April 24, 2015

April 24, 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

N.C. bishops urge support for religious freedom legislation, 3

Conference speakers urge religious leaders to seek unity, dialogue with other faiths, 3

INDEX

Contact us.......................... 4 Español............................18-19 Events calendar................. 4 Our Faith............................. 2 Our Parishes................. 3-12 Schools............................. 20 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies.......................21 U.S. news..................... 22-23 Viewpoints.................. 26-27 World news................. 24-25

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‘Jesus is everything’ Hundreds of youth at Belmont Abbey pilgrimage challenged to follow Jesus with joy and love, 5

Celebrating Catholic Charities Week 2015 13-16

St. Matthew first-graders help Ugandan orphans, 20

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Catherine of Siena Pope Francis

Everyone loses when culture doesn’t care about marriage, family

G

od’s plan for fruitful, everlasting unions between a man and woman has been lost in a world filled with skepticism, distrust and hostility, Pope Francis said.

A culture that does not value “the stable and life-giving covenant between a man and woman is certainly a loss for everyone. We must bring honor back to marriage and the family,” he said April 22 during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square. But much also must be done to return respect and dignity to women, who are often exploited, objectified and understandably skeptical of the possibility of harmony between men and women, he said.

The pope continued his catechesis about the family with the second of two talks on the complementary nature of men and women.

The Book of Genesis shows how God created the heavens and earth, and then a special creature made in His likeness to care and watch over the earth. Even though man was “the culmination” of God’s creation, still “something was missing,” he said.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam “is free, is master, but he is alone and God sees that this ‘is not good.’ It’s like a lack of communion, a communion is lacking, a lack of fullness.”

God, therefore, creates a woman whom Adam instinctively and “joyfully” recognizes as “part of him: ‘bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.’ Finally there is a mirrored reflection, a reciprocity,” he said. As an example, it is like extending a hand to greet someone, but no one is there. “That’s how man was, something was missing in order for him to reach his fullness and he was missing reciprocity.”

While God generously entrusts the earth to this man and woman, the evil one “introduces suspicion, disbelief, distrust in their minds,” which leads to their disobedience, he said. “Sin generates diffidence and division between man and woman. Their relationship will be undermined by thousands of forms of abuse of power and subjugation, of deceptive seduction and humiliating arrogance,” he said.

Lingering effects of this original sin can be seen in “the exploitation and commercialization of the female body in today’s media,” as well as in “the recent epidemic of distrust, skepticism and even hostility that has spread in our culture.”

Pope Francis said the Church has an important task in safeguarding this covenant even if men and women are “sinners and wounded, confused and humiliated, discouraged and unsure.”

Feast day: April 29 St. Catherine was a third-order Dominican, peacemaker and counselor to the pope. She single-handedly ended the Avignon exile of the successors of Peter in the 14th century.

Born in Siena, on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1347, Catherine was the 23rd of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa’s 25 children. Her twin sister died in infancy.

She exhibited an unusually independent character as a child and an exceptionally intense prayer life. When she was 7 years old, she had the first of her mystical visions, in which she saw Jesus surrounded by saints and seated in glory. In the same year she vowed to consecrate her virginity to Christ. When, at the age of 16, her parents decided that she should marry, she cut off her hair to make herself less appealing, and her father, realizing that he couldn’t contend with her resolve, let her have her way.

She joined the Dominican Tertiaries and lived a deep and solitary life of prayer and meditation for the next three years. She had constant mystical experiences, capped by the end of the three years with an extraordinary union with God granted to only a few mystics, known as “mystical marriage.”

St. Catherine suffered many intense periods of desolation alongside her mystical ecstasies, often feeling totally abandoned by God. She ended her solitude at this point and began tending to the sick, poor and marginalized, especially lepers. As her reputation for holiness and remarkable personality became known throughout Siena, she attracted a band of disciples, two of whom became her confessors and biographers, and together they served Christ in the poor with even greater ardor.

God called her to a more public life while she was still in her 20s, and she established correspondences with many influential figures, advising and admonishing them and exhorting them to holiness, including the pope himself, who she never hesitated to rebuke when she saw fit.

“St. Great political acts which Catherine,” are attributed to her include

by Giovanni achieving peace between the Battista Holy See and Florence who were Tiepolo, 1746 at war, to convince the pope to return from his Avignon exile, which he did in 1376, and to heal the great schism between the followers of the legitimate pope, Urban VI, and those who opposed him in 1380. She achieved this while on her deathbed.

Her “Dialogues,” one of the classics of Italian literature, are the record of her mystical visions which she dictated in a state of mystical ecstasy.

In 1375, while visiting Pisa, she received the stigmata, even though they never appeared on her body during her lifetime, owing to her request to God. They appeared only on her incorruptible body after her death.

She died in Rome on April 29, 1380, at the age of 33.

She is one of the two patron saints of Italy; the other is St. Francis of Assisi.

— Catholic News Agency

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read about more saints whose feast days are in April, including: St. Isidore, patron saint of the Internet, April 4; Pope St. Martin I, April 13; St. Anselm, April 21; and St. Mark the Evangelist, April 25.

Priests’ vesting prayers for Mass

W

hile it is no longer the practice for all priests to offer prayers while vesting for Mass, many do offer these “vesting prayers.”

The prayers are a good occasion for them to be enriched with a profound humility and willing availability to act in the very Person of Christ at the Holy Sacrifice. In this series over the coming weeks, we look at each vesting prayer and its corresponding vestment, as an intimate insight into the spiritual lives of priests at their most vulnerable moment every day, helping all the rest of us also to understand just who we are before God and neighbor.

PRAYER 1 – “Cum lavat manus” (Washing of hands) “Da, Domine, virtutem manibus meis ad abstergendam omnem maculam ut sine pollutione mentis et corporis valeam tibi servire.” (“Give strength to my hands, Lord, unto the wiping away of all stain, so that without filthiness of mind and body I may be able to serve Thee.”)

There are many sacristies in the older churches of the Diocese of Charlotte and right around the world in which you will be able to see a sign hanging over the sink with the words of the prayer above. There is, in fact, a prayer for the washing of hands just before the priest begins to put on his VESTING PRAYERS, SEE page 17

Your daily Scripture readings APRIL 26-MAY 2

Sunday: Acts 4:8-12, 1 John 3:1-2, John 10:11-18; Monday: Acts 11:1-18, John 10:1-10; Tuesday (St. Peter Chanel, St. Louis Grignion de Montfort): Acts 11:19-26, John 10:22-30; Wednesday (St. Catherine of Siena): Acts 12:24-13:5, John 12:44-50; Thursday (St. Pius V): Acts 13:13-25, John 13:16-20; Friday (St. Joseph the Worker): Acts 13:26-33, Matthew 13:54-58; Saturday (St. Athanasius): Acts 13:44-52, John 14:7-14.

MAY 3-9

Sunday: Acts 9:26-31, 1 John 3:18-24, John 15:1-8; Monday: Acts 14:5-18, John 14:2126; Tuesday: Acts 14:19-28, John 14:27-31; Wednesday: Acts 15:1-6, John 15:1-8; Thursday: Acts 15:7-21, John 15:9-11; Friday: Acts 15:2231, John 15:12-17; Saturday: Acts 16:1-10, John 15:18-21

MAY 10-16

Sunday: Acts 10:25-26, 34, 35, 44-48, 1 John 4:7-10, John 15:9-17; Monday: Acts 16:11-15, John 15:26-16:4; Tuesday (Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, St. Pancras): Acts 16:22-34, John 16:5-11; Wednesday (Our Lady of Fatima): Acts 17:15, 22-18:1, John 16:12-15; Thursday (The Ascension of the Lord): Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Mark 16:15-20; Friday (St. Isidore): Acts 18:9-18, John 16-20-23; Saturday: Acts 18:23-28, John 16:23-28

Our parishes

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

North Carolina bishops urge support for religious freedom legislation David Hains Director of Communication

North Carolina’s two Catholic bishops have joined a chorus of religious leaders in support of religious freedom legislation that is being considered by the General Assembly.

Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte and Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Raleigh signed an open letter to the 170 members of the legislature asking them to pass the Religious Freedom Restoration Act bills that are before both houses. As of press time Wednesday, House Bill 348 had 18 sponsors, and the identical Senate Bill 550 had eight sponsors. Both bills have been referred to legislative committees for further review.

In the open letter, which was also signed by other religious leaders from across the state, the bishops describe the proposed legislation as “preserving freedom, fairness, equality, tolerance, and diversity in our great State.”

A federal RFRA law was first enacted

by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and since then 31 states have adopted RFRA laws through legislative or judicial action.

The state-level religious freedom laws became controversial in March when the Indiana legislature passed its own version of the law.

Within hours of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signing a state version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act March 26, critics slammed the legislation as going further than the federal version of the same law does and said it would enable individuals and businesses to claim a religious right to discriminate in ways not foreseen in other versions. Highly publicized protests and boycotts of Indiana and Indiana-based businesses were launched.

Strong criticism, notably from homosexual rights activists and prominent Indiana business leaders who said the law would hurt their and the state’s financial bottom lines, led Pence to ask Indiana’s legislature for a fix. Likewise, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson asked legislators to rework a RFRA bill that had already reached his desk. On April 2, a week after the Indiana bill was signed, both governors signed new RFRA legislation, rewritten to more closely mirror the existing federal law.

Some supporters of the original Indiana bill said the new version was unnecessary and might, in fact, “be a green light for driving religious people out of business,” as Mark Rienzi, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, put it. But the revision satisfied critics, some of whom backed down quickly on their boycott calls.

North Carolina’s proposed legislation mirrors the existing federal version of RFRA.

RFRA laws require courts to use a balancing test when weighing the facts of specific religious freedom cases. The government must have a compelling interest to get involved in a religious liberty case, and if it does it must use the least restrictive means possible to further that interest. For example, RFRA was used by a Native American kindergartner who was told to cut his hair to comply with a school grooming policy.

The open letter is part of a push by a coalition of churches and public policy organizations, including the North Carolina Values Coalition, that worked together to pass the Marriage Amendment in 2012.

In addition to the letter, the group is organizing an online petition and a grassroots lobbying day at the General Assembly on April 28. Supporters of the proposed bills will meet with Lt. Gov. Dan Forest before going to the legislative building to speak with lawmakers.

The bishops also sent an email alert to more than 5,000 participants in Catholic Voice North Carolina, the non-partisan public policy organization for the two dioceses in the state. The alert asks the CVNC participants to write to their legislators. “We support this legislation and ask you to do so as well,” the bishops wrote.

— Catholic News Service contributed.

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Other RFRA debates quieter, but history of laws has been roller coaster Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It started with hallucinogenic peyote and a couple of guys in Oregon who were fired after they used it in a religious ritual.

Over the course of 25 years, the U.S. debate over religious rights moved from there to the current uproar about Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act and whether it would give legal cover to those who might discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

The current controversy about RFRA laws is a far cry from what was on the minds of those who worked together across philosophical, political and faith differences to craft the original Religious Freedom Restoration Act in the 1990s. In fact, the controversy over Indiana’s RFRA is but the latest debate over religious rights stemming from one Supreme Court ruling.

It all began in April 1990, when the Supreme Court in Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith, ruled that Alfred Smith and Galen Black were not constitutionally protected from being fired from the drug rehabilitation clinic where they worked over having used peyote in a ritual of the Native American Church. In a 6-3 ruling the court said, “We have never held that an individual’s religious RFRA, SEE page 12

Conference speakers urge religious leaders to seek Christian unity, dialogue with other faiths Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(Pictured above) Participants at the 2015 National Workshop on Christian Unity pray together during the Mass at St. Peter Church in uptown Charlotte April 21. (Right) Dr. Sandra Keating addresses conference participants during her plenary talk April 21.

Keating spoke about the current relations and dialogue between Christians and Muslims to about 100 Christians leaders of several denominations nationwide.

CHARLOTTE — “A lack of Christian unity seriously undermines Christian witness in the world from a Muslim perspective, and it’s ever present in our dialogue with Islam,” Dr. Sandra Keating said during a plenary session of the 2015 National Workshop on Christian Unity April 21.

Keating is a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ CatholicMuslim dialogue group, and she is also a consultor on the Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims.

During her talk, “Nostra Aetate and Christian Witness: What 50 years has taught us about visible unity,” Keating spoke to close to 100 Christian leaders representing several denominations and from different parts of the United States about the state of Christian and Muslim relations and the current dialogue between both.

“I want to strongly affirm your mission: It is an extremely important thing in the modern world for us to work towards visible unity ... We see it with Islam quite regularly: Muslims pointing to divisions among Christians as a sign that Christianity is either dying, or not protected or chosen by God,” she said. If Christians and Muslims are to find any

common ground, she said, Christians first have to build closer relationships with each other.

Keating’s address was just one held at the 2015 National Workshop on Christian Unity, a four-day conference held April 20-23 in Charlotte sponsored by the National Ecumenical Officers Association.

The conference, established in 1963 by Catholics, has its roots in the ecumenical efforts sparked by Vatican II. This year’s conference drew more than 100 participants from a variety of Christian faiths including Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, a New Testament and Jewish studies professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School; James E. Winkler, general secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society; and Father Paul McPartlan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster in the United Kingdom and professor of systematic theology and ecumenism at The Catholic University of America.

Keating connected the current need for dialogue between Christians and Muslims to the foundational Vatican II document, “Nostra Aetate” (“Declaration on the Relation of the Church with NonChristian Religions”) promulgated by Blessed Pope Paul VI in 1965. In that declaration, the Second Vatican Council fathers acknowledged that all people seek UNITY, SEE page 8

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events: April 25 Men’s Conference St. Matthew Church, Charlotte

May 1 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Joseph Church, Kannapolis

May 7 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation, Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury

April 27 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Cross Church, Kernersville

May 3 – 11 a.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Benedict Church, Greensboro

April 29 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of the Highways Church, Thomasville

May 5 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Ann Church, Charlotte

May 9 – 5:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Margaret Mary Church, Swannanoa

Diocesan calendar of events April 24, 2015 Volume 23 • Number 15

1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

704-370-3333 PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte

STAFF EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org SENIOR REPORTER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org Online reporter: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org Hispanic communications reporter: Rico De Silva, 704-370-3375, rdesilva@charlottediocese.org

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

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

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Carolina Catholic Chorale PERFORMS ‘ORCHESTRAL’ MASSES: “Missa Brevis in B-flat Major” by W.A. Mozart, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte; and “Missa Octo Vocum”

by Hans Leo Hassler for the Solemn High Latin Mass for the Ascension, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte. For details, go to www.carolinascatholicchorale. weebly.com.

HOly Happy Hour: “Theology: Friend or Foe?” spring series with Dr. Travis Cook: 6:45 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant, 238 W. Main Ave. Gastonia. Hosted by St. Michael Church. Everyone welcome.

AFRICAN DRUMS PERFORMANCE: 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26, performed by the Winthrop University World Percussion Ensemble. Final concert of the St. Ann Gaudium Musicae concert series. For details, go to www.stanncharlotte.org.

Fund raisers Annual fundraiser hosted by St. Thérèse Church Women’s group: 1 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the Parish Life Center at St. Thérèse Church, 217 Brawley School Road, Mooresville. Bring your friends, your cards or games and enjoy desserts, door prizes, 50/50 raffle and more. All proceeds benefit the parish and its community outreach programs. For details, contact Chris Davis at christinedavis712@gmail.com or 704-987-9112.

International fundraiser Dinner: 3 p.m. Sunday, May 24, in St. Michael the Archangel School gym, 708 St. Michael’s Lane, Gastonia. For the first time communities will unite to represent different heritages. Everyone welcome.

