April 15, 2016

April 15, 2016

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

‘AMORIS LAETITIA’

Share truth of family with mercy, help those struggling, pope says

A dignified burial

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INDEX

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

YEAR OF MERCY PROFILE: Burial Assistance Program meets critical need in burying loved ones

Subscribe today! Call:

704-370-3333

FUNDED by the parishioners of the diocese of charlotte

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THANK YOU!

‘MOVED

BY LOVE’

Divine Mercy Sunday celebrated across western North Carolina 2

Immaculate Conception Parish models Christ in new mission

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House of Mercy’s 25th anniversary Walk for AIDS raises $40,430 6

Year of Mercy 2

catholicnewsherald.com | April 15, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Divine Mercy Sunday T

Pope Francis

he Christian faithful have the right to a Christian education.

Church law 217 states: “Since they are called by baptism to lead a life in keeping with the teaching of the gospel, the Christian faithful have the right to a Christian education by which they are to be instructed properly to strive for the maturity of the human person and at the same time to know and live the mystery of salvation.”

This is a broader concept of even the Catholic education legislated elsewhere in Church law. The nature and form of this education varies according to the needs of each person and their level of growth.

One of the aspects of this Church law is that by using the adjective “Christian” to describe the right to an education, canon 217 broadens its scope to include all of the baptized – whether or not they live in full communion with the Catholic Church.

One of the aspects of this right worth noting is the right of the faithful – with no discrimination whatsoever for reasons of sex, state of life, or any other condition – to study, including at the highest university level.

There is a also natural right to religious freedom in connection with the natural right to education and culture. The rights regarding government and secular teaching institutions does not interfere with the right as explained by this Church law.

Living out one’s faith is useless without a repentant heart

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ithout a repentant heart, Christians can risk living out their faith superficially and fail to live out God’s desire for “mercy, not sacrifice,” Pope Francis said.

Instead, Jesus’ love for sinners shows that the Church is not “a community of perfect people, but disciples on a path who follow the Lord because they recognize themselves as sinners and in need of His forgiveness,” the pope said at his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square April 13.

Jesus’ mission is “to search for each one of us, to heal our wounds and call us to follow Him with love,” he said.

The pope reflected on the Gospel passage, which recounted Jesus calling Matthew to follow Him despite the fact he was a tax collector and considered a sinner by the people.

Jesus, he said, did not rebuke him for his past but dines with him and “opens up a new future.”

“There is no saint without a past and there is not sinner without a future. This is beautiful; this is what Jesus does,” he said.

However, like the scribes and Pharisees, there is also the temptation for Christians to fall into pride and arrogance and believe themselves better than others. For Christ, no sinner is excluded because “God’s healing power knows no sickness that cannot be cured,” the pope said.

Jesus, he added, was not afraid of talking to sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes, thus revealing the true meaning behind the prophet Hosea’s call for “mercy, not sacrifice.”

“Those Pharisees were very religious in practice, but were unable to share a table with tax collectors and sinners,” he said. “While being faithful guardians of the law, they had no knowledge of God’s heart.”

Pope Francis called on the faithful to “look with mercy” upon others while reminding them that “we are all disciples in need of experiencing and living the comforting words of Jesus.”

“We all need to be nourished by the mercy of God because our salvation comes from this source,” the pope said.

— Catholic News Service

Christian education

Photos by Craig Allen, Cindy Giarrusso, Giuliana Polinari Riley and SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy made this year’s celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday extra special in parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte. Catholics everywhere sang the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and took part in Eucharistic Adoration. St. Patrick Cathedral organized a Divine Mercy Novena leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday, capping off the nine-day prayer effort April 3 with priests hearing confessions for more than eight hours. Hundreds of parishioners at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte and Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro venerated first-class relics of St. Faustina Kowalska, the Polish nun who first spread Our Lord’s message of Divine Mercy.

(Clockwise, from top) The altar at St. William Church in Murphy was decorated by parishioners for Divine Mercy Sunday.

Monsignor John McSweeney, pastor of St. Matthew Church, incenses a first-class relic of St. Faustina, now housed in the daily Mass chapel at the parish. Deacon Andy Cilone and David Faunce lead the congregation in singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet at Immaculate Conception Church in Forest City. Father Christopher Gober, pastor, leads parishioners in a Eucharistic procession and the Divine Mercy Chaplet at the Marian grotto of St. Bernadette Church in Linville.

Editor’s note: This series about the rights and obligations of the Christian faithful, as set forth in canon (Church) law, has been written especially for the Catholic News Herald by Mercy Sister Jeanne-Margaret McNally. Sister JeanneMargaret is a distinguished authority on canon law, author of the reference guide “Canon Law for the Laity,” and frequent lecturer at universities and dioceses. A graduate of The Catholic University of America with multiple degrees including a doctorate in psychology and a licentiate of canon law (JCL), she is a psychologist for the Tribunal of the Diocese of Charlotte and a judge in the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Miami.

COMING NEXT: Right of Expression

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos of local Divine Mercy celebrations, including Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, St. Mark Church in Huntersville, and St. Gabriel and St. Ann churches in Charlotte.

Your daily Scripture readings APRIL 17-23

Sunday: Acts 13:14, 43-52, Revelation 7:9, 14-17, John 10:27-30; Monday: Acts 11:1-18, John 10:1-10; Tuesday: Acts 11:19-26, John 10:22-30; Wednesday: Acts 12:24-13:5, John 12:44-50; Thursday (St. Anselm): Acts 13:13-25, John 13:16-20; Friday: Acts 13:26-33, John 14:1-6; Saturday (St. George, St. Adalbert): Acts 13:44-52, John 14:7-14

APRIL 24-30

Sunday: Acts 14:21-27, Revelation 21:1-5, John 13:31-35; Monday (St. Mark): 1 Peter 5:5-14, Mark 16:15-20; Tuesday: Acts 14:19-28, John 14:27-31; Wednesday: Acts 15:1-6, John 15:1-8; Thursday (St. Peter Chanel, St. Louis Grignion de Montfort): Acts 15:7-21, John 15:9-11; Friday (St. Catherine of Siena): Acts 15:22-31, John 15:12-17; Saturday (St. Pius V): Acts 16:1-10, John 15:18-21

MAY 1-7

Sunday: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29, Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23, John 14:23-29; Monday (St. Athanasius): Acts 16:11-15, John 15:26-16:4; Tuesday (Sts. Philip and James): 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, John 14:6-14; Wednesday: Acts 17:15, 2218:1, John 16:12-15; Thursday (The Ascension of the Lord): Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Luke 24:46-53; Friday: Acts 18:9-18, John 16:20-23; Saturday: Acts 18:23-28, John 16:23-28

Our parishes

April 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Diocese to host 15th annual Regional Stewardship Conference CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte will host the 15th annual Regional Stewardship Conference April 30 at the Hilton Charlotte-University Place, near the campus of UNC-Charlotte. The event is a combined effort of the stewardship and development offices of the dioceses of Charlotte, Charleston, Raleigh and Savannah and the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Organizers plan to provide inspiration, information and motivation for promoting stewardship in all areas of parish life.

