, 2015

March 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

St. Patrick Cathedral closes 75th anniversary year March 17 Also inside: Other St. Patrick’s Day events coming up,

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INDEX

Contact us.......................... 4 Español.................................13 Events calendar................. 4 Our Faith............................. 2 Our Parishes................. 3-12 Schools......................... 14-15 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies.......................16 U.S. news...................... 18-19 Viewpoints.................. 22-23 World news.................. 20-21

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‘Go to confession’

‘We cannot fool Jesus. Open your hearts to Jesus’ mercy.’

Handy tips from Pope Francis for preparing for confession Become ‘missionary of divine mercy’ by encouraging others to go to confession, 20-21

Handing over the keys Habitat for Humanity homeowner moves into Huntersville house built in honor of Pope Francis,

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Bilingual Mass in Candler to commemorate 35th anniversary of Archbishop Romero’s martyrdom, 9, 13

WNC parishioners take pilgrimage to the Holy Land Journey to see where Jesus lived was the ‘trip of a lifetime,’ 8

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis

Don’t be bitter or give up; offer world your wisdom, pope tells seniors

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on’t pack it in or shift into cruise control, Pope Francis told his fellow seniors.

Today’s frenetic world, especially young people and families, needs the older generation’s prayers, wisdom and gifts to give them the encouragement, hope and faith they often lack, he said at his weekly general audience March 11.

“We, older people, can remind ambitious young people that a life without love is barren. We can tell fearful young people that worrying about the future can be overcome.

We can teach young people who are in love with themselves too much that there is more joy in giving than receiving,” he said to those gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

The pope continued a series of audience talks about the family with the second part of two talks dedicated to the elderly, looking at the important role they play in modern society and the family.

The 78-year-old pope said he would use the pronouns “we” and “us” when talking about the elderly since “I, too, belong to this age group,” recalling with a smile how during his visit to the Philippines in January, the people there called him “Lolo Kiko -- that is, Grandpa Francis.”

“It’s true that society tends to discard us, but the Lord definitely doesn’t. The Lord never rejects us,” he said.

In fact, there is a true vocation and mission set aside for older people, who have a lot more free time at their disposal now than before, he said.

“It’s still not time to ‘rest on one’s oars’” and just coast along, he said.

Being older is certainly different, and so when it comes to finding one’s new purpose in the world, seniors need to sort of “make it up” as they go along “because our societies are not ready, spiritually and morally, to give this period of life its full worth.”

Even “Christian spirituality has been taken a bit by surprise, and it involves sketching out a spirituality of older persons,” he said.

There are plenty of saints as role models, he said, especially the elderly Simeon and Anna in the temple, who had the knowledge and wisdom from life’s journey to recognize Jesus.

When they saw Jesus, “the weight of age and waiting disappeared at that moment,” and they found “new strength for a new task: to give thanks and bear witness to this sign of God,” the pope said.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church Feast day: March 18 On March 18, the Roman Catholic Church honors St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a fourth-century bishop and Doctor of the Church whose writings are still regarded as masterful expressions of Christian faith.

St. Cyril is also remembered for his exhaustive Biblical knowledge, and his endurance in the face of misunderstanding and opposition.

Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians, who likewise celebrate him as a saint on March 18, also remember him on May 7 – the date of a miraculous apparition said to have occurred soon after his consecration as a bishop.

What is known of Cyril’s life is gathered from information concerning him from his younger contemporaries, Epiphanius, Jerome and Rufinus, as well as from the fifth-century historians, Socrates, Sozomen and Theodoret.

Cyril was most likely born in Jerusalem around the year 315, shortly after the legalization of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.

Although that legalization put a stop to many of the persecutions that threatened the Church for two centuries, it indirectly gave rise to a number of internal controversies – both in regard to theology, and the jurisdiction of bishops – in which Cyril would find himself involved.

Cyril received an excellent education in classical Greek literature as well as Scripture. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Maximus of Jerusalem, and succeeded him as bishop in 348.

During his early years as a bishop, most likely around 350, he delivered a series of lectures to new initiates of the Catholic Church. Twenty-four of the lectures have survived and are studied today. In a 2007 general audience, thenPope Benedict XVI praised the saint for providing an “integral” form of Christian instruction, “involving body, soul and spirit.” St. Cyril’s teaching, the pope said, “remains emblematic for the catechetical formation of Christians today.”

In 351, three years after Cyril became the Bishop of Jerusalem, a large crossshaped light appeared for several hours in the sky over the city – an event

Catholic Q&A What is the Holy Trinity?

St. Patrick, whose feast day we celebrate March 17, used the analogy of a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity when converting the Celtic peoples. Just as in a shamrock there are three leaflets but one leaf, so in the Trinity there are Three Divine Persons but one God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (253-255) states that we confess one God in three persons, the “consubstantial Trinity.” Each of them is entirely God and equal. They are distinct from one another: “It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds.” (Lateran Council IV, 1215). But they are also relative to one another: “In the relational names of the persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to both.” (Council of Toledo XI, 675)

Why do we speak of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read more about the following saints and holy days in the month of March: St. Katherine Drexel, March 3; St. John of God, March 8; St. Patrick, March 17; St. Joseph, March 19; St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, March 23; and the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25.

that many interpreted as a sign of the Church’s triumph over heresy. It could also, however, be understood as a sign of the suffering the new bishop would undergo in leading his flock.

Unlike many other Eastern bishops and priests of the fourth century, Cyril did not allow his classical learning to lead him away from believing in the full humanity and divinity of Christ.

However, the man who consecrated Cyril as a bishop, Archbishop Acacius St. Cyril, SEE page 17

The language of three persons points to a mystery of distinction that nevertheless abides in relationship at the heart of the one God. God is not a singleness but a communion. For God, to be is to be in relation – this is the primary divine characteristic of God. Yet, even these powerful words are not to be taken literally. As St. Augustine reminds us, “the formula ‘three persons’ was coined not in order to give a complete explanation by means of it but in order that we might not be obliged to remain silent.”

— AmericanCatholic.org

Did you also know?

Even the early Church had to clarify the full truth of God’s revelation regarding His Triune nature. In the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the Church affirmed Christ’s full divinity as the incarnate Son of God. The Council of Constantinople also affirmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Thus in the Nicaean-Constantinopolitan Creed we profess: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through Him all things were made. ... I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified.”

— Catholics United for the Faith

Your daily Scripture readings MARCH 15-21

Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent): 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23, Ephesians 2:4-10, John 3:14-21; Monday: Isaiah 65:17-21, John 4:43-54; Tuesday (St. Patrick): Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, John 5:1-16; Wednesday (St. Cyril of Jerusalem): Isaiah 49:8-15, John 5:17-30; Thursday (St. Joseph): 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16 Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24; Friday: Wisdom 2:1, 12-22, John 7:1-2, 10, 2530; Saturday: Jeremiah 11:18-20, John 7:40-53.

MARCH 22-28

Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Lent): Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:7-9, John 12:20-33; Monday (St. Turibius of Mogrovejo): Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, John 8:1-11; Tuesday: Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30; Wednesday (The Annunciation of the Lord): Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38; Thursday: Genesis 17:3-9, John 8:51-19; Friday: Jeremiah 20:10-13, John 10:31-42; Saturday: Ezekiel 37:21-28, Jeremiah 31:10-13, John 11:45-56.

MARCH 29-APRIL 4

Sunday (Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion): Mark 11:1-10, Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11 Mark 14:1-15:47; Monday: Isaiah 42:17, John 12:1-11; Tuesday: Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 36-38; Wednesday: Isaiah 50:4-9, Matthew 26:14-25; Thursday: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-15; Friday (Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion): Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9, John 18:119:42; Saturday (Easter Vigil): Genesis 1:1-2:2, Exodus 14:15-15:1, Isaiah 54:5-14, Romans 6:3-11, Mark 16:1-7.

Our parishes

March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Vatican survey draws 2,500-plus responses, but not always answers David Hains Director of Communication

St. Patrick Cathedral closes 75th anniversary year March 17 CHARLOTTE — The culmination of a yearlong celebration in which St. Patrick Cathedral has been designated as “a place of pilgrimage” will come to a close on the feast of St. Patrick, March 17.

Bishop Peter Jugis will celebrate Mass at 7 p.m. on the parish’s patronal feast day, followed by an Irish-themed reception in the Family Life Center.

The special year of pilgrimage has been in honor of the cathedral’s 75th anniversary of dedication. Dedicated in 1939, St. Patrick Church was transformed into a cathedral in 1972 when the Diocese of Charlotte was established. Since then, the “mother church of the diocese” has played a special role in the life of the diocese, especially as the sacred place where the annual Chrism Mass is celebrated, in which all the priests of the diocese come to renew their promises and the bishop consecrates the holy oils used in the sacraments throughout the year.

In a formal decree dated Feb. 22, 2014, Bishop Jugis encouraged the faithful to visit the cathedral to pray and attend Mass over the next 12 months, starting on the cathedral parish’s patronal feast day, March 17, 2014. Those who visited the cathedral on six particular feast days from March 17, 2014, to March 17, 2015, as noted in his decree, may have been eligible to receive a plenary (or full) indulgence.

“The Cathedral of Saint Patrick is celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the dedication of its church and this celebration is a moment of joy and celebration for the entire Diocese of Charlotte,” Bishop Jugis stated in his 2014 decree, “… and I exhort all of the faithful to make a devout pilgrimage there.”

There’s still time to visit St. Patrick Cathedral before its 75th anniversary year concludes, and all are welcome to attend the St. Patrick’s Day Mass on Tuesday, March 17. The cathedral parish office also has commemorative anniversary items, including rosaries in crystal gift boxes, available for purchase.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See photos, video and more coverage from throughout St. Patrick Cathedral’s 75th anniversary year

CHARLOTTE — What was the most common response in the Diocese of Charlotte to the questions in the recently completed Vatican Survey on the Family? “I don’t know.”

The survey was conducted in dioceses all over the United States in preparation for the Synod on the Family meeting this October in Rome. As with a 2013 survey on the same subject, input from the laity was specifically requested by Pope Francis.

The survey was 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.

In the Charlotte diocese, 635 people tackled the survey of 46 questions but about 65 percent of their responses were left blank.

Although survey takers were advised before starting that the process would take several hours, many respondents complained that the questions were complicated and not worded for a general audience. Some of the responses expressed disappointment over the survey’s esoteric wording.

One question in the section entitled “The Importance of Affectivity in Life” asked, “How do Christian families bear witness, for succeeding generations, to the development and growth of a life of sentiment?” One of the answers summed up the frustration many said they felt: “Sorry, have no idea what you’re asking here.”

The diocese collected the survey responses using a document provided by the Vatican. Most of the responses came through the online survey tool Survey Monkey. Handwritten responses were keyed into the online form by diocesan staff.

Despite the low response rate, there were still more than 2,500 responses that had to be analyzed. Many of these responses were quite lengthy and quoted Church documents such as the Catechism.

The largest church in the diocese, St. Matthew in Charlotte with more than 9,000 families, had the highest response rate with 41 responses. Coming in second with 38 responses was Holy Family Church in Clemmons.

A software tool was used by Diocesan Planning Director George Cobb to make a qualitative analysis of these responses, which will be summarized and sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops by March 20. The USCCB is collecting survey data from all over the country, and other nations’ episcopal conferences are doing the same. Each nation’s episcopal conference is submitting summaries of their surveys to the Vatican by mid-April. As with the 2013 Vatican survey, individual results will not be publicized.

Annual St. Patrick’s Day Mass to be celebrated at historic St. Joseph Church MOUNT HOLLY — On March 17, the Irish roots of Catholics in the Diocese of Charlotte will be celebrated with a special Mass at Old St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly. All are welcome to attend the 10 a.m. Mass at North Carolina’s oldest Catholic church.

Sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians in the Charlotte area, the annual Mass pays tribute to the historic church’s first pastor, Father T.J. Cronin, who was Irish born and is buried in the adjacent church cemetery.

St. Joseph Church was built in 1843 for and by Irish immigrants, who had come to mine for More online gold along the At www.

Catawba River. catholicnewsherald.com: It is the oldest See more photos of historic Catholic church St. Joseph Church in Mount still standing Holly in the state and is an official state and U.S. historical site.

Today St. Joseph Church is used for special occasions such at the feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph in March, and tours are available upon request through Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont.

Father James Ebright and Father Paul McNulty, chaplain of the St. Brendan division of the AOH, will concelebrate the Mass on Tuesday, March 17. The church is located at N.C. 273 and Sandy Ford Road.

For more information about the St. Patrick’s Day Mass, contact Joe Dougherty at 704-942-6345 or at dockirish@yahoo.com.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off March 14 at 11 a.m.

CHARLOTTE — The 19th annual Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Charlotte Goes Green Festival will be held Saturday, March 14, in uptown Charlotte.

More than 70,000 people attended the parade and festival last year.

Schools and parishes from around the Diocese of Charlotte participate in this annual event, sponsored by the Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day Parade Foundation.