For details, call Margaret Vogt at 704860-9363.

LAY ORGANIZATIONS Ministry of Mothers Sharing: 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 28, at Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 North Main St., Belmont. Group is intended for fellowship and study for spiritual growth. Moms with children of all ages are invited. For details, email Marianne at marianne@gcube.com.

Blood Drive: 8 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Saturday, May 2, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., High Point. To schedule an appointment, call Lisa at 336- 306-0606.

Blood Drive: Sunday, June 14, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte.

LECTURES & REFLECTIONS Reflection with Michael Manhardt, founder of the ‘One Strong Family’ movement: 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 24, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. All women welcome.

Organized by the Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group. For details, go to www. charlottecatholicwomensgroup.org.

Catholic men’s conference: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Day includes Adoration, confession, Mass, and talks by dynamic speakers. For details, go to catholicmenofthecarolinas.org.

‘Following Pope Francis on the Path to be Good Stewards of God’s Creation’: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Keynote speaker is Dan Misleh, founding director of the Catholic Climate Covenant and former USCCB policy advisor. There will also be four workshops to choose from. Lunch provided. Find a full informational brochure with workshop titles and descriptions, presenter information and registration information at www. stmatthewcatholic.org/May2. Register

by April 29.

‘Tongues of Fire’ Spiritual Day of Reflection: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 16, at Our Lady of Consolation Parish Life Center, 1235 Badger Ct., Charlotte. Brings together performing artists to praise and worship God, and transform hearts and minds through Scripture, song and dance. Adults and children 10 and older are welcome. Light refreshments provided. Registration

by May 9 is required due to limited seating. For details and to register, visit www.ourladyofconsolation.org/day-ofreflection, or call Chanele Jackson at 704 599-5859.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING NFP Introduction and Full Course: 1-5 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., 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.

Other Poor Clares Discernment Day: 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 16, at the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration’s St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte, for high school and college-aged young women interested in learning more about life as Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. Day includes Adoration, confession, Mass, breakfast, talks with the Sisters and Q&A. RSVP to vocations@ stjosephmonastery.com by May 4.

Religious Liberty March and Prayer Vigil: 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 26, in downtown Charlotte. March will start outside the Diocesan Pastoral Center and proceed to the federal courthouse. Organized by March for Life Charlotte to coincide with the U.S. bishops’ Fortnight for Freedom campaign. Email religiousliberty@ windstream.net.

Catholic Homeschool conference: May 22-23 at Belmont Abbey College.

Organized by the Immaculate Heart of Mary Carolina Homeschool Conference.

For details, call 540-636-1946 or go to www.ihmconference.org.

PRAYER SERVICES Pro-Life Rosary: 9 a.m. Saturday, May 2, rain or shine at 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive, to pray for an end to abortion. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or 336-882-9593.

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.

World Day of Prayer for Vocations to be celebrated Sunday, April 26 The purpose of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly fulfill the Lord’s instruction to “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest” (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). As a climax to a prayer that is continually offered throughout the Church, it affirms the primacy of faith and grace in all that concerns vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life.

While appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates its attention this day on vocations to the ordained ministries (priesthood and diaconate), to the religious life in all its forms (male and female, contemplative and apostolic), to societies of apostolic life, to secular institutes in their diversity of services and membership, and to the missionary life, in the particular sense of mission “ad gentes.”

In his message for the 2015 World Day of Prayer for Vocations, “Exodus: A fundamental experience of vocation,” Pope Francis said following a vocation to the priesthood or religious life is to live an experience of “exodus” – to joyfully leave behind all that enslaves and journey to a Promised Land of love, service and mission. “Responding to God’s call, then, means allowing Him to help us leave ourselves and our false security behind, and to strike out on the path which leads to Jesus Christ, the origin and destiny of our life and our happiness.” Every Christian vocation is rooted in this sense of movement, of journeying and going forward since “belief means transcending ourselves, leaving behind our comfort and the inflexibility of our ego in order to center our life in Jesus Christ.”

Just like Abraham, Moses and the people of Israel, all children of God are called to leave behind the land they know and trust completely in God to show them the way to a whole new world.

Learn more online at www. worlddayofprayerforvocations. com. There you’ll find downloadable prayer cards and tips on how you and your family can pray for an increase in religious vocations, including praying a rosary for the priests in your life: Offer the first decade for the priest who baptized you, the second for the priest who gave you first Holy Communion, the third for the bishop who confirmed you, the fourth for the priest who witnessed your marriage or the bishop who ordained you (or will do so in the future), and the fifth decade for the priest who will anoint you at your death.

— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic News Service

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Youth from parishes throughout the diocese came to Belmont Abbey April 11 for the Bishop’s Youth Pilgrimage for a day of praise, fellowship and worship.

Photos by sueann howell | catholic news herald

‘What more could you want?

Jesus is everything’ Youth at Belmont Abbey pilgrimage challenged to follow Jesus with joy and love SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

BELMONT — Like Moses parting the Red Sea, Bishop Peter Jugis processed with the Blessed Sacrament through the center of hundreds of youth wearing scarlet T-shirts during the annual Bishop’s Youth Pilgrimage April 11 at Belmont Abbey. More than 900 middle school and high school youth came from around western North Carolina to attend the popular one-day retreat under sunny skies.

This year’s pilgrimage theme echoed that of the Eucharistic Congress coming up Sept. 11-12: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,” from John 14:6.

The youth pilgrimage at Belmont Abbey gave the youth who flocked to the event an opportunity to attend Mass, go to confession and spend time in Eucharistic Adoration.

There was also a vocations fair, with religious sisters and brothers on hand to answer questions about consecrated life.

Plus, there was inspirational praise and worship music from

Catholic recording artist Tori Harris More online and dynamic speakers who At www.catholicnewsherald. helped encourage com: See more photos and video the young people highlights from the Bishop’s and challenge them Youth Pilgrimage in their faith.

Belmont Abbey College alumnus Patrick Jacobeen served as emcee again this year and his wife of five months, Christina, gave a talk to the high school girls during one of the breakout sessions in the afternoon. They are directors of youth ministry in the Diocese of Arlington, Va. In his Holy Hour address, Bishop Jugis reminded those gathered that they were in the very presence of the Lord.

“He is with us, really present in the Holy Eucharist.

You have a very unique experience every year at this

youth pilgrimage to participate in Eucharistic Adoration outdoors in a very pastoral setting, with the sun shining down upon us and the beauty of the springtime budding forth all around us – everything giving glory to God surrounding our Eucharistic Lord as are we, His faithful, serving Him and praising Him.” Bishop Jugis asked them, considering the Holy Hour Gospel reading about the disciples on the way to Emmaus, “And you, where are you going? What is your destination?

What are you striving to accomplish? Where are you headed?

“Wherever it is that you are headed, whatever your destination, Jesus is the Way to get there. All of us must have heaven as our ultimate destination, and Jesus is the way to heaven.”

Bishop Jugis spoke of intermediate destinations we are PILGRIMAGE, SEE page 17

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 OUR PARISHES

Photo provided by Barrie Terrell of United Way of the Central Carolinas

Monsignor John McSweeney (center), pastor of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, accepts the Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service April 14 in honor of the parish’s more than 20 years of service at the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte. Also pictured (from left): Ann Tribble, Chris Hayek, Tom Ellis, Brent White, Jennifer Hall, Mark Brodowicz and Tim Johanson.

St. Matthew Church receives Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — For more than two decades, parishioners of St. Matthew Church have lent their support to the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte, a United Way agency, preparing and serving meals and collecting and distributing toiletries and clothing for the clients who rely on the shelter near uptown Charlotte.

On April 14, St. Matthew Church was honored with the Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service presented by the N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service for its 20-plus year commitment to the men’s shelter. This year marks the 37th anniversary of the annual award showcasing North Carolina’s most dedicated volunteers.

“For over 20 years, St. Matthew has provided meal services – critical to the stability and well-being of our clients,” said Jennifer Hall, community resource coordinator for the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte. “But their support doesn’t stop there. The Men’s Shelter of Charlotte Ministry team, led by Tom Ellis, exemplifies ‘best practices’ and always tries to find ways to adapt to changing needs at the shelter.”

Hall noted that in 2013, the parish became the first church to support the Housing & Employment Resource Center (HERC). The team consists of 10-12 volunteers who regularly rotate their service on Wednesday evenings to support the men’s shelter clients with job and housing searches.

Volunteers from St. Matthew Church also provide weekly support in the commissary to pass out toiletries and clothing. The church also has four separate meal service groups that provide lunch or dinner on a monthly or quarterly basis at the North Tryon and Statesville Avenue campuses.

All parishioners are invited to get involved through quarterly drives for socks, underwear, T-shirts and toiletries.

“Last year, the group donated more than 12,000 items!” Hall said.

“I think it’s a credit to Monsignor (John) McSweeney’s leadership,” said Tom Ellis, leader of the men’s shelter ministry at the parish, about St. Matthew’s pastor. “We’re elated that 80 of our parishioners have decided to volunteer at the shelter and that 1,000 parishioners regularly contribute to our quarterly sock and underwear collection drive.”

Monsignor McSweeney attended the awards ceremony.

“I’m delighted we received the Governor’s Award and that we have 80 members that have regularly participated for 20 years addressing the subject of homelessness. We consider it part of our responsibility – it’s not just something nice to be doing – as part of our parish outreach,” Monsignor McSweeney said.

The parish, the largest church in the Diocese of Charlotte with more than 9,000 families, was one of 10 recipients of the 2015 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award. St. Matthew parishioner Dennis Callahan, who works with the Special Olympics and wheelchair bowlers, also received the Governor’s Award for individual achievement.

“It’s an honor to recognize St. Matthew’s commitment to the Charlotte community and our mission to end homelessness,” Hall said. “We are truly grateful for their continued support and willingness to share their extraordinary gifts of time and talent with the men we serve.”

Photos by Mike FitzGerald | Catholic News Herald

Fatima pilgrim statue comes to St. Mark Church for Divine Mercy Sunday Mike FitzGerald Correspondent

HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Church hosted its annual Divine Mercy celebration April 12 with a talk by Judith Studer, custodian of the United Nations International Pilgrim Statue of the World Apostolate of Fatima. Studer’s talk focused on the importance of Our Lady of Fatima’s message and noted its relation to Divine Mercy.

“Fatima and Divine Mercy go hand in hand; they both talk of prayer, Our Lord in the Eucharist, and receiving His forgiveness in this great sacrament (of reconciliation),” Studer said.

In addition to bringing the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, she also brought first-class relics of Blesseds Jacinta and Francisco Marto, two of the children present at Our Lady’s apparition at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, and wood from the tree at which Our Lady of Fatima appeared.

The talk was followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 3 p.m., the Hour of Mercy. Father John Putnam, pastor, then led the recitation of the Divine Mercy chaplet. Father Putnam also offered a reflection on Divine Mercy and shared an encouraging story related by St. John Vianney which demonstrated the amount of mercy God has, even for the worst of sinners. At the conclusion of his reflection and Benediction, Father Putnam blessed the Divine Mercy pictures brought by attendees.

The celebration was sponsored by the St. Mark Divine Mercy Cenacle and Pilgrim Statue Visitation Ministry.

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Holy Angels receives Order of Malta grant

BELMONT — Holy Angels recently received a $25,000 grant from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, which has a long history of supporting the facility that cares for children with delicate medical conditions.

Several Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta in the Diocese of Charlotte, including its local Conventual Chaplains (Bishop Emeritus William Curlin and Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey) have supported and volunteered at

Holy Angels, and they were present April 21 to visit and pray with the children and staff at Holy Angels, as well as bless the children with holy water.

The grant money will be used towards remodeling and refurbishing several bathing areas for the 18 people who call the Morrow Center home. Eighteen baths are provided each and every day (126 per week, 6,552 per year). The Morrow Center is 54 years old and has had minimal changes to the bathing facilities. The project is multifaceted and will cost more than $100,000.

Additional grants are being submitted in order to secure the needed funds to complete the entire project. One has also been secured from the Knights of Columbus.

Present in Palestine in around 1050, the Order of Malta is a lay religious order with 13,500 members devoted to the exercise of Christian virtue and charity.

The Order of Malta remains true to its inspiring principles, summarized in the motto “Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum,� nurturing, witnessing and protecting the faith and serving the poor and the sick representing the Lord, which become reality through the voluntary work carried out by Dames and Knights in humanitarian, medical and social assistance. Today the Order of Malta carries out these activities in more than 120 countries.

Holy Angels was founded in 1955 by the Sisters of Mercy – beginning a muchneeded specialized service for children with delicate medical conditions from throughout the state of North Carolina.

Photos provided by Sister Nancy Nance

Bishop Emeritus William Curlin (far left) joined members of the Order of Malta in blessing children at Holy Angels in Belmont April 21. (Above) Knight Jerry Schmitt blesses a child at Holy Angels.

The private, nonprofit corporation in Belmont provides residential services and innovative programs for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions.

The CARF-accredited programs include Holy Angels Morrow Center, the McAuley Residences (Fox Run ICF/MR group homes (three six-bed), Belhaven ICF/MR group home (15-bed), Moody Place ICF/ MR group home (15-bed), four community

group homes, Great Adventures, Camp Hope, Cherubs CafĂŠ & Cherubs Candy Bouquet (providing supported employment opportunities) in downtown Belmont, and Life Choices, an adult day activities program offering living and learning opportunities.

To learn more about Holy Angels or to volunteer, please call 704-825-4161 or visit Holy Angels’ website at www.holyangelsnc.org. — Sister Nancy Nance

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 OUR PARISHES

Church will not host talk by censured co-founder of New Ways Ministry Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

CHARLOTTE — A woman religious censured by the Vatican and the U.S. bishops for her opposition to Church teaching on homosexuality and marriage will not be allowed to speak at a Catholic church in Charlotte.

Sister Jeannine Gramick was to have been the keynote speaker at a public program entitled “Including LGBT People and Their Families in Faith Communities: A Conference Open to All,” scheduled for May 16 at St. Peter Church. The program was organized

by St. Peter Church’s gay and lesbian ministry and the Charlotte chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), a group for parents, families and friends of those identifying as homosexual that is not associated with the Catholic Church.

Sister Gramick is the co-founder of New Ways Ministry, which has been condemned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for its vocal disagreement over central teachings of the Catholic Church. She was to have spoken on “her experience of working for greater inclusion of LGBT people and their families in the Church.”

After he was made aware of Sister Gramick’s expected appearance, Bishop Peter Jugis directed Jesuit Father Pat Earl, pastor of St. Peter Church, to not allow her to speak at the church.

“News Ways does not speak legitimately for the teaching of the Catholic Church and therefore cannot be allowed to hold gatherings on Church property,” said David Hains, diocesan director of communication, in a brief statement.

New Ways Ministry, based in Mount Rainier, Md., describes itself as a “gaypositive ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian and gay Catholics and reconciliation within the larger Christian and civil communities.” It advocates for same-sex “marriage” and acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle.

It was co-founded in 1977 by Sister Gramick and Salvatorian Father Robert Nugent, who were ordered by the Vatican in 1999 to stop their ministry to homosexuals because “ambiguities and errors” in their approach caused confusion for Catholics and harmed the Church community.

Since its founding, “serious questions have been raised about the group’s adherence to Church teaching on homosexuality,” noted the late Cardinal Francis George, then president of the USCCB, in 2010. “No one should be misled by the claim that New Ways Ministry provides an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching and an authentic Catholic pastoral practice. The New Ways Ministry is not a ministry of the Catholic Church and has no right to present its moral opinions as Catholic.”