Anyone interested in embracing stewardship as a way of life is invited to attend the conference – priests, deacons, parish staff and engaged parishioners will receive the tools and motivation to take a parish’s stewardship efforts to the next level.

The conference will offer compelling and practical workshops, interactive forums, presentations and discussions around stewardship, teamwork and innovative parish programs.

Leisa Anslinger, codirector of “Catholic Life and Faith,” a center for leadership development to help pastoral leaders engage their people in living the faith, will be the keynote speaker. Breakout sessions will cover such topics as gifts discernment programs, multi-media approaches to sharing the stewardship message, engaging Hispanic parishioners in stewardship efforts, working with parish leaders, and hospitality and community building.

The conference will conclude with Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis at 4:30 p.m.

For more information, the schedule of the day, or to register for the conference, go to www.sestewardship. weconnect.com.

For questions, contact Kerry Ann Tornesello, associate director of development for the Charlotte diocese, at 704370-3302 or katornesello@ charlottediocese.org.

—Catholic News Herald

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‘MOVED BY LOVE’

Photos provided by Bob Lange

(Above) Dr. Colin Thomas of Immaculate Conception Church, leader of the Sick and Homebound Ministry, brings the Eucharist to parishioners who cannot attend Mass as part of the parish mission to be Christ to others. (Below) Bob Lange presents the new parish mission at one of many meetings with parishioners.

Immaculate Conception Parish models Christ in new mission SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

HENDERSONVILLE — What is the mission of a parish?

That’s the question Capuchin Franciscan Father Martin Schratz posed to his parish council at Immaculate Conception Church a few years ago. The Hendersonville parish had a mission statement, of course, printed in its weekly bulletin, but no one could remember what it was.

That realization served as a wake-up call for the parish lay leaders, who under the pastor’s direction formed a nine-member mission team and began a period of prayer and discernment, asking themselves: What is the purpose of our parish? Where are we going? What are we to do when we get there?

Over the course of nine months, answers to their questions slowly came to light through what they believe was the working of the Holy Spirit. The result is a new parish mission: “We are a joyful Catholic community of disciples of Jesus Christ, moved by love, to seek the lost and the broken and bring them home.”

To better clarify the mission, the team broke it down into seven phrases, which come together to provide a single mission. Their prayer is that it “has the ability to touch, inspire and move God’s people. That it speaks to each of our hearts. That it unifies us without limiting our movement. That it provides focus while not constraining. And that it calls us to respond to the promptings of the Spirit – uniquely as individuals and communally as the Body of Christ.”

“It’s not a mission statement,” explains Bob Lange, longtime

parishioner and the mission team leader. “A mission statement feels passive. This is a mission! Mission is action. You could hear a pin drop in the room afterwards when we presented it to our parish council, there were a lot of tears. It’s a very provocative mission.

Seeking the lost and the broken and bringing them home is something we don’t talk a lot about as Christians.”

He noted that we all have this hidden brokenness and a hidden feeling of being lost. It applies to everyone.

Bringing people “home” means bringing them to the Heart of Jesus to allow His healing Presence to change their lives.

Parishioners then asked themselves: do we have a parish capable of performing this mission? The answer was no. So parish leaders spent months discerning how the parish could live its new mission.

Said Lange, “We started with a blank sheet of paper, which is very freeing, but it’s also a very scary thing because there is no roadmap. We spun our wheels for a while. We had to ask ourselves if we were going to mission, SEE page 9

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | April 15, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: April 15 – 10 a.m.

Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

April 21 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Spirit Church, Denver

April 27 – 5:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Francis of Assisi Church, Franklin

April 16 – 5:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of the Highways Church, Thomasville

April 23 – 5:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Family Church, Clemmons

April 30 – 4:30 p.m.

Regional Stewardship Conference Mass Charlotte

April 18-20 Priests Colloquium Hickory

April 25 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of the Mountains Church, Highlands

May 2 - 6 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Ann Church, Charlotte

Reflection: 7-9 p.m. Monday, April 18, at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Guest speaker will be Father Jason Barone. For details and to register, go to www.charlottecatholicwomensgroup.org.

Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Supports the vocation of motherhood by strengthening faith through reading and discussion. For details, email Kerry Long at klong003@carolina.rr.com.

Procession for life: 8 a.m. Mass with Father Roux, Saturday, April 16, at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road, Charlotte. Followed by a prayer at the Latrobe Drive Abortion Clinic with Father Barone. Sponsored by the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants of Charlotte. For details visit, www.charlottehelpers.com.

Seasons of Hope Ministry: 2-4 p.m. meets for five consecutive weeks April 3-May 1 at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St., Greensboro. Any parishioner mourning the loss of a loved one is encouraged to attend. To register, call the parish office at 336-272-4681.

Diocesan calendar of events April 15, 2016

ENtertainment

Volume 25 • Number 14

Spring Concert at Arts at the Abbey: 3 p.m.

Sunday, May 1, in the Abbey Basilica, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road, Belmont. Belmont Abbey Chorus, voice and organ students and Instrumental Ensemble present the annual Spring Concert, the program features sacred, secular, vocal and instrumental selections. As this is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the chorus will sing selections with Shakespeare texts by American composer Emma Lou Diemer. Also included will be spirituals and familiar works like Pachelbel’s canon and the Shaker hymn tune “Simple Gifts.” The program will harken back to the 1940s with “Chattanooga Choo” and “Sentimental Journey.” There will be an Easter hymn for all to sing with the Abbey organ. For details, go to www. bac.edu.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carolina Catholic Chorale to Sing Caldara’s ‘Mass in A Major’: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at St. Ann Church, 635 Park Road, Charlotte. The Carolina Catholic Chorale will sing for a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form for the Feast of the Ascension.

Sacred music for the evening will be the “Mass in A Major” by baroque composer Antonio Caldara for chorus and orchestra. This beautiful yet rarely heard work will be sung from a new performing edition by the group’s founder and director, Thomas F. Savoy. Free admission.