The grand marshal for the 2015 St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be Dr. R. John Young, Honorary Counsel of Ireland for North Carolina. Pipe and drum bands, musical groups, neighborhood associations, schools, alumni groups, cheerleading and drill teams, international organizations, police and firefighters, elected officials, commercial businesses and beauty queens all stream down Tryon Street during the popular parade.

The festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on South Tryon Street between Third Street and Stonewall Street. It will feature Irish music, Irish dancers, bagpipers, Irish/Celtic and other vendors, a children’s amusement area and plenty of food and beverages for purchase. There is no admission fee.

For more information, go to www.charlottestpatsday.com.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events: March 14 – Noon Mass for Final Profession of Brother Peter Muli, M.O.P. Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Monroe March 17 – 7 p.m.

Mass for Closing of 75th Anniversary Year St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte March 21 - 10:30 a.m.

Mass for Solemnity of St. Benedict Belmont Abbey, Belmont

March 22 – 10 a.m.

Mass for Catholic Boy Scout Camporee Camp Grimes, Nebo

March 28 – 11 a.m.

Mass for Dedication of St. ThÉrÈse Church Mooresville

March 24 Diocesan Building Commission Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

March 31 – 10 a.m.

Chrism Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

March 25 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Angels Church, Mt. Airy

April 7 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Queen of Apostles Church, Belmont

14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Rita Miller, an attorney, author and executive director of the Patients’ Rights Council, will speak about how to protect you and your loved ones during critical health care decisions.

Learn the facts about living wills versus health care power of attorney, the dangers of assisted suicide, and practical advice for families. Free. Q&A session will follow. For details, email dkoehlgrp@yahoo.com.

Solemn Requiem Mass in the Extraordinary Form: 7 p.m. Monday, March 16, at St. Patrick Cathedral.

First to be celebrated at the cathedral in decades, for the repose of the soul of Paul Tonan.

Elder Financial Abuse: 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at St. Frances of Rome Mission, 29 Highland Dr., Sparta. Presented by Barbara Bennett, N.C. Secretary of State Securities Division. Topics will include: knowing the warning signs of scams and exploitation, and resources to help victims of financial abuse or fraud. To RSVP, call 336-246-9151 or Catholic Charities at 704-370-3220.

Feast of the Annunciation: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, Mass at Our Lady of the Annunciation, 416 North 2nd St., Albemarle; High Masses in the Extraordinary Form offered at 6 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury, and 7 p.m. at St. Thomas of Aquinas Church in Charlotte.

Diocesan calendar of events March 13, 2015 Volume 23 • Number 12

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

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Irish movie Night “darby o’Gill and the little people”: 6 -9 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at St. Mark Church’s Kerin Center, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Popcorn and other refreshments will be available for purchase. Hosted by St. Brendan division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Everyone welcome. For details, call Joe Dougherty at 704-942-6345.

Fund raisers Partners In Hope Gala: Thursday, March 19, to benefit Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s work in the Triad region. This 12th annual dinner will feature guest speaker Stephen Martin, St. Pius X parishioner and author. For details, contact Gwen Easter at gmeaster@ charlottediocese.org or 336-714-3227.

Knights of Columbus 5k walk/Run to benefit LAMB: 9 a.m. Saturday, March 21 (rain or shine), 247 Cornelius Road, Mooresville. LAMB is a state-wide public charity that contributes money and equipment to help schools and institutions that work with the mentally challenged. To benefit LAMB projects in Mooresville and Iredell County. For details, call Larry Rasmussen at 704-224-0959.

LAY ORGANIZATIONS Ministry of mothers sharing (M.o.m.s.): Meets each Wednesday until April 1 at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St., Greensboro. A peer-led ministry designed to enhance the Christian perspective on stress, spirituality, goal-setting, friendship and discernment of gifts. For details, call Lisa Michaels at 336-254-9689.

Knights of Columbus blood drive: 2-6:30 p.m. Friday, March 27, at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St., Greensboro.

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

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St. Matthew Area Catholic Singles (SMACS) annual Potluck Dinner: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, March 29, in the Parish Center Family Room, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. All single Catholic adults in the south Charlotte area aged 35 or older (single, widowed or divorced) are welcome. Bring an appetizer, meat dish or dessert. RSVP by Saturday, March 28, and let us know what you will be bringing. For details, call Gene Fitzpatrick at 704-953-5955.

LECTURES The Death Penalty with Sister Helen Prejean: Nationally known activist and author of “Dead Man Walking,” Sister Helen Prejean, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., High Point. For details, call Ann Marie Bullock at 336-869-7739.

FINANCIAL WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN: 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church, 259 Pilgrims Way, Boone. Presented by Barbara Bennett, N.C. Secretary of State Securities Division. Workshop will help you think about your financial profile, assess your financial goals, increase financial literacy, make wise investment choices, and improve your ability to identify and avoid scams. To RSVP, call 828-264-8338 or email Catholic Charities at sabreakfield@charlottediocese.org.

“HEALTH CARE DECISIONS – HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY”: 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 25, at St. Mark Church’s Kerin Center,

lENT Penance Services: 7:15 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 North Main St., Belmont; 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, St. Lawrence Basilica, 97 Haywood St., Asheville; 7 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Road, Mint Hill, and at St. Joan of Arc Church, 768 Asbury Road, Candler; 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, at St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St.; 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road; 7 p.m. Thursday, March 26, at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, and at Sacred Heart Church, 150 Brian Berg Lane, Brevard; 7 p.m. March 30, Immaculate Conception Church, 208 7th Ave. West, Hendersonville.

Holy hour for vocations During lent: 6-7 p.m.

Thursdays at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 708 St. Michael’s Lane, Gastonia. Pray March 19 for seminarians and March 26 for priests.

Women’s Lenten program “Prayer, The Ultimate Connection”: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Road, Arden. Led by songwriter and retreat leader Anne Trufant. Mass, lunch and a raffle with door prizes included. Free. RSVP to Marcia Torres at 828-684-6098, ext. 306.

Programa de cuaresma para mujeres “La oración, La máxima conexión”: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sábado, 21 de Marzo, en la Iglesia de St. Barnabas, 109 Crescent Hill Road, Arden. Con la Oradora principal Anne Trufant. Más información contactar a Maria Torres at 828-684-6098, ext. 306.

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

Saturday, March 21, at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid 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 IGBO MASS: 8:30 a.m. Sunday, March 15, at St. Mary Church, 812 Duke St., Greensboro, in the small church.

Sponsored by the Igbo Catholic Community of the Diocese of Charlotte. For details, call 336-392-6840 or 336-707-3625.

Missa Cantata for Feast of St. Joseph: 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 19, at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte. High Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

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

Thursday, March 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.

Divine Mercy Cenacle: 10 a.m. every first and third Wednesday of the month and 7 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Charlotte. For details, call Donna Fodale at 704-237-4820.

Healing mass and anointing of the sick: 2 p.m. every third Sunday of the month. Individual prayers over people after Mass by Charismatic Prayer Group. For details, contact Don or Janet Zander at 828-400-9291.

RETREATS & Missions Polish Lenten retreat: 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 24-26 in the chapel at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Led by Father Andrzej Jaczewski from the Diocese of Siedlce, Poland. He will celebrate Mass in Polish on Palm Sunday, March 29, at 3 p.m., and the sacrament of confession will be offered beforehand, starting at 2 p.m. For details, call Elizabeth Spytkowski at 704-948-1678.

Rachel’s vineyard retreat: March 27-29 in Asheville.

Rachel’s Vineyard is a weekend retreat for women and men to begin their healing journey. For details, call Shelley at 828-230-4940 or go to www.rachelsvineyard.org.

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: 9 a.m. Saturday, March 14, at St. Lawrence Basilica, 97 Haywood St. (lower conference room) Belmont: 9 a.m. Saturday, March 28, at Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 North Main St. (MAK Family Life Center conference room) Kernersville: 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, at Holy Cross Church, 616 South Cherry St. 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.

March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Handing over the keys: Habitat for Humanity homeowner moves into Huntersville house built in honor of Pope Francis HUNTERSVILLE —Father John Putnam, pastor of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, handed the keys to a new home to Ariel Washington on Feb. 28.

The Habitat for Humanity home was named in honor of Pope Francis. It was built through donations and volunteer labor from parishioners at St. Mark Church and St. Thérèse Church in Mooresville. St. Mark and St. Thérèse parishioners worked together to provide a portion of the funds and a supply of volunteer labor to build the $75,000 home.

As a Habitat homeowner, Washington also helped to build the home and volunteered on other Habitat projects.

The bulk of the funding for the 1,100-square-foot home came from an anonymous donation.

The house, located near Hopewell High School, was the fifth house built by Habitat along Titan Avenue. The affiliate hopes eventually to build 11 more houses in the neighborhood.

This is the second Habitat home in the diocese to be named in honor of Pope

Francis. The first home, completed in 2014, is in Asheville.

— David Hains, Director of Communication

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos and video, and read more about how Huntersville area volunteers build the second home in honor of Pope Francis

Sister Monica retires from St. Vincent de Paul Parish after 25 years Gretchen Filz Correspondent

CHARLOTTE — Mercy Sister Mary Monica Perez retired recently after 25 years of ministry serving St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Charlotte, and parishioners threw her a joyful retirement party Feb. 21.

Sister Monica has been professed with the Sisters of Mercy for more than 60 years.

She first encountered the Sisters of Mercy as a young girl growing up in Guam. Three Mercy sisters from Belmont had come to the U.S. territory in 1946 to teach and serve the people there.

Sister Monica enrolled at Our Lady of Guam Academy, an all-girls school which the Mercy sisters established. When she said she wanted to become a teacher, the sisters offered her encouragement, suggesting that she could become both a teacher and a woman religious.

“I never thought of entering the convent,” she said. “I wanted to be a teacher.” But the young girl was attracted by how the Mercy sisters were “so happy and so holy.”

“It fascinated me how they prayed and went to church and wanted to serve the Lord,” she recalled.

“The sisters said I could be a teacher and a sister. And I thought I could be a sister and a teacher, too. I could be both. So I entered the convent to serve the Lord. I found what I wanted. I love the life of the Sisters (of Mercy). So it worked out.”

Sister Monica began her religious life at the Sisters of Mercy convent in Guam, where she entered the novitiate and received training as a teacher.

In addition to her teaching career, Sister Monica spent much of her time at St. Vincent de Paul Parish doing computer data entry and keeping up with the parish’s

records.

“I love the work,” she said. “The people are friendly and warm, I really like the people that I work with.”

Much has changed at the Charlotte parish during her 25 years there – most notably how it has grown, she said. “When I started working there the only thing we had was the church and a little hall in the back that we used for classrooms. It’s not as big as it is now.”

Sister Monica has also seen all the work that parishioners have done over the years to build their church community and reach out to serve others.

“You see the classrooms built, the offices built, the parking lots, and things like that, there were big improvements in the church – spiritually as well as the buildings,” she said. “The people are generous there. The people and the pastors work hard. They are devout Catholics, faithful Christians, they help each other, they participate.”

Above all, “It’s the warm religious atmosphere that is there. They really work hard and help each other to get closer to the Lord,” she said. “They are faithful to the Church. They are faithful people who do what they are supposed to do.”

Sister Monica leaves with many fond memories of the families she has watched grow – families that she has been an important part of in many ways. When meeting up with people she taught many years ago, she said, “They will say to me, ‘You know, Sister, the things I learned from you, what you taught me, made me who I am today.’ And then I feel good.”

“I’ve enjoyed all the years that I worked at St. Vincent de Paul, and it helped me get closer to the Lord seeing how they have been close to the Lord. Seeing them gave me the example. They are good people out there. To see people coming to church and

Photo provided by Deacon Ruben Tamayo

Parishioners and clergy at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte bid farewell to Sister Monica Perez (center) with a recent retirement party. growing closer to the Lord – that makes me happy.”

Sister Monica’s parting advice to her parish family is to “continue getting close to the Lord. Continue to do what you are doing. Do whatever you have to do to get closer to the Lord. Sacrifice and help each other.”

“I will miss not seeing them, but they told me the other day, ‘Sister, you come any time when you want to come,’” she said.

“People often say to me, ‘We like seeing you here,’ and seeing them makes me feel good, too. Maybe they know I am praying for them. But even if I am not there, I will continue praying for them.”

Although she has retired from parish ministry, Sister Monica said that she plans to remain busy at the Sisters of Mercy motherhouse in Belmont, Sacred Heart Convent, once she settles in.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 OUR PARISHES

Mary Garden Showers ministry celebrates life, brings hope to moms in crisis pregnancies SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — A new ministry has sprung up at St. Thomas Aquinas Church which hopes to celebrate the lives of babies whose mothers are experiencing a crisis pregnancy. Mary Garden Showers began in February with its first baby shower honoring mom Tami and her soon-to-arrive baby boy.

The ministry’s name stems from the tradition of Christians planting “Mary Gardens” to honor Jesus’ mother. Mary Gardens commemorate her life and her courageous response to God’s will.

“The work of our Mary Garden Showers ministry is also inspired by the beauty and strength that Mary demonstrated in her vocation of motherhood,” says Kaitlyn Mason, ministry founder.

“We seek to empower women in crisis pregnancies by providing love and support in the form of baby showers. Just as in a garden, more and more flowers are encouraged to grow, we are encouraging more and more lives to be brought into this world.”