“Genuine pastoral concern is based on respect for every person, no matter their sexual orientation, and acceptance of the truths of the Catholic faith,” Cardinal George also said. “These are the terms in which the Church welcomes everyone and offers them a true home in Christ’s love and mercy.”

In 1999, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith concluded in its review of New Ways Ministry, “Given

the failure of the repeated attempts of the Church’s legitimate authorities to resolve the problems presented by the writings and pastoral activities of (Sister Gramick and Father Nugent), the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is obliged to declare for the good of the Catholic faithful that the positions advanced by Sister Jeannine Gramick and Father Robert Nugent regarding the intrinsic evil of homosexual acts and the objective disorder of the homosexual inclination are doctrinally unacceptable because they do not faithfully convey the clear and constant teaching of the Catholic Church in this area. Father Nugent and Sister Gramick have often stated that they seek, in keeping with the Church’s teaching, to treat homosexual persons ‘with respect, compassion and sensitivity.’ However, the promotion of errors and ambiguities is not consistent with a Christian attitude of true respect and compassion: persons who are struggling with homosexuality no less than any others have the right to receive the authentic teaching of the Church from those who minister to them. The ambiguities and errors of the approach of Father Nugent and Sister Gramick have caused confusion among the Catholic people and have harmed the community of the Church.”

After they continued to speak and write about homosexuality, the two were directed by their religious superiors in 2000 not to speak publicly or write about the topic or about the Vatican actions.

Father Nugent accepted the discipline and remained in parish ministry until his death in 2014, but Sister Gramick refused and continues on the lecture circuit.

Because she defied the Vatican ban and faced expulsion by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, she left the order and joined the Sisters of Loretto in 2001.

Hains noted that priests and members of religious orders who are invited to speak in churches in the diocese routinely provide a “letter of suitability” to the Chancery. The letter stipulates that the speaker is in good standing in the Church, meaning that his or her message will be doctrinally sound and will not contradict Church teaching.

Also included in the letter is information indicating that the speaker has received sexual abuse awareness training such as “Protecting God’s Children.”

The Chancery had not received a letter of suitability from New Ways Ministry before the decision was made to prohibit the event at St. Peter Church, Hains said.

Diane Troy, president of the Charlotte PFLAG chapter and a member of St. Peter Church, said she was disappointed that the parish could not host Sister Gramick.

Troy said her goal is to help parents of openly homosexual children, including herself, find a “welcoming” place in the Church in which they can “reconcile their faith with their love for their children.” She said she knows that Sister Gramick disagrees with Church teaching on homosexuality and marriage, but added that her intention was to host a conversation about how Charlotte area churches can be “more welcoming” of gays and lesbians.

Troy said organizers still hope to host Sister Gramick in May, but a new location has not been determined.

— Catholic News Service contributed.

UNITY: FROM PAGE 3

relationship with their Creator in various ways, and that the world’s major religions each contain some of the truths found in the fullness of Catholic teaching.

“Inter-religious dialogue is not concerned primarily, or even at all, with unity. Our goal is to be able to deepen our understanding of one another. We are not in any way looking to create a third religion we can all agree on,” Keating said. “What we’re really trying to do is for both (Christians and Muslims) to have face-to-face conversation, to be able to learn more about each other, and to overcome stereotypes. To be able to understand what we have in common, and what we don’t have in common.”

Keating also stressed the issue of religious liberty, a key element of inter-religious dialogue today especially with Muslims.

“This is the number-one issue that the Vatican is concerned with: how to maintain religious liberty of minorities, no matter who those minorities are worldwide. And that requires a very good understanding of who our dialogue partners are,” she said.

Keating applauded the ongoing ecumenical work by Christian leaders, and she encouraged conference participants to strive for lasting connections. “It is absolutely critical in the modern world that these divisions that have plagued us for so long, that we come to some level of reconciliation – not just for ourselves, but also for the witness that it gives to the world.”

The Rev. Lisa Lewis-Balboa of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Hopkinsville, Ky., and a member of the conference’s planning committee, echoed Keating’s message of Christian unity. “We Christians need to change and reconcile. We witness this disunity Sunday after Sunday,” Lewis-Balboa said.

Conference-goers had the opportunity to attend various worship services in Charlotte during the four-day meeting, including Mass April 21 at St. Peter Church, the oldest Catholic church in Charlotte. Oblates of St. Francis De Sales Father John Crossin, executive director of the Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the USCCB, gave the homily.

Father Crossin reflected on the first reading in the day’s liturgy: the martyrdom of St. Stephen depicted in the Acts of the Apostles. “We are living in a new age of Christian martyrs – certainly under different circumstances than Stephen’s, but some of them no so far away where Stephen’s was martyred. Some quite gruesome and of public knowledge; others less known, but still significant,” he said.

He reiterated Pope Francis’ repeated calls for prayers and aid to Christians being persecuted around the world today.

“The martyrs of all the traditions speak to the fact that Christians are one. They are the same. They offer us their example so that we may imitate them,” he said.

Photos provided by Marjorie Storch

22nd Annual Walk for AIDS raises $40,542 for House of Mercy BELMONT — More than 275 people took part in the 22nd Annual Walk for AIDS April 18 – raising a record-breaking $40,542 to support House of Mercy, a nonprofit residence in Belmont that provides a home and nursing care for low-income people living with AIDS. The three-mile walk through historic downtown Belmont raised AIDS awareness and funds to benefit House of Mercy, founded by the Sisters of Mercy 24 years ago to address the growing AIDS epidemic and need for compassion and care. A picnic reception with music and dancing followed the walk on the House of Mercy grounds.

The top fundraising team was Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Charlotte, which raised more than $6,600 for House of Mercy. Sponsors of the 2015 Walk included: Sisters of Mercy of the Americas (South Central Community), St. Gabriel Church, St. Matthew Church, Family/In Memory of Doug Newton, Gilead Science, CaroMont Health, ATCOM Business Telecom Solutions, RK T-Shirts, WSGE 91.7 fm radio, AbbVie, Cherry Bekaert LLP, St. Peter Church and Toby Outdoor. Pictured are Beta Club members from South Point High School leading the Walk for AIDS by carrying the House of Mercy banner, and octogenarian Margaret Mayes (left), a member of Queen of the Apostles Church, who has been a longtime committed participant in House of Mercy’s Walk for AIDS.

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Latina Catholic musician to start U.S. tour during Hispanic family assembly

Photos by Beth Searles | Catholic News Herald

Speakers from Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte and Catholic Relief Services spoke April 18 at St. Lawrence Basilica about the role Catholics should play in the public sphere – especially advocating on behalf of the poor and connecting local with global issues of justice.

Being truly Catholic means serving others, acting in the public square, speakers emphasize Beth Searles Correspondent

ASHEVILLE — “The central message is simple: our faith is profoundly social. We cannot be called truly ‘Catholic’ unless we hear and heed the Church’s call to serve those in need and work for justice and peace.”

This statement from the U.S. bishops’ publication “Communities of Salt and Light” was at the heart of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s presentation “Called to Participate, Called to Advocacy: The Church in the Public Square,” held April 18 at St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville. The workshop gathered diocesan leaders in social justice with parishioners from western North Carolina to reinforce the concept of the parish as the place where the Church lives, and to help parishes become bridgebuilders both locally and globally.

Nick Haskell, Poverty and Justice Education Coordinator for Catholic Charities in the Asheville area, explained that Church advocacy in the public arena is not really about holding signs and protesting.

“We need to demystify advocacy. Some think advocacy is being political – or more to the point, partisan,” Haskell explained.

“But Catholic social teaching does not tell you who to vote for. It doesn’t say you must belong to a certain political party in this country.

“The Church has a really succinct definition of justice. Justice is defined as right relationship with God and right relationship with neighbor.”

Haskell emphasized the relational advocacy of social ministry: “It is out of personal relationships that we act – and there’s reciprocity.”

Haskell illustrated his point with the story of a group of seniors who had to cross multiple dangerous intersections to reach their bus stop. With the involvement of 300 parishioners, the seniors were

able to meet with legislators who corrected the problem. It led to more bus riders, which led to federal subsidies, and a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Additional speakers from Catholic Relief Services continued the discussion at the workshop.

CRS’ Kathleen O’Toole, who partners with dioceses on the global social mission of the Church, explained the importance of strategic and prayerful listening to the stories within a parish or community, discovering needs, building trust, but also identifying those who could be leaders – people who may not have titles, but who are able to connect with others.

One of the tools for building advocacy that O’Toole said she values is a brief but meaningful face-to-face conversation.

“Now everything’s electronic ... so when we have an actual substantive conversation with another human being it’s become a very radical notion.”

Matthew Burkhart, also from CRS, urged Catholics to connect local to global, reminding everyone that the word “catholic” means universal.

“What happens here has impact overseas,” Burkhart emphasized, whether it has to do with immigration reform, labor rights, agriculture, climate change, and so much more.

Illegal immigration, for example, is partly caused by poverty elsewhere – the “push factor,” as Pope Francis has called

CHARLOTTE — Catholic musician Adrian Portes will kick off her U.S. musical tour “Viviré” at the first diocesan Hispanic family assembly to be celebrated Saturday, May 2, at Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte. The event will be in Spanish, and admittance is free.

All are welcome to attend.

Originally from Santiago, Dominican Republic, Portes will play alongside Catholic singer Jorge Morel, also from Portes the Dominican Republic, at different concerts throughout North Carolina and several cities nationwide. Portes belongs to the LC Musical Productions music label and has played at different concerts throughout Latin America.

“Adrian has an extraordinary charism to communicate the Gospel through her music wherever she goes. Her music contains a message of love, peace and salvation,” said Morel.

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

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it, Burkhart said. He asked, why are these people compelled to migrate despite the risks? One example of a solution may be found in El Salvador, where the Church is helping create economic opportunities for the young, he continued.

Father Morris Boyd, parochial vicar at St. Lawrence Basilica, led the closing commissioning and shared the timely Scripture of the day from Acts 6:1-7, which tells of the Apostles selecting deacons to help them in their work to help the poor. He summarized, “This is what we do as Catholics: we find good people and put them to work.”

When it comes to advocacy in the public square, all the presenters stressed that a parish need not go it alone, and people should work with their pastor.

Parishioners may find more resources through Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte (www.ccdoc.org) as well as through Catholic Relief Services (www. crs.org), the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.usccb.org), and Catholic Voice NC (www.catholicvoicenc.org).

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 OUR PARISHES

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Catholic Charities’ work in western North Carolina. Bob Scheiderich, pictured above with Justin Reilly, director of Catholic Charities’ Western Regional Office, won the Spirit of Hope award for his efforts as a long-time board member, volunteer and supporter.

— Kathleen Durkin

All invited to two upcoming ‘orchestral’ Masses CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Catholic Chorale will conclude its 2014-2015 season by singing two “orchestral” Masses by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the Renaissance master Hans Leo Hassler. Both works will be sung as sacred music for a Mass in the Extraordinary Form together with the Gregorian chants for the day. All are invited to experience the rare opportunity to hear these works in their original liturgical settings.

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, the Chorale, accompanied by chamber orchestra, will sing Mozart’s “Missa Brevis in B-flat Major” at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. At 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, the Chorale will sing the “Missa Octo Vocum” for double choir by Hassler, accompanied by the CPCC Early Music Ensemble, at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte. Both events are free, but donations to defray expenses will be welcome.

Photo provided by Cindy Giarrusso

Confirmation celebrated in Linville LINVILLE — Four parishioners at St. Bernadette Church in Linville received the sacrament of confirmation April 11. Caleb Joseph Walker, Thomas Roland Paris, John Patrick Porter and Grace Helene Curry are pictured with their pastor, Father Christopher Gober, and Monsignor Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Gala for Hope supports Catholic Charities ASHEVILLE — The 12th annual Gala for Hope was held March 15 at the Asheville Crowne Plaza Tennis and Golf Resort to benefit the Western Regional Office of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. Approximately 180 people attended the gala, which raised $83,000 for

Ukrainian Catholic bishop to visit CHARLOTTE — Bishop Bohdan Danylo, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio, will visit St. Basil Ukrainian Catholic Mission Sunday, May 10, and celebrate Divine Liturgy (Mass) at 2 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. Catholics of any rite are welcome to attend the Byzantine liturgy, which will be celebrated in English.

For more about St. Basil Mission and the Ukrainian Danylo Catholic Church (which is in full communion with the pope), go to www.stbasil.weebly.com.

IN BRIEF, SEE page 11

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com

IN BRIEF: FROM PAGE 10

Special events coming up for senior citizens Senior citizens in the Diocese of Charlotte are invited to attend special “Spring Fling” celebrations coming up in Hickory and Charlotte geared especially for them and their faith journey. Spring Fling is a day filled with music, games and crafts, free health screenings, information from local experts on topics such as estate planning and elder care, and much more. Spring Fling will also feature a talk by Mercy Sister Mary Hugh Mauldin, “Jesus the Sacrament.”

On Thursday, April 30, Catholics in the Hickory area are invited to the Catholic Conference Center for a day of fellowship and Mass offered by retired Father Edward Sheridan.

The day kicks off at 9:45 a.m. On Tuesday, May 19, Catholics in the Charlotte area are invited to St. Matthew Church for a day of fellowship and Mass celebrated by Monsignor John McSweeney. The program starts at 10 a.m.

Cost is $15 per person and includes lunch. For details, call Sandra Breakfield at 704-370-3220 or Sherill Beason at 704-370-3228.

The 29th annual Spring Fling is sponsored by Catholic Charities’ Elder Ministry Office.

Pro-life vigil planned for April 25 CHARLOTTE — Helpers of God’s Precious Infants Charlotte Chapter will have a Procession for Life Saturday, April 25. All are welcome.

It will begin at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, located at 1400 Suther Road in Charlotte, with Mass offered by Father Jason Christian, parochial vicar. The prayer vigil will be held starting at 11 a.m. outside A Preferred Women’s Health Center, located at 3220 Latrobe Dr. in Charlotte. For those who do not wish to go to the abortion mill, there will be

Eucharistic Adoration with Exposition after Mass and continuing while the group prays at the abortion mill. After the conclusion of prayers at the clinic (about 30-35 minutes) participants will return to the church for Benediction and dismissal. For details, go to www.charlottehelpers.com.

OUR PARISHESI

11

for Easter. So the parish delivered two Easter baskets to Mary McKelvy Brown, St. Philip’s faith formation director, to give away to a needy boy and girl. Jones is the daughter of Greg and Denise Jones of Statesville.

— Lisa Artuso Stafford

Students of the Eskwelahang Munti graduate

St. Matthew parishioners help others at Easter CHARLOTTE — Parishioners at St. Matthew Church recently donated 90 bins full of Easter holiday food items and day-to-day foods, including cereal, to benefit local refugee families and select food pantry clients being served through Catholic Charities’ Charlotte regional office. Families also received a gift card to use at the store for meats and perishable items. St. Matthew Girl Scout Junior Troop members also made up approximately 175 Easter baskets for Catholic Charities to distribute to local children.

— Kathleen Durkin

Easter basket raffle winner helps out

Discern religious life with the Poor Clares CHARLOTTE — All high school and collegeaged young women interested in learning more about life with the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration are invited to the community’s FIAT Discernment Day from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 16, at St. Ann Church in Charlotte. The day will include Eucharistic Adoration, confession, Mass, breakfast, talks with the Poor Clare nuns and question-andanswer time. The event is free, but please RSVP to vocations@stjosephmonastery.com by May 4.

CHARLOTTE — The multi-generational students of the Eskwelahang Munti, pictured with their teachers and staff, recently celebrated graduation in Charlotte. The Eskwelahang Munti, literally translated as “the little school,” aims to teach Philippine culture, language, history and religion to FilipinoAmerican students and interested adults in the Charlotte area. The school has been supported in the past by a generous grant from the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte.