Lectures & Workshops estate planning seminar: 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte. The focus will be on wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate and bequests. Catholic teaching on end-of-life issues will also be included.

Christian Cherry, estate planning attorney with Grier, Furr & Crisp, will present legal information focusing on wills, estates, trusts and probate. His presentation will also include a Q&A session. Judy Smith, gift planning director for the diocese, will provide information on planned giving and bequests. Registration required to reserve a take-home packet of materials. To register, contact Judy Smith at 704-370-3320 or jmsmith@ charlottediocese.org.

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

Saturday, April 30, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Effectiveness of modern NFP, health risks of popular contraceptives and what the Church teaches about responsible parenting. Sponsored

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

PRAYER SERVICES & Groups IGBO Mass: 8:30 p.m. Sunday, April 17, at St. Mary Church, 812 Duke St., Greensboro. For details, call 336707-3625.

CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC WOMEN’S GROUP Evening

St. Peregrine Healing Prayer Service: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. St. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer and grave diseases. This powerful healing prayer service is offered for all those suffering with cancer or other diseases. For details, call the parish at 704-543-7677.

Mass for U.S. military personnel: 11 a.m. Monday, May 30, at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. The Mass and rosary will be offered for all military personnel who have died and for those who are now serving. Photos of those who have died or who are now serving in the military will be displayed in the cathedral. To include your service member, mail a color or black/white photocopy of them with their name and military rank on the back of the photocopy to Nancy Weber, Office of the Bishop, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203. Photos must be received by May 23. Please do not send original photographs as they will not be returned. All military personnel are invited and encouraged to come in uniform.

Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick: 2 p.m. every third Sunday of the month, St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 37 Murphy Dr., Maggie Valley. Individual prayers over people after Mass by Charismatic Prayer Group members. For details, call the parish 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 parish office at 336-883-0244.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING “Protecting God’s Children” workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. Upcoming workshops are listed below.

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

CHARLOTTE: 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24, St. Joseph Vietnamese Church, 4929 Sandy Porter Road; 9 a.m.

Sunday, May 22, at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road SUPPORT GROUPS Called to be a mom: 10 a.m.-noon every other Thursday until May 19 at St. Matthew Church, 8015

Shining Stars Adult day respite: Meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Shining Stars is a non-profit 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.

YEAR OF MERCY Year of Mercy website: Keep up to date on all Jubilee Year of Mercy events, download catechetical resources on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, watch videos on the theme of mercy, and much more, at the Diocese of Charlotte’s Year of Mercy website: www. yearofmercy.rcdoc.org.

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 YOUNG ADULTS: Groups for Catholics in their 20s and 30s, single or married, are active in Charlotte at: St. Gabriel Church: on Facebook at “St. Gabriel Young Adult Ministry” St. John Neumann Church: contact Meg VanGoethem, 815-545-2587 St. Patrick Cathedral: on Facebook at “St. Patrick Cathedral Frassati Fellowship-Young Adult Ministry” St. Thomas Aquinas Church: Online at “Aquinas’ Finest,” www.stacharlotte.com/finest Our Lady of Consolation Church: contact Denise Duliepre, 917-575-0871 Holy Spirit Church in Denver: contact Nicole Lehman, 704-607-5207 GREENSBORO WAY OF CHRIST: The young adult ministry at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. Go to www.stpiusxnc. com/woc, or look them up on Facebook at “wayofchrist” or Twitter @wocgreensboro.

April 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

On April 17, the fourth Sunday of Easter (also known as ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’), the Church will celebrate the 53rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

This year’s theme is: ‘The Church, Mother of Vocations.’

Vocations, Catholic community life must serve each other, pope says Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Vocations to the priesthood and religious life are born within the Christian community, are meant to build up the Christian community and rely on the community for support, Pope Francis said.

“The Church is the house of mercy, and it is the ‘soil’ where vocations take root, mature and bear fruit,” the pope wrote in his message for the 2016 observance of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated April 17 in most dioceses.

“The Church, mother of vocations” is the theme Pope Francis chose for the day. The purpose of this day is to publically fulfill the Lord’s instruction to, “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2).

While God calls individuals, and individuals have a duty to discern in prayer the vocation to which they are called, the call to priesthood or religious life comes because one has been baptized into the community of the Church, the pope said. “The ecclesial dynamism of the call is an antidote to indifference and to individualism.”

Vocations are born within the Church community, so “indifference is vanquished by love, because it demands that we go beyond ourselves and place our lives at the service of God’s plan, embracing the historical circumstances of His holy people,” the pope wrote.

As women and men prepare for service in religious life or the priesthood, the pope said, their knowledge of and love for real Christian communities must grow.

While a vocation may be born in a particular parish, diocese or Catholic movement, God’s call is to serve the entire Church, he said. Already starting in the seminary or novitiate, candidates need experiences that help them “learn to know and to love their brothers and sisters who pursue paths different from their own; and these bonds strengthen in everyone the communion which they share.”

The community aspect of vocations, he said, also means that every Catholic and all of them together have a responsibility to pray for vocations, to help identify and encourage individuals

suited to the priesthood or religious life and to give every priest and religious the care and support they need to continue their service faithfully.

Pope Francis ended his message with a prayer to the “Father of mercy,” asking God to “grant us Christian communities which are alive, fervent and joyous, which are fonts of fraternal life and which nurture in the young the desire to consecrate themselves to you and to the work of evangelization.”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Find more information on discernment, including vocation resources for parents and families, as well as vocation prayers in English and Spanish At www.worlddayofprayerforvocations.com: Read the full text of Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations and find more vocation resources At www.charlottevocations.org: Learn more about the vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life in the Diocese of Charlotte

‘QUO VADIS DAYS’

‘DUC IN ALTUM’

The Diocese of Charlotte’s annual “Quo Vadis Days,” a five-day vocations discernment camp, will be held June 13-17 at Belmont Abbey College.

Designed for rising high school freshmen through college-aged men, the camp helps participants discern their vocation in life while having fun with other young Catholic men.

The Latin phrase “quo vadis” literally means “Where are you going?” and it is a fitting title to an event that prompts participants to reflect upon this fundamental question, with the opportunity to grow in their faith and delve into the meaning and mystery of the priesthood. It combines the activity of a summer camp with the quiet of a retreat.

Each day includes Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic Adoration, time for personal reflection and interaction with priests and seminarians, besides outdoor activities and fellowship.

