Dec. 9, 2016

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

Arden parish receives $3.6M gift Estate gift is largest in the history of the Church in North Carolina

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A dimming light Christians in the Middle East face extinction because of genocide, wars and international indifference to their plight

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INDEX

Contact us.......................... 4 EspaĂąol.................................14 Events calendar................. 4 Our Faith............................. 2 Our Parishes.................. 3-9 Schools......................... 10-12 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies.......................13 U.S. news...........................15 Viewpoints................... 18-19 World news.................. 16-17

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CATHOLIC CHARITIES HONOR Bishop Emeritus William Curlin has been recognized with Catholic Charities’ Fruit of the Vine Award for his work ministering to the poor

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Year of Mercy 2

catholicnewsherald.com | December 9, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

10 facts about Advent Pope Francis

Amid the darkness, hold fast to light of hope

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hristian hope is not the same as being optimistic about the future, but is knowing that whatever dark or frightening things are going on in one’s life, God is there offering protection and light, Pope Francis said.

Holding his general audience in the Vatican audience hall decorated with Nativity scenes and Christmas ornaments from the state of Queretaro, Mexico, Pope Francis announced Dec. 7 that he was beginning a series of audience talks about hope.

Especially during Advent and in preparation for Christmas, he urged people to read the second half of the Book of Isaiah, “the great prophet of Advent, the great messenger of hope.”

The audience began with a reading of Isaiah 40, which starts: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” When the prophet was writing, the pope explained, the people of Israel were in exile, they had “lost everything – their homeland, freedom, dignity and even their trust in God. They felt abandoned and without hope.”

Isaiah not only proclaims God’s love and fidelity, but calls on those who still have faith to offer consolation to others and help them “reopen their hearts to faith.”

The desert – literally and figuratively – “is a difficult place to live, but it is precisely the place where one can walk to return not only to one’s homeland, but to God, return to hoping and smiling,” the pope said. “When we are in darkness and difficulty, it’s hard to smile.”

“Hope teaches us to smile,” the pope said. “One of the first things that happens to people who withdraw from God is that they are people without smiles. They might be able to laugh out loud – tell one joke after another and laugh – but their smile is missing.”

“When we are with a baby, a smile comes spontaneously because a baby is hope. We smile even if it’s a bad day because we see hope.”

Hope does not come with power or wealth, but with trusting in God, the pope said. It is knowing that “God, with His love, walks with us. I hope because God is alongside me. And this is something all of us can say. I have hope because God walks with me, He walks alongside me and holds my hand.”

“There’s no denying that there is a crisis of faith in the world today,” he said. “People say, ‘I believe in God. I’m Christian.’ ‘I belong to that faith.’ But their lives are far from being Christian, far from God! Religion, faith has turned into an expression.”

Those who believe must convert, constantly turning their hearts to God and “following that path toward Him. He awaits us.”

The season of Advent developed in the Church over time. Here are 10 facts that you may not know about the roots and meanings of Advent: Advent is a time of expectation and preparation for the birth of the Lord. The word “Advent” derives from the Latin word “adventus,” which means “coming,” and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas.

Advent has a changing start date, but it always contains four Sundays. It starts on the Sunday closest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (Nov. 30). It can begin as early as Nov. 27th or as late as Dec. 3.

Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year. Advent was chosen to begin the year as representative of the time in history that Christ was not known to us. With His birth the beginning of our faith was founded. The liturgical year ends with the feast of Christ the King, His reign over the universe.

The Advent season has two meanings. It emphasizes both the celebration of Christ coming into the world as a man and also the second coming when the Lord will return again. It blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event. The traditional color of Advent is purple or violet, which symbolizes the penitential spirit. Religious traditions associated with Advent express all these themes.

Hope is a predominant theme of Advent. The Israelites hoped for a Messiah to come, and Christ entered the world. We are hopeful for the arrival of Christ again into the world.

Advent is a reminder of the Old Testament promises of the coming of the Messiah. The Advent tradition of the Jesse Tree consists of symbols of the Messiah coming from the line of Jesse (Lk 3: 23-38). Isaiah is often read during this season to remember that we are waiting for the day when the Messiah will come again.

Advent focuses on light as opposed to darkness. Christ enters our dark world and casts away the darkness of sin to redeem us. He will come again as the Light of the World.

Advent has two parts. The first portion the First Sunday of Advent until Dec. 16 is preparation for the second coming of Christ. The second portion from Dec. 17 to 24 directly prepares us for the commemoration of the first coming of Christ,

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Christmas.

The origins of Advent can be traced back to the Church in France. In the 4th Century, the Church in France used the period before Epiphany as a time of preparation for baptism.

It was called “St. Martin’s Lent” for the 40 days that started on Nov. 11, the feast of St. Martin of Tours.

Advent as we know today was developed in Rome. Pope Gregory I in the late 6th or early 7th Century composed many of the prayers, antiphons and psalm responses.

Many themes and ideas we now know can be traced to the Roman Advent season.

— Reprinted from the Catholic Apostolate Center, online at www.catholicapostolatecenter.org, and from EWTN

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More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Learn more about the saints we celebrate during the Advent season, including St. Nicholas (Dec. 6), St. Ambrose (Dec. 7), and St. Lucy (Dec. 13).

At www.catholicapostolatecenter.org/advent-resources.html: Get additional Advent resources for your family, including educational videos, prayers and reflections, and guides for examining one’s conscience before confession.

Pray the Holy Infant of Prague nine-day novena CHARLOTTE — The Catholic News Herald invites you to pray the nine-day Holy Infant of Prague novena with us this Advent. This novena is rich in Church history and is prayed for nine consecutive days starting on Dec. 16 and ending on the vigil of the Feast of the Nativity, Dec. 24.

With the novena, the faithful implore the Holy Infant of Prague for His intercession in temporal and spiritual needs. When former Pope Benedict XVI visited the Prague church where the Infant Jesus is kept, he said he thought the image demonstrated God’s closeness and love through His child-like tenderness. He specifically prayed for children who are victims of violence and different forms of abuse, and he also prayed for broken and

unfaithful families.

Devotion to the Holy Infant of Prague began in the 16th century. Decades later in 1639, the Swedish army began a siege of the city of Prague. The frightened citizens hurried to the shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague as services were held day and night at the Church of Our Lady of Victories. When the army decided instead to retreat, the Discalced Carmelite monks who took care of the statue and the grateful residents ascribed their rescue to the miraculous Holy Infant.

The statue has also merited papal recognition through Pope Leo XIII, who instituted the “Sodality to the Infant Prague of Jesus” in 1896. On March 30, 1913, Pope St. Pius X further organized the “Confraternity of the Infant Jesus of Prague.”

St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte has its own statue of the Holy Infant of Prague.

File | Catholic News Herald

— Catholic News Herald Sources: www.pragjesu.cz/en, Wikipedia

Go online At www.facebook.com/CatholicNewsHerald: Daily from Dec. 16 to 24, the Infant of Prague novena will be posted for you to pray with us.

Your daily Scripture readings DEC. 11-17

Sunday: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10, James 5:710, Matthew 11:2-11; Monday (Our Lady of Guadalupe): Zechariah 2:14-17, Judith 13:18-19, Luke 1:26-38; Tuesday (St. Lucy): Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13, Matthew 21:28-32; Wednesday (St. John of the Cross): Isaiah 45:6-8, 18, 21-25, Luke 7:18-23; Thursday: Isaiah 54:1-10, Luke 7:24-30; Friday: Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8, John 5:3336; Saturday: Genesis 49:2, 8-10, Matthew 1:1-17

DEC. 18-24

Sunday: Isaiah 7:10-14, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-24; Monday: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25, Luke 1:5-25; Tuesday: Isaiah 7:10-14, Luke 1:26-38; Wednesday (St. Peter Canisius): Song of Songs 2:8-14, Luke 1:39-45; Thursday: 1 Samuel 1:24-28, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8, Luke 1:46-56; Friday (St. John of Kanty): Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24, Luke 1:57-66; Saturday: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16, Luke 1:67-79

DEC. 25-31

Sunday (The Nativity of the Lord): Isaiah 9:1-6, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14; Monday (St. Stephen): Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59, Matthew 10:1722; Tuesday (St. John): 1 John 1:1-4, John 20:1-8; Wednesday (The Holy Innocents): 1 John 1:5-2:2, Matthew 2:13-18; Thursday (St. Thomas Becket): 1 John 2:3-11, Luke 2:2235; Friday (The Holy Family): Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14, Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23; Saturday (St. Sylvester I): 1 John 2:18-21, John 1:1-18.

Our parishes

December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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‘Catholic Charities is giving of one’s heart. It’s not just a sandwich or some money, it’s giving someone’s heart.’

Bishop Emeritus Curlin accepts Catholic Charities’ Fruit of the Vine Award SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin, the third bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, was honored

by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte with the Fruit of the Vine Award Nov. 18 at the 14th Annual Vineyard of Hope fund-raising banquet.

Bishop Curlin’s ministry to the poor stretches back decades, to when he was assigned as a pastor to an impoverished parish in Washington, D.C. He also collaborated with his friend, St. Teresa of Calcutta, over the course of 30 years before her death in 1997.

The Fruit of the Vine Award was presented to Bishop Curlin by Diane Yarborough, Catholic Charities’ advisory board chairwoman, in acknowledgement of his unswerving commitment to the poor.

In particular, he was recognized for his efforts in establishing a burial assistance program for the poor in the city of Charlotte. Working with city officials, he created a first-of-its-kind program in Mecklenburg County.

Last year, 113 families were assisted in burying their loved ones thanks to the burial assistance program.

“Imagine that, someone dying who is poor, and there is no one there to bury them. To me, that was tragic,” Bishop Curlin said in a video interview created especially for the Vineyard of Hope event.

He also shared his belief that “Catholic Charities is giving of one’s heart. It’s not just a sandwich or some money, it’s giving someone’s heart.”

The presentation video featured the Transition Out of Poverty program, established this year in the Charlotte Catholic Charities office. Influenced by Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy message, the program was established to transform lives through case management assistance, offering support in the areas of education, finance management, health care and employment.

More than 40 clients are currently being served by the

Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin receives the Fruit of the Vine Award from Diane Yarborough, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s advisory board chairwoman, during the Vineyard of Hope annual banquet Nov. 18 at the Westin Charlotte.

Photo provided by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte

Transition Out of Poverty program.

The video also featured several Transition Out of Poverty client situations where a serious health issue caused complete disarray, leaving a person without hope or direction. In cases like these, Catholic Charities works to be an agency where people can turn for hope, guidance and a chance a rebuild their lives.

“Our hopes are to lower poverty in the community and

transform the lives of those impacted by generational poverty,” Yarborough said. “Of the 100 largest cities in the country, Charlotte ranks one of the lowest in terms of people successfully breaking the cycle of poverty.”