— Dr. Cris Villapando

CCDOC.ORG

STATESVILLE — St. Philip the Apostle parishioner Alyssa Jones was excited to win a recent Easter basket raffle from the Catholic Daughters of America, but decided that she wanted to put together an Easter basket for another little girl who might not get a basket

Celebrate Spring

Join us for the 29th Annual Spring Fling Catholic Charities invites senior adults from across the diocese to join us for fun and fellowship at the 29th Annual Spring Fling days in Charlotte. Come reconnect with friends, while meeting new ones, in a daylong experience where you can learn about health information that could transform your life. Build upon your faith, while enjoying exciting activities and performances, creating wonderful memories and friendships.

Tuesday, May 19 - St. Matthew Catholic Church 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28277 High Cholesterol

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

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

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 OUR PARISHES

RFRA: FROM PAGE 3

beliefs excuse him from compliance with an otherwise valid law prohibiting conduct that the state is free to regulate.’’

Lower courts ruled that Smith and Black had been unfairly denied unemployment benefits and that the state’s ban on the use of peyote in religious ceremonies violated First Amendment religious rights protections. The Supreme Court said the First Amendment protects religious beliefs from government regulation, but that laws may legitimately interfere with religious practices. Cited was

the example of an 1879 ruling that upheld bans on the then-common practice of polygamy among Mormons.

Within weeks in 1990, religious leaders were testifying before Congress about the need to pass a law that fixed what was seen as the Supreme Court’s undermining of the prevailing legal status of religious rights. The first few versions of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act failed to get out of Congress, as supporters of some sort of a bill disagreed vehemently about whether the proposals on the table would actually cause more harm.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops argued that the first RFRA would “pit religious groups and individuals against one another in disputes over a variety of social and educational programs as well as

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The Te Deum Foundation

tax-exempt status.” Mark Chopko, thengeneral counsel for the bishops’ conference, said in testimony to Congress that the bill “was intended to include religiously based abortion claims,” a point acknowledged by those involved in drafting the bill.

It took until 1993 for a negotiated version of RFRA to be passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

Then the Supreme Court weighed in. In 1997 in one of the first cases to reach the court that tested RFRA, the court ruled against a Texas Catholic church that had sought protection under RFRA from a local historic preservation ordinance that blocked the parish’s plan to tear down an old church to expand worship space. The ruling struck down RFRA as it applies to

all entities except the federal government.

In response, states began passing versions of RFRA that would apply to state and local governments. Today 31 states, including South Carolina and Virginia, have their own versions of RFRA either through legislative or judicial action.

Those laws and how they were applied attracted little attention until the Supreme Court based its March 2014 ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby in part on the federal RFRA. In that 5-4 ruling, the court said Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties need not comply with a federal mandate to include a full range of contraceptives in employee health insurance. Both companies’ Christian owners had objected to having to cover contraception in the government’s requirement in the Affordable Care Act. The court said the federal government could have chosen ways to provide uniform access to contraceptives that were less of an infringement on religious rights.

It said under RFRA, such “closely held” companies can assert religious views that protect them from the mandate.

Seventeen states including North Carolina introduced legislation this year to establish their own version of RFRA or change their existing law.

By the time Indiana’s legislature took up its version of RFRA, those concerned about a whole range of issues – notably access to services related to weddings for samesex couples – had begun to consider what types of claims might be made under the protection of RFRA laws. Indiana’s original version of RFRA, for instance, broadened the definition of when it would apply to include disputes that do not involve any government entity.

— Catholic News Service, National Conference of State Legislatures

CCDOC.ORG

Cordially invites you to attend a Mass in honor of

Our Lady of Fatima May 13, 2015 Cathedral of Saint Patrick 1621 Dilworth Road, East Charlotte, NC 28203

Homilist – Reverend Paul M. Buchanan Rosary – 5:30 pm Mass – 6:00 pm Fundraising Dinner – 7:00 pm In the Family Life Center

(Dinner $50 per person. Please RSVP)

336-765-1815

For more information: tedeumfoundation@gmail.com

Licensed Professional Counselor Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte is seeking a part-time Licensed Professional Counselor to provide outpatient professional services to adults, couples and adolescents in the Charlotte Regional Office.

Interested applicants must possess a Masters Degree in Behavioral Science with licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor or Masters Degree in Social Work with licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of North Carolina. A strong clinical skill, the ability to work independently and manage a diverse case load is a must. Position requires fluency in spoken and written English, strong writing skills and intermediate computer and technology skills. Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply. The position requires 20 hours per week including evening hours.

Cover letter and resume must be submitted electronically to: sbluc@charlottediocese.org by April 30, 2015.

No telephone calls, please.

You are the

very hands of

Jesus

in the World.

Catholic Charities Awareness Week April 26 - May 2, 2015

Strengthening Families.

Building Communities.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte invites you to partner with the agency and support Catholic Charities Awareness Winston-Salem Week from April 26 to May 2, 2015. The five offices Greensboro of Catholic Charities serve more than 18,000 people across the 46 counties in the western half of North Carolina.

Asheville Charlotte We sincerely thank all of our Murphy volunteers, donors, parishes, community partners, and all other supporters who make the work that we do each year possible.

Please visit the agency website at ccdoc.org and follow us on social media to learn more about the efforts of Catholic Charities to strengthen families, build communities, and reduce poverty across the diocese.

CCDOC.ORG

Reducing Poverty.

Asheville 50 Orange Street Asheville, NC 28801 828.255.0146 Charlotteâ&#x20AC;¨ 1123 S. Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203 704.370.3262 Greensboro 2311 W. Cone Blvd., Suite 145 Greensboro, NC 27408 336.288.1984 Murphy 27 Hatchett Street Murphy, NC 28906 828.835.3535 Winston-Salem 627 W. 2nd Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336.727.0705

Catholic Charit E

very year Catholic Charities works tirelessly to help people transform their lives. Families and individuals we serve come from all walks of life and different backgrounds, across race, creed and socioeconomic status. Here are just some of the lives Catholic Catholics reached this year: Robin and Angela had been homeless for a number of years, seeking shelter in an abandoned building. Catholic Charities More online helped them apply for subsidized housing and provided the basics for their home. “There’s nothing like having a key,” At www.

Angela said. “Makes you feel like you’re a part of society, that ccdoc.org/ you’re a human being.” videos: Catholic Charities also helped the couple take a finance Watch more management class. “I’m never going back out into the streets stories from again… We finally graduated. I’ve never finished anything real clients before,” chuckled Robin. “I’m going to do what it takes to keep my bed so I can lay down. It can only get better.”

Josh and Christina’s marriage was hanging by a thread. Stress from limited resources and three special-needs children drove them apart. Material assistance with additional links to other community services helped lessen the financial stress.

“If it wasn’t for Catholic Charities, we would have been evicted and living on the streets now,” explained John.

Affordable counseling helped them resolve personal conflicts and learn more effective ways to communicate. “We’re doing a lot better now. We’re not bumping heads like we used to,” Christina added.

Mamie had not spoken to anyone in over a month. Lonely and depressed, she came to the food pantry. That encounter brought hugs, tears and new hope. Catholic Charities connected Mamie with Senior Services so she could have a CNA come to her home and found companions for her for Thanksgiving. Mamie had been alone for the past seven Thanksgivings!

“I probably would still be sitting behind closed doors to this day, lonely and crying,” reflected Mamie, “but I don’t have to be alone as long as Catholic Charities is there… I received counseling, food, clothing, even bedding. I was treated so generously.”

Catholic Charities, with the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte, helps people change their lives!

Services in action for 2014 723 senior adults attended programs for fellowship, prayer and faith renewal.

94 at-risk youth worked to create or restore health family relationships and resolve crises through individual and family counseling.

485 couples attended Marriage Preparation and Natural Family Planning classes.

1,745 counseling sessions served 246 people.

51 teen mothers learned parenting skills, continued their education and set career goals.

3 food pantries served 418,441 pounds of food and supplies to 15,447 people.

Volunteers

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. Last year, 258 volunteers provided 19,624 hours of service to Catholic Charities people. Thank you!

ties Week 2015 ‘You are the very hands of Jesus in the world.

Your witness helps change the course of many people, many families and many communities.

You are the engine of the Church that’s responsible for the Church’s love, or caritas. You set the pace for the Church to be present in the world, day in and day out.’

Pope Francis

Address to the Catholic Charities USA Gathering in Charlotte, Oct. 5, 2014

You, the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte, are also the hands of Jesus! Through your support, you are Catholic Charities in this community. The agency is strong in its outreach because of the support of the bishop, clergy, parishes and individuals. Last year the Diocesan Support Appeal and individual contributions raised $3,169,005 for Catholic Charities.

342 refugees were resettled, from 15 countries.

910 refugees benefited from employment services, afterschool mentoring, case management and transportation assistance.

1,567 individuals enjoyed holiday assistance (food and/ or gifts).

490 families found relief with direct financial assistance.

344 legal immigration services were provided.

56 families received pregnancy support and adoption services.

109 people without means were buried with dignity.

258 volunteers provided 19,624 hours of service.

s across the Diocese of Charlotte. Their dedication made possible a number of life-transforming services to more than 18,000

PREGNANCY SUPPORT – Charlotte Renea grew up in a low-income family with no guidance, encouragement or emotional support. She was pregnant at 15, homeless for three years, and was expecting her fourth child when she came to Catholic Charities.

“I felt really alone, depressed, weighted down. I want to do all these things for my children, but I have not a clue how to get there… The emotional support and encouragement turned my world completely around. It is not chaos and confusion anymore. I wake up with a purpose now. I am upbeat.”

COUNSELING – Winston-Salem Jane inquired about counseling at her parish and was referred to Catholic Charities.

“I can’t go on like this,” she had said to herself.

She took things too personally, always assuming that whatever happened was her fault. She became overwhelmed. ”There comes a point where you want to change yourself, but you don’t know how,” she explains.

At Catholic Charities she found the encouragement, support and the tools she needed to move forward. Perhaps more importantly, she found the strength. Within the past 10 months her sister was diagnosed with cancerous tumors throughout her body, her father died, and her mother’s health has seriously deteriorated.

As she looks after her mother in the nursing home, Jane knows she has found strength she did not know she had.

“Darlene (Catholic Charities counselor) has helped me believe in myself and helped me become a much better me. And I am still growing.”

REFUGEE ASSISTANCE – Asheville Tetiana, her husband, and two sons came to the United States from Ukraine. Though Ukraine was their home country, they were taunted and persecuted for their Christian faith. “I didn’t want my children (to live) like this,” explained Tetiana.

But life is very different in the United States.

Though a certified nurse in Ukraine, Tetiana had to enroll in nursing school to gain her U.S. certification.

“Everything is different here;” Tetiana explains, “but Catholic Charities helped us with communication, with what to do, and where to go.”

Living in North Carolina now for four years, Tetiana shares that they are happy. She is in a nursing program, her husband has a good job, and the boys are well established in school. The family is building their new life with opportunity and religious freedom. They are grateful.

FOOD PANTRY AND MATERIAL ASSISTANCE – Charlotte J. Todd: “I first came here (to Catholic Charities) when my roommate and I came to Charlotte, and the jobs we were promised fell through. We were both looking for new jobs, had run out of food, had run out of gasoline. The first time I came here, we were both actually in tears because we were in such need, and the people here were so great. It saved us basically….We are both employed now.”

Catholic Charities Week 2015 Catholic Charities Week 2015 Visual Art Contest winners

Elementary School

1st Place: “Feed the Hungry” by Will Creter, fifth grade, St. Mark School 2nd Place (tie): “Food Collection Basket” by second-grade class, St. Leo School 2nd Place (tie): “A Collage Poster” by Bayes, Andrew, Cameron, Ben, Heiser, Diagle and Lind, fourth grade, St. Matthew School

Middle School

1st Place: “Works of Mercy” by sixth-grade class, St. Leo School 2nd Place: “Homeless, Please Help Me” by JoJo Minton, eighth grade, Holy Trinity Middle School 3rd Place: “Don’t Be Cruel” by Presley Sherwood, eighth grade, St. Mark School

High School

1st Place: “Caritas” by Olivia Prevost, ninth grade, home school 2nd Place: “I Want Change” by Kelly King, Bishop McGuinness High School 3rd Place: “Cityscape with Fence” by Cecilia Kammire, Bishop McGuinness High School

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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VESTING PRAYERS: FROM PAGE 2

vestments for Mass. The bluntness of the prayer is most appropriate.

This prayer is not asking the Lord for strength that we priests might wipe away any stain. The intent of the syntax here is that it is the Lord, in providing His own strength, who will Himself wipe away all stain. It is our Lord’s action which enables the priest to serve Him without filthiness of mind and body.

The inescapable implication is that, for all priests without exception, there will indeed be plenty of filthiness of mind and body if we are without the grace of the Lord. This is, of course, true for all of us. It is refreshing to see an openness to growing in this humility in the priest who will be acting in the very Person of Christ during the consecrations at Mass. Instead of making the priest non-credible, we are happy to see him receiving the instruction inherent in this prayer.

Hands are mentioned in particular since hands are what we use to do something. We’ve all crucified the Son of the living God with our sins. That affects our minds and rots our bodies to death. We priests, in all our sin and impurity of intention or any other kind of stain of sin, are utterly unworthy to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Person of Christ, for He is all holy, all good.

This prayer is a confession of sin, offered with running water. This brings to mind what our baptism (cleansing) is all about, what our Lord’s baptism is all about. Our baptism is much like that offered by St. John the Baptist, which was unto the remission of sin. People went down under the waters confessing their sins, telling God that they deserved death for having enslaved each other in sin, and deserved death by drowning more than the horsemen and charioteers of Pharaoh deserved death in the Red Sea at the Exodus for having enslaved the children of Abraham. Humble repentance at this baptism of John would be met with the grace of the Lord, who called them to repentance. Our own baptisms were a step beyond John’s baptism, being also a sacrament, calling on the grace of the Lord Jesus of the Most Holy Trinity directly.

When Jesus submitted to the baptism of John, He wasn’t saying that He was a sinner, that He perceived Himself as a sinner, that He wanted to be perceived as a sinner, or that He just did this because everyone else was doing it. Rather, Jesus went down into the waters to say to His heavenly Father that He wanted to be treated as if He were the worst sinner ever, the one who enslaved all of us in sin, from Adam until the end of time, though in all actuality He remained entirely innocent.

Jesus was begging His Father that He might take on the death we deserve because of sin, thus having the vicarious right in all justice to have mercy on us from the cross: Father, forgive them!

All of this is what the priest calls to mind as he washes his hands and says this prayer. What a great way to prepare for the offering of the Sacred Mysteries. The Lord’s grace makes us, who are otherwise lost to filthiness, worthy to act in His Person, saying: This is my body, given for you in sacrifice, my blood poured out for you in sacrifice…

Padre Pio’s vision comes to mind. As he was exiting the sacristy and entering the sanctuary to offer Holy Mass, the Lord showed him all the priests who at that moment were offering Holy Mass and were unworthy to do so, filthy in every way. He was terribly frightened, stopping dead in his tracks. Would that we would have the purity of mind and the agility of soul to see what our Lord Himself saw from the cross in drawing us to Himself. Would that we priests and bishops would help each other and pray for each other, in all our fragility, so that we might know the majestic gift that we’ve been given with our ordination. Pray for priests!

Father George David Byers is the administrator of Holy Redeemer Parish in Andrews.