Priests and seminarians from the Diocese of Charlotte will lead the camp, and Bishop Peter J. Jugis will take part as well.

The camp fee, which includes lodging at Belmont Abbey College, all meals and supplies, is $150. Financial assistance is available.

For more information and to register, go to www.charlottediocese. org/vocations/quo-vadis-days. For other inquiries, contact Father Christopher Gober, director of vocations, at 704-370-3327 or vocationsmail@charlottediocese.org.

Following in the footsteps of the successful Quo Vadis Days camp for young men, the diocese is introducing “Duc In Altum,” a retreat for young women that will be held June 27-July 1 at Belmont Abbey College.

“Duc in Altum” (literally meaning “put out into the deep,” taken from Luke 5:4) is open to rising high school freshmen to college freshmen women. The retreat aims to help women discern their vocations within the Church as wives, mothers, consecrated religious or consecrated lay faithful.

The retreat is inspired by the words of St. John Paul II in his apostolic letter “At the Beginning of the New Millennium” for the close of the Jubilee Year of 2000: “Peter and His first companions trusted Christ’s words, and cast the nets. ‘When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish’ (Lk 5:6). Duc in altum! These words ring out for us today, and they invite us to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with confidence: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’ (Heb 13:8)” “As women, we naturally tend to plumb the depths – whether of our relationships, our emotions, or even reading into facial expressions, voice inflections or written words. We are not satisfied with the surface. For better or for worse, we want to go deeper,” notes Sister Mary Raphael, the retreat’s organizer. “We wish to help them cultivate and maintain a firmly rooted spiritual life of prayer and receptivity to the grace of God.” The retreat fee, which includes lodging at Belmont Abbey College, all meals and supplies, is $150. Financial assistance is available.

For details, go to www.charlottediocese.org/vocations/duc-in-altum or contact Sister Mary Raphael at 704-602-4809 or email mraphael@ charlottediocese.org.

— Catholic News Herald

OUR PARISHESI

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Vocations office adds part-time help for upcoming discernment retreats SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte has hired Sister Mary Raphael of the Daughters of the Virgin Mother lay apostolate to assist the Office of Vocations with the upcoming Quo Vadis Days and Duc in Altum retreats. These week-long camps in June are an opportunity for young men and women to deepen their faith, develop new friendships and explore the meaning and purpose of their lives.

Sister Mary Raphael will assist the Vocations office on a part-time basis.

Formerly the secretary for Bishop Robert Baker of the Diocese of Birmingham, Ala., Sister Mary Raphael relocated to Charlotte in 2010. She currently lives and works at MiraVia, assisting young mothers and their children at the maternity home on the campus of Sister Mary Belmont Abbey College.

Raphael She began the Daughters of the Virgin Mother supporting the spiritual and material needs of priests and seminarians in 2015.

Sister Mary Raphael said she is especially excited about the new “Duc In Altum” (“Put out into the deep”) retreat for young women.

“As we have seen Quo Vadis to be very successful the past few years for the young men in the diocese, we began to receive requests from the sisters of those boys,” Sister Mary Raphael said.

“Last year as I walked back to MiraVia from helping with Quo Vadis Day registration, I was literally stopped along the way by a young woman with her parents and they asked me when a retreat for the girls of the diocese would take place. I wasn’t even a religious sister at that point.

However, her manifested desire never left my mind, and now I am very happy to help out with this retreat in our diocese.”

“At the Annunciation, the Blessed Virgin Mary was presented with an invitation for the rest of her life that she could either refuse or accept,” she added. “Saying yes would have incredible consequences, would literally turn the world upside down and inside out. Her youthful heart was ready for the adventure, and in authentic femininity, her active receptivity was the catapult toward the greatest romance and the most amazing adventure. She spent more time than any other with Our Lord. What did she see and how did she move and respond to the God-man in a perfect and womanly response? These are the questions we want to ponder on our retreat.”

In launching this retreat for young women of the Charlotte diocese, Sister Mary Raphael said she hopes to encourage a deeper understanding of their vocation as a daughter of God, of Mary and of the Church.

“As we lead our young ladies into this ‘School of Mary,’” she said, “we will be entering into the mysteries of her life, genuinely praying to her and asking her to share her thoughts, her actions and her words – everything that prompted her authentic response to the movements of grace.”

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Let’s keep talking.

catholicnewsherald.com | April 15, 2016 OUR PARISHES

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Photos provided by Marjorie Storch

House of Mercy’s 25th anniversary Walk for AIDS raises $40,430 BELMONT — More than 300 people participated in the 25th anniversary Walk for AIDS April 5 through downtown Belmont to raise AIDS awareness and $40,430 to benefit House of Mercy, a nonprofit residence in Belmont caring for low-income people living with AIDS. Stan Patterson, president and CEO, welcomed participants and introduced guest speakers Maggie Baucom, House of Mercy’s board chairwoman, and Mercy Sister Jill Weber, board member. Both spoke about the impact House of Mercy has made with the help of community support. Since its founding in 1991, House of Mercy has provided a home for 321 men and women living with AIDS. Pictured above, members of Gaston Family Health Services carried the Walk banner for the three-mile walk. Afterwards, participants gathered on the House of Mercy grounds for a picnic lunch. DJ Mike “hub” Rogers provided music and inspiration for dancing.

Prizes were awarded to South Charlotte Associates of the Sisters of Mercy for being the top fundraising team, raising $6,464. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was the second-place team, raising $6,280, and Team Maggie (Maggie Baucom) was the third-place team. Scott Cloninger, top individual fundraiser, raised $1,195 and Margaret Mayes was the secondhighest individual fundraiser. Best Banner went to the House of Mercy Staff Cares Team (also pictured).

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‘It’s the mercy of God’: Finding peace and healing after an abortion SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

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2016 Walk for AIDS sponsors were Sisters of Mercy of the Americas (South Central Community), In Memory of Doug Newton, Wells Fargo, Gilead Science, CaroMont Health, ATCOM Business Telecom Solutions, Rodgers Builders, WSGE 91.7 FM Radio, St. Ann Church, St. Gabriel Church, The Tradesmen, RK T-Shirts, Bank of North Carolina, Beam Electric Co., Cherry Bekaert LLP, Toal Industries and Troy Outdoor.

“We can only provide this home and care for low-income persons living with AIDS with the generous support of individuals, businesses, churches, organizations and foundations in our community. Together we have significantly changed the lives of 321 residents and their loved ones,” said Patterson. “Thank you!”