The 14th Annual Vineyard of Hope hosted more than 200 attendees to help raise $150,000 for Catholic Charities’ programs in Charlotte.

— Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte contributed.

St. Barnabas Church receives $3.6 million endowment Estate gift is largest in the history of the Catholic Church in North Carolina SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

ARDEN — An unexpected windfall has come to St. Barnabas Church through the generosity of a couple that quietly left the parish $3.6 million after their deaths. It is the single largest estate gift in the history of the Catholic Church in North Carolina.

Dennis Kushler passed away last October at the age of 84. He and his wife Mary had been members of the Arden parish since retiring to the area in 2003. Mary Kushler died in 2014, and after Dennis Kushler’s death, the parish learned that the Kushlers had made arrangements in their will to leave an endowment of more than $3.6 million to the church they called home.

It is the largest estate gift in either the Diocese of Charlotte or the Diocese of Raleigh, according to diocesan officials – including any gifts to the dioceses or any diocesan entity.

The Kushlers’ endowment will provide the parish with an estimated $175,000 annual income initially, and it will grow over time.

It is a general purpose endowment, so the money can be used to help in whatever way the parish decides.

Not much is known about the Kushlers, as they came to St. Barnabas Church in their retirement years after having been registered members of Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville.

They had no children and had been married for 20 years.

Father Adrian Porras, pastor of St. Barnabas Church, celebrated both Kushlers’ funeral Masses at St. Barnabas Church.

“We at St. Barnabas are so fortunate to receive such a significant endowment from the Kushlers,” Father Porras said. “Dennis and his wife Mary were members of St. Barnabas for some time.

Unfortunately, because of health reasons they were not very active in the parish

when I arrived in 2008. Nevertheless, their amazing generosity to our parish is deeply appreciated.”

Jim Kelley, director of development for the Charlotte diocese, is grateful for the Kushlers’ unexpected gift to the parish of nearly 1,000 registered households in the Asheville metro area.

“We’ve known since 1998 that the Kushlers were going to do something for the Church with their estate, but we didn’t know exactly what they were going to do,” Kelley said. “We are so grateful for this transformative gift.”

The endowment will be administered through the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation. Established in 1994, the foundation has grown to encompass 243 endowments and more than $39 million in total assets.

To date, more than 900 people have indicated that they are making gifts to the Church in their estates, anywhere from the

thousands to the millions of dollars, Kelley said.

“We are finding more and more people in the diocese are remembering the Church and the diocese in their estates,” he said.

“They want to leave a legacy to their faith.”

Endowments, he noted, provide an ongoing source of support, as the principal funds remain intact and the recipient entity receives funds from the income.

“What Mr. and Mrs. Kushler did will have an impact on that parish forever,” he said.

“We encourage people to commit to stewardship as a way of life. It involves people giving their time, their talents and their treasure in service to the Church. An estate gift enables people to give of their treasure after their death,” Kelley said.

For more information about establishing an endowment or providing an estate gift, contact Ray-Eric Correia, diocesan director of planned giving, at 704-370-3364 or recorreia@charlottediocese.org.

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | December 9, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: DEC. 9 – 7 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Mark Church, Huntersville

JAN. 1, 2017 – 11 a.m.

Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

DEC. 25 – Midnight Mass for the Nativity of the Lord St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Jan. 2-7, 2017 Annual Retreat for Bishops

Diocesan calendar of events December 9, 2016

ADVENT Services

Volume 26 • Number 5

Advent Lessons and Carols: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at St. Thérèse Church, 217 Brawley School Road, Mooresville. Presented by the adult, handbell and children’s choirs. There will be lots of traditional carols for everyone to enjoy. For details, call the parish office at 704-664-3992.

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

Advent Reconciliation Service: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at St. Peter Church, 507 South Tryon St., Charlotte.

Jesuit Father Jim Shea, pastor, will lead in prayer.

Following the prayer service, there will be an opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation.

ENTERTAINMENT

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scotland Church, 37 Murphy Dr., Maggie Valley. Individual prayers over people after Mass by Charismatic Prayer Group members. For details, call the church office at 828-926-0106.

Evening Novenas: Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Christ the King Church, 1505 East Kivett Dr., High Point. All are invited to pray the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Join them in praying for the needs of your families and for our hurting world. For details, call the church office at 336-883-0244.

Men’s Prayer Group: 7:30 a.m.-8 a.m. Thursdays at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road, Charlotte. Join Father Christopher Roux and other area Catholic men for Sunday Gospel meditations, the rosary, and fellowship.

For details, contact the parish office at 704-334-2283.

Annual Christmas Concert: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. The adult and children’s choirs will perform works with chamber orchestra including the “Dixit Dominus” in D by Baldassare Galuppi, as well as other works by Guerrero, Mendelssohn, and Saint-Saëns. The concert is free and a free will offering will be taken. For details, call the parish office at 704-334-2283.

“Protecting God’s Children” workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. For details, contact your parish office. To register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus. org. Upcoming workshops are:

PRAYER SERVICES & Groups

GREENSBORO: 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, St. Mary Church, 812 Duke St.

Feast day for our lady of guadalupe: 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 12, at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. Celebration will include the rosary, a procession around the parish and Mass. For details, call the parish office at 704-554-7088.

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

Thursday, Dec. 15, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. With the upcoming Christmas season, the December service is in the main church.

In January, it will return to the fourth Thursday of the month. The healing prayer service is offered for all those suffering with cancer or other diseases. For details, call the church office at 704-543-7677.

Polish Mass: 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. The sacrament of reconciliation is available starting at 2 p.m.

For details, contact Barbara Banas at 704-847-2419 or barbmbanas@aol.com.

CHRISTMAS MIDNIGHT LATIN MASS: Christmas Midnight Mass in the Extraordinary Form, St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte. For details about this liturgy and other Latin Masses in the Charlotte area, go to www. charlottelatinmass.org.

Charlotte March for Life 2017: Noon Friday, Jan. 13. Park and assemble at 11 a.m. in the parking lot at the corner of South Church and West Palmer streets across from the Diocesan Pastoral Center (1123 S. Church St., Charlotte). A Mass for the unborn will also be offered at 9 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. For details, go to www.marchforlifecharlotte. org.

Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick: 2 p.m. every third Sunday of the month, St. Margaret of

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING

Huntersville: 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road

6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. For details, go to www. motheringwithgrace.org.

Shining Stars Adult day respite: Meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Shining Stars is a nonprofit adult day respite program for members of the community with early to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

For details, call Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253.

Alzheimer’s Caregiver and Family Support Group: Meets the first Monday of the month, 6:30-8 p.m., in Family Center Room 203 at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Organized with the Alzheimer’s Association, the monthly meetings are for the caregivers and family members of people with Alzheimer’s. For details, email Janet Urban at jgraceart@ yahoo.com.

YOUNG ADULTS ASHEVILLE THEOLOGY ON TAP: For Catholics in their 20s and 30s in the Asheville region. For details, check them out on Facebook, Twitter or MeetUp. CHARLOTTE AREA: Groups for Catholics in their 20s and 30s, single or married, are active on MeetUp at www. meetup.com/charlottecatholicyoungadultministry, and at: St. Gabriel Church: on Facebook at “St. Gabriel Young Adult Ministry”

RETREATS & WORKSHOPS

St. John Neumann Church: call Meg VanGoethem, 815-545-2587

Charlotte Catholics “Telling Our Stories in Black and White.”: 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 at Our Lady of Consolation Church, 1235 Badger Court, Charlotte. Come and learn how you can help improve race relations. Lunch will be provided. For details and registration, email brbdllngr@aol.com.

St. Matthew Church: On Facebook at “Young Adult Life: A St. Matthew Ministry”

Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group MORNING REFLECTION: 9 a.m. Mass Monday, Dec. 12, at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte.

Guest speaker will be Father Binoy P. Davis of St. Matthew Church. For details and to RSVP, go to www. charlottecatholicwomensgroup.org.

Seeking purpose Retreat: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, in the New Life Center at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. Charlotte. Come and discern your gifts of the Holy Spirit and use them to help build up God’s kingdom. To register, go to www. stmatthewcatholic.org.

SUPPORT GROUPS Ministry of mothers sharing: 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 North Main St., Belmont. Group is available for moms with children of all ages. It will be a time of fellowship and scripture study for spiritual growth. For details, email Mary at marypelkin@hotmail.com.

MOTHERING WITH GRACE: Second Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. in the Assembly Room at St. Vincent de Paul Church,

St. Patrick Cathedral: on Facebook at “St. Patrick Cathedral Frassati Fellowship-Young Adult Ministry” St. Peter Church: look them up on MeetUp at www. meetup.com/St-Peters-Catholic-Young-Adult-MinistryCharlotte-NC St. Thomas Aquinas Church: online at “Aquinas’ Finest,” www.stacharlotte.com/finest Our Lady of Consolation Church: contact Denise Duliepre, 917-575-0871 St. Michael Church in Gastonia: For Catholics in their 20s and 30s in the Gastonia area. Meets once a month. Online at www.stmichaelsgastonia.org/youngadults.

Holy Spirit Church in Denver: call Nicole Lehman, 704-607-5207 ST. LEO The great church: online at “Winston Salem Frassati” www.wsfrassati.com

Is your PARISH OR SCHOOL hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

Jesuit from Kino Border Initiative in Mexico visits Charlotte Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Jesuit Father Peter Neeley, assistant director of education for the Kino Border Initiative, located along the Arizona-Mexico border, visited St. Peter Church in Charlotte the weekend of Nov. 20. Father Neeley, who preached at all the weekend Masses there, said the main reason for his visit was to “humanize the talk about immigration.”

The Kino Border Initiative is a binational humanitarian organization that works with migrants in Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Mexico. Its mission is to promote U.S.-Mexico border immigration policies that affirm the dignity of the human person.

The heart of Father Neeley’s message was to raise awareness of the daily reality and struggle of so many displaced, deported and asylum-seeking people at the Mexican Border – a daily reality in Nogales.

“How can the people of the Diocese of Charlotte humanize this discussion on immigration? How can we restore dignity to the people that are in the process of deportation?” the visiting priest asked St. Photo provided by Joan Guthrie Peter’s parishioners.

Jesuit Father Peter Neeley greets St. Peter’s parishioners in Charlotte after one of the Sunday Masses Father Neeley explained part of the Nov. 20. Father Neeley is the assistant director of education for the Kino Border Initiative, a binational Kino Border Initiative’s mission is to humanitarian organization that works with migrants in Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Mexico. Father Neeley “build bridges.” preached at all the Sunday Masses at St. Peter that weekend. The heart of his message was to “humanize “Building walls is not what Christians the talk about immigration.” do. Christians build bridges,” he said.

In June, a small group from St. lowest point in their lives. So we ask the volunteers to just sit Peter Church traveled to Nogales to experience the reality with them for 10 minutes, and just listen to their story,” Father that Father Neeley described. One of those pilgrims, Bob Neeley said.