Mason had a personal reason for

responding to a prompting she felt in her heart to start this ministry. She was serving as a crisis pregnancy hotline volunteer in Lexington, Ky., a couple of years ago, taking calls overnight for women considering abortion.

“Little did I know at the time, I would soon find myself on the phone with my out-of-town sister, convincing her to have her baby,” Mason recalls. “God definitely equips the called!”

Her sister strongly considered abortion and when she chose to have her son Landon, Mason wanted to throw a baby shower for her, but family strain made that impossible.

“I started searching online and reached out to the community for someone that could help me put a baby shower together, but I found no organization to help.

Meanwhile, I stumbled upon the Mary Garden website put out by the Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton, and found an article from EWTN on Mary Gardens. I had never heard of Mary Gardens before but was inspired by their rich history and beauty.

“I strongly feel that God put it on my

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

Retreat in North Carolina March 27 – 29, 2015 / Asheville, NC For more information please contact Shelley Glanton: 828-230-4940 or sglan1234@aol.com Retreats in South Carolina April 24-26, 2015 / Rock Hill, SC (Spanish) June 12-15, 2015 / Charleston, SC For more information on South Carolina retreats please contact Christy 803 554 6088 or Kathy 803 546 6010 or grace4healing@gmail.com www.rachelsvineyard.org

Photo provided by Kaitlyn Mason

Soon-to-be mom Tami unwraps presents for her unborn baby boy at her Mary Garden Showers baby shower Feb. 22. It was the first baby shower for the new ministry, which hopes to host at least one shower a month and expand to other churches. heart to start this ministry.”

Mason moved to Charlotte last August, and she was on a mission to find a new parish home that would be supportive of this new ministry. St. Thomas Aquinas Church was a perfect fit.

“Gretchen Filz, the parish Respect Life coordinator, informed me that St. Thomas Aquinas Parish had already hosted a couple of baby showers for mothers in crisis pregnancies in prior years. And Father Patrick Winslow (pastor) was extremely supportive of the idea. The foundation had already been laid for us and we were able to get started right away.”

The first Mary Garden baby shower was held Feb. 22 at the church. Volunteers supplied baked goods and decorated a room in the parish center for the occasion.

Donors contributed baby items to help shower Tami with love and practical items for her baby boy. Ministry supporters attended the shower to show their support for the mother-to-be and her choice of life for her child.

“We were able to project the baby’s ultrasound pictures as a backdrop, and Tami was willing to share her story since everyone had been so willing to share with her and her family. She was extremely grateful and overwhelmed to receive such an outpouring of love from people she didn’t even know,” Mason says.

The Mary Garden Showers ministry is working with the Pregnancy Resource Center in Charlotte to identify women in crisis pregnancies who could benefit from the love and support of a baby shower.

“We are honored to have received the opportunity to shower two new residents who will be moving into the Mira-Via residential facility on Belmont Abbey’s campus this year. We’re currently in need of groups to sponsor several of our upcoming showers, including the showers for Mira-Via residents,” she adds.

Mason says the goal is to make the baby showers a monthly event next year at the parish.

“Right now, Mary Garden Showers is an active ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas, but we hope to start chapters at other churches. This would enable us to serve more women. There are so many women and families out there who desperately

need this kind of love and support.

“Many women considering abortion are concerned that they do not have the means to meet the material needs of their child. When they learn there is a group of loving people out there ready to embrace them and shower them with Christ’s love, it can make all the difference. These baby showers literally have the potential to save lives.”

“We operate under the philosophy that ‘if you love the mother, she will have the love she needs to love her baby,’ she adds.

“Now is the time for the Church to step out and truly be a light for these women and families who desperately need love. There is no limit to what we can accomplish by spreading the love of Christ in this world.”

Help grow the Mary Garden Showers ministry “The best and easiest way that people can help support this ministry is simply by showing up at a baby shower,” Mason says.

“It may seem simple, but showing up shows you care. Guests are encouraged to bring gifts with them to the baby shower, just like they would at any baby shower.”

Each mother will be able to create their own individual baby registry with Mary Garden Showers, which is then listed on the website marygardenshowers.org. The website also has information on how to support individual mothers or the ministry generally, and how other parishes can start their own Mary Garden Showers ministry.

The next shower is planned for April 19 at St. Ann Church in Charlotte.

“We will always announce when registries open up for shopping,” Mason says. “Our newsletter will also contain stories of the women we serve and information about upcoming showers.

We’re working to create a network of baby showers so each shower can be connected to a group of pro-life supporters who have signed up for our newsletter. People all over the country can shop for each shower, because the registries are set up so that online purchases get shipped to the shower location.”

Groups of people can sign up to sponsor a shower, she adds.

March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Composer Dan Schutte leads Lenten mission at IHM Kathy Roach Correspondent

HIGH POINT — Renowned Catholic composer Dan Schutte led a three-day Lenten mission at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church last week, entitled “From Ashes to Glory.”

St. Francis de Sales Father Vincent E. Smith introduced the Lenten renewal mission as “an opportunity to make an extra effort to bring God’s presence into our lives.” This message was reinforced

by Schutte, who said, “Faith is about the relationship you and I have with God and discovering who God is in our lives.”

Schutte’s career in contemporary worship music has spanned over 40 years.

Two generations of Catholics have grown to love Schutte’s hymns, including “Here I Am, Lord,” “You Are Near,” “City of God,” “Table of Plenty,” “Blest be the Lord” and “Sing a New Song.”

Formerly a Jesuit priest, Schutte said his compositions have always been inspired

by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, and Ignatian spiritual exercises.

He found his love for music growing up in Wisconsin, where his parents were both musicians who played piano.

He began writing hymns in the early 1970s, during a time when post-Vatican II reforms were encouraging musicians to create new works for liturgical use, using

contemporary music in English to renew and inspire the laity. He was among a group of song writers called the “St. Louis Jesuits” that included Father Bob Dufford (“Be Not Afraid”), Tim Manion (“This Alone”), Father John Foley (“One Bread, One Body”) and Father Roc O’Connor (“O Beauty Ever Ancient”).

He continues to compose new music, write about spirituality and speak about the role of music as sung prayer. When he’s not performing, he writes and creates art.

Throughout the retreat at IHM, Schutte interspersed personal anecdotes, passages of Scripture, and his music to reflect on the Lenten message and explain his sources of inspiration. He spoke of “a deep-down hunger for happiness and joy” that we all have imprinted on our souls by God. He played both piano and guitar and invited parishioners to sing along to hymns such as “Glory and Praise to our God,” “Though the Mountains May Fall,” “City of God,” and “Table of Plenty.”

Schutte’s book “From Ashes to Glory,” designed as a guide for reflection during Lent, and his CDs, with covers featuring some of his artwork, are available on his website www.danschutte.com, along with information about his upcoming events.

For Schutte, “the music has always been about God. Music that captures our hearts and smiles.”

To mark the Cathedral of Saint Patrick’s 75th anniversary, Bishop Jugis encouraged the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte to make a pilgrimage to the Cathedral from March 17, 2014 to March 17, 2015.

To celebrate the end of this historic year of grace, all are invited to a special Mass with Bishop Jugis on Tue. Mar. 17 at 7:00 p.m. A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who visit the Cathedral and follow the necessary conditions.

CLOSING MASS

YEAR OF PILGRIMAGE TUE., MAR. 17 ~ 7 PM The Cathedral of Saint Patrick 1621 Dilworth Road East Charlotte, NC

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Responsibilities include: creating and executing the annual development plan for Catholic Charities; supporting fundraising solicitation events coordinated by the regional office directors; engaging, retaining, nurturing and recognizing current donors; identifying and cultivating new donors.

Please submit cover letter and resume by April 10, 2015 to Jim Kelley, Office of Development, jkkelley@charlottediocese.org

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 OUR PARISHES

‘I had the sense that the graces being poured forth were infinite.’

Father Patrick Hoare

Pastor, St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte

More online At www.catholicnewsherald. com: See more photos from the pilgrims’ Holy Land trip

Photos provided by Maureen Regele

Pilgrims from the Diocese of Charlotte recently took a trip to the Holy Land.

(At left) Pictured at the Church of All Nations, otherwise known as the Basilica of Agony in Jerusalem, where they celebrated Mass, are (from left) Father Stephen Hoyt, Father Pat Cahill and Father Pat Hoare.

Local parishioners take pilgrimage to the Holy Land Journey to see where Jesus lived was the ‘trip of a lifetime’ Jennifer Noto Special to the Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — A group of parishioners from the Diocese of Charlotte took a recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The 10-day voyage included day trips to several historical sites as they followed the journey of Jesus. Travelers from St. Eugene, Holy Family Church, St. Matthew, St. Mark and St. John Neumann parishes enjoyed daily Mass at landmarks such as the Basilica of the Annunciation, St. Peter’s Memorial above the house of St. Peter and the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Deacon Jim Gorman of St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte assisted at four of the daily Masses. “It was an experience I’ll never forget,” Deacon Gorman said, noting, “It’s the greatest thing I’ll ever remember for the rest of my life. The readings reflected the time and place we were at, such as the birth of Christ and the institution of the Eucharist.”

He said he and his wife Helen felt just as humbled as the other travelers on their journey as the history of Jesus came to life.

Iris Newton, a member of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, is still pretty excited about the trip even though it’s over, calling it “the experience of a lifetime.”

“Nothing can prepare you for this trip,” Newton said.

“Every holy site that we encountered was better than the one before – it literally got more interesting by the day. I started to put things together and began connecting the dots, making sense of everything I had learned throughout all of my Christian life.”

Newton was especially touched by the pilgrims’ visit

to the Garden of Gethsemane. “I have felt agony in my own life many times. I have doubted why I am here, what is the purpose of my life on earth, and I have felt pain in my heart,” she said. “Seeing the place where Jesus was weeping made me feel closer to Him than ever before. I want to say that I could feel what He felt just before He was betrayed and eventually crucified. It put my own agony and pain in perspective. He did all that for me!”

Father Patrick Hoare, pastor of St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, and Father Patrick Cahill, pastor of St. Eugene Church in Asheville, organized and led the group of 26 parishioners from across the diocese.

“It was a joy to lead such a Spirit-filled and prayerful group,” said Father Hoare. “I could see the emotions they experienced: the wonder, the awe, and the joy that comes with experiencing the Paschal Mystery in a personal way.”

The priests were accompanied by Father Stephen Hoyt, parochial vicar at Holy Family Church in Clemmons. “We had a very diverse group of pilgrims,” said Father Hoyt.

“It felt like it was meant to be, all of us together.”

The journey began at Tiberius before moving on to Mount Tabor, Cana and Nazareth, where the group visited the scene of the Transfiguration. The group also visited the Mount of Beatitudes, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, the remains of Temple Mount, the Tomb of David, and the Chapel of Ascension. It was in Jerusalem that the priests had the privilege of saying Mass on the Lord’s Tomb.

“It was one of the greatest honors for a priest to have,” Father Hoyt said.

Father Hoare agreed, noting, “I felt as though I had never celebrated Mass before, as though it was my first Mass all over again. All I could think was, ‘Who should I pray for? What should I ask the Lord?’ I had the sense that the graces being poured forth were infinite. It was like trying to catch a waterfall in a thimble!”

Katherine Luna, a parishioner of St. John Neumann Church, had the privilege of singing “Ave Maria” during Mass at the Church of Annunciation. Luna sang over the spot where the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Blessed

Virgin Mary. “As I was singing, I couldn’t believe it was happening,” she said.

Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist, was also a peaceful, holy place that affected her. “It’s incredible to think of the Blessed Mother traveling over the mountains to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Father Hoare and I led the group in singing ‘Salve Regina’ in the chapel there.”

The group spent time walking the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow) in Jerusalem, where each of them took turns carrying a cross (much smaller that Christ’s) and sang “Jesus, Remember Me” as they made their way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

It was there that Father Cahill was most affected.

“This is the place where Jesus was buried and rose from the dead,” he said solemnly. “It was a very powerful experience for everyone in the group, and everyone was emotional.”

Father Cahill has previously visited the Holy Land and felt especially privileged to take this journey again, with both of his parents joining him this time.

“It was really special to walk through the world where Jesus had been with both of my parents with me,” he said.

“There was a great intimacy in how the Lord lived and what that was like for Him,” added Father Hoyt. “I know how much the Lord cares about me and I was hoping this was a chance for me to show the Lord how much I love Him. The trip allowed me to show a more personal interest in the Lord.”

The trip was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all who took the journey.

“I know the trip has changed me,” Luna said. “I hear the Gospel readings differently, because I was there!”

She plans to return to the Holy Land one day and urges others to go at least once in their lifetime.

Said Father Hoare, “I had a great sense of the true brotherhood of all people – Christian, Jew, and Muslim alike – who hold a great reverence for this truly holy place.”

Jennifer Noto is the communications chair at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte.

March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

CNS | Octavio Duran

Archbishop Oscar Romero is pictured inside the church at San Antonio Los Ranchos in Chalatenango, El Salvador, in 1979.