As of the end of 2014, there were 28,526 people diagnosed with HIV in North Carolina, including nearly 3,000 people living with AIDS in House of Mercy’s primary 10-county service area of Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union, Anson, Stanly, Rowan, Cabarrus, Iredell, Lincoln and Cleveland counties. Improvements in anti-viral medications means people who are HIV positive are living longer, but this also means a greater need for housing and care, according to House of AIDS. And the impact of HIV/AIDS among the poor is a growing concern.

CHARLOTTE — “There was a deep, dark hole in my heart.”

St. Joan of Arc parishioner Shelley Glanton, a registered nurse, talks openly about her journey through grief that began after procuring her second abortion.

Glanton now works as a volunteer to bring the light of mercy into the lives of women suffering the unique loss of abortion.

During this Jubilee Year of Mercy in the Church, Pope Francis has placed special emphasis on extending mercy to those who desire forgiveness and healing after an abortion. Diocese of Charlotte leaders want to emphasize the resources they have available for women – and men – who seek healing after an abortion.

In the Diocese of Charlotte, caring, trained professionals are available to support individuals in need of post-abortion healing. Priests offer reconciliation, prayer, support, guidance and referrals. Deacons and other professionals offer counseling, spiritual direction and support groups at the parish level. Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte also offers professional counseling throughout the diocese, including the Project Rachel Ministry with its Rachel’s Vineyard healing retreats.

Rachel’s Vineyard is an international non-profit ministry of Priests for Life that

Upcoming retreats Asheville area (sponsored by the Diocese of Charlotte) June 24-26 and Sept. 16-18 Contact: Jennifer Ganser (336-209-2161, jmganser@charlottediocese.org) or Shelley Glanton (828-230-4940, sglan1234@aol.com) Durham area (sponsored by the Diocese of Raleigh, not a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat) April 29-May 1 Contact: Mary Beth Phillips (919-719-8267, MaryBeth.Phillips@raldioc.org) or 919-8521021, projectrachel@nc.rr.com organizes more than 1,000 retreats in 48 states and 57 countries around the world each year.

The Diocese of Charlotte offers Rachel’s Vineyard healing retreats at least twice a year in different areas of the diocese.

Upcoming retreats are planned for June and September in the Asheville area.

People from all areas, including neighboring dioceses, are welcome to attend. The retreats are primarily attended by mothers, but fathers, friends and other family members are also welcome.

“These retreats offer a beautiful, spiritual opportunity to learn more about the healing love and forgiveness Our

Lord has to offer, and the sacrament of reconciliation is available for those who would like to receive it,” said Jennifer Ganser, the diocese’s Respect Life program director.

“The connections and support that retreatants receive from and share with one another are amazing and incredibly healing. Although we use a Catholic model of these retreats (with Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation), individuals of all faiths are welcome,” Ganser said.

Glanton and other trained volunteers – many of whom have also experienced the pain of abortion – help retreatants through the three-day program.

“I went to my personal retreat 12 years ago now,” Glanton said. “I came back and began working with a friend, and working with St. Barnabas Church (in Arden) started the Rachel’s Vineyard retreats here in the diocese.”

It can be incredibly difficult for a woman who has had an abortion to even talk about it, much less pick up the phone to register for a retreat, Glanton said. “Even getting them there (to the retreat) is hard.

One woman asked me if we were going to be mean to her on the retreat. I said, ‘No, we’re not going to be mean to you. It’s the mercy of God.’” Often, retreat-goers must work through years of silence, denial and deep-seated healing, SEE page 9

April 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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St. Matthew Girl Scouts lend a hand CHARLOTTE — Girl Scout Cadet Troop 2697 of St. Matthew Church recently held a fundraiser at the parish and collected items to assemble and wrap more than 220 Easter baskets which were distributed through Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte to families in need in Charlotte this Easter season. Adult volunteers as well as Senior Girl Scouts helped to assemble the baskets in this second-annual Scout project. Troop Leaders are Kim Burke and Maura O’Sullivan. Pictured are Girl Scouts Ariana Burke, Teagan O’Sullivan, Morgan Salvino and Ava Knudsen.

Belmont Abbey College hosts social science conference BELMONT — “The Catholic Ethic in the Earthly City” was the topic of a gathering of members of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists April 9 at Belmont Abbey College.

The group’s spring conference drew participants from around the United States.

Discussions revolved around the relationship of the classic Catholic ethical belief and modern society and the interactions shared between the two.

Attendees who presented at the social science conference talked about the influence of Catholics in contemporary society.

The conference was divided into three

panels: “Catholicism and Democracy,” “The Domestic Role of Government: Catholic Social Teaching, the U.S. Bishops, and the Problems of the Welfare State” and “Theological Perspectives on Restorative Justice.”

The conference opened with a welcome made by Dr. David Williams, vice president of academic affairs of Belmont Abbey College, who also highlighted the Benedictine tradition and history of Belmont Abbey College.

Following the conference, attendees were invited to a Mass celebrated at Mary, Help of Christians Basilica.

— Rachel McKimmon, Belmont Abbey College intern

Forgiveness and Healing after Abortion The Project Rachel Ministry can help men and women who have experienced abortion begin their healing journey.

Post-abortion Healing Retreats create a healing environment of prayer and forgiveness. These retreats work to reconnect individuals to themselves, their friends, and their family and to realize God’s ever present love.

Asheville Area June 24-26, 2016 AND September 16-18, 2016 For more information please contact: Jennifer Ganser: 336-209-2161 / jmganser@charlottediocese.org -orShelley Glanton: 828-230-4940 / sglan1234@aol.com Durham Area April 29-May 1, 2016 For more information please contact: Mary Beth Phillips: (919) 719-8267 / MaryBeth.Phillips@raldioc.org -or(919) 852-1021 / projectrachel@nc.rr.com

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 15, 2016 OUR PARISHES

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CHARLOTTE — The Spring 2016 Round of CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grants for up to $1,000 is now open. Grant guidelines and applications are available at www.ccdoc.org/cchdcrs. The postmark deadline for mailing Spring 2016 CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grant applications is Monday, May 2. This grant program funds projects of Catholic entities of the Diocese of Charlotte which are fighting poverty and hunger in their local communities through such ministries as food pantries, meals for those who are homeless, community gardens and more. Last year, 18 grants were awarded to diocesan entities. For every $3 of Rice Bowl funds sent to CRS for overseas projects, $1 remains in the Diocese of Charlotte to support Catholic Charities’ local CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grant Program. CRS is the acronym for Catholic Relief Services. Founded in 1943, CRS is the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and a member of Caritas Internationalis.