Macpherson, offered a small reception the evening of Nov. 18 The priest offered that, because of its complexity, the to welcome Father Neeley to the parish. During the gathering, immigration problem can only be solved by people, not by Father Neeley shared with a crowd of about 40 guests what a walls or money. typical weekend at the Kino Border Initiative is like.

“It’s going to involve us working together. It’s going to “When you come out of an experience down there, you involve us doing stuff little by little. Complicated, but what are going to give me the name of somebody you met and happens is when you lose the human dimension of it, it all their story,” Father Neeley explained, as this is essential to becomes dollars and cents.” humanizing the discussion about immigration. “We ask for For more information about the Kino Border Initiative and the dignifying treatment of the people they (the U.S. Border ways to get involved, go to www.kinoborderinitiative.org.

Patrol) arrest.”

“When a person is deported, that person is probably at the

Lending a helping hand at McCreesh Place CHARLOTTE — Faith formation families at St. Peter Church provided pies, mashed potatoes and gravy for a Turkey Cook-Off Thanksgiving Dinner Nov. 23 at McCreesh Place. Several family volunteers, both children and adults from the parish, served at this event to support McCreesh Place, which was founded in 1989

by Jesuit Father Eugene McCreesh of St. Peter Church to provide affordable housing for people living on city streets or for those about to be evicted. The church rented run-down houses from HUD for $1 per year, and volunteers renovated the structures bringing them up to code so that folks could live in them comfortably. It is now part of Supportive Housing Communities, online at www. supportivehousingcommunities. org.

Photo provided by Joan Guthrie

OUR PARISHESI

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Monsignor Walsh, who led building of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, passes away OLEAN, N.Y. — Monsignor Thomas R. Walsh of Allegany, N.Y., died Dec. 2, 2016, at Cuba Memorial Hospital in Cuba. N.Y., after a long illness.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 6, 2016, at St. Bonaventure Church in Allegany. Burial was next to his parents in St. Bonaventure Cemetery.

The son of the late John J. and Celia Phillips Walsh, he was a graduate of St. Bonaventure Parochial School and from Allegany Central School, where he was the class valedictorian of 1944, winning The James Walsh McLaughlin Scholarship to St. Bonaventure University.

During his high school and college years, he served as one of the organists at St. Bonaventure Parish Church.

While in his third year of college, he was accepted as a candidate for the priesthood for the Diocese of Raleigh, with the help of Franciscan Father Thomas Plassman, president of St. Bonaventure University. He attended Mount St. Mary’s College and Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., and played the organ and did missionary work in North Carolina during his seminary years.

He was ordained to the priesthood in Greensboro in May 1953 by the late Bishop Vincent S. Waters.

Father Walsh served the Diocese of Raleigh and later the Diocese of Charlotte, when the state was divided into two dioceses because of the growth in the Catholic population. He served as assistant pastor and pastor of 13 parishes across the coastal, Piedmont and mountain areas of the state. He saw and experienced many changes in North Carolina with the growth of the Catholic Church in the south.

Perhaps his most notable achievement was his nine years as pastor of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, when the new church was built. He had much influence on its design, its inclusion of an organ and its protection of the large oak trees on the building site, for which the parish received an award of appreciation from the city of Charlotte.

Father Walsh retired to his hometown of Allegany in 1996 and assisted at local parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, N.Y., often at St. Patrick’s Church in Limestone, until his illness prevented him.

He was a member of the Allegany Area Historical Association and the Allegany Knights of Columbus, serving as its chaplain for several years.

He is survived by a brother, John P. (Jillian) Walsh of Allegany; three sisters, Barbara Walsh of Houghton, N.Y., Sally (John) Vanini of Olean and Cameron (John) Donoghue of Weeki Wachee, Fla.; and eight nieces and nephews: Margaret Eckhardt, Bridget Walsh, Matthew Walsh, John T. Vanini, Kevin Vanini, Aileen Henning, and James and Mark Donoghue.

Flowers are declined. Donations may be made to St. Bonaventure Church, 95 E. Main St., Allegany, N.Y. 14706; The Alzheimer’s Association of WNY, 2805 Wehrle Dr., Suite 6, Williamsville, N.Y. 14221; The Allegany Area Historical Association, P.O. Box 162 Allegany, N.Y. 14706; or an organization of the donor’s choice.

Online condolences may be expressed at www. oleanfuneralhome.com.

Casey Halwig & Hartle Funeral Home of Olean was in charge of the arrangements.

— Catholic News Herald

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catholicnewsherald.com | December 9, 2016 OUR PARISHES

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Tabernacle crafted locally for St. Joseph College Seminary

Photo Provided by Matt Barrick, Barrick Photography

Deacon Bitter first ordained deacon of the diocese to be invested

CHARLOTTE — The St. Joseph College Seminary has a new tabernacle in the small chapel of the seminary’s temporary home in Charlotte. The tabernacle is gilded in gold leaf using the centuries-old technique of water gilding. Sacred artist Mary Clark of Charlotte spent months preparing the wooden tabernacle for the gilding and then applying more than 1,000 gossamer-thin sheets of gold.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Deacon Daren Bitter (above at left), of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, was invested into the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre during a special ceremony at Mass Oct. 29 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. Deacon Bitter is the first ordained deacon of the Diocese of Charlotte to receive this honor.

He was the only person in the diocese to be invested this year. Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore (above at center) and Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali were among the clergy who concelebrated the investiture Mass.

“For me, it’s about making a difference. Although I am not there physically (in the Holy Land), to be associated with an organization which collectively is doing that, making a difference, calling attention to the plight of Christians there, that is important,” Deacon Bitter said.

The Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre are tasked with providing material and spiritual support to the Latin rite Catholic Church in the Holy Land. There are currently 33,000 members of the order in 40 nations worldwide.

Members are required to travel regularly on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, bringing moral support to the Christians of the region. They provide aid to the Latin Patriarchate, which consists of 68 parishes, 44 schools and 90,000 faithful in Jordan, Palestine, Israel and Cyprus. The global amount of aid annually sent to the Holy Land is more than $10 million.

At www.catholicnewsherald. com: See a video of Mary Clark at work on the tabernacle David Hains | Catholic News Herald

Father Porras celebrates 15 years of priestly ministry SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

ARDEN — Father Adrian Porras knew since he was in the 11th grade that God was calling him to the priesthood.

Born in El Paso, Texas, he moved to Greensboro with his family at the age of 8 when his father transferred jobs.

After graduating from Page High School, he attended Brevard College and then Belmont Abbey College in Belmont during which time he was confirmed by the third bishop of Charlotte, William G. Curlin.

During his time in Belmont, he majored in theology.

Father Porras then attended seminary in Washington, D.C., Bishop Curlin’s former home, receiving his Master of Divinity from the Dominican House of Studies, which is directly across the street from the Catholic University of America. He desired to serve in a religious community at that time.

“I started out as a brother for the Marians of the Immaculate Conception,” Father Porras says. “I was with the order

for six years, then decided that I was being called to the diocesan priesthood.”

He served as a transitional deacon at St. Mark Church in Huntersville before his ordination to the priesthood for the Diocese of Charlotte by Bishop Curlin in December 2001 at St. Patrick Cathedral Over the past 15 years Father Porras has served as parochial vicar of Holy Family Church in Clemmons, and pastor of St. Andrew Church in Mars Hill and Sacred Heart Mission in Burnsville. He is now pastor of St. Barnabas Church in Arden, where he has served since 2008.

“What I enjoy most about my priestly ministry is the privilege of offering the Holy Mass,” Father Porras says.

“That is the essential role of the priest.

The many wonderful people that I have gotten to know for the past 15 years has also been a blessing. Ministering to them and being a part of their lives has really enhanced my ministry as a priest in many ways.”

Father Porras explains that being a pastor obviously means being a leader.

“This is a role not to be taken lightly. What

‘Take God seriously, take your vocation seriously, but do not take yourself too seriously.’

opportunity to serve in different parish settings. “I grew up in a big suburban parish, Our Lady of Grace Church (in Greensboro), so I am used to that size of parish. I also served for four years in Mars Hill, which is in Madison County, a mainly rural setting.”

Porras Father Porras advises young men discerning a call to the priesthood to maintain a strong personal prayer life. He offers I take to heart is what we hear in 1 Peter some words of wisdom for them and for 5:1-4: those newly ordained: ‘So I exhort the presbyters among you, “In parish ministry, love the Mass and as a fellow presbyter and witness to the celebrate it with reverence, be available to sufferings of Christ and one who has a the people you serve and practice what you share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the preach. A devotion to our Blessed Mother flock of God in your midst, (overseeing) not always helps, and some wise words from by constraint but willingly, as God would a cardinal have always brought me some have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. needed perspective: ‘Take God seriously, Do not lord it over those assigned to you, take your vocation seriously, but do not but be examples to the flock. And when the take yourself too seriously.’” chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.’”

He says he appreciates having had the

December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Two women named to leadership roles with Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation BELMONT — The Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation has named two experienced women to newly created leadership positions effective Jan. 1, 2017.

They are Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, who will serve as executive vice president, and Cheryl Brownd, who will step into the role of program director. The positions are being created as Executive Director Michelle Maidt concludes her service to the foundation at the end of December.

Perhaps best known as the former principal of Charlotte Catholic High School, Sister Paulette also served as vice president of the Sisters of Mercy-South Central Community and as the president of the North Carolina Region of the Sisters of Mercy. In her new part-time position, she will become the foundation’s spokesperson and will provide mission, governance and fiscal oversight.

A 17-year veteran of the foundation’s staff, Brownd currently is senior program officer. She began her tenure as program assistant and later was named program officer before assuming her current role in 2013. Prior to coming to North Carolina, Brownd was grants administrator with the Russell Sage Foundation in New York.

Williams In her new role as program director, Brownd will oversee day-to-day operations and will represent the foundation at community meetings and forums, as well as continuing her current duties.

“We are fortunate to have two such capable women to assume these newly defined roles,” said Mercy Sister Linda Falquette, president and chairperson of the foundation’s board of directors. “The Sisters of Mercy value and appreciate the work the foundation carries out daily and the integrity of its grant process in serving women, children, seniors and those who struggle with poverty.”

Since 1996, the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation has awarded 1,730 grants totaling nearly $78 million to organizations assisting unserved or underserved populations.

Brownd On behalf of the Sisters of Mercy-South Central Community, the foundation provides grants to tax-exempt health care, educational and social service organizations that meet its criteria and effectively assist women, children, those who are elderly, and who are economically poor to improve the quality of their lives.