35th anniversary of Archbishop Oscar Romero’s death to be commemorated with bilingual Mass in Candler Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CANDLER — A bilingual Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, March 24, at St. Joan of Arc Church in Candler to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the martyrdom of Salvadorian Archbishop Oscar Romero.

The Mass will start at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Father Morris Boyd, parochial vicar of St. Romero Lawrence Basilica in Asheville, will be the main celebrant, and Father Dean Cesa, pastor of St. Joan of Arc Church, will concelebrate. Other priests expected to attend include Father Pat Cahill, pastor of St. Eugene Church in Asheville; Capuchin Franciscan Father Robert Williams from Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville; Father Jose Antonio Juya, parochial vicar of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia; and Father John Pagel from Hendersonville.

Father Juya met Archbishop Romero in the 1970s. Father Juya will deliver the homily in Spanish, and Father Boyd will probably preach a homily in English, according to organizers with the Asheville Hispanic Ministry Vicariate, which is sponsoring the upcoming celebration in Candler.

Commonly known as “Monseñor Romero,” Archbishop Romero led the Archdiocese of San Salvador in El Salvador at the height of the Salvadorian civil war in the late 1970s. He denounced the Salvadorian government for numerous human rights violations against the poor of his country. A sniper killed him on March 24, 1980, while he was celebrating Mass at a convent. The sniper acted under the orders of Maj. Roberto D’Aubuisson, according to the truth commission established by the United Nations in 1992 to investigate killings and human rights violations committed during the 1980-1992 Salvadoran civil war.

On Feb. 3, Pope Francis declared Archbishop Romero a martyr of the faith, and the Vatican confirmed that Archbishop Romero’s beatification will be May 23 in El Salvador.

OUR PARISHESI

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 OUR PARISHES

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

Raised in a small village in India with five brothers and sisters, Father Boyapati joined the seminary at the age of 15. He received religious training for the next 13 years and was ordained in 1995.

— Catholic News Herald

In Brief Third parochial vicar named for St. Matthew Church

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CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis announces the appointment of Father Binoy Punnorkottu Davis as parochial vicar of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte effective March 5.

Father Davis joins Father Paul Buchanan and Father Ambrose A. Akinwande, MSP, as parochial vicar to serve with Monsignor John J. McSweeney, pastor.

Father Davis comes to the Davis Diocese of Charlotte from the Diocese of Satna in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. It is an eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic rite in India that is in full communion with the pope.

— Catholic News Herald

Friar joins Hendersonville parish CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis announces the appointment of Capuchin Franciscan Father Praveen Kumar Boyapati as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville effective March 5.

Father Boyapati joins Capuchin Franciscan Father Martin Schratz, pastor, and Capuchin Franciscan Father Robert Williams, parochial vicar, at the Hendersonville parish.

Ganser joins Catholic Voice NC advisory board CHARLOTTE — Jennifer Ganser, Respect Life program director for the Diocese of Charlotte, has been appointed by Bishop Peter J. Jugis to serve on the Advisory Board of Catholic Voice NC. Ganser joins Joseph Purello, Catholic Charities’ Office of Social Concerns and Advocacy Director for the diocese, and their counterparts in the Diocese of Raleigh assist Bishop Jugis and Raleigh Bishop Michael F. Burbidge in providing a nonpartisan public advocacy resource Ganser through Catholic Voice NC. Catholic Voice NC shares information on legislative matters that intersect with Catholic teaching, values and morality; and gives North Carolina Catholics a way to voice their opinions directly to legislators through an e-mail alert network. Key areas of interest include prolife issues, stem cell research, immigration, family life, hunger and poverty, and religious liberty. Catholic Voice NC has more than 9,400 participants.

Learn more at www.catholicvoicenc.org.

THE CATHOLIC PILGRIM OFFICE

Social Media, SEO Specialist/Online Reporter The Catholic News Herald, a 58,000-circulation newspaper serving the Diocese of Charlotte, N.C., is seeking an experienced, innovative social media specialist and online reporter.

This position is responsible for reporting on Diocese of Charlotte news and events for www.CatholicNewsHerald.com, its YouTube channel and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr). This person will also work to increase the online visibility and accessibility of the website using search engine optimization and social media marketing techniques to further our two-fold mission of communication and evangelization Candidates must have at least 1-3 years of experience in developing online content and/or SEO work, plus a bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing or related field. Candidates should be familiar with the Catholic faith; have some knowledge of HTML and CSS; and experience using web-based content management systems (specific knowledge of Joomla is helpful, but not required). Other key qualifications include enthusiasm, interest in creating new digital initiatives, strong organizational and communication skills, and attention to accuracy. Experience with Excel and Word is helpful.

We offer a competitive benefits package that includes salary commensurate with experience, health and dental insurance, 403(b) and paid holidays. EOE

Please submit resumé to: Patricia Guilfoyle, Editor, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org. No phone calls, please.

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March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

Youth Pilgrimage coming up at Belmont Abbey College BELMONT — All middle and high school youths are invited to attend the annual Bishop’s Youth Abbey Pilgrimage Saturday, April 11, at Belmont Abbey College.

The event, held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include dynamic talks, music and games, as well as Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. The sacrament of penance will also be offered.

Information about various religious orders and the priesthood will also be available during a vocations fair.

All youth must be accompanied and supervised by parents or parish youth ministers and chaperones. Registration is $15 and includes a T-shirt and lunch.

For details and to register by March 16, go to www.goeucharist.com.

businesses and public organizations.

The proposal generated controversy and opposition from various religious groups, which had expressed concern that its wording and its intent would have to denied businesses and churches the ability to uphold their religious beliefs about sexuality, marriage and more.

Several days before the Charlotte City Council meeting, Bishop Peter Jugis had issued a brief statement of concern about the lack of religious liberty protections in the proposed ordinance.

“I pray that the city council will provide all of the people of Charlotte with an ordinance that respects our constitutional right to the free exercise of religion,” Bishop Jugis said Feb. 26. He added, “God made men and women different; as a society we should respect that difference.”

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte City Council rejected March 2 a move to expand its antidiscrimination ordinance to enshrine rights of “gender expression” and “gender identity” alongside existing protections for race, gender, age and disability.

The 6-5 vote means that the city’s decadesold anti-discrimination law governing access and services for all public accomodations, businesses and taxi services will remain unchanged.

The proposed ordinance would have added “marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity” to Charlotte’s non-discrimination laws. Mirroring federal law, the city already prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age and disability in its city contracts and among all

HENDERSONVILLE — In 1990 a youth minister in Columbia, S.C., looked at the snacks and food his youth group had provided for watching the Super Bowl football game, and prayed, “Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl Game, help us to be mindful of those who are without even a bowl of soup to eat.”

That simple prayer inspired a youth-led project across the country to help the hungry and needy. The first “Souper Bowl of Caring” involved 22 churches in Columbia. In this, the 25th anniversary of the project, over 3,500 groups across the U.S. collected nearly $6 million and 3,450,000 pounds of soup and food to be donated to local charities.

For the 12th year, Immaculate Conception Parish youth and parishioners joined in this service project and collected a record 1,320 pounds of soup and $1,760, which was donated to Interfaith Assistance Ministry.

This placed the parish third on the list of contributing churches in the state, and first among Catholic churches in North Carolina.

— David Hains, Director of Communication

CANTON — Byzantine rite Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom will be celebrated at Immaculate Conception Mission in Canton on 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.

Rice Bowl grant applications due by March 16 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

Photo provided by Kathy Meersman

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.

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

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 OUR PARISHES

Scouting news

Malyszko earns Eagle rank HUNTERSVILLE — On Feb. 28 Boy Scout Alexander Malyszko was awarded the Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank of Eagle. The ceremony and reception were held at Christ the King High School in Huntersville, where Malyszko is a freshman. Malyszko is a member of Troop 97 at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, where over the past 10 years, 20 other boys have earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

Each Boy Scout must organize, fund-raise and lead a service project as part of this high achievement. Projects conducted through Troop 97 include an educational greenhouse at St. Mark School; Mary Gardens at St. Mark Church and rectory; gardens at Mira Via Crisis Pregnancy Outreach; Missionaries of the Poor; Presbyterian Hospital; multiple projects at Christ the King High School; assisting Urban Ministries; and improvements to the Carolina Thread Trail.

Scoutmaster Michael Malyszko said Scouting’s “strong traditions of Duty to God, Duty to Country and Duty to Self are clearly displayed at St. Mark’s Troop 97, Christ the King High School and within the Malyszko family.”

Amber Mellon | Catholic News Herald

Photo provided by Tim Winiger

Scouting for food CHARLOTTE — Members of Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack 9 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte celebrate after wrapping up their Scouting for Food drive in the Dilworth neighborhood Feb. 7. Scouting For Food is Mecklenburg County Council’s community stewardship project aimed at addressing the problem of hunger in the local community. The food drive benefitted Loaves and Fishes, a Charlotte-based food pantry that collects and supplies groceries to people in crisis. The non-profit organization works with volunteers and donations to end hunger in the local community.

The Mecklenburg County Council was first in the region for food collection in its Scouting for Food drive to benefit Loaves and Fishes. The Charlotte area council is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

— Catholic News Herald

Photos by John Bunyea | Catholic News Herald

Scout Mass celebrated

Scout honors given at Holy Cross Parish

BOONE — St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church in Boone recognized the efforts of their parish’s Girl, Boy and Cub Scouts during a recent Mass. Scouts served various roles in the liturgy, such as lectors and gift bearers, and at the conclusion of the Mass, Father David Brzoska gave them a special blessing and presented religious awards that 15 of the Scouts had earned. Two Cub Scouts earned their Light of Christ religious award, and eight Girl Scouts received their My Promise, My Faith pins.

KERNERSVILLE — Three Cub Scouts at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville received Ad Altare Dei religious awards and one Boy Scout was awarded the rank of Eagle during Scout Sunday Mass on Feb. 8, celebrated

by Oblates of St. Francis de Sales Father Paul Dechant, pastor. (Above left, left) Boy Scout Jacob Privette earned the rank of Eagle. He is pictured with his mother and father, Carol and David Privette, and Father Dechant. For his Eagle Scout project, the 17-year-old Privette made a Rosary Prayer Garden on the grounds of Holy Cross Church. (Above right) Cub Scouts Chris Day, Taylor Fernald and Timothy Fernald earned their religious awards, presented by Al Livelsberger and Father Dechant.

Pinewood Derby fun KERNERSVILLE — Cub Scout Pack 943 at Holy Cross Parish in Kernersville ran their annual Pinewood Derby on Feb. 28. Pictured (far left) are Jonathan Hyde, Kingston Parrish and Joe Fernald. Also pictured (left) are Pack champs Donnie Guevara, first place; Paul Liotard, second place; and Kingston Parrish, third place.

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March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

13

El Padre Fidel Melo

F

El Padre José, caballero de la fe

ue en el verano de 1993, cuando vine a Carolina del Norte explorando la posibilidad de estudiar para la Diócesis de Charlotte, y a la primera persona que conocí fue al “Padre José” (Padre Joseph Waters).

Antes de hacer la decisión de unirme a esta diócesis, pasé aquí una experiencia para conocer más de cerca las necesidades de la Iglesia Católica de Charlotte. Así sucedió que me tocó convivir con el Padre José Waters, nunca imaginé venir acá, y menos que me tocaría conocer a un santo varón como él, un hombre de Dios. Recuerdo que tenía cierto nerviosismo y miedo de venir aquí, y también algo dentro de mí se resistía a aceptar quedarme en esta región; quizá porque nunca antes tuve la idea de venir a misionar a Carolina del Norte. Se me hacía un lugar lejano, desconocido y hasta hostil, tanto en lo político-social, como en lo religioso.

En lo político-social, por las historias que había oído de esclavitud-explotación y segregación racial en el pasado, y en cuanto a lo religioso, por ser parte del “cinturón de la Biblia” (Bible Belt), donde los católicos somos una minoría.

Digo esto solo para poder compartirles que junto al Padre José, todo esto se desvaneció, no tuve tiempo de pensarlo, pues tan pronto llegué, de inmediato me di cuenta que había mucha necesidad y mucho por hacer. Ver la paciencia, constancia, fe y su gran caridad-calidad humana para con los hispanos hacían que uno se olvidara de todas las demás preocupaciones y temores, además de que con él uno se sentía siempre apoyado y animado para el ministerio.

En ese tiempo el padre estaba en la Misión de Holy Trinity, Taylorsville, NC, desde ahí recorría cinco condados cada semana. Así que ésta fue la rutina que inicié junto a él. Viajábamos a las comunidades para visitar las familias, los enfermos o personas con cualquier otra necesidad. En ese tiempo había menos familias ya que un gran número eran trabajadores solos.