Photos by sueann howell | catholic news herald

Bishop Peter Jugis processes with the Blessed Sacrament in the Eucharistic Procession at Belmont Abbey April 11. More than 900 youth from around western North Carolina participated in the annual youth pilgrimage.

PILGRIMAGE: FROM PAGE 5

all called to on the way to heaven, our vocations: marriage, single life, religious life or the priesthood. “Jesus is the Way for all of these vocations. He calls us to holiness in this world, each according to our own vocation,” he explained.

The youth also heard an inspiring homily from Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey during the morning’s Mass, drawing from the Gospel reading from Mark 16:9-15 which highlights the unbelief of the disciples.

“We can’t take our faith for granted,” Abbot Placid said.

“We can relate to the disciples who had a hard time believing.

It is hard at times to believe.

“If we’re going to believe, it takes effort, time and attention.”

What is amazing for us today in the Gospel account, Abbot Placid continued, is that after Jesus chides His disciples for not believing, He then directs them: ‘Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel.’

“He gives them the mission to go out and proclaim the Good News. We have all of us heard the Gospel this morning, so Jesus said it to you and to me as clearly as He said it to the Eleven. We are the ones who have been sent. Anyone who has been baptized has been sent to go out into the whole world and tell the Good News.”

Keynote speaker Father Patrick Winslow, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, shared his own experiences as a young man and how he came to be a priest after asking, “And then what?”

Father Winslow said as a young man he asked himself what he wanted out of life and after each step he took, “what then?”

He realized that we all die and he wanted to understand what path he could take that leads to eternal life, trusting in the

words of Jesus: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

He encouraged the youth to “choose your paths carefully!

Walk then with Christ. All other ways are dead ends.”

Event organizer Mary Kate Reid, a senior at Belmont Abbey College who helped lead the team of 63 student volunteers, said this year’s pilgrimage gave her a feeling of great peace.

This is her third and last year for spearheading the retreat because she is graduating soon.

“It’s my passion, it’s the best part of my whole year,” Reid said.

“I pray and work all year for this. It’s amazing to see it come together. I know it’s not about me. It’s about God. It’s humbling.

“Today the vibe has been peace. That’s what I hope they take away from this, that they open their hearts to encounter Christ today if they haven’t already.”

Youth who attended the event were jubilant, especially those from St. Joseph Church in Asheboro.

“I came to listen, to learn,” said high school sophomore Yanka Castro. “It’s good to be with people my age to grow in our faith.”

Parent volunteer Jeanna Sequoya, from St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin, brought her two teens to the pilgrimage.

It was her first time attending the youth pilgrimage. “It gives children hope,” she said. “I hope they get a sense of belonging.”

First-time attendee John Tastinger II, also from St. Francis of Assisi Parish, is a seventh-grader who said he “came to have a good time, to see all the people in the diocese. I like how excited and happy all the people are!”

In his closing remarks, Bishop Jugis reminded the youth that “For us the Eucharist is the Way, the Truth and the Life because here is Jesus. The Eucharist is the way to holiness; He is really present, He is our pattern of holiness. Jesus in the Eucharist is the Truth; ‘My Flesh is true food and My Blood is true drink.’ Jesus in the Eucharist is Life: ‘I am the Living Bread who came down from Heaven and whoever eats this Bread will live forever. I am Eternal Life.’

“What more could you want? Jesus is everything. Jesus is your Way, your Truth, your Life.”

facebook.com/ catholic news HERALD ESPAÑOL

catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 18

Jorge Morel

Conquistar familias para Cristo

E

l ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte dirigido por Carlos Castañeda y la Comunidad Pueblo de Dios, dirigida por un servidor, Jorge Morel, han iniciado este gran proyecto de evangelización que incluye a toda la familia.

Nuestro propósito es enfocarnos en aquella parte que muchos han olvidado: La familia.

Tenemos que estar conscientes que si la familia está sana, también tendremos una sociedad sana. Si en la familia se vive el amor y el perdón, también tendremos una sociedad con más amor y respeto. Si en la familia enseñamos valores familiares, sociales, religiosos y culturales, obtendremos como resultado una sociedad más culta, respetuosa y más arraigada a la fe y la caridad.

Nuestra evangelización tiene como propósito no solamente llevar un mensaje o una información a las familias, sino también incluirlas en este gran proyecto que sana, salva y libera. Si Cristo es el centro de la familia, tendremos un mundo nuevo guiado por el Espíritu Santo y sumergido en el amor y el temor de Dios.

La responsabilidad de la educación de nuestros hijos, y el cuidado del mismo no depende en todo de los gobiernos en curso, sino que es responsabilidad total de los padres. Los gobiernos ofrecen espacios, medios, normas cívicas entre otras posibilidades educativas para el bien funcionamiento de los miembros que integran l sociedad pero los valores, el amor, el respeto parte del seno familiar.

Es por esto que hemos decidido iniciar con este proyecto de evangelización llamado Asamblea Familiar. Esta asamblea se realizará una vez al mes, y congregará a todas las familias de las diferentes comunidades. Nuestra primera Asamblea Familiar será el Sábado, 2 de Mayo desde las 5:30 de la tarde en la Escuela Católica Media de Holy Trinity en la Park Rd. en la Ciudad de Charlotte. Este encuentro contiene un programa muy ameno desarrollado por etapas y que será de gran gozo para los asistentes. Tanto los jóvenes como los niños tendrán sorpresas, y se ha diseñado un programa especialmente pensando en ellos, pero que también incluirá la participación de los adultos.

Tendremos como invitados especiales a la Dra. Anayanet Jaquez, predicadora Católica de la República Dominicana, y graduada en teología y nutrióloga. Pertenece a la Comunidad Pueblo de Dios. El evento contará además con la presencia de Adrián Portes, cantante católica de la República Dominicana, y la Banda de Jorge Morel. También habrá varias sorpresas para los jóvenes y niños.

Formalmente invitamos a todas las comunidades y familias de la diócesis a participar de este encuentro. El evento es gratis y todos están invitados.

Este encuentro no está dirigido a una parroquia en particular, ni a un solo grupo, sino a todas las familias y a todo aquel que quiera asistir. Ve y no faltes, pues Dios ha reservado grandes cosas para ti y los tuyos en este día. Tú estás llamado a ser ese canal de bendición y paz para tu familia. Únete a este proyecto de conquistar familias para Cristo.

Los esperamos.

Recuerda que, si la familia está sana, la sociedad estará fuera de peligro.

Jorge Morel, cantante católico de la Republica Dominicana, es miembro de la Comunidad Pueblo de Dios y asiste a la Parroquia de San Marcos en Huntersville.

Fotos por TIM REID | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(Arriba) El Padre José Juya, coordinador del Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Gastonia, y el Padre Dean Cesa, Parroco de Santa Juana de Arco en Candler, y algunos de los sacerdotes que concelebraron la Misa con el Padre Juya. (Derecha arriba) Foto a los pies del altar de Mons.

Romero y el difunto Padre Jesuita, Rutilio Grande, quien fue un gran amigo de Mons. (Debajo) Algunos de los jóvenes bailando una danza típica salvadoreña durante la celebración después de la Misa.

Parroquia de Santa Juana de Arco celebra Misa de 35 aniversario del martirio del Arzobispo Romero CANDLER — La Parroquia de Santa Juana de Arco en Candler celebró una Misa en honor del 35 aniversario del martirio de Monseñor Oscar Romero el pasado 24 de Marzo. Una gran cantidad de hispanos y también miembros de la comunidad anglo de varias parroquias del Vicariato de Asheville asistieron a esta gran celebración.

Mons. Romero fue asesinado en El Salvador celebrando la Santa Misa el 24 de Marzo de 1980. El Arzobispo Romero fue un gran defensor de los derechos humanos en El Salvador y condenó la violencia del gobierno salvadoreño en contra de los pobres y los indefensos durante la guerra civil de El Salvador durante la década de los 70s.

“Monseñor Romero luchó por la justicia social,” dijo Virgilio Márquez, salvadoreño quien asistió a la Misa con su esposa Vilma. “El Arzobispo Oscar Romero era mi héroe. Su vida es un ejemplo a seguir para todos nosotros,” dijo Vilma Márquez.

El Padre José Antonio Juya, vicario de la Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel en Gastonia, fue el celebrante principal. El Padre Juya dijo a los presentes que él conoció a Mons. Romero a principios de la década de los setenta cuando estaba haciendo su noviciado religioso en la ciudad de San Salvador, El Salvador con los Padres Somascos. El Padre Juya exhortó a la comunidad hispana a no solo celebrar la vida de Mons. Romero, sino también a que hicieran el compromiso de luchar por la justicia social como miembros de la Iglesia.

“A mí me impactó tanto su martirio (Romero) porque fue una muestra tan grande de su generosidad; su

entrega de amor por los pobres y desprotegidos. Oscar Romero fue un defensor de la vida,” dijo el Padre Juya en una entrevista después de la Misa.

El Padre Dean Cesa, Párroco de Santa Juana de Arco; el Padre Wilbur Thomas y el Padre Morris Boyd, de la Basílica de San Lorenzo en Asheville y el Padre John Pagel de Hendersonville concelebraron la Misa con el Padre Juya.

Músicos y cantantes de todas las parroquias del vicariato, incluyendo también de la Iglesia de St. Margaret Mary, St. Eugene y San Barnabas participaron en la celebración.

La celebración fue organizada por Antonio García, Coordinador del Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Asheville. Después de la Misa, los participantes se reunieron en el salón parroquial para una celebración de gala con música, bailes folclóricos y comida salvadoreña.

“Nuestra meta era la de celebrar nuestra cultura salvadoreña también,” dijo García.

“El mensaje claro está que (Mons. Romero) fue, y es un profeta de nuestro tiempo, quien nos hace abrir los ojos, y a la vez nos invita a tomar decisiones concretas para seguir a Cristo. De cómo defender la vida, y cómo ser profeta en este tiempo tan vulnerable, donde a veces el miedo no nos deja predicar el mensaje de Jesucristo como debe ser,” dijo el Padre Juya. “Sé que hoy por hoy, Monseñor Romero sigue siendo un mentor a seguir en nuestra misión evangelizadora en América Latina y entre nosotros también.”

— Tim Reid and Rico De Silva

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Fotos por Rico De Silva | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(De Izquierda a derecha) Poster de todos los expositores de la serie “Caminando hacia Pentecostés,” que adorna el vestíbulo de la Parroquia de San Juan Neumann en Charlotte. Las conferencias son todos los lunes a las 6:30 pm durante la temporada de Pascua. (Centro) Algunos de los participantes de la conferencia del 13 de Abril alabando al Espíritu Santo. (Derecha) Jorge Morel, que fue el expositor el 13 de Abril, llamando la presencia del Espíritu Santo, con su música al final de su charla.

‘Caminando hacia Pentecostés’ comienza en la Parroquia de San Juan Neumann Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Cerca de unas 40 personas asistieron al segundo taller de “Vida en el Espíritu” en la Parroquia de San Juan Neumann en Charlotte, el pasado Lunes, 13 de Abril. El cantante dominicano, Jorge Morel fue el expositor esa noche. El taller fue el segundo de la serie titulada, “Caminando hacia Pentecostés,” que continuará celebrándose en la Iglesia de San Juan Neumann todos los Lunes a las 6:30 pm durante la época de Pascua. La serie culminará el Domingo, 24 de Mayo, Domingo de Pentecostés, con el predicador carismático, Doctor Carlos Barillas en esa parroquia.

El músico dominicano exhortó a los presentes a imitar a los Apóstoles y perseverar en la unidad de acuerdo al Libro

de los Hechos de los Apóstoles, “Cuando nosotros estemos unidos preparándonos, deseando lo que los Apóstoles estaban deseando. Ellos se reunieron con el deseo de recibir la promesa que Cristo les había hecho; que era el Espíritu Santo,” dijo Morel a los presentes.

La idea fue una iniciativa en conjunto entre la Renovación Carismática, Caminando con Jesús y Maria, de la Iglesia de San Juan Neumann, y el Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte, por medio de Carlos Castañeda, Coordinador del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

Además del músico Jorge Morel, otros de los expositores serán el Padre Felipe Scarcella, Párroco de Nuestra Sra. de la Asunción en Charlotte; el Padre Gabriel CarvajalSalazar, Vicario de la Iglesia de San Gabriel en Charlotte; Carlos Castañeda, Coordinador del Ministerio Hispano

de la Diócesis de Charlotte. También, el Padre Fidel Melo, Vicario Diocesano del Ministerio Hispano, inauguró la serie con la primera charla el Lunes, 6 de Abril.

El Dr. Barillas vendrá desde Nueva York para hacer el cierre de la Vida en el Espíritu, con la unción del Espíritu Santo la noche del Domingo, 24 de Mayo en esa parroquia.

“Charlotte es una ciudad que ha crecido mucho en los últimos años en nuestra hispanidad… Nosotros los Hispanos hemos ido creciendo y nuestra Iglesia Católica se ha ido fortaleciendo en Charlotte. Entonces, es importante que nuestra Iglesia Católica en diversos grupos apostólicos crezcamos y seamos siempre fuertes. Porque acá en el Sur, los Bautistas y otros Hermanos Separados, son muy fuertes y tenemos que fortalecernos espiritualmente con este tipo de seminarios,” concluyó Antonio Ferrufino de la Renovación Carismática de St. John Neumann.

“Everything we needed in terms of our faith was right here.”

—Joe and Helen Drozd, Pennybyrn residents

This beautiful community captures the heart and soul of the Catholic faith.

“We looked at a number of communities,” says Helen Drozd, “and came to see Pennybyrn because it was Catholic. As soon as we arrived we realized it was where we wanted to be.”

The Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God founded what would later become Pennybyrn at Maryfield. Today, Mass is celebrated daily, two Catholic chapels grace the community and several retired priests reside here. “We feel this is holy ground,” says Helen.

“We were also looking for a continuum of care,” noted Joe, “because my mother had been living with us, and she needed a higher level of care.” Pennybyrn allowed the three of them to move to the community together. “Joe’s mom had probably the best three years of her life here,” says Helen.

Pennybyrn’s location is ideal for the couple. They appreciate the amenities, and love the ambiance and beauty of the 71-acre campus, with its well-kept grounds and winding paths. “I attend swimming classes, and Joe uses the fitness center,” says Helen. “There are concerts and activities all the time, and at dinnertime we have our choice of venues, with a friendly wait staff and an expansive menu.”

“We chose to move to Pennybyrn because it simply felt unlike any other community we visited,” says Helen.

Call 336-821-4050 to receive the popular Planning Guide for Seniors or details about one of our Discover Pennybyrn events.

Where retirement living takes on a whole new spirit.

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

109 Penny Road • High Point, NC 27260 www.PennybyrnAtMaryfield.org Located less than a mile from downtown Jamestown and only 10 minutes from Greensboro. All faiths welcome.

CODE

Our schools 20

catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Charlotte Catholic Foundation fundraiser a success CHARLOTTE — A record-breaking $34,000 was raised in corporate donations by the Charlotte Catholic High School Foundation during its annual gala fundraiser March 7, this year moved to The Fillmore at the N.C. Music Factory. Nearly 350 people attended the annual fundraiser to benefit Charlotte Catholic High School.

A quintet of Charlotte Catholic High School student musicians played on The Fillmore stage before dinner. The school’s art students provided pottery that helped decorate the tables. The artwork was fired in the school’s kiln that was paid for by the foundation through proceeds from galas past. The night was capped off with a concert put on by “Dead Man’s Banjo,” comprised of Charlotte Catholic alumni and parents.

“What a wonderful opportunity for the Charlotte Catholic community to get together,” said Charlotte Catholic’s Principal Kurt Telford.

“I was very proud of the CCHS students who represented us well with their music and artistic talents.”