— Myra Joines, communications director for the Sisters of Mercy-South Central Community

RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. John Neumann Church celebrates ‘Lessons and Carols’ CHARLOTTE — Parishioners of St. John Neumann Church were treated to an evening of “Lessons and Carols” Dec. 2. One of the most diverse parishes in the Charlotte area, parishioners and choir members read the Scriptures and sang carols in eight languages throughout the celebration, which was led by their pastor, Father Pat Hoare.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

On the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel: Watch a highlight video from the multilingual “Lessons and Carols” at St. John Neumann Church

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catholicnewsherald.com | December 9, 2016 OUR PARISHES

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Hendersonville parishioners celebrate the season for giving HENDERSONVILLE — Members of Immaculate Conception Church donated hundreds of toys and gifts for needy families in the Hendersonville area last weekend. The annual Christmas gift drive, part of the parish’s community outreach ministry, followed a similar collection effort for coats and blankets earlier this fall. The collection of gifts will help approximately 700 people through more than five area community organizations that will distribute them to their needy clients during the Christmas season.

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January 7th - St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte, One Day Class February 11th - St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte, One Day Class March 18th - Holy Family Catholic Church, Clemmons, One Day Class For more information visit our website or contact Batrice Adcock, MSN at 704.370.3230 or bnadcock@charlottediocese.org.

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St. Matthew parishioners donate clothing, blankets CHARLOTTE — For the past month St. Matthew Church has been collecting coats, blankets and clothing for Crisis Assistance Ministry and the Salvation Army. So far the parish has collected 1,246 coats, 401 blankets and 38 large bags of clothing to help families in need. Ann McDonald, volunteer coordinator at the church, is proud of the parishioners for their ongoing generosity. “I am happy to say that many more people in Charlotte will be much warmer this winter!” St. Matthew Church operates a year-round collection of food, household items and clothing which they distribute throughout the year to various agencies. The parish also holds special collections for international distribution to groups such as the Missionaries of the Poor.

December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Amber Mellon | Catholic News Herald

BOONE — More than 30 young adults were confirmed Nov. 29 by Bishop Peter Jugis at St. Elizabeth Church.

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HUNTERSVILLE — At St. Mark Church, 121 young people including Mirielle Azzopardi were confirmed by Bishop Jugis Dec. 1. Azzopardi is pictured with her grandmother and confirmation sponsor, Pat Dyer. Another group was expected to be confirmed Dec. 9 at the parish.

St. Gabriel Men’s Club Oyster Roast a success CHARLOTTE — The St. Gabriel Church Men’s Club reported a “very successful” Oyster Roast and Music Jam, raising more than $3,000 to support local ministries. The club sent $1,000 to support relief efforts following Hurricane Matthew’s devastation of Eastern North Carolina, as well as funds to other charities including Homemakers of Mercy and the Boy Scouts. More than 400 St. Gabriel parishioners and guests plowed through more than 4,200 oysters in two hours at the Oct. 22 event, and the Jim Garrett Band rocked the house with bluegrass music.

Kudos to event chairman Pete Mussoni and all the members of the men’s club who made this a memorable, and in the words of Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor, a “Church building event!”

Donate Your Car Make your car go the extra mile.

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Our schools 10

catholicnewsherald.com | December 9, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Debate and speech team hosts Queen City Invitational

OLG students lend a hand GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace School middle school students volunteered at the annual Christmas at the Carolina event Dec. 3 at the Carolina Theatre. They helped by answering guests’ questions, pointing guests in the right directions, carrying concessions, assisting in the bicycle raffle and cleaning up at the end of the event.

— Aphton K. Lang

CHARLOTTE — For the third year in a row, Charlotte Catholic High School hosted the Queen City Invitational Debate and Speech Tournament. More than 750 participants from 31 schools across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia attended the Oct. 22 tournament, which is a qualifying tournament for the National Catholic Forensic League National Tournament and for the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions.

“This is a major honor for a tournament that is only in its third year,” said Charlotte Catholic’s head coach, Mary Morales. “It’s also an added attraction for schools to choose our tournament. Our first tournament took place in 2014, and was attended by more than 400 participants. We are so proud that the Queen City Invitational has grown to become such a large and attractive tournament. We hope to IN BRIEF, SEE page 12

PhotoS provided by Cheryl Perry

St. Gabriel students collect food for those in need CHARLOTTE — Students in kindergarten through fifth grade at St. Gabriel School collected food items for Catholic Charities Dioceses of Charlotte’s food pantry the week before Thanksgiving. More than 1,200 items were collected and delivered to help Charlotte families in need. “I challenged the students to bring in two items each, and that was definitely accomplished,” said Principal Michele Snoke. “We know it only makes a dent in what’s needed, but we hope many in our area had a happy Thanksgiving because of it.” Employees of Catholic Charities and St. Gabriel’s fifth-grade student council loaded all the items into cars and vans before delivery. “Seeing all of this food we collected for hungry people makes me really proud,” said fourth-grader Avery Cooper. “I hope they loved their Thanksgiving dinner!”

Over 8,000 babies killed in Mecklenburg County alone last year!!

Come and save our children today… join the 11th Annual March for Life Charlotte and pray.

Save the date! Friday, January 13

Be a witness for the sanctity of human life and an act of reparation for an end to abortion.

March for Life Schedule

Mass for the Unborn 9:00am St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte, NC 28210 Guest Preacher Fr. John Eckert, Paster of Sacred Heart Parish - Salisbury, NC

Fr. John Eckert

11:00am Start to gather in overflow parking lot across from the Pastoral Center at 1123 S. Church St. to prepare for march 11:45am Instructions for march and prayer before march 12:00pm Begin march to Trade and Tryon Streets where Fr. John Eckert will preach; then to the courthouse at 401 W. Trade St. to pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy Go to www.marchforlifecharlotte.org for details on parking and signs

December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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St. Michael School hosts Career Day GASTONIA — St. Michael School held its annual Career Day Nov. 18.

Students enjoyed listening to career presentations from a variety of community volunteers. Some provided interactive activities that permitted students to participate in different scenarios.

Photos provided by Tammy Eason

THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS BEGIN

WITH TRUST.

Photos provided by Tammy Eason

Muffins with Mom GASTONIA — Students enjoyed eating muffins and spending time with their moms before starting the school day at St. Michael School Oct. 25, at the PTO’s first “Muffins with Moms” event. Pictured are (photo 1) Amy Okonkwo, Destiny Okonkwo, Connie Okonkwo, Virginia Okonkwo and Junior Okonkwo; (photo 2) Esthela Cruz and Santiago Rojas; and (photo 3) Catie Pearce and Pauline Pearce.

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December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

IN BRIEF FROM PAGE 10

attract more schools from more states each year.”

“Only novice members were allowed to compete in our tournament,” Morales noted.

“It’s a practice that the varsity members of the host school do not compete, but instead help run the tournament.” Twenty-two novice members of the Debate and Speech Team competed, and the following were awarded the Queen City Invitational Cups: n David Edwards: first place, Novice LincolnDouglas Debate n Andrew Shooman: third place, Novice Public Forum Debate n Brandon Finley: third place, Novice Public Forum Debate n AJ Sciacca: fifth place, Novice Public Forum Debate n Matthew Sie: fifth place, Novice Public Forum Debate, in his first tournament Team sweepstakes winners were: n First place: Riverside High School of Greer, S.C. n Second place: Ardrey Kell High School of Charlotte n Third place: Southside High School of Greenville, S.C. For the first time, a small team sweepstakes award was presented. The winner was Jefferson County High School of Dandridge, Tenn.

Volunteers including John McDonald, assistant tournament director, and Terri Taylor, tournament coordinator, helped Morales in organizing the Queen City Invitational Debate and Speech Tournament. The Tournament Planning Parent Committee was made up of Angie Schilly, Stefan Kelly, Mary Louise Gennett, Jen Ruff, Ann and Steve Sheridan, Megan McBride and Sara Ford.

Dr. Janice Ritter, diocesan superintendent

of schools, and Principal Kurt Telford opened the tournament with a prayer and welcome remarks.

— Carolyn Tillman

Sacred Heart students help alumnus put ‘God’s Love into Action’ SALISBURY — Sacred Heart School’s Beta Club recently raised $351.17 for the Michael Childress “God’s Love in Action” Campaign by selling doughnuts and orange juice for breakfast before a recent morning assembly. Childress is an alumnus from the Class of 2014 and has raised money for Rowan Helping Ministries all summer through his golfing. He visited the school to explain his outreach project to students, who jumped right in to help. Childress is pictured with Beta Club members Caroline Cardelle, Shelbee Bryant, Michael Childress, Ella Trainor and Theresa Holland.

— Robin Fisher

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Charlotte Catholic debate team wins sixth place CHARLOTTE — Thirty-four members of Charlotte Catholic High School’s Speech and Debate team attended the 1sixth Annual Asheville High School Cougar Classic Speech and Debate Tournament Nov. 19. Approximately 500 students from 26 schools across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee matched wits in this competitive tournament. Charlotte Catholic’s team won sixth place in the team sweepstakes, and the following students won individual awards: n Uwa Akhere: second place, Dramatic Interpretation; third place, Humorous Interpretation n Charlie Nenichka: second place, Varsity Public Forum Debate n Connor Ruff: second place, Varsity Public Forum Debate n Caleb Schilly: third place, Junior Varsity Public Forum Debate n Charles Haltiwanger: third place, Junior Varsity Public Forum Debate n Chelsea Leland: sixth place, Junior Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate n Paul Gennett: fifth place, Varsity Public Forum Debate n Elizabeth Boswell: fifth place, Varsity Public Forum Debate n Joseph Schreder: fourth place, Junior Varsity Public Forum Debate n Fletcher Curran: fourth place ,Junior Varsity Public Forum Debate — Carolyn Tillman

St. Leo students put faith into action WINSTON-SALEM — Students at St. Leo the Great School put their faith into action throughout the month of October, promoting breast cancer awareness and undertaking

projects for Respect Life Month.

Students raised nearly $900 for cancer research with a Student Council-sponsored “Kick for a Cure” in partnership with Bishop McGuinness High School’s soccer team, as well as a bake sale and a “Pink Out Day” in which students could wear pink clothing instead of their uniforms. In “Kick for a Cure,” more than 100 St. Leo students paid $1 to try scoring a goal against the high school players. The school then was a sea of pink on “Pink Out Day,” and the bake sale was a delicious success.

In recognition that October is designated as Respect Life Month by the U.S. bishops, each class learned how important it is to respect life.

Life is a gift from God which must be treasured and protected. Each class put their faith into action through a variety of projects and lessons highlighting the value of all human life from conception to natural death.

— Melissa Kinsley We welcome your school’s news! Email items to Editor Patricia L. Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

Mix

December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

lush romantic pathos. Some combat violence and frequent rough language.

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

‘Moana’ The eponymous heroine of Disney’s 56th animated film is a spunky Polynesian princess (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) who seeks not a boyfriend but a grand adventure on the high seas. Racing against time, she must join forces with a demigod (voice of Dwayne Johnson) to vanquish evil and restore the natural order.