Durante la semana el padre ofrecía algunas clases, tenía reuniones con la gente, otras veces les ofrecía transporte al hospital, a los servicios de inmigración, a la corte, etc. Y también asistía a las personas interpretando, pues en ese entonces no muchos hablaban inglés. Las personas acudían al padre con toda clase de preguntas y necesidades, y él trataba siempre

de asistirles. Él siempre fue un seguro refugio para todos. Durante el fin de semana, celebraba la Santa Misa en diferentes comunidades como Jefferson, Kannapolis, Newton, Dobson, Taylorsville. Un don del padre fue que siempre buscó a las personas, no esperaba que fueran a él, así que tenía localizados los lugares donde la gente vivía y trabajaba, y en la zona de las montañas, sabía todos los “atajos”, conocía los vecindarios, las casitas en medio de la nada y también los ranchos agrícolas donde ya lo conocían los patrones y lo dejaban entrar a visitar los trabajadores, para hablarles de Dios, llevarlos a Misa o a la tienda. En fin, él siempre se las ingenió para localizar a las personas, visitarlas y ayudarlas tanto en lo espiritual como en lo material.

El primer verano que pasé con el Padre José me alarmé mucho porque me di cuenta que en su recámara no tenía cama, sino que dormía en el piso, e indagando en la Misión con quienes le conocían, me enteré que su cama la había donado a los pobres.

Aún recuerdo que cada Viernes salíamos de Taylorsville rumbo a la Iglesia San José, en Kannapolis, y de ahí iniciábamos un recorrido de sur a norte, tanto, que los que estuvimos con él, empezamos a llamar a este recorrido “el ministerio de la 601”; porque visitábamos personas que vivían en los pueblos aledaños a la carretera 601, desde Concord, Kannapolis, China Grove, Salisbury, Mocksville, Yadkinville, es importante decir que en Yadkinville ya estaban establecidas las Hermanas Andrea y Linda, con quienes el Padre José se coordinaba.

Luego seguíamos a Dobson, Mount Airy y Pilot Mountain. Conozco un poquito más del ministerio del padre en éstos últimos pueblos por haber tenido la oportunidad de servir en esa parte algunos años más tarde. Todavía hay parroquianos que recuerdan al Padre José cuando llegó a celebrar la Santa Misa bajo un árbol. Yo solo le conocí cuando la capilla de los hispanos en Dobson era una vieja bodega para el zacate del ganado, que amablemente le había prestado un granjero. Un día me dijo el padre que por esos años, al inicio de 1990, celebraba alrededor de unos tres bautismos al año, y unos diez años más tarde los bautismos eran

‘Así sucedió que me tocó convivir con el Padre José Waters, nunca imaginé venir acá, y menos que me tocaría conocer a un santo varón como él, un hombre de Dios.’

PADRE, SEE page 17

CNS | Foto Octavio Duran

El Arzobispo Oscar Romero en la Iglesia de San Antonio de los Ranchos en Chalatenango, El Salvador, en 1979.

Parroquia de Santa Juana de Arco a celebrar Misa en honor del 35 aniversario de la muerte de Mons.

Oscar Romero Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CANDLER — La Parroquia de Santa Juana de Arco en Candler celebrará una Misa bilingüe el 24 de Marzo a las 6:30 p.m. para conmemorar el 35 aniversario del martirio del Arzobispo salvadoreño, Monseñor Oscar Romero.

El evento está organizado por el Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Asheville, y todas las personas, tanto de la comunidad Hispana, como la comunidad Anglo, están invitadas a esta gran celebración Eucarística.

La Misa contará con la presencia de varios sacerdotes: el Padre Morris Boyd, Vicario de la Basílica de San Lorenzo en Asheville, será el celebrante principal, el Padre Jose Antonio Juya, de la Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel en Gastonia, predicará en español. El Padre Romero Dean Cesa, Párroco de Santa Juana de Arco; el Padre Patrick Cahill, Párroco de San Eugenio en Asheville; y el Padre Robert Williams de la Parroquia Inmaculada Concepción en Hendersonville, y el Padre John Pagel de Hendersonville también concelebrarán la Misa.

Conocido comúnmente como Monseñor Romero, fue Arzobispo de la Diócesis de San Salvador, en El Salvador a finales de la década de 1970, periodo marcado por una cruel guerra civil en ese país. Monseñor Romero denunció las injusticias y violaciones del gobierno salvadoreño en contra de los derechos humanos de los pobres. Mons. Romero fue asesinado por un sicario, el 24 de Marzo de 1980, mientras celebraba la Eucaristía en un convento de monjas. El asesino actuó bajo la orden del Mayor Roberto D’Aubuisson de acuerdo a la Comisión de la Verdad establecida por las Naciones Unidas en 1992 para investigar los asesinatos y violaciones de derechos humanos durante la guerra civil salvadoreña entre 1980 a 1992.

El 3 de Febrero pasado, el Papa Francisco declaró a Monseñor Romero como un mártir de la fe, y el Vaticano ha confirmado que Romero será beatificado el 23 de Mayo del corriente en El Salvador.

Our schools 14

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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In Brief Lowry wins St. Michael geographic bee GASTONIA — Sixth-grader Rachel Lowry recently won the school-level competition of the 2015 National Geography Bee at St. Michael School.

For the 27th year, the National Geographic Society is holding the National Geographic Bee for students in the fourth through eighth grades. The school-level Bee, in which students answered oral questions on geography was the first Lowry round in the 27th annual National Geographic Bee. The school winners will take a written test and 100 of the top scorers on that test in each state will then be eligible to compete in their state Bee March 27.

The champion from each state will compete in the Nat Geo Bee National Championship in Washington, D.C., May 11-13, for a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarship.

St. Michael School has participated in the National Geographic Bee for approximately two decades.

— Patricia Burr

Charlotte Catholic Marching Band travels to Ireland Will perform in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 17 SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

Bishop McGuinness Model UN team wins awards KERNERSVILLE — The Bishop McGuinness Model United Nations team finished off its season with a victory at the Catholic University of America during the first weekend of February. Out of the 39 students who competed, 15 returned with individual awards. Bishop McGuinness also earned the Outstanding Delegation Award presented for the top over-all school performance at the conference.

“Our performance at Catholic University was a great way to end the season and a better way for the seniors to end their careers at Bishop,” said team president Caleb Carmichael. “The team is prepared to compete at a couple more conferences next year and is looking forward to more great successes.”

— Jeff Stoller

Charlotte Catholic art students win 17 awards CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Catholic High School art and photography students excelled BRIEFS, SEE page 15

CHARLOTTE — For the fourth time in school history, the Charlotte Catholic High School Marching Band will perform in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. Seventynine students and their chaperones will travel to Ireland March 11 for a seven-day trip.

Highlights of the trip to the Emerald Isle will be the opportunity to perform in the world renowned 1.75-mile parade on the feast of St. Patrick and to perform a concert in St. Patrick Cathedral during the St. Patrick’s Festival.

“It is incredibly humbling to be afforded this opportunity,” says Timothy Cook, Charlotte Catholic’s band director. “It gives me pride in our students to see them working so hard and caring so much about these performances. Participating in a parade of the caliber and performing in a venue as significant as St. Patrick’s Cathedral speaks volumes about the type of program we have here at Charlotte Catholic.”

To help raise funds for the trip, students and parents worked at the Carolina Panthers’ games selling concessions to fund their part of the trip.

“We typically spend about six hours working these games,” Cook says. “Students are incredibly dedicated to our program and often put personal endeavors on hold in order to adequately staff the games. Currently, we are working to build more community support to ensure every student will have the opportunity to attend this once-in-a-lifetime trip.”

Sophomore Michael Gallucci says, “It’s really a fantastic opportunity to be able to play in a different country and even better to be featured in the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world. Knowing that we will be performing for thousands of people really motivates me more than anything else.

“I remember as a kid my family would always cluster in the living room to watch parades on TV together, and getting the chance to be that band on the screen, inhumanly precise in the eyes of the audience, is just unreal. Most importantly, going to Ireland is a chance to represent not only my school, but my city, state and even country.”

During the two-hour parade, the Charlotte Catholic Band will perform a traditional American march by John Philip Sousa, “The Thunderer March” and “Sweet Caroline,” which is their unofficial song. For the concert at St. Patrick Cathedral, they will perform a selected repertoire representing the major regions of the United States.

“While in Ireland, we’ll be exposed to their music, cuisine and culture, and I wanted to share things about our great nation with them as well,” Cook explains. “Our program will take our Irish listeners on a musical tour of the United States, starting in the Northeast, then South, Midwest and West. We will end our concert with our National March, the ‘Stars and Stripes Forever.’”

Junior Janet Haver is excited about travelling internationally.

“Being in band since the sixth grade, this trip has been something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I’ve made some of my closest friends in the band and I can’t wait to travel with them. I’m also super excited to travel without my parents and see the world during this time of my life.”

Some of the other sights on the tour include the Cliffs of Moher, Limerick, the Lord Mayor of Dublin’s residence and Trinity College.

“I am so excited to go to Ireland to represent our school and our country,” Senior Anthony Charlonis says. “I have never been to Ireland, and it will be exciting to be with my friends as we perform in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and in the cathedral for the St. Patrick’s International Music Festival. It is also exciting to discover the riches and treasures that are all around Ireland.”

Band director Cook hopes the Ireland experience impacts the students’ faith.

“I hope it helps them appreciate and better understand the beautiful world God created for us.”

More information about the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in Dublin can be seen at www.stpatricksfestival.ie.

March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

BRIEFS:

15

(standing, from left) Ariana Tshehaie, fourth grade; Phillip Tolbert, sixth grade; and Austin Rios, third grade.

— Patricia Burr

FROM PAGE 14

in the recent 2015 Annual Scholastic Art Competition. Seventeen Scholastic Art Awards were bestowed upon Charlotte Catholic students, including eight gold, three silver, and six honorable mentions: – Gold Art: Tyler Martino, Lucas Oakley, Katharine Cunnane and Virginia Vasquez-Rios – Gold Photography: Kasey Campbell, Keegan O’Boyle, Madi Susi and Tyler Martino – Silver Art: Jack Miller – Silver Photography: Jack Dudley and Hayley Durant – Honorable Mention Art: Lucas Oakley and Katheryn Smith – Honorable Mention Photography: Lexi Conely, Sarah Cripe, Tyler Martino and Keegan O’Boyle These students are in the art and photography classes of Bill McKinney, Fran Brown and Joann Keane. The gold award winners were honored Feb. 8 at Spirit Square, and their work was put on display last month at the Gold Key Exhibit at the Knight Gallery in Spirit Square.

Charlotte Catholic is included in the Mid-Carolina Art Region; parochial, private and public schools in Mecklenburg and 17 surrounding counties.

Celebrating 100th day of school GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace students celebrated 100 days of school Feb. 6 with games, a costume contest and lots of crafts. Pictured are students from OLG’s third grade and pre-kindergarten classes with hats that they made as part of the celebration.

— Karen L. Hornfeck

— Joann Keane and Sally McArdle

Tolbert wins St. Michael spelling bee

Photo provided by Lara Davenport

Celebrating the Lunar New Year WINSTON-SALEM — Our Lady of Mercy School’s pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students recently studied China and the Lunar New Year, learning about the country and its traditions. Students learned the Chinese zodiac and the various character traits attributed to each zodiac animal, how to count to 10 in Chinese, as well as how to say “hello,” “good-bye” and “thank you.” Each student also received a pair of chopsticks and practiced eating with them and received gold coins as part of the traditional “Red Envelope” ceremony. To wrap up their study of China, they made their own dragons and lanterns and led a dragon parade through the school to ring in the new year.

2015 Fatima Pilgrimage Fatima, Portugal & Avila, Spain July 15-28, 2015 Join Fr. John Putnam and Fr. Christopher Roux for a special year of celebrations. The 98th Anniversary of Our Lady’s Appearance at Fatima & The 500th Anniversary of Saint Teresa of Avila an Apostle of Our Lady.

Total cost from Newark - $2,900.00 (Price includes air-fare, meals, accommodations and side trips. Additional taxes may apply)

For More information, contact:

The Te Deum Foundation, Inc. 336-765-1815 or Carol Stefanec (evenings) 804-346-3049

Our pilgrimages support seminarians and foster vocations.

For more information, visit www.tedeumfoundation.org

GASTONIA — Seventhgrader Cecelia Tolbert, will represent St. Michael School at the Gaston County Spelling Bee March 25. She won the school’s spelling bee held March 2. Pictured are the students who represented their classroom in the school bee: (seated, Tolbert from left) Karlie Nielson (runner-up), eighth grade; Tolbert (winner); and Naomi Wolf, fifth grade;

HENDERSONVILLE — Second-graders at Immaculata School recently celebrated the 100th day of school with fun arts and crafts, as well as other activities to learn about the number 100.

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

Coordinator of Youth Ministry

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church - Winston-Salem, NC. Position: Fostering the personal and spiritual growth of each young person and encouraging them to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.

Qualifications & Skills: • Bachelor's degree in related field is preferred.

• Proficient in both English and Spanish languages.

• Proven ability to work effectively with youth, diverse individuals, and teams of volunteers.

• Proficient in computer software including Mircrosoft Office products, Graphic/Desktop Publishing software, and Social Media.

• Member of good standing in the Catholic Church.

Part-time position (20 hrs/wk.) pay commensurate with experience Send resume to: PLR782@AOL.com no later than March 28, 2015 for consideration.