Over that past 10 years the foundation event has raised nearly $2 million to fund scholarships, teacher grants, classroom technologies and campus improvements at Charlotte Catholic.

“We just want to thank everyone who donated their time, their talents and their money. They are the ones who made the night a success,” said Foundation President Cindy Grim. “They all do it because they want the best for their children and they believe in Charlotte

Catholic High School. We’re just happy the foundation can play a role in supporting both.”

— Sally McArdle

Mathis named semi-finalist in national scholarship CHARLOTTE — Thomas Mathis IV, a senior at Charlotte Catholic High School, has been named a semi-finalist in the 46th annual national Washington Crossing Foundation Scholarship competition. The awards are granted for the best all-around presentations including an explanation of why a student is planning a career in government service.

Inaugurated in 1969, the scholarships honor the Mathis 60-plus years of dedicated service to the nation by the late author-historian Ann Hawkes Hutton. The program seeks to find, identify and encourage young people to enter government service with the same sense of dedication and service demonstrated

by George Washington and his soldiers who, under the most adverse of conditions, crossed the Delaware on Christmas night in 1776 to win the Battle of Trenton and turn the tide in the American Revolution.

OLG student participates in bee GREENSBORO — Riley Russell recently represented Our Lady of Grace School at the state level of the National Geographic School Bee. After going through many rounds of competition with her schoolmates, Russell was invited to compete in Charlotte by the National Geographic Society based on her written test score.

Only the top 100 schools in North Carolina were included in this competition.

Russell, who is in eighth grade, was accompanied to the bee by her teacher Marlene Mode and by her Russell parents, Chris and Heather Russell.

— Lori Eanes

St. Leo students visit Washington, D.C. WINSTON-SALEM — Eighth-graders from St. Leo School visited Washington, D.C., this month, including a stop at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

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

photo provided by Ellen Deem

St. Matthew School first-graders in Charlotte interact with children in Uganda via Skype on March 23. Ellen Deem and her 21 students are raising $300 to help the orphans in the CHAT program.

St. Matthew first-graders help Ugandan orphans through CHAT SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — In this age of Skype, Twitter and Facebook, some of the youngest students at St. Matthew School are reaching out to help orphans in Uganda while learning what it means to be global citizens.

Students in Ellen Deem’s first-grade class at St. Matthew School in Charlotte are now forging friendships and helping Ugandan students through CHAT (Care and Hope through Adoption of Technology). This Canadian charity uses digital technology and social media to educate people around the world about the needs of orphaned children in Uganda in hopes of raising resources and awareness.

According to its web site, CHAT is a collaborative network of individual donors and students at more than 45 North American schools. Using entrepreneurial models, the students essentially own and operate a small orphans’ home in Kampala, Uganda.

They review the annual budget, find innovative solutions to problems (such as e-readers and solar chargers), fund everything from rent to school fees, and pursue a goal of long-term sustainability.

The students also create monthly learning resources to share their projects and information about Uganda – including learning about the children themselves, the local language, math and currency, and soil science. They even pay the monthly salary of a live-in certified Ugandan teacher to help them with homework, tutoring and household tasks.

The St. Matthew students had their first Skype meeting with the children in Uganda in February.

“Seeing the smiles of the CHAT House children, hearing their answers to our

Learn more about CHAT At www.chattothefuture.org: Get more information about CHAT. You can also find them on Facebook at “CHAT to the Future.”

questions, and seeing their joy in action was life-changing for me,” Deem said. “I am reminded of why I became a teacher.

I want every child to have the same hope my parents gave me by telling me the story of the Gospel. Jesus has walked with me every step of my life, and I want all children to have that gift – (the) hope that only Christ can give.”

CHAT organizers believe that in order to create a lasting bond and encourage student engagement, each school participates in a live Skype session with the 17 orphaned children in Uganda at least three times per year.

Besides the live discussions, Deem’s students are also helping to raise money for the orphanage.

“They asked for a very small amount of money: $300 over the course of the school year,” Deem said. “That’s such a small amount, and we’re doing it.”

The hope of CHAT is that by learning about and connecting to another nation and 17 orphans who were rescued from poverty and illiteracy, students around the world will develop a greater appreciation for their own opportunities and that inaccurate stereotypes about life in Africa will be eradicated.

“I know as my first-graders get to know these children better, they will see how Jesus’ love for all of us connects us. They will see that His love for us is the only thing that matters,” Deem said.

Mix

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Maria enlists a California attorney (Ryan Reynolds) to make her case and also gains the backing of a nosy investigative reporter (Daniel Bruhl). A valuable history lesson about wartime atrocities, manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inhumanity to man, and the nature of justice, the film can be recommended for mature teens. Scenes of wartime violence, a few instances each of profane and crude language.

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

In Brief

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Danny Collinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Woman in Goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; A true story involving artwork stolen by the Nazis during World War II provides the basis for this intriguing dramatization, directed by Simon Curtis.

The lady of the title is, in fact, the 1907 masterpiece â&#x20AC;&#x153;Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer Iâ&#x20AC;? by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). Decades after it and a trio of Klimtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other paintings were confiscated from its Jewish subjectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relatives in Vienna, her now-elderly niece, Maria (Helen Mirren), is determined that right should prevail and the purloined items be returned.

Al Pacino plays the aging rock star of the title in writer-director Dan Fogelmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flat, vaguely factbased blend of comedy and drama. Bereft at his failure to live up to the model of a true artist, a dereliction highlighted by the belated arrival of a 40-year-old letter to him penned by ex-Beatle John Lennon, the boozing, cocaine-sniffing singer dumps his cheating girlfriend (Katarina Cas), and sets out on a timehonored Hollywood-style odyssey of self-discovery and redemption. As he finds an age-appropriate companion (Annette Bening) who doubles as his moral compass, he also reconnects with his estranged adult son (Bobby Cannavale). Fogelmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s script has nothing new to say about the corrosive effects of fame and vast wealth, while its saccharine dialogue will likely set viewersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; teeth on edge. Brief upper female nudity, a scene of drug use, a few instances of profanity, fleeting crude and crass language.

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

Additional reviews: n â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Longest Rideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13 n â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Furious 7â&#x20AC;&#x2122;: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13 n â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It Followsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: CNS: 0 (morally offensive); MPAA: R

n Friday, April 24, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fire of His Love: Prayer and the Spirit.â&#x20AC;? Father Robert Barron explores the different types of prayer: contemplation, adoration, petition and intercession. n Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m. (EWTN) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saint Barbara.â&#x20AC;? A cinematic look at St. Barbara, who became a Christian and suffered martyrdom in the early Church.

n Saturday, May 2, 2 p.m. (EWTN) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Christian Courtship in an Over-Sexed World.â&#x20AC;? n Saturday, May 2, 8 p.m. (EWTN) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mary of Nazareth.â&#x20AC;? First installment of a two-part presentation on the life of Mary, from her childhood through the resurrection of Jesus.

n Tuesday, April 28, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saint Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love.â&#x20AC;? St. Gianna Molla was a physician, wife and mother who refused an abortion, despite knowing that the pregnancy would result in her death.

n Tuesday, May 5, 5 p.m. (EWTN) â&#x20AC;&#x153;St. Michael Claims a Cave, Mountain and Grotto.â&#x20AC;?

Travel with Bob and Penny Lord to St. Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cave in Gargano, Italy; Mont St. Michel in Normandy, France; and San Miguel del Milagro in Mexico.

n Wednesday, April 29, 6:30 p.m.

(EWTN) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lives of the Saints: St. Catherine of Siena.â&#x20AC;? An insightful overview of the life of St. Catherine of Siena and her importance in creating a more unified Church. n Wednesday, April 29, 10 p.m. (EWTN) â&#x20AC;&#x153;John Paul II in America: Uniting a Continent.â&#x20AC;? This special examines the indelible mark the pontificate of St. John Paul II left on the American continent, including the popeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pivotal role in the fall of dictatorships in Chile, Haiti, Paraguay and Brazil. n Thursday, April 30, 6:30 p.m.

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Saturday, May 2, 2015 9:30 AM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4:30 PM St. Matthew Catholic Church 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy Charlotte NC 28277 Featuring Keynote Presenter

Dan Misleh,

founding Director of the Catholic Climate Covenant, speaking on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anticipating Pope Francisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Upcoming Encyclical on the Environmentâ&#x20AC;?

Sponsored by: The Charlotte Region Catholic Environmental Council, Catholic Charities, Sisters of Mercy, and St. Matthew Catholic Church

Our nation 22

catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Vatican, LCWR announce successful conclusion of process to reform group Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican approved new statutes and bylaws for the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious, ending a seven-year process of investigating the group and engaging in dialogue with its officers to ensure greater harmony with Church teaching.

Conference officers met April 16 with Pope Francis, the same day the Vatican announced the conclusion of the process, which included oversight for three years by a committee of three bishops.

LCWR has more than 1,500 members, who represent more than 80 percent of the 57,000 women religious in the United States.

Four LCWR officers spent 50 minutes with Pope Francis, discussing his apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” which, they said, “has so deeply impacted our lives as women religious and our mission in the world. Our conversation allowed us to personally thank Pope Francis for providing leadership and a vision that has captivated our hearts and emboldened us as in our own mission and service to the Church.”

“From the beginning, our extensive conversations were marked by a spirit of prayer, love for the Church, mutual respect and cooperation,” said a joint statement of the LCWR officers and the U.S. bishops appointed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to oversee the conference’s reform.

LCWR promised that materials it publishes first will be reviewed to “ensure theological accuracy and help avoid statements that are ambiguous with regard to Church doctrine or could be read as contrary to it.” In addition, programs sponsored by the conference and speakers chosen for its events will be expected to reflect Church teaching, the statement said.

In addition, it said, the doctrinal congregation, the bishops and LCWR officers had “clarifying and fruitful” conversations about “the importance of the celebration of the Eucharist; the place of the Liturgy of the Hours in religious communities; the centrality of a communal process of contemplative prayer practiced at LCWR assemblies and other gatherings; the relationship between LCWR and other organizations; and the essential understanding of LCWR as an instrument of ecclesial communion.”

The new statutes, the statement said, sought “greater clarity in expressing the mission and responsibilities” of the conference as a body “under the ultimate direction of the Apostolic See” and as a group “centered on Jesus Christ and faithful to the teachings of the Church.”

After asking Archbishop Leonard P. Blair of Hartford, Conn., in 2008 to carry out the doctrinal assessment of LCWR, in April 2012 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith called for the revision of LCWR’s statutes and bylaws. The reform, the Vatican said, was meant to ensure the conference’s fidelity to Catholic teaching in areas including abortion, euthanasia, women’s ordination and homosexuality. The organization’s canonical status is granted by the Vatican.

The assessment said, “Addresses given during LCWR annual assemblies manifest problematic statements and serious theological, even doctrinal errors.” LCWR members and even officers had been known to protest Vatican decisions, including those “regarding the question of women’s ordination and of a correct pastoral approach to ministry to homosexual persons.”

And, it said, there was “a prevalence of certain radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith in some of the programs and presentations sponsored by the LCWR.” Releasing the assessment, the Vatican had appointed Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle to provide “review, guidance and approval, where necessary, of the work” of the conference and its reform efforts.

Archbishop Sartain said, “Our work together was undertaken in an atmosphere of love for the Church and profound respect for the critical place of religious life in the United States, and the very fact of such substantive dialogue between bishops and religious women has been mutually beneficial and a blessing from the Lord.”

Flurry of briefs seeks to shape court’s look at same-sex ‘marriage’ Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — When it takes up samesex “marriage” cases from four states April 28, the Supreme Court will officially be considering just two constitutional questions.

But judging from the outpouring of friend-of-thecourt or “amicus” briefs, the court is expected to affect the very definition of marriage in American society.

Around 120 “amicus” briefs filed with the court by the early April deadline offer the views of everyone from people who have sought same-sex “marriages” and states that support them to scholars and religious institutions that come down on both sides of the question, plus business leaders, sociologists and others who weigh in on the effects of different types of marriage. Among those are groups and individuals with views about the potential effect of a ruling on First Amendment rights and those with opinions about issues such as the use of sexual orientation change therapy.

The court has bundled appeals of lower court rulings about the laws of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee under the title of the Ohio case, Obergefell v. Hodges. That case arose after the October 2013 death of John Arthur of Cincinnati. He and his longtime partner, James Obergefell, had “married” earlier that year in Maryland. When the local Ohio registrar agreed to list Obergefell as the surviving spouse on Arthur’s death certificate – which is key to a range of survivor’s benefits – the state attorney general challenged the status because Ohio law bars same-sex “marriages.”

Tanco v. Haslam, the Tennessee case, and Bourke v.

Beshear, the Kentucky case, similarly challenge those states’ refusal to recognize same-sex “marriages” performed in other jurisdictions. DeBoer v. Snyder, the Michigan case, does so based on a lesbian couple’s efforts to jointly adopt their children. Michigan law limits adoption by a second parent to married couples and the state does not allow or recognize same-sex “marriages.”

The Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman, is unconstitutional.

The same day it sent back to lower courts a case that resulted in California’s law barring same-sex “marriage” being overturned. Since then, four federal Circuit Courts have ruled that state bans on same-sex “marriage” are unconstitutional, while a fifth Circuit Court upheld such restrictions. Between state laws and judicial rulings, same-sex “marriage” is now legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

In agreeing in January to take the cases, the Supreme Court said it would consider two constitutional questions: n Does the 14th Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex? n Does the 14th Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out of state?

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops filed a brief arguing that the state laws limiting marriage of heterosexual couples should be upheld. The first reason the USCCB cites is that “as a matter of simple biology, the sexual union of one man and one woman is the only union capable of creating new life,” and

that homes with a father and a mother are the optimal environment for children. It said it is “reasonable and just” for states to treat heterosexual marriages as having more value than other kinds of relationships.

“Government support for a marital bond between mothers and fathers serves the interest of reducing, or preventing further increases in, the incidence of single parenthood and the consequent burdens it places upon the custodial parent (usually the mother) and the public,” it said.

The USCCB also argues that laws permitting samesex “marriages” redefine the traditional definition of marriage and would “needlessly create Church-state conflict for generations to come.”

The brief said that when government treats people differently on the basis of race, sex or national origin, “it discriminates on the basis of an immutable trait identifiable from conception or birth. In contrast, a decision to participate in a same-sex relationship is not a trait, but a species of conduct.”

The USCCB brief noted that the court has previously said that while same-sex sexual conduct may be “closely correlated” with homosexual inclination, “the correlation is by no means absolute, and what separates the two is critical both legally and morally – the exercise of a responsible human will. The court should maintain this venerable distinction between inclination and overt conduct because it pervades the Anglo-American legal tradition, applicable to but extending far beyond discussions of sexuality.

In general, though the government may legally disadvantage all manner of conduct, the Constitution forbids it to do the same to a person’s status, belief, or inclination.”

The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual attraction itself is not sinful, though homosexual actions are sinful. It teaches that marriage is only a union between a man and a woman and that any sexual activity outside of marriage is sinful.

Among other Catholic entities that filed briefs, the Michigan Catholic Conference weighed in, echoing many of the USCCB’s points about the definition of marriage and the value to the state of limiting marriage to heterosexual pairs in the interest of the foundation of family. But it also echoed the state of Michigan’s defense of its law.

“States’ decisions to recognize, benefit, and burden only the naturally procreative union serves legitimate state interests,” the Michigan conference said, quoting from the state’s defense of its law: “One starts from the premise that governments got into the business of defining marriage, and remain in the business of defining marriage, not to regulate love but to regulate sex, most especially the intended and unintended effects of male-female intercourse.”