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Carolina Catholic Chorale to sing ‘rediscovered’ Mass CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Catholic Chorale will sing “Mass in A Major ‘Quia mihi et tibi’” by Italian Baroque composer Antonio Caldara for a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form on Thursday, May 5, at St. Ann Church in Charlotte.

The Latin Mass for the Feast of the Ascension will start at 7 p.m. This beautiful, yet rarely heard, work by Caldara, who lived from 1670 to 1736, will be sung from a new performing edition for chorus and orchestra by the group’s founder and director, Thomas F. Savoy. St. Ann Church is located at 3635 Park Road in Charlotte. All are welcome to attend; admission free.

Bernadette Church consecrated themselves to the Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Sunday April 3 after completing the “33 Days to Merciful Love” by Father Michael Gaitley. Pictured from left are Cindy Giarrusso, Ann Spinetto, Mikey O’Neal, Don and Marsha Waugh, Bill and Peggy Soule, George and Sandra Coxwell, and Janna Mann.

— Cindy Giarrusso, correspondent

Sacred Heart hosts Women’s Day of Reflection 507 South Tryon Street

Men’s Club hosts college students JEFFERSON — Each year, under the sponsorship of the Ashe County Habitat for Humanity, college students from St. Joseph University in Philadelphia give up their Spring Break to come and work on projects around the county. The Men’s Club of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson recently hosted 20 students and four adult chaperones to a spaghetti supper during one of their evenings.

Parishioners were on hand to provide welcoming fellowship and friendship to the group.

— Patrick J. Hession, correspondent

Consecration to the Divine Mercy St. Helen hosts brunch LINVILLE — A group of parishioners at St. for Black History Month

The Jesuit Church in Charlotte’s Center City

www.stpeterscatholic.org

St. Clare, who spoke about hope and healing.

Elizabeth Galloway, an exercise physiologist in the cardiac rehabilitation program at Transylvania Regional Hospital, also spoke about healing touch. The emotional highlight of the day was Debbie Felker’s remarks about what led her to organize these days of reflection for nine years. Felker, a physician and a member of the parish’s pastoral care ministry, spoke of personal events that shaped her spiritual life and activities since retiring to Brevard. At the end of her presentation she introduced the team who will organize future Days of Reflection.

— Dorice Narins, correspondent

704.332.2901

BREVARD — “Women of Hope and Healing” was the theme of a recent women’s day of reflection at Sacred Heart Church. The featured speaker was Barbara Freeman, a storyteller and Third Order lay Franciscan in the Fraternity of

SPENCER MOUNTAIN — Members of St. Helen Mission wrapped up their celebration of Black History Month with a brunch after Mass Feb. 28.

Pictured are mission member Musetta Glenn (left) and Caitrin MacAlester at the event.

Maronite Divine Liturgy now offered in Waxhaw WAXHAW — The Maronite Mission of Charlotte, an Eastern Rite Catholic Church, is now offering weekly Masses on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. at St. Matthew South Campus, 4116 Waxhaw-Marvin Road in Waxhaw. The mission’s pastor is Father Elie Mikhael, who can be reached at 704-543-7677, ext. 1043, or abouna@mmocnc.org.

April 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

HEALING FROM PAGE 6

grief. Through group discussions, prayer, counseling and the sacraments, they have the opportunity to begin to heal.

Retreatants are also provided with tools and resources to continue their healing journey after they return home.

“We get to see miracles happen on the weekends – truly we do,” Glanton said.

Father Dean Cesa, pastor of St. Joan of Arc Church in Candler, is one of the priests who has assisted on the retreat weekends.

“Those who have had an abortion or assist in one carry a lot of guilt with them – guilt that haunts them even for decades,” he explains. “They feel rejected by the Church and feel that what they have

done can never be forgiven. They separate themselves from the Church.

“These retreats provide an environment that is loving and non-judgmental so that they can experience wholeness and healing. I participate in this by hearing their confessions and celebrating Mass, welcoming them back to communion. My faith is built up as I see them unburden themselves of guilt. I never get tired of seeing them relax and smile as they receive God’s forgiveness.”

Glanton wants women and men who have participated in an abortion to know that help is available, and that healing is possible.

“This is the Year of Mercy, and this is the mercy of God. Sin is sin, and sin can be forgiven,” she said.

She also knows that God has called her to help others on their own healing journeys.

“I would never talk about my abortion before.

OUR PARISHESI

I’m not proud of what I did, but God has put it in my heart to help other people now.”

Glanton encourages anyone who has procured an abortion to take a leap of faith: “Give it a chance. Come and see what God can do... After Rachel’s Vineyard I have a scar, but it’s not a big, dark hole anymore.

That’s the difference. You will always remember. You will never forget. You will have a chance to honor your child.”

More resources At www.hopeafterabortion.com: Learn more about the Project Rachel Ministry At www.rachelsvineyard.com or toll-free 877-HOPE-4-ME (877-467-3463): Get more information about Rachel’s Vineyard retreats

MISSION

of what Jesus did was related to healing.”

One particular mission of the parish, they strongly believed, was the shepherding of souls, because Christ is the FROM PAGE 3 Good Shepherd.

So the team created “shepherding groups” to guide and uplift the parish’s design our parish around what Jesus did, ministries. These supporting groups how would we do it? We looked at how Jesus were split into five areas: stewardship, spent His days. What did He do? It was a discipleship, mission team, pastoral basic approach, but that is when the blank advisors and the finance council. sheet of paper wasn’t blank anymore.”

They also redefined “stewardship” as a The work led the parish to reorganize focus on someone who is being entrusted its various ministries and groups with something from the Master. established over the parish’s 100-year “What’s valuable is the precious lambs history into seven core ministries that that have been entrusted to our parish: model Christ’s mission: praying, teaching, the people,” said Lange. So everything at Immaculate Conception now revolves around doing what Jesus did and bringing souls closer to Him in the Body of Christ.