Mix 16

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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(to Tina Desai). He also impulsively decides that a selfidentified novelist (Richard Gere) is really the undercover inspector a potential investor. A vast pool of veteran talent and the appeal of Patel’s grandiloquent patter serve as reliable resources for John Madden’s follow-up to his 2012 ensemble piece. Though its dialogue is, for the most part, suitable for teatime, seems to stack the emotional deck against a long-lived, though turbulent, marriage.

Acceptability of divorce, benignly viewed premarital situations, a few crass terms.

CNS: III (adults); MPAA: PG

In Brief

‘Focus’

‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ Comedy sequel in which the elderly residents of an eccentric Indian hostelry confront a variety of romantic difficulties: Judi Dench and Bill Nighy are too reticent to follow through on their feelings for each other; recovering lothario Ronald Pickup is having difficulty adjusting to his newly exclusive relationship with girlfriend Diana Hardcastle; and marriage-minded Celia Imrie can’t decide which of two ardent and eminently eligible suitors to accept. As for the good-hearted young man (Dev Patel) who shares the management of the place with a sharp-tongued former guest, his preoccupation with expanding their business interferes with the preparations for his wedding

Crime drama in which a small-time swindler (Margot Robbie) becomes the protégé and lover of a more accomplished con artist (Will Smith). But romance and robbery make for a volatile mix, leading to a variety of personal and professional conflicts, one involving a sleazy car racing big shot (Rodrigo Santoro) with whom the pair become entangled. More than most heist movies, this slick little jaunt through the underworld penned and directed

by Glenn Ficarra glamorizes wrongdoing and implicitly portrays most of its protagonists’ victims as suckers who deserve what they get. Distorted values requiring mature discernment, adulterous situations, and pervasive rough and crude language.

CNS: L (limited adult audience); MPAA: R

Additional reviews: ' ‘The DUFF’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13 ' ’The Lazarus Effect’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13 ' ‘McFarland, USA’: CNS: A-I (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG ' ‘Unfinished Business’: CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R ' ‘Chappie’: CNS: L (limited adult audience); MPAA: R

On TV n Sunday, March 15, 9:30 a.m. (EWTN) “Lenten Reflections: Fourth Week of Lent: The Sacrifice of Love on the Cross.” As the first month of the Lent draws to a close, Fr. Dominic encourages us to seek the Eucharist for strength. n Sunday, March 15, 12:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Haydn’s the Seven Last Words of Christ.” Accompanied with a narration, along with depictions of stained glass windows and religious art, the Ottawa Chamber Music Society performs Haydn’s piece about the final seven things Christ said as he was crucified. n Tuesday, March 17, noon (EWTN) “Patrick’s Peak: An Irish Pilgrimage.”

Bob Dolan follows St Patrick’s footsteps in the “Tochar Padraig” walk, a pilgrimage on Ireland’s west coast from the 800-year old Ballintubber Abbey to Croagh Patrick (St Patrick’s Mountain) 22 miles away, where St Patrick spent 40 days in fast. n Tuesday, March 17, 4 p.m. (EWTN) “Lives of the Saints: St. Patrick of Ireland.” Special feature on St. Patrick, one of Ireland’s most famous and beloved saints. n Thursday, March 19, 12:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Carpenter’s Shop: Devotion to St. Joseph.” Host Steve Wood welcomes Fr. Francis Peffley to the Carpenter Shop for an engaging look at St. Joseph as the role model of true Catholic masculinity. n Saturday, March 21, 7 p.m. (EWTN) “St. Peter.” The story of the life of Saint Peter, the man chosen by Jesus Christ to lead His Church as the first Pope. Featuring acclaimed actor Omar Sharif. n Sunday, March 22, 9 p.m. (EWTN) “Healing Power: An Inspirational Story about Father Patrick Power.” Learn about Father Patrick Power and how pilgrims flock to his grave seeking miraculous healings n Sunday, March 22, 12:30-2:30 p.m. (EWTN) “In Concert: St. John’s Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach.” In this performance from Cambridge, England, the Choir of King’s College and the Brandenburg Consort perform Bach’s great musical setting of the account of Christ’s capture and crucifixion according to St. John.

Lowest Prices and Unmatched Value - Guaranteed!

5th Annual

Charlotte Catholic Men’s Conference Saturday, April 25 from 8 am – 3:30pm Saint Matthew Catholic Church 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway Charlotte, NC 28277

Guest Speakers

Michael Manhardt one strong F.a.M.i.l.y Founder

Darrel Miller Former Mlb player

tom peterson catholics come home Founder

Autumn Leaves Tour Hosted by Father Dan Gerres

14 days from $1649* Departs September 20, 2015. Start in Philadelphia and enjoy a sightseeing tour.

Then your scenic journey begins offering spectacular and colorful vistas through Amish Country to Gettysburg. Travel north with a stop at the Corning Museum of Glass into Ontario and awe-inspiring Niagara Falls for two nights! Return to upstate New York where you will board a cruise through the 1000 Islands; drive through the six-million-acre civilized wilderness of the Adirondack region, stop in Lake Placid and then into the forest area of New England: The White Mountains, including Franconia Notch State Park and New Hampshire. Stop at Flume Gorge then continue east to York county, Maine. Next drive along the New England coast to Boston, with a city tour; visit Plymouth and Cape Cod for two nights. Proceed to Newport, Rhode Island, including a tour of one of the famous mansions en route to Bridgeport, Connecticut. Lastly tour New York City seeing all the major sights of the “Big Apple.” Mass will be celebrated some days on tour. Your Chaplain is Father Dan Gerres from Wilmington, DE, where he served as a parish priest for 48 years. He is currently active in the church community. This will be his 9th trip with YMT. PPDO. Plus $159 tax/service/government fees. Alternate September - October departure dates available.

Seasonal charges may apply. Add-on airfare available.

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Call for Details!

877-530-6913 Please mention promo code EC0951

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March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

PADRE: FROM PAGE 13

hasta quince, pero ya no por año, sino por semana. Esto nos da idea de que tan fértil ha sido el paso de este santo hombre por esos lugares. Más tarde, con su paciencia y dedicación inagotables, y junto a las Hermanas Andrea y Linda, dos admirables misioneras, inició el proyecto de una iglesia para unir a las dos Misiones, Cristo Rey en Yadkinville, y el Sagrado Corazón de Jesús en Dobson, que más tarde vino a ser la Parroquia del Divino Redentor.

Los que asistimos a su vigilia de cuerpo presente en la iglesia del Divino Redentor escuchamos a una persona decir que un día de frío el padre se quitó su chamarra y se la dio. Otros lo describieron como un

ST. CYRIL: FROM PAGE 2

of Caesarea, was an ally of the Arians – who claimed that Jesus was a creature and not God. Because of his connection to the archbishop, Cyril himself was unjustly suspected of heresy by many of his brother bishops.

But he also found himself at odds with Archbishop Acacius, who claimed to have jurisdiction over the birthplace of the Church. Altogether, these disputes led to Cyril being exiled from Jerusalem three times in the course of 20 years. Cyril first took refuge with Silvanus, bishop of Taraus. He appeared at the Council of Seleucia in 359, in which the semiArian party was triumphant. Acacius was deposed and St. Cyril seems to have returned to his see. But the emperor was

misionero incansable, que habló y enseñó con su vida más que con sus palabras.

Paciente, de noble y de gran corazón, hospitalario, amigable, atento, humilde, sencillo, prudente y silencioso, callado y haciendo honor a su santo patrono, San José. San José, quien junto a la Virgen, calladamente cuidó de Jesús para luego entregarlo al mundo. Así el Padre José silenciosamente nos entregó a Jesús con una vida de servicio, muy discreto y de bajo perfil, siguiendo las palabras del Divino Maestro que dice “Que tu mano izquierda ignore lo que hace la derecha, para que tu limosna quede en secreto; y tu Padre, que ve lo secreto, te recompensará,” (Mateo 6: 1-4).

Con gusto escribo estas palabras para recordar y dar a conocer una parte de la vida del Padre José, un gran estadounidense de corazón universal, donde hubo siempre lugar y tiempo para

displeased at the turn of events, and, in 360, Cyril and other moderates were again driven out, and only returned at the accession of Julian in 361. In 367, a decree of Valens banished all the bishops who had been restored by Julian, and Cyril remained in exile until the death of the persecutor in 378. In 380, St. Gregory of Nyssa came to Jerusalem on the recommendation of a council held at Antioch in the preceding year. He found the faith in accord with the truth and expressed admiration of Cyril’s pastoral efforts, but the city was a prey to parties and corrupt in morals.

In 381, St. Cyril participated in the Second Ecumenical Council, which condemned two different forms of Arianism and added statements about the Holy Spirit to the Nicene Creed of 325. St. Cyril of Jerusalem died in 387, and was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1883.

— Catholic News Agency

todos. Así quiero agradecer a Dios por este noble apóstol y caballero de la fe. Sin embargo, confieso, que no me fue fácil hablar acerca de él, pues hay tantas y tantas anécdotas de su vida. Les comparto ahora los primeros pensamientos que a mi mente vinieron unos días después de su partida, con la esperanza que se entiendan mejor a la luz de todo lo anteriormente dicho. Bendiciones.

EL PADRE FIDEL MELO es el Vicario del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

Let’s keep talking.

CCDOC.ORG

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Our nation 18

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Archbishop: Respect for human dignity anchor of civil rights movement Catholic News Service

SELMA, Ala. — The message of the civil rights movement has always been that all people are created in the image and likeness of God and that the dignity of all must be respected, said Mobile Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi.

He was the main celebrant and homilist at a Mass March 8 at Queen of Peace Church in Selma marking the 50th anniversary of the 1965 civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery.

Respect for the dignity of all remains the challenge for today, Archbishop Rodi said, adding that he wondered what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who led the second march and was “first and foremost a religious leader,” would think about things today.

“Do we respect the dignity of the elderly, the immigrant, the baby in womb? That continues to be the struggle for each of us,” Archbishop Rodi said in a homily that described the Catholic Church’s persistent presence in addressing both the spiritual and temporal needs of God’s people.

He said that the media often leave out “Rev.” in describing the civil rights giant, and in doing so they are omitting the spiritual and primary vehicle that carried his nonviolent quest forward -one anchored in the dignity of the human person.

Concelebrants included three of the nation’s African-American Catholic bishops – Louisiana Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Washington Auxiliary Bishop Martin D. Holley

and retired Bishop John H. Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla. Others who concelebrated were Edmundite Father Stephen Hornat, superior general of the Society of St. Edmund; Edmundite Father Richard Myhalyk, pastor of Queen of Peace; Father James Curran from the Diocese of Richmond, Va.; and Father Thomas Weise, retired pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Phenix City, Ala., and a longtime civil rights advocate.

On March 7, 1965, a young Alabaman named John Lewis, now a veteran congressman representing Georgia’s 5th District, and other local civil rights activists led about 600 marchers in a peaceful procession from Selma across the Edmund Pettus Bridge toward Montgomery. They were protesting infringement of voting rights against African-Americans in Selma and the brutal murder of a demonstrator by a state trooper a month earlier.

Through newspaper accounts and television coverage, the world saw blacks and whites, men and women, clergy of all faiths, Catholic priests and nuns, walking arm-in-arm across the bridge in Selma and then scattering as police released tear gas and beat some of them over the heads with truncheons. That day came to be known as “Bloody Sunday.”

Rev. King galvanized marchers for a second march – March 9, 1965 – but he turned it around at the bridge, at the urging of members of Congress who wanted federal protection for the

CNS | Tami Chappell, Reuters

Dorothy Tillman Wright, center, one of the original “foot soldiers” who marched on Bloody Sunday in 1965, shouts March 8 during a prayer on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. Wright was among thousands who participated in a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, the state capital of Alabama. demonstrators but had not yet secured it.

A third march took place March 21, 1965, with federal protection for participants. On Aug. 6, 1965, the federal Voting Rights Act was passed and it was signed into law by

President Lyndon Johnson.

This year on March 7 in Selma, President ARCHBISHOP, see page 19

March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

are being used for humanitarian relief, including projects that feed and aid homeless children and refugees living on the streets of Kiev, it said.

4 national Catholic publications call for ending the death penalty

In Brief Court orders review of Notre Dame’s case on contraceptive mandate WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court March 9 ordered the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its previous ruling and review – in light of the June Hobby Lobby decision – whether the University of Notre Dame must pay for coverage of contraceptives in employee and student health insurance plans. The Supreme Court last June 30 said Hobby Lobby, a chain of arts and crafts stores, and Conestoga Wood Specialties, which also sued, need not comply with a federal mandate to include a full range of contraceptives in employee health insurance. The Affordable Care Act includes provisions requiring employee health insurance to cover contraceptives.

While there are exemptions for certain types of religious institutions, the circumstances are limited as to which employers may claim a religious exemption.

KofC sends aid to Ukraine NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Knights of Columbus is providing $400,000 to relief programs sponsored by the Catholic Church in Ukraine. The violent conflict in Ukraine has created “an enormous humanitarian disaster in the freezing winter months,” the fraternal organization said in announcing the aid. Gifts by the Knights of $200,000 each to the Easternand Latin-rite Catholic communities of Ukraine

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Four nationally circulated Catholic publications called for abolishing the death penalty in the United States in a jointly published editorial. America, National Catholic Register, National Catholic Reporter and Our Sunday Visitor urged their readers, the U.S. Catholic community and people of faith to “stand with us and say, ‘Capital punishment must end,’” the March 5 editorial stated.