The state encourages, supports and protects traditionally defined marriage to promote the stability of society and its children, the brief said. “It is not hard to envision problems that can result without state regulation of the natural effects of male-female intercourse. States regulate opposite-sex marriage to ensure domestic tranquility, for example, by legitimizing children, ensuring domestic support and prohibiting neglect.”

Elsewhere, the brief observes: “Because the fundamental right to marriage is inextricably linked to procreation, there simply is no fundamental right to marry someone of the same sex.”

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the cases before the end of its term in late June.

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief Cardinal George, 78, dies after long fight with cancer CHICAGO — Cardinal Francis E. George, the retired archbishop of Chicago who was the first native Chicagoan to head the archdiocese, died April 17 at his residence after nearly 10 years battling cancer. He was 78. His successor in Chicago, Archbishop Blase J. Cupich, called Cardinal George “a man of peace, tenacity and courage” in a statement he read at a news conference held outside Holy Name Cathedral to announce the death. He singled out Cardinal George for overcoming many obstacles to become a priest, and “not letting his physical limitations moderate his zeal for bringing the promise of Christ’s love where it was needed most.”

Cardinal George was a philosophy professor and regional provincial then vicar general of his religious order, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, before being named a bishop in 1990. He was named bishop of Yakima, Wash., in 1990, then was appointed archbishop of Portland, Ore., in April 1996. Less than a year later, Pope St. John Paul II named him to fill the position in Chicago, left vacant by the death of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in November 1996.

Cardinal George’s funeral Mass was celebrated April 23 at Holy Name Cathedral, followed by a committal service at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines. The cardinal wished to be buried in the George family plot.

Pope accepts resignation of Missouri’s Bishop Finn VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., who was convicted in 2012 on one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse. The Vatican announced the bishop’s resignation April 21, specifying it was under the terms of the Code of Canon Law, which says, “A diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office.” The Vatican offered no further comment.

The pope’s acceptance of Bishop Finn’s resignation comes after members of the Pontifical Commission for Child Protection announced that one of their priorities was to ensure measures were in place to promote the accountability of bishops in protecting children and upholding the Vatican-approved norms for dealing with accusations of child abuse made against Church workers.

Church must remain vigilant in addressing abuse, USCCB president says WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Catholic Church spent a total of $150.7 million on child protection efforts and to address allegations of clergy sexual abuse of minors in dioceses and religious orders between July 2013 and June 2014. The total includes about $31.7 million for safe environment training programs, background checks and other protective efforts, and about $119 million for settlements paid to victims, therapy for victims, attorneys’ fees and other costs related to allegations, including those reported in previous years. The figures are among results of an annual survey conducted by Georgetown University’s Center

for Applied Research in the Apostolate that is part of an annual audit report on the response of the U.S. Church to clergy sexual abuse.

The 12th annual report, released April 17 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “is part of a pledge we have made to remain accountable and vigilant,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., who is president of the USCCB. “The healing of victims/survivors of abuse remains our first priority. We join Pope Francis in his desire that the response of the Church be pastoral and immediate,” the archbishop said in the report’s preface. “Though our promise to protect and heal made in 2002 remains strong, we must not become complacent with what has been accomplished,” he said. “It is my hope and prayer that as we continue to fulfill our promise, the Church will help model ways of addressing and bringing to light the darkness and evil of abuse wherever it exists.”

a milestone in the long-standing negotiations to curb the “unacceptable prospect of Iran developing nuclear weapons.”

The framework was announced April 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland, and involved Iran and what is often referred to as the “P5+1,” or the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – plus Germany. The talks have been criticized by some members of Congress, who argue that Iranian officials cannot be trusted to abide by any deal and that any agreement with Iran could be disregarded once President Barack Obama concludes his term Jan. 20, 2017.

Bishop Cantu wrote that despite the challenges in reaching an agreement over Iran’s nuclear program, “it is vital to continue to foster an environment in which all parties can build mutual confidence and trust in order to work toward a final accord that enhances peace.”

Nuncio: Humans’ need to profess religious beliefs ‘cannot be smothered’

Catholic Mutual creates online safe-environment service for dioceses

OREM, Utah — Every human being “is a seeker of truth of his own origin and of his own destiny” and has thoughts and questions that “cannot be repressed or smothered,” the U.N. nuncio told an audience at Utah Valley University in Orem. Such questions are by nature religious and “to fully manifest themselves, they require freedom,” Archbishop Bernardito Auza said April 13. “The human person wants to be able freely to profess his or her religion in private and in public as individuals and as groups.” The Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations made the comments in a keynote address at the public university’s daylong Mormon Studies’ Conference on the topic “Mormons and Catholics, From the Margins to the Mainstream.”

OMAHA, Neb. — Omaha-based Catholic Mutual Group – the primary provider of property and casualty coverage for the Catholic Church in North America – is rolling out an online data platform designed to help dioceses, parishes and others maintain safe-environment records and consolidate training information. Piloted over the past several months in the Archdiocese of Omaha and being implemented now in several other U.S. dioceses, the platform will be

Speakers: Mistreatment, little medical care common at detention centers VILLANOVA, Pa. — Although the number of Central American migrants entering the U.S. has diminished in recent months, thousands remain incarcerated within secure detention facilities across the country without hope for release. After being apprehended at the U.S.Mexico border, families and children as young as 12 days old are held within facilities that not only house hundreds of people for extensive periods of time, but also lack adequate medical or psychological care for their residents.

Speakers discussed the rights of immigrants who have entered the country illegally and the responsibilities that Catholics have to support these individuals during an April 9 conference titled “The Path of the Unaccompanied Minor: Examining Legal and Community Responses to the Humanitarian Crisis,” held at the Villanova University School of Law in Pennsylvania.

In conjunction with Catholic Relief Services, the university brought together immigration attorneys, Catholic Charities employees, priests, professors and child migrants to create a discussion regarding the issues that immigrants face after entering the U.S. illegally.

Bishop: Framework on Iran’s nuclear program a step to advancing peace WASHINGTON, D.C. — The adoption of a framework related to Iran’s nuclear program by the United States and other countries is an important step in “advancing a peaceful resolution” to the questions surrounding the program, the chairman of the U.S. bishop’s Committee on International Justice and Peace.

Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico, said April 8 in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and April 13 in letters to every member of Congress that the framework was

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available to the more than 100 other dioceses in the United States, 17 dioceses in Canada and more than 200 religious orders and institutions covered by Catholic Mutual. Called Safe Environment Solutions, the platform offers a one-stop site for people to register for training to help provide an environment for children that is safe from any type of abuse, read articles on the subject or watch a recertification video. Administrators can send emails from the platform with news and reminders, or post information on the site.

Since 2002, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has required safe-environment training among those entrusted with children in the name of the Church. Many dioceses and other institutions have maintained their own databases for safe-environment records.

The new system is designed to centralize that effort and make it easier for parishes and organizations to check whether volunteers are certified in safe-environment training or need recertification and updated background checks, Catholic Mutual officials said.

The Diocese of Charlotte is looking at this system for its recordkeeping needs, said diocesan Human Resources Director Terri Wilhelm. There are still some obstacles in Catholic Mutual’s ability to handle the large amount of the diocese’s data, so until that is worked out the diocese will not be able to make a change, Wilhelm said.

— Catholic News Service

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Our world 24

catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

War of the sexes: Gender theory is the problem, not solution, pope says Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Eradicating male and female identities does nothing to solve the problem of unfair or disrespectful treatment based on people’s gender, Pope Francis said.

“Getting rid of the difference is the problem, not the solution,” he said April 15 during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

The right way to solve the problems and conflicts in male-female relations is to have men and women “talk to each other more, listen to each other more, know each other better, care more for each other,” he said.

The pope continued a series of general audience talks about the family by beginning the first of two talks on “the difference and complementarity between men and women.” He said the two talks would serve as the foundation for two later talks dedicated to the sacrament of marriage.

At the end of the audience, Pope Francis personally greeted the husband and a daughter of Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death in 2010 under Pakistan’s controversial laws against blaspheming Islam. Bibi’s family came to Rome as part of a campaign to rally international support for her release.

In his main audience talk, Pope Francis said that when God created humanity in His image, He did so for man and woman together, “as a couple,” in a state of sharing and harmony.

Sexual differentiation, therefore, exists not for creating conflict or a situation of subordination, but for reciprocity and fruitfulness – “for communion and generation, always in the image and likeness of God,” the pope said.

“We are made to listen to each other and help each other,” he said. “We can say that without mutual enrichment in this relationship – in thinking and action, in feelings and work, even in faith – the two can’t even understand fully what it means to be a man and woman.”

Modern culture has done much to open up a new and deeper understanding of men and women, “but it also has introduced many doubts and much skepticism,” he said. “For example, I wonder if socalled gender theory may not also be an expression of frustration and resignation that aims to erase sexual differentiation because it no longer knows how to come to terms with it.”

With gender theory, which argues that male and female characteristics are largely malleable social constructs, he said, “we risk going backward.”

“God entrusted the earth to the covenant between man and woman: its failure drains the world of affection and obscures the heavens of hope,” he said.

There are many “worrying” signs of the failure to live out God’s original plan of reciprocity and harmony, he said, as he pointed out two things that “I think we have to commit ourselves to with greater urgency.”

“The first: It is beyond question that we have to do much more in favor of women,” such as making sure “that women not only are listened to more, but that their voice carries real weight, (is) an acknowledge authority in society and the Church,” he said to applause.

A powerful guiding light, the pope said, is “the way in which Jesus considered women,” especially in a social and historical context that was much “less favorable than ours” and in which women “were really in second place.”

Humanity has gone only “a tiny way” along the path God wants everyone to take, he said.

“We still have not grasped fully the things that the feminine genius can give us, what society and we can be given by women who know how to see things with another pair of eyes that complement men’s ideas. It is a path to take with more creativity and audacity,” he said to more applause.

The second thing that needs urgent attention, he said, is to see “if the collective crisis of faith in God, which is very harmful to us – afflicting us with resignation, skepticism and cynicism – may not be linked to this crisis of the covenant between men and women.”

In fact, it is said that “communion with God is reflected in the communion of the human couple and that the loss of faith in the heavenly Father generates division and conflict between men and women.”

Pope Francis said the Church and all Catholics carry a great responsibility in “rediscovering the beauty of the Creator’s plan.”

Men and women “must treat each other with respect and friendly cooperation,” and once this proper basis is created with God’s grace, solid marriages and families can be built, he said.

“I would like to urge intellectuals to not abandon this subject, as if it had become secondary to the task of promoting a freer and more just society,” he said.

CNS | Loukas Mastis, EPA

Migrants arrive at Zefyros beach near the coast of the southeastern island of Rhodes, Greece, April 20. At least three people drowned the day after Pope Francis appealed for the international community to do more to prevent such migrant deaths.

Pope urges prayers, action on behalf of migrants, unemployed, poor Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The poor, migrants in search of a better life and the unemployed want what all human beings want: life, dignity and a chance to earn a decent living, Pope Francis said in several speeches urging compassion and assistance by both governments and individuals.

Reciting the “Regina Coeli” prayer April 19, just hours after reports surfaced that perhaps more than 700 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe, Pope Francis asked the thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square for a moment of silence and then to join him reciting a Hail Mary for the victims and survivors.

The Italian coast guard reported that as of late April 19, 28 survivors had been rescued and 24 bodies had been recovered; one of the survivors, a Bangladeshi, told authorities the smugglers had locked hundreds of people in the hold, so there may have been as many as 950 people on board.

Pope Francis called on the international community to act decisively and quickly to prevent the deaths of more migrants. “They are men and women like us, our brothers and sisters who seek a better life; hungry, persecuted, injured, exploited, victims of war – they seek a better life. They were seeking happiness.”

Pope Francis had spoken April 18 with Italian President Sergio Mattarella about the continuing wave of migrants who set off from North Africa, often in overcrowded and unsafe fishing boats, hoping to land in Italy and make their way to other European countries. For years the Italian government has been asking the European Union for concrete assistance in regulating migration, patrolling the waters and rescuing those at risk of drowning.

The pope thanked Italy for assisting “the numerous migrants who, at the risk of their lives, ask to be welcomed. It is obvious the size

of the phenomenon requires a much broader involvement,” he said. “We must never tire of requesting a commitment that extends to a European and international level.”

As Mattarella made his first state visit to the Vatican, Pope Francis also urged greater Italian government efforts to create jobs, especially for the young. Among all the ingredients needed for economic growth and development, the pope said, work is one of the most important because it is tied to the dignity of the person and his or her ability to build a life.

“The lack of jobs for young people,” he said, is “a cry of pain” that must be heard by governments, private businesses and the church community, which should rally together to give job creation priority. “Access to dignity and a future relies on access to a job,” he said.

Pope Francis also spoke April 18 with members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, which dedicated its plenary assembly to examining the phenomenon of human trafficking, including the trafficking of migrants.

The Bible insists that Christians will be judged by how they cared for “the least” of their brothers and sisters, he said. “And today among these most needy brothers and sisters are those who suffer the tragedy of modern forms of slavery, forced labor, prostitution” as well as the victims of trafficking in organs and in drugs.

Slavery, which “was widespread and socially accepted – scandalously including in the Christian world because it was big business” – eventually was abolished through long-term and dedicated efforts by both Christians and people of no religious faith who worked together to fight for human dignity, he said.

“Unfortunately, in a global economic system dominated by profit, new forms of slavery have developed and in some ways they are worse and more inhumane than that of the past,” the pope said. “We are called to denounce and combat them.”

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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statement by organizers.

Pope Francis has announced he is preparing an encyclical letter on the environment and said it should be published this summer.

In Brief

Pope, cardinals discuss bishops’ accountability in abuse cases

Pope says Year of Mercy will be time to heal, to help, to forgive

VATICAN CITY — The question of accountability for bishops and religious superiors who fail to follow through on protecting minors from abuse was “put on the table” during the latest meeting between Pope Francis and his international Council of Cardinals, said the Vatican spokesman.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi said the need for clear and appropriate procedures for cases of “abuse of office” or a failure to act was presented to the group by U.S. Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston – one of the pope’s top cardinal advisers and president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The Council of Cardinals held the second of five meetings scheduled this year April 13-15 with Pope Francis at the Vatican to help advise him on the reform of the Vatican’s organization and Church governance.

The Vatican spokesman said Cardinal O’Malley asked the pope and the council to “take on the subject of accountability and responsibility” when it comes to bishops and others in leadership who fail to comply with child protection norms. It would be a question of coming up with clear and “appropriate procedures and ways to evaluate and judge cases of ‘abuse of office’” or a failure to fulfill one’s responsibilities when it comes to reporting and handling suspected and known cases of abuse, he said.

VATICAN CITY — Mercy is what makes God perfect and all-powerful, Pope Francis said in his document officially proclaiming the 2015-’16 extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy. “If God limited Himself to only justice, He would cease to be God, and would instead be like human beings who ask merely that the law be respected,” he in “Misericordiae Vultus” (“The Face of Mercy”), which is the “bull of indiction” calling a Holy Year to begin Dec. 8.

In his homily at vespers on Divine Mercy Sunday, the pope said he proclaimed the Year of Mercy because “it is the favorable time to heal wounds, a time not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting to see and touch with their hands the signs of the closeness of God, a time to offer everyone the way of forgiveness and reconciliation.”

Pope considers visiting Cuba during same trip as U.S. VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will visit Cuba in September before his trip to the United States. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters April 22 that the pope has “received and accepted the invitation from the civil authorities and bishops of Cuba” and has decided to visit the island before going to the United States.

The pope is tentatively scheduled to arrive in Washington late Sept. 22 and will visit Washington, New York and Philadelphia Sept. 23-27.