Gloriously rendered in 3-D, with a delightful array of characters and songs. There are also good lessons about family, friendship and the need to be responsible. Nonscriptural religious ideas, mildly scary action sequences.

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

‘Rules Don’t Apply’

‘Allied’ World War II romantic drama, a Canadian wing commander (Brad Pitt) and a French resistance fighter (Marion Cotillard) pretend to be husband and wife as part of an espionage operation before falling in love for real and making a hasty marriage. Their union flourishes until the officer is suddenly informed by British intelligence that his spouse may not be the person she appears to be. In fact, she may be passing secrets to the enemy. At that point, the story gains traction as stiff-upper-lip style military duty competes with

A small-town beauty queen and aspiring actress (Lily Collins) becomes one of the many fetching would-be stars summoned to 1950s Hollywood by eccentric RKO Pictures owner Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty). Like her peers, she’s housed in style and assigned a chauffeur (Alden Ehrenreich), part of whose job is to report any misbehavior with men he might observe. Despite strict rules against fraternizing, the two fall for each other. But the looming, though often invisible, presence of their increasingly unhinged employer complicates matters in unexpected ways. An ambivalent depiction of Christian faith, some distasteful visual humor, mature themes, at least one use each of rough and crude language.

CNS: L (limited adult audience); MPAA: PG-13

On TV n Saturday, Dec. 10, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Barbara.” A cinematic look at St. Barbara, who became a Christian and suffered martyrdom in the early Church. n Monday, Dec. 12, 12 p.m. (EWTN) Holy Mass on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. n Tuesday, Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Pure in Heart.” The history and work of ‘Pure of Heart,’ a Catholic apostolate that has since expanded from its foundation in Dublin, Ireland, to spread the Church’s teachings on love, purity, chastity and human sexuality to four other countries. n Wednesday, Dec. 14, 4:37 p.m. (EWTN) “Juan Diego: Messenger of Guadalupe.” Find out why the Blessed Mother appeared to a simple man of faith, Juan Diego, and asked him to carry her message, a message that would unite diverse peoples and change the course of history. n Friday, Dec. 16, 4:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Life of Christ: A Holy Land Pilgrimage.” The Gospels come to life in an epic journey through the towns, cities and sites of Christ’s history-changing ministry n Saturday, Dec. 17, 4 p.m. (EWTN) “San Juan Children’s Choir Presents: ‘Siempre Navidad’.” The San Juan Children’s Choir celebrates Christmas with music from around the world; a unique concert expressing the joyful spirit of the holidays in Puerto File, SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald Rico A detail of the stained glass window at Our n Sunday, Dec. 18, 4 p.m. (EWTN) “Time to Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe featuring Remember.” The story of a young boy who develops St. Juan Diego his gift of song with the help of a beloved priest. n Monday, Dec. 19, 4 p.m. (EWTN) “The Legend of the Christmas Flower.” A splendid animated tale highlighted by traditional Mexican music. n Wednesday, Dec. 21, 10:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Promise.” A touching and insightful dramatization, looking inside Gospel events relating to the Annunciation and birth of Christ.

The Life and Legacy of Thomas More

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Henry Choque

¿Si todos los días fueran Navidad?

H

ace unos días, meditaba sobre la algarabía que produce, al llegar la Navidad, las emociones que se despiertan en niños y adultos. Después de que pasa el Día de Acción de Gracias, empezamos a prepararnos para nuestra primera Semana de Adviento (El Adviento es un tiempo de reflexión y alegría para los cristianos, caracterizado por la preparación espiritual para la Segunda Venida de Cristo al final de los tiempos, y también para su Nacimiento como el Nino Jesús en Belén en la Navidad.)

El Adviento marca el comienzo del Año Litúrgico en la Iglesia, y se extiende por Cuatro Domingos de Adviento, generalmente ocurre en el último domingo de Noviembre, y termina el día 24 de Diciembre. Durante el Tiempo de Adviento, tenemos las celebraciones de la Inmaculada Concepción de la Santísima Virgen Maria, las novenas a la Virgen de Guadalupe, y el 12 de Diciembre, celebramos la fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe. Después celebramos Las Posadas, y concluimos con nuestra ansiada Navidad el 25 de Diciembre. Durante este tiempo, esperamos los regalos, la unión familiar, la fiesta. En conclusión, disfrutamos de un mes de mucho amor familiar.

Sin embargo, hace poco me preguntaba algo: ¿Por qué nosotros los seres humanos disfrutamos solo en Diciembre de las maravillas de Dios? ¿Es que Dios solo está con nosotros en la Navidad?

Pienso que no. Dios debería vivir en cada uno de nosotros los 365 días del año.

Recordemos que Dios en su amor infinito por el mundo, envió a su Único Hijo, Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, para morir en la Cruz por nuestros pecados.

Creo que el problema es que andamos tan agobiados con las cosas superficiales, que nos olvidamos de lo que puede llenar nuestra vida diaria realmente. Cosas que no tienen precio. Como el llamar al amigo o familiar para saber cómo se encuentra; o el pedir perdón; decirle al

ser querido o al amigo, “me equivoqué, lo siento.” Decirle a nuestros hijos e hijas cuanto los amamos, y abrazarlos todos los días; visitar a los enfermos. Orar y dar gracias a Dios al ver la luz de un nuevo día, o antes de llevarnos el pan a la boca.

Si lo meditamos, nos podemos dar cuenta que esas acciones no tienen precio. Es solo cuestión de acción.

Jamás pensemos que no lo podemos hacer. Recuerda el dicho: “No le digas a Dios cuán grande es tu problema. Dile a tu problema cuán grande es Dios.”

Debemos comprender que en la vida siempre habrá dificultades, pero con la ayuda, el amor, y la misericordia de Cristo, quien nos acompaña todos los días de nuestras vidas, deberíamos sentir que todos los días es Navidad.

Aprendamos a abrir el corazón permitiendo que Dios viva en nuestra vida, y que Él renueve nuestro ser. Pero, sobre todo, que Dios tome el control de nuestro existir y siempre guie nuestros pasos.

Pero, los proyectos de Dios no son así. Él nos promete grandes cosas, siempre y cuando, nosotros colaboremos en nuestra salvación.

Comencemos cada día tornando nuestra mirada a nuestro Padre celestial.

Fijemos nuestra mirada sobre el Padre y Creador del universo; acojamos sus dones de paz y sus beneficios magníficos e incomparables. Contemplemos con el pensamiento, y consideremos con los ojos del alma la gran paciencia de sus designios; reflexionemos cómo actúa pacíficamente con su creación.

Porque derrama sus beneficios sobre toda la creación, pero a nosotros nos los prodiga sobreabundantemente cuando recurrimos a su misericordia.

Que Dios los bendiga.

Henry Choque es miembro de la Iglesia de St. John Neumann en Charlotte. Choque es el coordinador del Ministerio Hispano de esa parroquia.

RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Mujeres Hispanas forman grupo de ‘Manualidades’ en la Iglesia de St. John Neumann para beneficiar a los pobres CHARLOTTE — El ministerio de “Manualidades Creativas” compuesto de mujeres y niñas Hispanas en la Parroquia de St. John Neumann en Charlotte. El grupo de tejedoras confeccionan bufandas, gorros, toallas, etc. Y estos son donados por esa parroquia a familias pobres del área de Charlotte.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

En el canal diocesano YouTube: Vean un video-corto acerca del ministerio de ‘Manualidades Creativas’

Padre Angel da charla “Amando se entiende la Gente” en la Iglesia de San Gabriel Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Más de unas 400 personas colmaron la Iglesia de San Gabriel en Charlotte el pasado 5 de Diciembre en la noche para escuchar al Padre Ángel Espinosa de los Monteros dar una charla titulada “Amando se entiende la Gente.”

“Si me amas, pues, ¡dímelo!” Aconsejó el Padre Ángel a todas las parejas casadas durante su charla. Con su característico tono humorístico, al estilo de un Mario Moreno, Cantinflas, el sacerdote mexicano cautivó a los presentes con un sin número de ejemplos chistosos para sobresaltar la importancia de todo matrimonio de manifestar su amor el uno por el otro diariamente.

“Amar no es sentir. Lo que no se usa se pierde. Aunque no te salga, marido dígale a su esposa, ‘te amo, mi amor.’ Esposas, díganle a su marido, aunque no esté guapo, por lo menos estas ‘interesante,’” dijo el Padre Ángel.

El Padre enumeró una lista de 12

consejos para demostrar el amor dentro del sacramento del matrimonio. Pero, más importante, él dijo que hay que amar a Dios primero, para que entonces Dios pueda dar la gracia a las parejas para amarse mutuamente, especialmente en momentos difíciles.

“Amar es crecer. El amor crece con el tiempo y con el esfuerzo…Los matrimonios deben tener una actitud de continuaconquista. El amor es una continua conquista,” dijo el sacerdote.

El Padre Ángel también explicó que el verdadero amor busca la felicidad, pero él único que puede hacer a una persona completamente feliz es Dios. “La felicidad es de adentro. Tenemos que saber y decir que ‘Dios me hace feliz.’”

“Amar es de tres: Tú, tu mujer (o marido) y Dios,” agregó el Padre.

Este es el segundo año que el Padre Ángel visita a la Parroquia de San Gabriel en la diócesis. El evento fue organizado por el Ministerio Hispano de San Gabriel.

El sacerdote concluyó con las palabras de San Agustín, “No hay camino para el amor.

El amor es el camino.”

Our nation

December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief Pope recognizes martyrdom of Oklahoma priest killed in Guatemala VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has recognized the martyrdom of Father Stanley Rother of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, making him the first martyr born in the United States. The recognition of his martyrdom clears the way for his beatification. Father Rother, born March 27, 1935, on his family’s farm near Okarche, Okla., was murdered July 28, 1981, in a Guatemalan village where he ministered to the poor and was beloved by the locals, who called him “Padre Francisco.” He went to Santiago Atitlan in 1968 on assignment from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. He helped the people there build a small hospital, school and its first Catholic radio station. Many priests and religious in Guatemala became targets during the country’s 1960-1996 civil war as government forces cracked down on leftist rebels supported by the rural poor.

for students attending their schools who are legally protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. The statement, posted Nov. 30 on the website of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, says it hopes “the students in our communities who have qualified for DACA are able to continue their studies without interruption and that many more students in their situation will be welcome to contribute their talents to our campuses.” President Barack Obama’s DACA program protects young immigrants brought into the United States by their parents as young children without legal permission. More than 720,000 of these young immigrants have been approved for the program, which protects them from deportation for two-year periods. The college leaders’ statement also points out that “undocumented students need assistance in confronting legal and financial uncertainty and in managing the accompanying anxieties. We pledge to support these students – through our campus counseling and ministry support, through legal resources from those campuses with law schools and legal clinics and through whatever other services we may have at our disposal.”