The mission team has also selected patron saints to help guide and intercede for each of the 12 areas highlighted in their new mission: the seven core ministries and the five shepherding groups. For example, St. Faustina Kowalska is their Immaculate Conception Parish has a street evangelization team which seeks to patron of the praying bring Jesus’ love to those in need by taking the Catholic faith out into the world. ministry. St. Andrew, who led Peter to Jesus, is the patron of the leadership ministry. serving, healing, outreach, fellowship and The Blessed Virgin Mary is the patron of leadership. the discipleship ministry. And St. Thérèse “Those are the seven things Jesus of Lisieux is the patron of their mission occupied His time doing. We realized team. we didn’t have to be clever, or cute, or Once everything was set up and shared corporate-minded about it. We didn’t have with the entire parish, everyone recited to invent anything. We just had to do what He did. We developed and designed a parish the mission at Mass for a few months. The mission is now stated at all meetings and that looks like Him,” Lange said. has become the focus of who they are as a “We realized we’re not just designing parish. a parish, we are designing the Body of Father Schratz says he also invited Christ,” Lange said. “It just changed everyone involved in ministry, starting everything. We decided we’re not doing with the parish council, to read a book by things because it is organizationally Paulist Father Robert S. Rivers entitled necessary, we wanted to design the Body of “From Maintenance to Mission.”

Christ.”

“Too often we just maintain our parishes.

Adds Father Schratz, “From there a This book challenges us to be a parish with structure evolved with the finance council a mission. and a special pastor’s advisory group, both “With this new mission and now with of which work directly with the pastor.” a new Holy Father and his thrust for “It was daunting to take this in another evangelization, what better place to turn to direction,” Lange noted. “Some ministries then to the Gospels and the life of Jesus?” were populated strongly and some didn’t Father Schratz noted. “If we are following exist. What Catholic parish has a conscious Jesus, let us look at His life and work and leadership development ministry? Or a model our parish on His life.” healing ministry? A considerable amount

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Spend time with Our Lord The Diocese of Charlotte is blessed to have Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament offered in five locations. All of the faithful, of any age, are invited to participate!

Stop by anytime or sign up for a regular Holy Hour: BELMONT

Belmont Abbey College’s St. Joseph Perpetual Adoration Chapel 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road Margaret Fox (704) 648-8947 www.belmontabbeycollege.edu/about/ community

CHARLOTTE

HIgH POINT

Pennybyrn at Maryfield Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel 1315 Greensboro Road Edna Corrigan (336) 324-4366 www.maryfieldeucharistic.org

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St. Mark Church’s Monsignor Bellow St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road Perpetual Adoration Chapel Estelle Wisneski (704) 364-9568 (located in the Monsignor Joseph A. Kerin Family Center) 14740 Stumptown Road HICKORY St. Aloysius Church’s Immaculate Heart of Mary Sink (704) 892-5107 or email eucharistic.adoration@stmarknc.org Mary Perpetual Adoration Chapel www.stmarknc.org/adoration 921 Second Street N.E. Melanie & Dave King (828) 638-0462 www.staloysiushickory.org/perpetualadoration

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iiiApril 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

Saying a final g ‘Those families go through many emotions – worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness – but when they learn through Catholic Charities that they will be able to have that final goodbye and closure in that final step in life, it brings so much joy and peace to them.’

Sharon Davis

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte

Joe looks at photos of his late wife Lisa, who died uexpectedly in 2014.

With help from Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Burial Assistance Program, he was able to give his wife a dignified burial.

Photo provided by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte

HE COVER

April 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

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goodbye with dignity Burial Assistance Program meets critical need in burying loved ones

I

SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

t was a tragic day, a very tragic day.

I lost someone who I cared dearly for, who I loved with all my heart.”

That is how Joe, a Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte client, describes the day his wife Lisa unexpectedly died. Minutes before she was struck and killed by a car, Lisa expressed her love for Joe, and then she headed off to her job in Charlotte. The shock of Lisa’s 2014 death was followed by the nearly overwhelming details of what came next: burial.

For many families, the cost of burying a loved one is a substantial financial challenge. The average cost of a funeral in the United States ranged from $7,000 to $10,000 – a major obstacle for many people who are struggling just to make ends meet. The crisis compounds the burden they already face in grieving for their loved one.

Our Catholic faith teaches us that it is an important corporal work of mercy to bury the dead. During this Jubilee Year of Mercy in the Church, we are especially aware of how we might be able to show mercy to others as the Body of Christ in the world.

Catholic Charities’ Burial Assistance Program is a tangible way in which Catholics in Mecklenburg County are helping families of modest means to bury their dead. The program began in 1994, when Mecklenburg County stopped paying to bury the poor.

Catholic Charities teamed up with concerned citizens, social workers, funeral home directors and the city’s cemetery director to found a burial plan for needy Mecklenburg County residents.

An agreement was made among Catholic Charities, the participating funeral homes and the City Cemetery Department to provide funeral and burial or cremation services to indigent families.

The Burial Assistance program helps families who have no insurance, are unable to negotiate financial arrangements with a funeral home, or, like Joe, do not have the means to pay the costs to bury their loved one. The deceased must have been a resident of Mecklenburg County to be eligible.

Last year alone, Catholic Charities helped to bury 108 people: nine children, 69 adults and 30 senior citizens. That is an increase over 2014, when 93 people received burial assistance.

Sharon Davis, regional office director of Catholic Charities, says the need keeps growing as families continue to struggle financially.

“So many of the stories of the families are of people who just don’t have the means to say goodbye,” Davis says. “What families tell us frequently is that they are facing poverty, they barely have the means to live.

They don’t have money to use when someone has died.

Their focus is on how they will live, how they will get their next meal, the roof over their head…”

Davis says families just can’t meet the expenses to bury their loved one.

“Those families go through many emotions – worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness – but when they learn through Catholic Charities that they will be able to have that final goodbye and closure in that final step in life, it brings so much joy and peace to them,” Davis explains.

“They feel they have now been able to honor the

life of that family member or friend by being able to have a burial or a cremation with dignity. There is no shame that comes. They are able now to say goodbye to the very important person in their life.”

By Catholic Charities providing this important service to families in need, she adds, “It means we are honoring our responsibility to the person who has passed away, but also to the living.”

Recalls Joe, “I didn’t know where to turn. I didn’t know what to do. I went to Grier’s Funeral Home, and he told me about Catholic Charities.

“The young lady at Catholic Charities was outstanding. She was nice, kind, considerate – like people should be. She didn’t treat me like I was a nobody. She treated me like I was a man.”

Catholic Charities provides the social service support and eligibility verification for the program at no cost.

Applicants are asked to contribute to the program as much of the cost of the burial as possible.

Financial assistance is provided through charitable contributions from individuals, churches and other civic organizations when families are unable to cover the cost.

Catholic Charities’ goal is to respond quickly to the needs of the families or individuals seeking burial assistance. They strive to help them within a matter of days, guiding them through the application process, involving trained volunteers who have a heart for this ministry.