Visiting Cuba and the U.S. on the same trip abroad signals Pope Francis’ continuing interest in encouraging the normalization of relations between them. In December, U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced their nations were working toward re-establishing official diplomatic relations Both leaders credited Pope Francis with helping to secure the deal. The pope had been following and supporting the talks. He had also written personal letters to both leaders, and the Vatican hosted a secret meeting between representatives of the countries last fall.

Latin American officials: Pope to visit three countries July 6-12 MEXICO CITY — Pope Francis is expected to arrive July 6 in Ecuador, starting a three-country tour of his home continent, the Associated Press reported from Quito. The trip, the pope’s second to South America since being elected in March 2013, also would include stops in Bolivia and Paraguay, two fast-growing countries in recent years, but still among the poorest on the continent.

Vatican to host ‘summit’ on climate change, development VATICAN CITY — With the participation of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is hosting a summit, “Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity,” at the Vatican April 28. The focus of the workshop, with more than 60 environmental experts invited, will be the moral dimensions of climate change and sustainable development. “The desired outcome is a joint statement on the moral and religious imperative of sustainable development, highlighting the intrinsic connection between respect for the environment and respect for people – especially the poor, the excluded, victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, children and future generations,” said a

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Term ‘genocide’ angers Turkey; pope says memory leads to healing VATICAN CITY — Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, Pope Francis said atrocities from the past have to be recognized – not hidden or denied – for true reconciliation and healing to come to the world. However, Turkey’s top government officials criticized the pope’s use of the term “genocide” – citing a 2001 joint statement by St. John Paul II and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church – in reference to the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians during their forced evacuation by Ottoman Turks in 1915-’18.

Turkey rejects the accusation of genocide, and the government called its ambassador to the Holy See back to Turkey “for consultations” April 12, the same day Pope Francis made his statement.

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Obedience to God means openness to Him, to others, pope says VATICAN CITY — An inability to dialogue and to accept that God may be doing new things are signs of disobedience to God, Pope Francis said. Obedience often leads people to a path for their life that is not the one they planned on taking, he said. To obey is “to have the courage to change paths when the Lord asks this of us.” Celebrating Mass April 16 in the chapel of his residence, Pope Francis told the small congregation that because it was the 88th birthday of retired Pope Benedict XVI, he wanted to offer the Mass for him. “I invite you to pray for him, that the Lord might sustain him and grant him much joy and happiness.”

In his homily, Pope Francis looked at the story in the day’s first Scripture reading, Acts 5:27-33, about Jewish leaders ordering the disciples to stop preaching about Jesus, but the disciples reply: “We must obey God rather than men.” The Jewish leaders, the pope said, “were doctors – they had studied the history of the people, they studied the prophecies, they studied the law, they knew the whole theology of the people of Israel, the revelation of God, they knew everything, they were doctors – and yet they were incapable of recognizing God’s salvation.”

— Catholic News Service

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 24, 2015 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The Poor Clares

Reflections on the Year for Consecrated Life:

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Self-surrendering love: The gift of obedience

vocation to the consecrated life entails a radical embracing of Christ, of all that He is, within the total self-gift of all that one has. This incredible vocation is a gift of the Holy Spirit, an invitation to the soul for a deeper communion and configuration to Our Lord, which bears abundant fruit for the whole Church. We see, in the consecrated religious, a person whose frail humanity has been summoned to a transfigured life, as a witness to the power of God and a living image of His self-sacrificing love.

Of the three vows which form the basis of the religious vocation, obedience forms the core and the heart of one’s consecration. The vow of obedience calls the religious to surrender free will, our most precious possession of all. This surrendering forms the center of every Christian life and is the focal point of our path to holiness. “Thy Will be done” – what else more perfectly summarizes the goal and the struggle of the spiritual life? It is obedience which is most transformative for our souls, and is the most potent force for good, as we see in Our Lady’s simple “Fiat” which forever changed the world and set into motion our salvation.

Our Lord Himself describes His mission in terms of obedience: “I came not to do my own will, but the Will of Him who sent me” (John 6:38).

In the Scriptures, we see a continual interplay between the call to obedient faithfulness and the rebellious disobedience of those who follow the pattern of Satan’s “I will not serve.” Obedience to the covenant, to the commandments, to the Father in the person of His Son is continually brought before us as the antithesis of all that is evil and darkness, all that is nothingness as a result of the rejection of God. Obedience is a blessing, a key to lasting happiness and fulfillment, an antidote to the wages of sin. It is the greatest act our free will is capable of, for true obedience is to submit trustingly to the provident care of our Father, who is Himself our joy, our fulfillment, and our only Good.

The consecrated religious embraces this virtue and renounces his own will permanently that it may be one with God’s.

Practically speaking, this is played out in obedience to the Rule of the religious order to which the consecrated person belongs, and in a particular way, submission to the superior who serves as the representative of God’s authority.

The life of obedience thus becomes the glue that binds a community together in a common life, with common goals and a shared conformity to the disciplines which lend themselves to the fruitful living out of the order’s mission.

Without obedience, community life would not be possible. There must be someone to lead, who bears the responsibility of preserving and protecting the rich treasure of the order’s charism, and who encourages and guides the members in striving towards the ideal of “the perfection of charity” to which religious life aspires.

Those who are called to serve as superiors are exactly that: called to serve. It is not a promotion in the worldly sense, or a goal for the power-hungry, and it is far from a ticket to a life of ease. It is a role of simple service.

A harmonious common life also requires that the members of the community endeavor to live their obedience ever more humbly and faithfully, without murmurs or complaint. They will learn to trust ever more deeply in God’s Will as it is manifested to them each day through their Rule and the commands of their superior.

A life of self-surrender through obedience does not involve the relinquishment of our free will, nor does it demand a mindless, robotic kind of submission.

On the contrary, it calls forth a deep activation of the powers of our will, given over totally to God, for a loving and creative fulfillment of all that He asks. True obedience prompts a response which makes use of all the person’s strengths and talents to make that gift uniquely personal.

Obedience is also very healing, as it cures the pride and mends the wounds left by the effects of sin. Though many graces have been received and many spiritual wars fought before one’s entrance into religious life, the battles with self will go on raging as God claims more and more of the consecrated heart for Himself.

This is perhaps why many religious claim that obedience is the most difficult and challenging of the vows, for it costs the most and is therefore the most precious of treasures to our loving God. Obedience will lead us to the summits of holiness, if we let it.

Sister Marie Thérèse of the Divine Child Jesus is professed with the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte. This is the third of her commentaries on the Year for Consecrated Life, which is being celebrated by the universal Church until Feb. 2, 2016. Learn more about the Poor Clares at www.stjosephmonastery.com.

Robert D. Potter Jr

T

he traditional definition of marriage is the conjugal relationship between a man and woman who form a “one-flesh” union.

We see today, however, that marriage is being redefined to include sodomitic and other relationships. This raises the question: “Why does it matter and why should we care?”

Proponents of same-sex “marriage” are not seeking to be left alone. Instead, what they seek is public recognition and approval of these relationships, and acknowledgement of the (false) idea that motherhood and fatherhood are interchangeable parental roles.

The fact is, marriage is not simply a private contract. It is a public institution recognized in civil law for the procreation and protection of children. As the late Senator Jim Forrester, a physician and the sponsor of the North Carolina constitutional marriage amendment, explained during the floor debate on the amendment: “Moms and dads are not interchangeable. Two men do not make a mom, two moms do not make a dad. Children need both a father and a mother.”

Social science data on the effects on children of being raised in same-sex households is staggering. Children raised in households with only one biological parent are at more risk of serious developmental problems compared with traditional families where both biological parents are married. A recent analysis of the Center for Disease Control’s National Health Interview Survey of 1.6 million cases found that the relative risk of clinical emotional problems, developmental problems, or related treatment services for children raised by same-sex adults was more than twice as high as children raised by both biological parents in a marital relationship.

Recognition of same-sex “marriage” would not be the end of the effort to redefine marriage. Courts have noted that if same-sex “marriage” is considered

Same-sex marriage: Why should we care? a civil right, that same right would also extend to other relationships, including polygamous and incestuous ones. That is not a far-fetched claim. In Utah, although upholding prohibitions against bigamy in its narrowest sense, a federal court has struck down prohibitions in Utah’s law against the “religious cohabitation” practiced by Kody Brown, star of the reality TV show “Sister Wives.” And as we have already begun to witness, others could be legally compelled to approve of these behaviors through laws on hiring and public accommodations.

Professionals would be required to approve these behaviors through legal and “ethics” codes. Any institution perceived to be opposed to redefining marriage, such as the Church, could be sued in an attempt to force it to directly or indirectly approve homosexual behavior.

There is no right to same-sex “marriage” In the Constitution. Creating an artificial one would harm the institution of marriage, harm the children placed in same-sex households and cause a cascading collapse of laws created to protect and promote family life. As Catholics, we have an obligation to conform our consciences with the teachings of the Church, and to explain those teachings in the public square. By doing so, we are not “imposing our views” on others but leading others to understand the truth about the dignity of each person as a child of God. That is the evangelization of the culture so desperately needed in these times.

Robert D. Potter Jr. is an attorney in Charlotte representing the N.C. Legislature in connection with defending the North Carolina constitutional amendment protecting marriage. This is the second of three commentaries on the issue of attempts to redefine marriage. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments next week on a series of related cases from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

April 24, 2015 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Parish spotlight St. Mark to celebrate patronal feast day April 25

Deacon James H. Toner

What we know that ain’t so:

St. Mark, the Evangelist, is the author of the second Gospel and the patron saint of notaries. He wrote the Gospel in Greek for the Gentile converts to Christianity. Tradition says the Romans asked St. Mark to record the teachings of St. Peter about Jesus.

St. Mark is also said to have traveled with St. Paul and St. Barnabas, who was Mark’s cousin, on their missionary journey through Cyprus.

Mark is said to have founded the Church in Alexandria.

St. Mark is sometimes called John Mark in the New Testament. Both he and his mother Mary were highly esteemed in the early Church, and his mother’s house in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for Christians.

Mass will be offered at St. Mark at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 25, and the vigil Mass at 5 p.m.

— Catholic News Agency

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

Stop judging What we think is the right road

T

he Bible tells us to stop judging others, so why is the Church always saying no?

It’s as though everything we want to do is wrong, immoral or evil. Everything is negative! Isn’t it time to be more affirmative, more progressive, more open?

After all, Pope Francis has said, “Who am I to judge?” If he doesn’t set himself as a judge, neither will I.

But it’s the wrong road

The Bible does say that we should not judge others (see also Luke 6:37). Because we are sinners ourselves, with imperfect discernment, we cannot judge the human heart (Luke 16:15 and Proverbs 21:2), and we do not know the eternal fate of anyone, including ourselves. (To be sure that we are saved is presumption; to be sure that we are damned is despair.) But Jesus commands us to make use of our spiritual reason (as in Matthew 7:6 and 7:15-19 and 1 Thess 5:21). As Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch have pointed out, “Examination is necessary to avoid profaning what is holy and embracing what is false.”

Moreover, to admonish the sinner is one of the spiritual works of mercy. Fraternal correction is a work of charity, provided that such correction is done righteously and not selfrighteously.

Condemning others, thinking that their destiny is hell, is wrong, but ignoring sin and treating evil Romans 12:9 as acceptable is also wrong.

The Bible tells us that if we fail to warn others about their sins, we too will be judged (Ezekiel “The Marketing 33:7-9; Habakkuk of Evil,” by David 2:4). And I used Kupelian. Nashville, to suggest to WND, 2005. seminarians preparing homilies that they study the Book of Lamentations, where we read, “Their preaching deceived you by never exposing your sin. They made you think you did not need to repent” (2:14).

Suppose you had a close friend who was obviously injuring his health by doing something destructive. Would you not warn him? Then why would we keep silent when we know others are jeopardizing their immortal souls? Don’t we have a Christian duty to warn them?

If we hide behind the common, but terribly mistaken, notions that “nobody’s perfect” and “you have your ways and I have mine,” then we have little upon which

‘Hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good.’

Suggested reading

to base our advice. St. Paul knew that, deploring the fact that some people make up their own standards (2 Cor 10:12), but also teaching that we as Christians have an absolute, objective or eternal standard by which to judge (2 Cor 5:16; John 7:24).

A long time ago when I was in the former Soviet Union, several young Communists insisted to me that it was the Americans who had built the Berlin Wall in 1961. Of course, the Soviets had built it, but I had no way that night to prove that I was right using objective sources. However, in the case of explaining the truths of our Catholic faith, we have sacred Scripture, tradition and sacred Teaching (the Magisterium) as sources to rely upon when we counsel and correct.

Sin, the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God.” What we do when we counsel and correct is to call others home to the Way and Will of God, which we know through the teachings of Christ’s Church.

Sometimes that means saying no. The Trappist monk Thomas Merton once put it this way: “You must know when, how and whom to say ‘no.’ This involves considerable difficulty at times. You must not hurt people, or want to hurt them, yet you must not placate them at the price of infidelity to higher and more essential values.” Once again, it is St. Paul who tells us that we must not be blown about by the shifting winds of deceit coming from evil people, but speak Christian truth (Eph 4:14, Col 4:6), though there will be many who resent the message (1 Tim 4:1).

Pope Francis told us, in perfect keeping with traditional Catholic teaching, that we must never judge others, for we do not know their eternal destiny, and we must never limit for them the same divine mercy we implore for ourselves. But his “Who am I to judge?” comment was in no way an attempt to validate any or all behavior; nor did he seek to excuse us from being accountable to moral truth. It is never charitable to ignore sin.

As the late archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, has written, our refusal to understand divine authority has transmuted our faith. We have, in effect, “tamed” God: Our “new” God “is like a pet brought out for our enjoyment at times, sometimes as an object of fun or even as an accompaniment to our own solemnities, but in any event a construct.

This God certainly makes no demands on us, because he has no power. We cannot permit him to have power, lest we lose our freedom.

But if God can make no demands, then religion is necessarily a hobby.”

The task of good preaching and catechesis, Cardinal George wrote, is to help restore Christ to the center of our lives and to return to a Church which can – and must – make moral demands upon us as disciples. Ours is a faith which converts us, not a faith which we arrogantly try to convert into the ways of the world.

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

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‘Time puts things in harmony and helps us see clearly.

If you react immediately in the heat of the moment, it is certain you will be wrong. You will be unjust. And you will also harm yourself.’

Pope Francis

From the online story ‘Don’t seek humiliation, but when it comes react like Jesus, pope says’ Through press time on April 22, 7,379 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 14,254 pages. The top 10 headlines in April so far are: n CTK student wins UNC-Chapel Hill scholarship.................................................................................. 508 n Woodworker uses gifts to make crosses, encourage families...........................................................415 n Bishop Jugis at Belmont Abbey pilgrimage: ‘What more could you want? Jesus is everything’. ................................................................................................................................................................................389 n Easter joy endures........................................................................................................................................307 n Charlotte Catholic students receive West Point appointments...................................................... 247 n Film about redemption shows that God never leaves us, says director.......................................223 n Christ the King High School students build steel cross......................................................................156 n Vietnamese Catholics remember Jesus’ Passion on Good Friday..................................................125 n Priests renew promises, sacred oils blessed at annual Chrism Mass.............................................108 n Holy Thursday: ‘teaching moments’ of humility, charity....................................................................107

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QUO VADIS DAYS III

June 15-19, 2015 * Belmont Abbey College A camp for Catholic men ages 15-25 to learn more about the priesthood, deepen their faith, and help discern Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call in their lives.

www.charlottediocese.org/vocations