HHS contraceptive mandate in limbo until new administration WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious employers that challenged the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act have been cautiously breathing a sigh of relief since the presidential election. “Everyone is still protected by the

Catholic college presidents pledge support for DACA students WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 70 presidents at Catholic colleges and universities have signed a statement pledging their support

®

Supreme Court’s order,” but they know with a new administration it could change in minutes,” said Mark Rienzi, lead attorney for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the Little Sisters of the Poor in the case before the court earlier this year. And even though nothing has been announced yet, Rienzi seems confident Donald Trump’s campaign promises to repeal some or all of the Affordable Care Act would very likely put the contraceptive issue off the table. “We feel optimistic,” he said, stressing that a major part of Trump’s victory stemmed from religious voters convinced he would best represent them with pro-life policies and Supreme Court nominee picks. The court heard oral arguments in the case March 23. In a unanimous decision May 16, the justices sent the matter back to the lower courts for the parties to work out a compromise. The court also has ordered the government not to impose on the plaintiffs hefty fines it has set up for noncompliance with the mandate.

MiraVia, Inc. (www.mira-via.org) a privately-funded nonprofit corporation operating in Charlotte and Belmont, North Carolina is seeking candidates for the position of Executive Director. MiraVia provides a wide range of services to pregnant women and their children, regardless of their economic, social, religious, racial, or ethnic background. MiraVia is registered in the P.J. Kenedy and Sons Directory of Catholic Charities. The organization employs 16 people and the annual budget is approximately $600,000 with total net assets of approximately $3 million.

Responsibilities include representing MiraVia to build support for the organization and its mission; working with the Board of Directors toward the continued development and improvement of the organization’s strategic plan and to set & meet organizational goals; providing direction and leadership to MiraVia staff; driving private fundraising in concert with the Board of Directors, including annual fundraising events such as the Annual Banquet and Golf Tournament; positioning MiraVia for corporate and institutional funding; driving marketing and communications in coordination with the Board of Directors and MiraVia staff; positioning the organization as a thought leader in the pro-life community on a local, regional and national level; working with other pro-life organizations to create efficiency between MiraVia and other organizations providing services to pregnant women and their children; cultivating and directing a network of volunteers and supporters for MiraVia; assisting the Finance Committee in the creation of the annual budget and manage the organizations’ finances in concert with the approved budget; and overseeing and having ultimate

said a Dec. 1 statement by Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The day of prayer is intended to be a time to place before a merciful God the hopes, fears and needs of all those families who have come to the United States seeking a better life.

“So many families are wondering how changes to immigration policy might impact them,” Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, USCCB vice president, said in a Dec. 1 statement. “We want them to know the Church is with them, offers prayers on their behalf, and is actively monitoring developments at the diocesan, state and national levels to be an effective advocate on their behalf.”

— Catholic News Service

USCCB leaders seek prayers for migrants, refugees WASHINGTON, D.C. — Prayer services and special Masses will be held in many dioceses across the country as the U.S. Catholic Church has asked that the Dec. 12 feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe be a day of prayer with a focus on migrants and refugees. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas.

“As Christmas approaches and especially on this feast of Our Lady, we are reminded of how our savior Jesus Christ was not born in the comfort of his own home, but rather in an unfamiliar manger,”

Experienced Executive Director Wanted for Pro-Life Organization

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WWW. M I R A-V I A .O R G

responsibility for all compliance activities (audit, annual 990 filing, licensing requirements, etc.); Qualifications include demonstrating a passion and commitment for the mission of MiraVia as well as show evidence of a successful career path showing significant management and advocacy responsibilities. While nonprofit experience is preferred, candidates with both for-profit and non-profit experience would be a strong plus. Experience with fundraising is strongly preferred. Candidates must demonstrate strategic thinking skills and an ability to develop, budget, organize and execute a strategic plan--past experience in strategic planning is a strong plus. Candidates must be action oriented and demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills as well as strong presentation and public speaking skills. Candidates must have demonstrated supervisory skills and experience in managing a successful team of people.

Minimum Education and Experience: A master’s degree in Social Work or Public Administration and four years of experience in a human services field including two years in a supervisory or managerial capacity; or graduation from a fouryear college or university and six years of experience in human services field including three years in a supervisory or managerial capacity; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to the President of the Board of Directors, Jordan Raniszeski, at President@mira-via.org

Our world 16

catholicnewsherald.com | December 9, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Panel: Genocide, wars, indifference will make Mideast Christians extinct Beth Griffin Catholic News Service

NEW YORK — Christians in the Middle East face extinction because of genocide, wars and international indifference to their plight, according to panelists at a Dec. 5 interfaith forum in New York.

A concerted multilateral effort to establish a safe haven for them while rebuilding their devastated homelands is preferable to massive permanent resettlement to other countries, including the United States, they said.

Twelve speakers at the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture event explored “The

Crisis for Christians in the Middle East,” with a particular focus on vulnerable Christian minorities in Syria and Iraq.

Christians formed the majority in the Middle East until the Crusades in the 12th-14th centuries, but “the past thousand years haven’t been good in many ways,” said Jack Tannous, assistant professor of history at Princeton University.

Tremendous violence perpetrated against Christians led to widespread conversion, he said, and long periods of stasis have been punctuated by large-scale persecution and followed by immigration.

As a result, many Christians were effectively exterminated from the lands where they lived for centuries, said Michael Reynolds, associate professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University.

Genocide is the accurate description for the fate of Christians, especially in areas controlled by the Islamic State, speakers said.

Kristina Arriaga de Bucholz, executive director of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, said she appreciated that Christians were included in the March 17 genocide declaration by Secretary of State John Kerry, even if the inclusion, she added, was made with difficulty by the current administration and because “it’s popular to talk about minority religions.”

Kerry said the atrocities carried out by the Islamic State group against Yezidis, Christians and other minorities were genocide.

“Today we are witnessing the world’s indifference to the slaughter of Christians in the Middle East and Africa,” said Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress and former U.S. ambassador to Austria. Referencing the Holocaust, he said, “Since 1945, genocide has occurred again and again. ‘Never Again!’ has become hollow. You can’t just declare genocide and say the job is done. You have to back it up with action.”

“Jews know what happens when the world is silent to mass slaughter. We learned it the hard way,” Lauder added.

“People turn off the Middle East because it’s so horrible,” Arriaga de Bucholz said, but having the U.S. declare genocide helps bring attention to the situation and opens the potential for action.

Monsignor John E. Kozar, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, said his organization works with the Eastern churches throughout the Middle East, an area not fully understood or appreciated by those in the Latin Church. The charitable and health care efforts particularly by women religious in largely Muslim areas have been wellreceived, and Christians and others have gotten along well, he said. Nonetheless, there is much outright suffering and persecution, he said.

“Syria is an absolute mess, but the Church is still there,” Monsignor Kozar said. Lebanon is at or close to capacity with refugees. Jordan has the greatest concentration of refugees in the world, but its camps are plagued with extortion and a gangland mentality. Christians are considered third-class citizens in Egypt and still suffer reprisals after the ouster

CNS | Youssef Badawi, EPA

A young Christian worshipper lights a candle during a 2015 Mass for peace at a church in Damascus, Syria.

Christians in the Middle East face extinction because of genocide, wars and international indifference to their plight, said speakers at a Dec. 5 panel discussion in New York. of the Muslim Brotherhood. Christians in Kurdistan and Iraq face different challenges.

“We are accompanying Christians who believe that somehow Our Lord will accompany and sustain them. We try to bring a reasonable stability,” he said.

Monsignor Kozar and other speakers underscored the deep historic and cultural connection of the Christians to their lands. “There is a tug of war between the goodwill of people here in the West who want to welcome and adopt (the refugees) and presume it’s best to extract them from where they are, and the Church leaders and most of the people who want to stay” in the region and return to their countries when it is safe to do so, Monsignor Kozar said. “Family, faith, and church are connected.”

Nina Shea, director of the center for religious freedom at the Hudson Institute, said the current administration’s lack of a religious test for aid dooms tiny minorities and the new administration must make sure Christians and other minorities get their fair share of aid destined for Syria and Iraq.

Also, the United Nations needs a plan to protect minorities. “Otherwise, they will become extinct,” she said.

Retired U.S. Gen. Raymond Odierno, former chief of staff of the U.S. Army, said during his lengthy leadership service in Iraq, he never had a specific mission to protect Christians. He said that was likely because there were bigger problems and if the U.S. singled out Christians, it might be interpreted by the Iraqis as trying “to force our religion on Iraq.”

Odierno said the new administration should be prepared to have a position on what happens to Christians when the fighting wanes in Syria. He advocated a multinational effort to establish a safe haven to protect Christians “until

governments can receive them and place them back where they belong – or else, they’ll dwindle.”

The effort will only work if it is multinational and supported by the United Nations, he said. A solo effort by the United States would create a larger problem for Christians because it would look like the U.S. was unilaterally protecting Christians.

Odierno also suggested relocating Christians from the Ninevah Plain of Iraq to Kurdish-controlled areas during what he said could be a 10- to 20-year rebuilding process before they could return home. He could support a no-fly zone there if there’s a threat and if Russia participated, he said.

Odierno said it’s unclear if the U.S. and Russia can work together to protect Christians and he has not spoken to anyone in Russia, “but I believe we should be able to develop common ground on this.”

He said, “It’s up to us as a nation that supports all religions to assist when any religion is being attacked. We should be there and take a look at it ... we may be judged 50 years from now.”

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York said when bishops visit him from the Middle East, “they don’t say a lot, but unfailingly cry and plead not to be forgotten. They feel desperate, alone and isolated.” He wore a Coptic pectoral cross, a gift to him from Egypt, and he displayed an icon of the Martyrs of Libya.

“We have a God who is calling us to a sense of justice, advocacy and charity. We cannot forget these people,” he said.

The event was organized by the Anglosphere Society, a nonprofit membership organization that promotes the traditional values of English-speaking peoples, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of New York and the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture.

December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief Pope: Year of Mercy may be over, but compassion must live on VATICAN CITY — The Year of Mercy and its series of papal reflections may be over, but compassion and acts of mercy must continue and become a part of everyone’s daily lives, Pope Francis said.

“Let us commit ourselves to praying for each other so that the corporal and spiritual works of mercy increasingly become our way of life,” he said Nov. 30 during his general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall.

Because the day also marked the feast of St. Andrew, brother of St. Peter and founder of the Church in Constantinople, Pope Francis gave special greetings to his “dear brother,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

Pope Francis, the bishop of Rome and successor of Peter, said he was sending “a big embrace” to the patriarch and “this cousin church.”

The Vatican released a letter from the pope to the patriarch, which praised the way Catholics and Orthodox have begun “to recognize one another as brothers and sisters and to value each other’s gifts, and together have proclaimed the Gospel, served humanity and the cause of peace, promoted the dignity of the human being and the inestimable value of the family, and cared for those most in need, as well as creation, our common home.”