Cardinal Egan, retired N.Y. archbishop, dies at age 82

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NEW YORK —Cardinal Edward M. Egan, who retired as archbishop of New York in 2009, died March 5, aged 82. A funeral Mass was celebrated March 10 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Fr. Hesburgh, higher education leader, diplomat, dies at age 97 NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Holy Cross Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, who led the University of Notre Dame through a period of dramatic growth during his 35 years as president and held sway with political and civil rights leaders, died Feb. 26 aged 97. He was the longest serving president of Notre Dame, from 1952 to 1987. A funeral Mass was celebrated March 4 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus, following two days of campus-wide tributes, processions and memorial services.

— Catholic News Service

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FROM PAGE 18

Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and the couple’s two daughters were joined

by U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., an Alabama native who walked with Rev. King in 1965, in leading an estimated 40,000 people who came from all over the country to take part in a commemorative march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

More than 100 members of Congress were in attendance, as was former President George W. Bush, who signed the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act in 2006.

“The march on Selma was part of a broader campaign that spanned generations, the leaders that day part of a long line of heroes,” Obama said in his remarks.

“We gather here to celebrate them.

We gather here to honor the courage of ordinary Americans willing to endure billy clubs and the chastening rod; tear gas and the trampling hoof; men and women who despite the gush of blood and splintered bone would stay true to their North Star and keep marching toward justice,” he said.

“The Americans who crossed this bridge, they were not physically imposing.

But they gave courage to millions,” said Obama. “They held no elected office.

But they led a nation. They marched as Americans who had endured hundreds of years of brutal violence, countless daily indignities – but they didn’t seek special treatment, just the equal treatment promised to them almost a century before.”

Selma is not “some outlier in the American experience,” or a museum, or “a static monument to behold from

a distance,” he said. “It is instead the manifestation of a creed written into our founding documents” that “all men are created equal.”

He said the racial unrest and rioting in Ferguson, Mo., that followed the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white police officer last August “may not be unique, but it’s no longer endemic (and) no longer sanctioned by law or custom,” as it was before the civil rights movement, he said.

At the same time, however, Ferguson is not “an isolated incident” and racism in the U.S. has not been “banished,” Obama said, adding that no one needs the Justice Department’s newly released report on racism in the Ferguson Police Department to know that racism has not been defeated.

“We just need to open our eyes and our ears and our hearts to know that this nation’s racial history still casts its long shadow upon us. We know the march is not yet over; we know the race is not yet won,” said Obama.

In Selma in 1965, Rev. King told John Wright Jr., a correspondent for the National Catholic News Service, as it was called then, that the presence of Catholic priests and nuns at the march “has given a new, creative and encouraging dimension to our whole struggle. It has identified the church with the struggle in a way that has not existed before.”

In one of his several reports filed back to the news service in Washington, Wright said Rev. King was deeply moved by the role priests and nuns played in the Selma march. “(Rev. King) believes that the presence of the priests and nuns in Selma had a direct effect on the swiftness of President Johnson’s actions in recommending extensive voting laws to Congress,” Wright wrote.

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Our world 20

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Encouraging someone to go to confession is act of mercy, official says Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — After going to confession, Catholics should perform a “corporal work of mercy” by inviting someone else to receive the sacrament, said a top Vatican official who deals with matters relating to conscience.

Msgr. Krzysztof Nykiel, regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, said penitents can be “missionaries of divine mercy” by encouraging others to “experience the greatness of the love of God in the sacrament of reconciliation. This truly would be a spiritual and corporal work of mercy.”

The monsignor spoke to L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, March 6 as the Apostolic Penitentiary was about to begin its annual weeklong course on confession for new priests and seminarians.

He said more than 500 students had signed up.

The course was set to end March 13 with participation in Pope Francis’ Lenten penance service in St. Peter’s Basilica. The students will have the opportunity to go to confession during the service, “experiencing for themselves the beneficial and healthy effects of the penitential celebration, becoming penitents themselves who humbly ask the Lord for forgiveness and reconciliation.”

Pope Francis’ liturgy will begin the “24 Hours for the Lord” celebration in Rome with several churches in the city’s historic center open all night for prayer and confession. Many dioceses around the world hold such celebrations during Lent.

The Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court that deals with matters of consciences, also coordinates the work of the priests serving as confessors in St. Peter’s Basilica and the major basilicas of Rome.

Monsignor Nykiel said his office has assigned 60 priests to help hear confessions during the 24-hour celebration. In addition, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, the head of the office, and all the priests on staff will be available to penitents.

“It will be a strong moment of grace and a favorable occasion for reflecting on our call to conversion, to change our lives and put the love of God at the center of our hearts,” he said.

The course for new priests and seminarians, Monsignor Nykiel said, aims to ensure that as confessors they “promote the conditions necessary for penitents to encounter the loving gaze of Jesus,” who calls them to conversion and a new life.

Confession should be the place where Catholics “discover and experience the greatness of God’s love, which shakes the weight of sin off our hearts,” he said.

A priest hears confession from Pope Francis during a penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican March 28, 2014.

CNS | L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters

During Lent, pope offers handy tips for preparing for confession Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — As Catholics are encouraged to make going to confession a significant part of their lives during Lent, Pope Francis offered some quick tips to help people prepare for the sacrament of penance.

After a brief explanation of why people should go to confession – “because we are all sinners” – the pope listed 30 key questions to reflect on as part of making an examination of conscience and being able to “confess well.”

The guide is part of a 28-page booklet in Italian released by the Vatican publishing house. Pope Francis had 50,000 free copies distributed to people attending his Angelus address Feb. 22, the first Sunday of Lent.

Titled “Safeguard your heart,” the booklet is meant to help the faithful become “courageous” and prepared to battle against evil and choose the good.

The booklet contains quick introductions to Catholic basics: it has the text of the Creed, a list of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. It explains the seven sacraments and includes Pope Francis’ explanation of “lectio divina,” a prayerful way of reading Scripture in order to better hear “what the Lord wants to tell us in His Word and to let us be transformed by His Spirit.”

The booklet’s title is based on a line from one of the pope’s morning Mass homilies in which he said Christians need to guard and protect their hearts, “just as you protect your home – with a lock.”

“How often do bad thoughts, bad intentions, jealousy, envy enter?” he asked. “Who opened the door? How did those things get in?”

The Oct. 10, 2014, homily, which is excerpted in the booklet, said the best way to guard one’s heart is with the daily practice of an “examination of Pope Francis conscience,” in which one quietly reviews what bad things one has done and what good things one has failed to do for God, one’s neighbor and oneself.

The questions include: – Do I only turn to God when I’m in need?

– Do I take attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation?

‘Whoever says he is without sin is a liar or is blind.’

– Do I begin and end the day with prayer?

– Am I embarrassed to show that I am a Christian?

– Do I rebel against God’s plan?

– Am I envious, hot-tempered, Lenten penance biased? services are being – Am I honest and fair with held throughout the everyone or do I fuel the “throwaway Diocese of Charlotte. culture?”

For a list of upcoming – In my marital and family services, see the relations, do I uphold morality as diocesan calendar of taught in the Gospels? events on page 4.

– Do I honor and respect my parents?

At www.

– Have I refused newly conceived charlottediocese. life? Have I snuffed out the gift of org/directories/ life? Have I helped do so? parishes: Look up – Do I respect the environment? any parish in the – Am I part worldly and part diocese by city believer? to find out when – Do I overdo it with eating, the sacrament drinking, smoking and amusements? of penance is – Am I overly concerned about my regularly offered physical well-being, my possessions? in your area.

– How do I use my time? Am I lazy?

– Do I want to be served?

– Do I dream of revenge, hold grudges?

– Am I meek, humble and a builder of peace?

Catholics should go to confession, the pope said, because everyone needs forgiveness for their sins, for the ways “we think and act contrary to the Gospel.”

“Whoever says he is without sin is a liar or is blind,” he wrote.

Confession is meant to be a sincere moment of conversion, an occasion to demonstrate trust in God’s willingness to forgive His children and to help them back on the path of following Jesus, Pope Francis wrote.

It is in conversion, he said, that we play out the daily choice “between good and evil, between worldliness and the Gospel, between indifference and sharing.” “Humanity needs justice, peace and love and we can have this only by returning with our hearts towards God who is the source of all this.”

Penance services

March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

‘God rich in mercy’

O Holy St. Jude!

In Masses and meetings March 7-8, Pope Francis repeatedly returned to the theme of the Church as an agent of God’s mercy and to the benefits of going to confession during Lent:

Let Jesus cleanse you of your sins, pope urges

Pope asks theologians, canon lawyers to focus on mercy

VATICAN CITY — Christian faith and a moral life are responses to God’s mercy and not the result of “titanic” human effort, Pope Francis said.

Marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Communion and Liberation lay movement, Pope Francis met March 7 with more than 80,000 members who filled St. Peter’s Square and the boulevard leading to it.

Belonging to a Catholic movement or any other Church group is supposed to help Catholics live a Christian life and reach out to others, he said. If instead it becomes a “brandname spirituality” and an identity that excludes others, it is just another organization.

“Focused on Christ and the Gospel, you can be the arms, hands, feet, mind and heart of a Church that goes out,” he said. “The path of the Church is to go out in search of those far off in the peripheries, to serve Jesus in every person who is marginalized, abandoned, without faith, disillusioned with the Church or a prisoner of their own selfishness.”

The only way to share the faith with others is to have first experienced the grace of God’s mercy, he told the crowd. “Only one who has been caressed by the tenderness of mercy truly knows the Lord.”

When one has sinned and experienced God’s forgiveness, he said, he or she is filled with the desire to change and to live differently. “The Christian moral life is not a titanic self-willed effort by a person who decides to be consistent and is able to do so after some kind of solidarity challenge.”

Instead, Pope Francis said, living a moral life is the ongoing response to “a surprising, unpredictable mercy – a mercy that is, in fact, ‘unjust’ according to human terms – from the God who knows me, knows my betrayals and yet loves me anyway, prizes me, embraces me, calls me again, hopes in me and waits for me.”

The mission of the Church is to be a sacrament of that mercy in the world, he said.

The path of the Church is “to demonstrate the great mercy of God.” In his Angelus address at the Vatican March 8 and during his homily at a Mass that evening at Rome’s Church of St. Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, he returned to the theme of mercy.

At both events, he used the Gospel story of Jesus driving the moneychangers out of the temple as a call to Catholics to allow Jesus to cleanse their hearts, especially during Lent and particularly through the sacrament of penance.

People should ask themselves: “Would I allow Jesus to do a bit of cleansing in my heart?” he said at the Angelus. The Gospel story demonstrating Jesus’ anger could make people afraid, he said, “but Jesus will never beat you; Jesus cleanses with tenderness. Mercy is His way of cleansing.”

“Jesus knows everything that is in our hearts.

We cannot fool Jesus,” he continued. “We cannot stand before Him and pretend to be saints.”

Honesty is the best policy, he said. Stand before Jesus and tell Him that while you do some good things, you are also a sinner. “If you tell Him, ‘I’m a sinner,’ it won’t frighten Him.” Just like the temple that Jesus entered in the Gospel story, “inside of us there is dirt, there are the sins of selfishness, arrogance, pride, lust, envy, jealousy,” he said. “Open your hearts to Jesus’ mercy. Say to Him, ‘Jesus, look at all this dirt. Come, cleanse it. Cleanse it with Your mercy, with Your sweet word; cleanse me with Your caress.”

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis asked academics in every discipline of theology – including moral theology, spirituality and canon law – to focus on how their area of study “can reflect the centrality of mercy” in the Gospel.

“Without mercy our theology, our law, our pastoral work runs the risk of crumbling into bureaucratic pettiness or into an ideology that, by its nature, tries to domesticate mystery,” he said in a March 9 letter. “To understand theology is to understand God, who is love.”

Pope Francis made his request in a letter to his successor, Cardinal Mario Poli of Buenos Aires, grand chancellor of the Catholic University of Argentina. The university’s theology school is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The university’s theology students, the pope said, should not be trained as “museum theologians who accumulate data and information about revelation without really knowing what do to with it,” nor should they be cold observers of human and Church history.

“Good theologians, like good pastors, should have the smell of the people and the street,” he said, and the work in the various fields of theology should give them the balm needed to heal the wounds of the people with whom they will come into contact.

They should not be “bureaucrats of the sacred,” he said, but men and women who know, love and understand the Church and its teaching, but also know, love and understand the modern world and are capable of helping people make sense of both.

— Catholic News Service

21

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

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

St. Jude pray for us who invoke your aid.

(Say 3 Our Fathers, 3 Hail Mary’s, 3 Glory Be) Publication must be promised.

CCDOC.ORG

— Catholic News Service

Pope Francis to open worldwide day of Adoration, confession VATICAN CITY — On March 13-14, the Vatican hopes churches worldwide will participate in an initiative to stay open for 24 hours to underline the need for prayer, contemplation of the Eucharist and a chance to go to confession.

Pope Francis will open the Lenten initiative, called “24 Hours for the Lord” by presiding at a penitential celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica on March 13. The theme for the second-annual event is “God rich in mercy,” taken from Ephesians 2:4.

Following the conclusion of this service, a number of churches throughout Rome will remain open for 24 hours, with confessors available as well as Eucharistic Adoration.

The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, which is organizing the initiative, has invited dioceses, parishes and communities around the world to adapt it to their local situations and needs. It has produced a poster to help with the event, as well as a pastoral booklet in Italian, English, Spanish, French and Polish.

The resource “will enable all people, be they near or distant from the Church, to reflect upon and celebrate the great gift of God’s mercy and forgiveness,” the pontifical council says. To download the poster and acquire this pastoral aid, go to www.novaEvangelizatio.va.

The council started the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative last year, during which Pope Francis presided at a penance service and received the sacrament himself in St. Peter’s Basilica.

— Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register

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ViewPoints 22

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Allison Schumacher

St. Joseph: A saint to know

“

I do not remember even now that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant…I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to this glorious saint, for I have long experience of the great blessings which he can obtain from God. I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him and who rendered him particular services who did not totally advance in virtue, for he gives very real help to souls who commend themselves to him.”

This recommendation of St. Teresa of Avila is a compelling enticement to find out more about the great saint to whom she is referring. Apparently, he has powerful intercession before God’s throne and promptly attends to the petitions of his devotees.

He is St. Joseph, fosterfather of Jesus and patron of the Universal Church.

With little visibility in the Gospel narratives, St. Joseph hides in the shadows of scripture and seemingly plays a small role in salvation history However, nothing could be further from the truth.

One only has to think practically to appreciate the lofty role of St. Joseph in the life of Jesus and Mary. God entrusted His Son and the Blessed Mother to the care of this just man from Nazareth. No one ever had a greater treasure to protect.

St. Joseph faithfully took care of these treasures, both in the joyful moments, as well as in the crushing trials. Though deeply peaceful and perfect in their relationships with each other, the Holy Family did not experience the luxury of an untroubled life. After Christ’s birth, they were forced to flee into Egypt, a foreign country with a foreign religion and culture, seeking refuge from those who wished to kill the newborn King. When the 12-year-old Jesus stayed behind in the Temple, Joseph shared in Mary’s grief and anxiously searched until he found Jesus.

As a carpenter, St. Joseph provided for the material needs of Jesus and Mary.

He worked humbly and with dedication, sanctifying his daily work by performing it for love of God As a just man living with Jesus and Mary, St. Joseph possessed a profound understanding of prayer and the interior life.

St. Joseph faithfully carried out his earthly vocation, but even now his mission continues. Pope Leo XIII said that, as patron of the Universal Church, St. Joseph “shines among all mankind.” With the Blessed Virgin Mary, he protects the treasures of souls and comes to the aid of

those in need.

St. Joseph understands the trials and hardships that many families undergo. He knows what it is like to seek employment, as he had to find work in Egypt to provide for his family. He knows the agony of fleeing from enemies and worrying for the safety of his family. He understands the daily monotony of sweating to make a living. St. Joseph is a real saint for real people.

Fathers and husbands look to him as an example; mothers and wives pray to him for their men and boys. Single women ask him to find them a good spouse.

Consecrated religious seek his help in their fidelity to their vocations. Fatherless children find in him a father; widows find in him strength and support.

For years I have cherished a prayer to St. Joseph that brings me great consolation and is worth sharing. I do not know who wrote it, nor where it came from, but it is a gem. Here are a few excerpts: “I consecrate myself to thee, good St. Joseph, as my spiritual father; I choose thee to rule my soul and to teach me the Interior Life, the life hidden away with Jesus, Mary, and yourself. Above all, I want to imitate the humble silence with which you shrouded Jesus, Mary and yourself, and even your own happiness. …

“I consecrate myself to thee as my guide and model in all my duties so that I may learn meekness and humility: with meekness toward my brethren, my neighbor, and all with whom I come in contact; with humility towards myself and simplicity before God. I choose thee, good Saint, as my counselor, my confidant, my protector in all my difficulties and trials. I do not ask to be spared crosses and sufferings, but only from self-love which might vitiate their value by making me vain over them. For myself I shall honor and love and serve thee with Mary, my mother; never shall I separate her name from yours in my love…”

The month of March, dedicated to St. Joseph, is the perfect time to draw nearer to the heart of this saint.

In closing, I borrow the words of St. Teresa of Avila, “I only beg, for the love of God, that anyone who does not believe me will put what I say to the test, and he will see by experience what great advantages come from his commending himself to this glorious patriarch and having particular devotion to him.”

‘The month of March, dedicated to St. Joseph, is the perfect time to draw nearer to the heart of this saint.’

Protecting God’s Children We proclaim Christ to the world around us by our efforts to provide a safe environment for all people, especially the young and the vulnerable.

In 2002, the bishops of the United States issued the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The charter addresses the Church’s commitment to respond effectively, appropriately and compassionately to cases of abuse of minors by priests, deacons or other church personnel.

DIOCESAN REQUIREMENTS FOR REPORTING MINISTRY-RELATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR 1. Any individual having actual knowledge of or reasonable cause to suspect an incident of ministry-related sexual abuse is to immediately report the incident to the Chancery.

2. The Chancery will then report the incident to the proper civil authorities. The individual reporting the incident to the Chancery will be notified of the particulars regarding the Chancery’s filing of the incident with civil authorities.

3. This reporting requirement is not intended to supersede the right of an individual to make a report to civil authorities, but is to ensure proper, complete and timely reporting.

Should an individual choose to make a report to civil authorities, a report is still to be made to the Chancery.

The charter can be found on the diocesan website, Charlottediocese.org, click on the tab, “Safe Environment.”

Allison Schumacher is a freelance writer who works with MiraVia in Belmont.

March 13, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Letters to the editor

Deacon James H. Toner

What we know that ain’t so:

Oppressive Church What we think is the right road

Among the greatest champions of human liberty are Darwin, Freud, Marx and Nietzsche, all of whom would have agreed with Voltaire’s expression of contempt for the Catholic Church: “Crush the infamous!” All we have is the natural world, and the supernatural world is only a cruel hoax perpetrated by an oppressive Church which expresses intolerance instead of reason, superstition instead of science, and antiquated tradition instead of modern progress.

But it’s the wrong road At the dawn of the 20th century, Pope St. Pius X warned that Modernism is “the synthesis of all heresies.” This ideology, still very much prevalent today, exalts the natural or material and denies the supernatural. There are many iterations of Modernism but, in all its forms, it prizes the ideas of infinite progress and of personal autonomy: we personally decide good from bad, virtue from vice, and right from wrong based on what seems advantageous to us.

In fact, Scripture begins with an admonition: Adam and Eve accept Satan’s lie that they can be like God and know good and bad on their own (Gen 3:5). Later, pride, evil and corruption inspire the building of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11) – the exact opposite Archbishop of the New Fulton J. Sheen Jerusalem, the Church.

Our moral lives are jeopardized by the threat of our surrender to pride, or hubris, “Architects of the which tells us Culture of Death,” that we are gods,

by Donald De Marco not God’s; that and Benjamin Wiker. we determine, San Francisco: Ignatius rather than Press, 2004. discover, what is right and what is wrong, which depend upon our will rather than divine will; that all that matters is the secular (the here-and-now) because there is nothing eternal and nothing eternally significant.

Modernism calls out to God and finds Him in the bathroom mirror. This narcissism invades our souls and captures our minds, and we sell our souls to gain the oftensuicidal pleasure of drink, drugs, sex, power, prestige or money (note what Paul says about this “excess” in Eph 4:17-19). We justify this by lying to ourselves and others and foolishly

‘The worst thing in the world is not sin; it is the denial of sin by a false conscience.’

Suggested reading

insisting that there is no God – except us.

If there are permanent truths, as Christ’s Church emphatically teaches (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1954), then we are free and fulfilled to the extent that we live in the light of this natural moral law.

But, so often, our god is ourselves and our worldly desires. To deny moral truth; to insist that everything is relative; to reject the call to holiness of the God who loves us – there we find the depravity of those who whisper, “Evil, be thou my good!” and who, in moral darkness, worship false idols. The end of such self-deification – the twisted conviction that we are God – is moral derangement, desperation, death.

That is why we read in the Letter of John that “anyone who is so ‘progressive’ as not to remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God” (2 John 9 NAB).

But the idols will not desist. They tell us to re-build the Tower of Babel and that God is made in our image and likeness. They tell us that a permissive society, not Jesus Christ, is our savior; that our urges and appetites take priority over God’s call to holiness; that power, pleasure and prestige must be our primary aim; and that, as we sometimes hear, “whoever has the most toys at the end, wins.”

But it ain’t so.

When the world applauds “progress” in morals, the Church teaches what it calls the unchanging moral law; when the world praises material prosperity and self-indulgence, the Church counsels temperance and the other cardinal virtues.

When the world liberates people to do whatever they wish to do, the Church teaches authority and obedience.

The false idols of Modernism do not tell us, as Scripture does, that “cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practice magic, those who worship idols, and all liars – the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev 21:8 GNB; also see Romans 1:18-32).

The Modernists offer us the meretricious glamor of evil and the fraudulent vision of “freedom” based on self-exaltation. The Church, by contrast, offers us the yoke of Christ, which is, however, light (Mt 11:30) because it is wisdom itself. When we place supreme trust only in our appetites or only in political leaders or only or messianic ideologies, we grant them the power which destroys true freedom. When we wisely trust in God and in His Church, however, we have genuine freedom, which exists only “in the service of what is good and just” (CCC 1733).

St. Peter tells us to live “as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil.” We live in freedom “as servants of God” (1 Pt 2:16). We live in freedom as servants of the Church, the Body of Christ (Eph 1:23) and “the sacrament of salvation” (CCC 780). We live in freedom as servants of the Truth which, when we embrace Him, liberates us from the oppression of conceit which leads to perdition.

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

Abortion reversal kits give women a second chance

Synod survey questions didn’t need to be so difficult

It is a scary, cruel world nowadays.

That anxiety can be multiplied tenfold when you are a pro-life emergency department health care provider, like me.

The emergency department is filled with life, but death as well – including women who have aborted their babies or suffered complications from abortion.

I was blessed to have been trained in nurse practitioner school by Dr. Matthew Harrison and Dr. Danny Holland, pro-life doctors here in North Carolina. Since coming home from Alaska, where I cared for the underserved for four years, I’ve felt like I haven’t been doing my part in protecting the sanctity of life.

I was greatly moved and inspired after learning about Dr. Harrison’s RU-486 abortion reversal kits (Catholic News Herald, Feb. 27 edition). I tried to ignore the news, but it just wouldn’t leave my mind. This protocol needs to be available now in every emergency department. I know I can’t change the world, but I can sure try by starting here at home with Carolinas Medical Center and Novant Healthcare.

I have sent a proposal to every Carolinas Healthcare and Novant Healthcare system in North and South Carolina: Should a mother choose to keep her baby and want to reverse an RU-486 abortion before it’s too late, this reversal kit must be available in every emergency department.

Please pray that this proposal makes it into the right hands. I also urge you as Catholics and pro-life people to write or email the medical executive committees at all Carolinas Medical Centers and Novant Healthcare hospitals in North and South Carolina, and beg them to accept the RU-486 abortion reversal protocol as part of the standard emergency department protocols.

Women who change their mind about abortion should be given this second chance.

The Feb. 13 edition of the Catholic News Herald published an article regarding the process of information gathering by the Synod of Bishops on the Family, specifically the difficulty of the survey questions. The article stated that these questions were mandated by the Vatican.

In fact, the referenced document from the Vatican stated that these proposed (not required) questions are meant to assist bishops in their reflection, not that the questions are worded or required for the laity. Second, the Vatican document stated, “For this purpose, the episcopal conferences are asked to choose a suitable manner of involving all components of the particular churches and academic institutions, organizations, lay movements and other ecclesial associations.” Note the key phrasing: “a suitable manner.” The document also stated that the questions were to be clarified in the local churches. It seems our diocese misunderstood or misread these instructions.

In viewing the same surveys in other dioceses, including the Diocese of Pittsburgh or the Diocese of San Francisco, questions were for the most part clearly worded, demographic information was more pertinent, and names were not required.

Stating that the Vatican is the problem when it comes to survey administration and laity participation is not only inaccurate, but can sour members of our diocese against the leadership of the Church. And even if the information were accurate, which it was not, it’s never good management to blame the boss.

Andrew Kaleida lives in Greensboro.

Kristen Giesler is a Nurse Practitioner in emergency medicine and parishioner at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

Bishop’s Youth Abbey Pilgrimage Saturday, April 11, 2015

9 am to 3 pm Belmont Abbey College, Belmont NC

DIOCESE

OF CHARLOTTE

UT E TR H AN D TH

T H E WAY A N D

TH

I F E – Jo h n1 EL 4

AM

IHS :6

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Celebrate Pray Discern

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