Pope, archbishop express condolences over Castro’s death WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a video message, Cuban President Raul Castro announced the Nov. 25 death of his 90-year-old brother and longtime Cuban leader and Communist icon whom many in Latin America knew by just one name: Fidel.

Until 2006, Fidel Castro ruled Cuba in some form from 1959, the year he led a revolution that toppled the government of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Over the years, he survived attempts to be toppled by others. He gained fame throughout Latin America, but others saw Castro as a menace.

Recognizing the complexity of the different feelings the Cuban leader evoked, Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, where many Cuban exiles live, released a brief statement Nov. 26: “His death provokes many emotions – both in and outside the island. Nevertheless, beyond all possible emotions, the passing of this figure should lead us to invoke the patroness of Cuba, the Virgin of Charity, asking for peace for Cuba and its people.”

Archbishop Wenski repeated the words later that day during a Mass “for peace in Cuba” at the Ermita de la Caridad in Miami, a shrine devoted to the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, the patron saint of Cuba, and a place, he said, built by the sacrifices of Cubans in exile. “On the eve of this first Sunday of Advent … we have learned that Fidel Castro has died,” he said during the homily. “Each human being, each one of us, will die and we will all be judged one day. And now it’s his turn.”

The Catholic bishops of Cuba expressed condolences to Castro’s family and to government officials and said that as bishops “we entrust Dr. Fidel Castro to Jesus Christ, the face of the Father’s mercy, Lord of life and

history. We also ask the Lord Jesus that nothing disturb the coexistence among us Cubans.”

In a telegram in Spanish, Pope Francis extended his condolences to Raul Castro on the “sad news” of “the death of your dear brother.”

The pope, credited with the rapprochement between the U.S. and Cuba, also expressed condolences to the government and to the Cuban people, and said he was offering prayers.

Though Raul Castro has publicly expressed admiration for Pope Francis, the relationship between the Church and the Cuban government can be described as a work in progress.

Pope plans trip to Ireland in 2018 VATICAN CITY — After meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said the pope confirmed he will visit Ireland in 2018 and that trip organizers would look at the possibility of a stop in Northern Ireland. The pope and prime minister met Nov. 28. A Vatican statement said the two discussed the Church’s contributions to Ireland, particularly “in the social and educational fields,” and about how important it is for Christians to take an active role in public life, “especially in the promotion of respect for the dignity of every person, starting with the weakest and defenseless.”

Pope asks scientists to find solutions, declare rules to save planet VATICAN CITY — Humanity does not own God’s gift of creation and has no right to pillage it, Pope Francis said. “We are not custodians of a museum and its masterpieces that we have to dust off every morning, but rather collaborators in the conservation and development of the existence and biodiversity of the planet and human life,” he said Nov. 28. The pope addressed experts attending a plenary session of the Pontifical

Retirement Fund for Religious Please give to those who have given a lifetime. www.retiredreligious.org

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Academy of Sciences Nov. 25-29 to discuss the impact of scientific knowledge and technology on people and the planet. People in the modern world have grown up “thinking we are the owners and masters of nature, authorized to plunder it without any consideration for its secret potential and evolutionary laws, as if it were an inert substance at our disposal, causing, among other things, a very serious loss of biodiversity,” he said.

Pope: Helping others realize their potential is good business VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis pleaded with a group of billionaires to take seriously their personal obligation to share their resources and make a real commitment to doing business in a way that helps other people realize their potential, too.

The global economic system, he said Dec. 3, needs a “fundamental renewal” that “does not have to do simply with market economics, figures to be balanced, the development of raw materials and improvements made to infrastructure. What we are speaking about is the common good of humanity, of the right of each person to share in the resources of this world and to have the same opportunities to realize his or her potential, a potential that is ultimately based on the dignity of the children of God, created in his image and likeness,” he told CEOs and other leaders taking part in the Fortune-Time Global Forum. Business leaders like Virgin’s Richard Branson, LRN’s Dov Seidman, Siemens’ Joe Kaeser and IBM’s Ginni Rometty met in Rome for two days to respond to what they described as Pope Francis’ “passionate pleas for broader prosperity and lasting ways to lift the poor.” They also spoke with concern of growing popular discontent with the way big business and governments operate.

— Catholic News Service

“ Be faithful to your prayer life and have a sense of humor,” says Sister Rita Polchin (foreground), 87, a member of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

This philosophy has served her well during nearly 70 years of religious life, especially as a teacher and principal in Catholic schools. Like Sister Rita, the senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests shown here—and nearly 33,000 more across the nation— have offered their lives in service and prayer. Your gift to the Retirement Fund for Religious helps provide nursing care, medications, and other necessities.

Please be generous.

Roughly 95 percent of donations aid senior religious.

To donate: National Religious Retirement Office/CHA 3211 Fourth Street NE Washington DC 20017-1194 Make your check payable to Retirement Fund for Religious.

Or give at your local parish December 10–11.

Photos: (foreground) Sister Rita Polchin, SSCM, 87; (background) visit retiredreligious.org/2016photos for a list of names. ©2016 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Photographer: Jim Judkis.

ViewPoints 18

catholicnewsherald.com | December 9, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Toss aside the throw-away mentality Examine your conscience and seek reconciliation

April Parker

A

few weeks ago, my daughter and I arrived back home after a weekend of camping with the Girl Scouts.

Needless to say, we were exhausted and in need of a shower! My daughter’s clothes were stained with mud from a canoeing excursion. Being dead on my feet, I was ready to throw the clothes in the trash and be done with it, but my husband could not bear it. So he took the clothes from the trash and lovingly began scrubbing the mud from the stained areas with a toothbrush and liquid detergent.

Surprisingly, it worked! The clothes are now back in good use and I am not out any extra expense to replace them. All it took was a little care, compassion and some elbow grease.

The whole muddy clothes ordeal got me thinking about how quick we are as a society to throw things away. We have rightfully earned the title “a throw-away society,” but in more ways than one.

My generation seems to have forgotten the meaning of the term “heirloom.” Everything from our food to our cleaning supplies, even the most advanced technology, is disposable or made to be recycled after we pitch it out.

These examples do a good job of helping us conjure visions of bulging garbage cans, but they may not cut quite deep enough. To look more deeply into our disposable society, we need to ask ourselves how our waste is really about throwing away pieces of our lives.

How quick are we to burn bridges with coworkers or previous bosses? Do we find divorce or separation easier than reconciling our differences? Is it easier to avoid estranged family members instead of mending fences?

I am also very bad about throwing away items in my life for which I have no use, but which someone less fortunate would love to have. At the time, I just want these items

out of my way – out of sight, out of mind.

When I quickly decide to trash something, it is no longer in my way to worry me. I have washed my hands clean of it, not unlike Pilate did at Jesus’ sentencing. Yet, the hurt still continues somewhere in the world. I choose to put the lid of the trash can on the tough issues so that I cannot see them, but the problems still exist: hurt, hunger, sadness, loneliness, injustice.

The Jubilee Year of Mercy may have come to an end, but that does not mean God’s mercy is spent. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus teaches us how a father’s love never ends.

In the parable, a man has two sons. The younger one asks for all his inheritance so that he may go off in the world and make a life for himself. Consequently, when he goes into the world, he squanders his father’s money and ends up destitute. He hires himself out to a citizen of a nearby town, who gives him a job feeding the pigs on his farm. The son longs to have even the scraps the pigs are eating, because he is poor and hungry, but no one gives him anything. The son makes the decision to return to his father, fall at his feet and ask forgiveness. For even his father’s servants are well cared for and have plenty to eat.

He decides to beg for his father’s mercy, to just become one of his servants.

“But while he (the son) was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20) The father immediately asks his servants to kill the fatted calf and celebrate the return of his lost son. The young son is aghast. How could the father accept him back after what he has done? But his father says to his household, “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and

Fred Gallagher On main streets and storefronts, on lampposts and stair rails, trimming doorways and front yards, holiday lights are beginning to appear. The season is upon us – too early for some, just in time for others. We’ll soon put up Christmas trees, and more lights will come out to circle its branches with hues and bulbs generations old. Yet in the nostalgic hymns and carols that surround the new light, in the prospects of familial warmth that beckon the Advent season, we feel keenly the absence of those we miss, presences we yearn for still. And our hearts keep on breaking.

As good as the season is for some, it is the very essence of grief for others. Advent is the joyful and penitent expectation of the Christ Child’s entering this life with us. But it is the dear ones lost to us this year and in years past who return to our minds and hearts and fill us with a yearning we can only take to prayer. We see their faces

is found.” (Luke 15:24) Our Father never delights in throwing one soul away. His mercy is endless. Even after commiting the most unspeakable sins, we are meticulously and lovingly

restored by Him back to our true form in His own image. We have only to ask Him for forgiveness!

Think for a moment about the shepherd who worked so hard to find the lost sheep out of his flock, the one out of the hundred.

He did not say, “Well, I have plenty more.

That one sheep was probably a bad seed anyway. We are better off without him.”

No, he left the others to look high and low until he found the one that was lost.

(Matthew 18) Perhaps you feel as though you have been discarded or left behind. God is there to lend a hand, to help you out, to find you. Just ask Him in prayer and He will answer.

Perhaps you feel guilty for having thrown someone else in the garbage, or you moved ahead and left someone else completely behind. The Father is still willing to forgive. As a parent, He teaches us the steps to make things right again. He puts people in our path to guide us or He pulls on our consciences so that we are led down the road to renewal. But our hearts must be open to this love, open to God’s mercy and forgiveness.

The next time you lift the lid of your garbage can at home, take time to examine your conscience. Is there anything today that you need to reconcile or recover? Is there anyone who is in need of the mercy that only you can give?

April Parker is a parishioner of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro and a teacher at St. Pius X School. She is also a freelance writer and author.

Lights and heartbreak… the story and the hope and gestures on the faces and in the gestures of children and grandchildren. All we can do is sigh and glance up to a star.

Some who haven’t yet experienced it might wonder why there could be gloom in such a joyous season. They don’t know that it is the irony itself that accosts us: great joy in Christ’s coming and great sorrow in the clinging to the imprint of a loved one. So where in all the wash of light – white and blue and green and red – do we go with the melancholy that encloses so many during Advent?

The only place I know to go is to the Story itself. A grown man is willing to set his reputation aside in a time and place when all one has is one’s reputation, and a young woman barely out of childhood, who said “yes” to an angel’s call, is with child herself. They journey into the starlight with no accommodations. Lambs are inexplicably rambunctious in their fields and their shepherds are

drawn to a light from a cave. Kings from a distance are readying themselves to be humbled as never before. And, finally, in the cave’s stable among the animals of the land, their snorts and swooshes of tails the only sound in the still, still night, the Child is born … and God, miraculously and graciously, becomes one of us.

From the moment He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Christ took on every part of us except sin. Growing to manhood, He took on our joy, the exuberance of friendship and celebration and rejuvenation, miraculous or not. And He took on our sorrow, too, every ounce of loneliness we have ever felt, our dejection, our pain, our desperate grief in the longing for one who has returned to Him. He turned to us in the flesh and embraced us as we had never been embraced before. gallagher, SEE page 20

December 9, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Letters to the editor

Catholics need more voting information Dr. Kamila Valenta

Cuba after Fidel Castro: A difficult journey towards freedom

T

he recent announcement of the death of Cuban revolutionary and Communist dictator Fidel Castro sparked spontaneous celebrations in the streets of Miami that featured chanting, singing and dancing among the exiled Cuban community. But this joyful atmosphere stood in stark contrast to the somber calmness of the streets of Havana, where Communist supporters mourned and dissident groups remained quiet out of respect for the demise of a 90-year-old man who, despite his brutality, ranked as one the most influential contemporary leaders in the Western Hemisphere.

While Cubans in Miami may perceive the death of Fidel Castro as a chance for the long-awaited liberation and democratization in their home country, the people in Cuba, who still suffer under the repressive regime of Castro’s Communism, realize that the path to complete freedom is likely to be a long and perilous journey, and that the death of their leader, who had not even been in power for the last decade, will probably not have any immediate effects.

Leading the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro built a Communist country right at the doorstep of the United States. He defied five decades of an American embargo and military attempts to overthrow his power, withstood the collapse of its greatest ally, the Soviet Union, survived numerous assassination plots, and built a government apparatus specifically designed to endure long after he was gone.

Furthermore, Communism is not just a system of government, it is an ideology that penetrates and molds every aspect of the society and culture. Religious faith is replaced with state-sanctioned atheism; traditional holidays are abolished and new Communist celebrations established; national symbols are altered or replaced; all folklore and social groups are managed by the government to conform to the socialist ideology; and, little by little, an entire nation is stripped of its soul. And while one of the main accomplishments of the Castro regime is universal access to education, this education equals Communist indoctrination of more than two generations over the course of almost 60 years.

The establishment of authoritarian institutions combined with decades of indoctrination led to a smooth transition of power between Fidel and his brother Raul Castro, who formally took office in 2008. Human Rights Watch periodically reports that repressive policies in Cuba continue under the administration of Raul Castro, including censorship, unlawful imprisonment, instances of torture, and severe restrictions of the freedom of assembly, expression and movement.

According to the Freedom House, Cuba is the most repressive regime in all of the Americas.

Despite warming relations between Cuba and the Vatican, multiple papal visits and other promising developments, freedom of religion remains out of reach for the Cuban people. The revised Cuban constitution of 1992 changed the definition of Cuba from an atheist country to a secular country,

and six years later Cubans were allowed to celebrate Christmas for the first time after a 30-year ban. Catholics are no longer forbidden from being members of the Communist party, and the last visit of Pope Francis culminated in the success of a joint effort to reestablish diplomatic ties with the United States and allow limited travel.

However, as the U.S. State Department reports, all institutional, group and individual religious activity remains under strict government supervision and control.

This includes the confiscation of church properties, closing of churches and other places of worship, and the imprisonment and forced exile of clergy and religious. A historic Franciscan monastery in the town of Guanabacoa was forced to close in 2014 after years of waiting unsuccessfully for the government’s permission to perform necessary repairs. Most of its monks then had to leave the country. Only an estimated 6 percent of Cuban Catholics regularly attend Mass, and they are still sometimes harassed by the police. Last year members of the dissident group Ladies in White, which includes wives of political prisoners, were dragged out of church, beaten by the police and arrested. These most recent atrocities are being carried out under the leadership of Raul Castro.

On the other hand, there are some signs of hope that Cuba might embark on the path towards freedom. Such political development might be fostered by the gradual softening of U.S.-Cuban relations and opening of the borders, leading to greater human interaction through tourism. Recent government policies have allowed small businesses to operate, and that might lead to a development of selfreliance that could provide the necessary foundation for future democratization.

Increased technology and flow of information, even though still under the government’s monitoring, could inspire people’s movement for change. And perhaps continuing cooperation with the Vatican might eventually lead to a greater relaxation of restrictive policies against religious freedom and awaken the people’s faith.

Even though the death of Fidel Castro marks the end of an era, it will not bring back the hundreds of executed innocent people or the countless victims who perished trying to cross to America on homemade boats. It will not restore the many lives destroyed due to unjust imprisonment or separation. And it will not magically revive a culturally, socially and spiritually devastated nation. Only after all political prisoners have been freed, families are reunited, forced exiles are allowed to return, human rights are restored, and the Communist apparatus collapses, will the people of both Miami and Havana be able to joyfully unite in one voice: “Viva Cuba Libre!”

Dr. Kamila Valenta is a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte and a part-time professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she teaches courses on ethnic conflict.

As a resident of North Carolina for half of the year, I usually vote absentee. I e-mailed the Diocese of Charlotte for some literature that could be shared with others in our parish regarding the upcoming election. I also asked if we could expect a homily on this important subject. The response I received said there would be articles in the Catholic newspaper for everyone’s reference.

May I say that I made the same request of the bishop’s office four years ago and met with the same “nothing” response. I think the bishop should know how poorly these requests are handled when help should have been offered instead of being denied.

In my home state of Florida, instead of one Sunday homily, we had a video presented by a pastor speaking about the issues Catholics must focus on; he mentioned no candidates by name.

Yes, I read the articles in the issue just prior to the election, but is the diocese hierarchy aware that one-third of votes were already cast during early voting?

Fortunately, studies show that 57 percent of Catholics voted for Donald Trump this time. However, in the past two elections, President Barack Obama achieved victory with 57 percent of the Catholics voting for him. The unborn need our support even when it may be costly.

Jeri Spinella is a resident of Jensen Beach, Fla., and Sapphire, where he is a parishioner of St. Jude Church.

Cover image was poor choice The photograph of a Donald Trump supporter on the cover of the Nov. 11 edition of the Catholic News Herald did not go with the words “heal” or “promote peace and unity.”

Pope Francis called Trump out as un-Christian for promoting the building of a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border, and I was proud of him for speaking out.

Trump’s rhetoric has told us who he is, and we need to pray. We also must put pictures of real people who promote peace, unity and healing on the cover of a newspaper that is supposed to endorse those values.

Margaret Childress lives in Advance and attends Holy Family Church in Clemmons.

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‘We must understand the lost sheep because we, too, always have something – small or not so small – of the lost sheep.’

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From online story: “At Christmas, recognize your sin and let God caress you, pope says” Through press time on Dec. 7, 1,913 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 3,039 pages. The top nine headlines in December so far have been: n 10 facts about Advent..............................................................................................................................257 n Bishops say Guadalupe feast to be day of prayer for refugees, migrants................................213 n Monsignor Walsh, who led building of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, passes away............189 n St. Nicholas: The real Santa Claus celebrated Dec. 6.......................................................................88 n Black Catholics reflect: Look to the past for how to live one’s faith today................................. 81 n Deacon James H. Toner: Memories ...................................................................................................... 59 n Bishop Emeritus Curlin accepts Fruit of the Vine Award Nov. 18.................................................. 39 n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald............................................................37 n Archives of the Catholic News Herald. View the last 25 years online......................................... 28

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catholicnewsherald.com | December 9, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

GALLAGHER FROM PAGE 18

Estate Planning, Elder Law and Probate PLANNING TODAY FOR YOUR FAMILY’S TOMORROW St. Matthew’s Parishioner

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In our faith we celebrate the joys of being human and the sorrows of human loss. We get in there and grapple with the real things of life, marriages and births and passing life lessons to children and, ultimately, with the onset of time, receding into the background of the generations as the years wear on. And, of course, we also walk with the sorrowful in their tears and good-byes.

Somehow, in some mysterious way, the embrace of that Child becomes our hope.

That embrace gives us the fortitude to live on through the highs and lows of a season, through the highs and lows of our lives.

It is the Story itself to which our lights foreshadow and our grief calls out. It is the story itself that returns our joy, our laughter, our hope right there before us in that loveliest of faces, that intimate, hallowed face of the Christ Child, the face we now so anxiously await.

As the lights begin to swirl round us and as those who have passed before us come back to life in our mind’s eye, as we listen ever more attentively to the enlightening story of the Christ Child’s imminent arrival, hope may just find room in our hearts. And when it finds our hearts at Advent and Christmas, it will surely reign there.

Fred Gallagher is an author, book editor and former addictions counselor. He and his wife Kim are members of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

Charlotte/Ballantyne

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Center for Spirituality rockhilloratory.org

oratorycenter@gmail.com

Man, Be Better!

Saturday, January 7, 2017 Michael Petro Start the year off with a day-long retreat to discuss and reflect on the concerns that men have: work, family, health, spirituality. What do we have to say about these topics?

Prices starting at $2,499 ~ with Airfare Included in this price from anywhere in the USA Several trips to different destinations: the Holy Land; Italy; France, Portugal, & Spain; Poland; Medjugorje, Lourdes, & Fatima; Ireland & Scotland; England; Austria, Germany, & Switzerland; Greece & Turkey; Viking Cruises; Caribbean Cruises; Budapest; Prague; Our Lady of Guadalupe; Colombia; Brazil; Argentina; Domestic Destinations; etc...

We also specialize in custom trips for Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. www.proximotravel.com 508-340-9370 Hablamos Español 855-842-8001 anthony@proximotravel.com Call us 24/7

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What does God have to say about them? The day includes liturgy and lunch.

Michael Petro was previously a Campus Minister at Winthrop University and now teaches at St. Anne School in Rock Hill, SC and Belmont Abbey College.

$35 (includes lunch)

A Retreat for Caregivers Thursday, January 12, 2017 or Saturday, January 14, 2017 9am – 4pm Sister Susan Schorsten, HM & Sister Gay Rowzie, HM This retreat is an invitation for individuals who are caring for others: parents, children, relatives or friends, and who desire to have a few hours for themselves.

The day will provide some brief input regarding why and how to “care for one-self” while caring for others. In addition there will be time to “just be” – a time to spend with God. Sister Susan Schorsten & Sister Gay Rowzie are Humility of Mary Sisters. Both were active in the Diocese of Charleston for many years before moving on to other ministries and now have returned to this area.

$40 (includes lunch)

Help to end hunger Catholic Charities has food pantries in Asheville, Charlotte and Winston-Salem. Each pantry provides walk-in assistance on a first-come, first-served basis during scheduled hours. At the pantries, clients can help choose their food items – because providing food and assistance with dignity is what we believe in.

Looking to give back this holiday season? Drop off a food donation today and make a difference in a neighbor’s life.

Asheville: 828-255-0146 Charlotte: 704-370-3232 Winston-Salem: 336-727-0705