“Our volunteers assist them with this part of the service so we don’t have people waiting,” Davis explains. “It’s wonderful to have the support of the community in that way.”

Volunteers guide the families through the entire process, working closely with Catholic Charities staff and social workers.

Adds Davis, “It’s an exciting thing for us because it takes a very special person to help provide this service. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our volunteers to be there for the families at this time in their lives. They are happy to be of service.”

Right now the program serves mostly residents of Mecklenburg County, but Catholic Charities would like to see the program expand elsewhere in the diocese. Davis and Catholic Charities representatives recently met with two Catholic parishes and funeral providers in Gaston County who are interested in starting a similar program there.

“It’s a growing program,” Davis says. “The service is becoming more known in the community, and we are very happy to have an expansion of services to other areas.”

Joe still gets emotional when he talks about his love for Lisa and the help he received. He says Catholic Charities helped him grieve better and reassured him that Lisa would be laid to rest with dignity.

“They gave me the feeling of hope that everything was going to be OK, and it was.”

Be an agent of mercy Catholic Charities needs your help to assist families with limited resources in making arrangements and final plans for a family member. For more information about how you can donate to the Burial Assistance Program, call 704-370-3232 or email Sharon Davis at swdavis@charlottediocese.org.

Our schools 12

catholicnewsherald.com | April 15, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Charlotte Catholic students learn from STEM event Nanine Hartzenbusch Fox Special to the Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — What does a scientist look like? The answer Charlotte Catholic High School chemistry teacher Ivana O’Kelly received was a stick figure drawing.

O’Kelly thought, “I asked myself, ‘What can I do as an educator to provide an opportunity for our students to engage with STEM professionals?’”

O’Kelly decided to organize a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Career Lunch and Learn event to expose her students and the greater Charlotte Catholic community to STEM professionals. On March 18 more than 300 ninth-, 10th- and 11th-grade students stopped by the library during their lunch periods to learn about various STEM careers from 20 different professionals and companies.

“This was a solution to the disconnect students have of their perception of what a scientist is,” O’Kelly said.

Companies represented at the STEM Lunch and Learn event were Duke Energy, Roper Physical Therapy and PYTA, Belmont Abbey College, Pavco Inc., Charlotte Water, Johnson ControlsBuilding Efficiency, Ally Financial, Wells Fargo, Mecklenburg Medical Group, Wake Forest University, Ernst & Young, BASF Corp., Berry Plastics Corp., Microsoft

Corporation, Carolinas Medical Center, Goulston, Pace Labs and AIG. At one of the tables during the STEM Lunch and Learn event sat Ozzi Dorante, director of Premier U.S. Operations at Microsoft, with two sophomores.

“I love to talk to the students about the different ways you can make impact in the world, and how technology can make an impact on someone’s life,” Dorante said. He is the father of Armando Dorante, a junior at Charlotte Catholic.

Heather Mitchell, 15, a sophomore, said she benefited from speaking to a variety of professionals. “I learned that nutrition is a wide field of study and gives you many opportunities once you graduate,” she said.

“Also, dietitians work with other health professionals. I am leaning towards being a pharmacist and liked hearing about the collaboration.”

The STEM event, Mitchell noted, “was really a big help to students in choosing a career or selecting a major.”

O’Kelly said she was pleased with the turnout of professionals and students.

“The professionals who attended this event were invested in sharing their knowledge with our students. The majority of these professionals were either a parent of a student or an alumni of Catholic. This was a great opportunity to deepen the connection within Charlotte’s professional community,” she said.

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

Photo provided by Nanine Hartzenbusch Fox

Ozzi Dorante, director of Premier U.S. Operations at Microsoft (center) speaks to students Alexei Strouse, 17, and Davis Georges, 16, both sophomores at Charlotte Catholic High School.

CCHS students chosen for selective summer programs CHARLOTTE — Two Charlotte Catholic High School juniors have been accepted to selective collegiate summer programs for 2016.

Kayleigh Ruller has been accepted to the University of Notre Dame Leadership Seminars program in American Arts, Popular Culture and Social Change. Ruller was selected out of approximately 2,000 applicants for this program.

Nicholas Derrico has been accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy Summer Seminar Leadership program, often a stepping stone to obtaining a future Naval Academy appointment.

In Brief

— Nanine Hartzenbusch Fox

OLG hoops it up this spring

Science fair held at St. Michael School GASTONIA — St. Michael School held a science fair for its middle school students March 18. Pictured are the winners: first place, seventh-grader Emma Hughlett, for “I Spy, Who Am I?” testing the correlation between comparing fingerprints of parents and children of the same sex; second place, seventhgrader Rachel Lowry, for “Fantastic Elastic” testing how temperature affects the elasticity of rubber bands; and third place, seventh-grader Chris Kurtiak, for “Which Burger Will Grow The Most Mold?” The winners won a medal and a cash prize.

— Pat Burr

GREENSBORO — Students at Our Lady of Grace School recently went to Senior Day for basketball players at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. OLG varsity basketball players made a tunnel for the UNCG women’s team to run through, and the choir, led by UNCG graduate and OLG teacher Jason Barrios, sang the National Anthem. Approximately 100 students and parents bought tickets for the event and those profits went toward the eighthgrade’s legacy gift, which includes a metal Panther mascot on the exterior wall outside the OLG gym entrance.

This spring, OLG is also hosting a 10-week program with Future Basketball Stars of America. Led by former Division I UNCG coach Brian Judski, who has more than 17 years of experience, these sessions will include work on the fundamentals as well as more advanced skills for students in grades K-8.

Two UNCG women’s basketball players also came to OLG Middle School physical education classes to run drills and play a few fun games of knockout. These college athletes also spoke to the students about how to be team players and the commitment involved in playing sports for a Division I school.

On March 3, the University of Notre Dame women’s basketball team also visited OLG for a pep rally as they prepared to play as the top-seeded team in the ACC tournament hosted by Greensboro. Players, Coach Muffet McGraw and their leprechaun mascot appeared for a spirited event in the OLG gym.

— Annie Ferguson

Knights’ poster and essay contest winners named at St. Michael School GASTONIA — St. Michael Church’s Knights of Columbus council recently held a poster and essay contest for eighthgrade students at St. Michael School. Students were asked to make an awareness poster for substance abuse, and explain in an essay their opinion as to why religious freedom is important for everyone. Pictured are (from left) Rileigh Hazen, who won first place in the essay contest for her essay “The Importance of Religious Freedom,” and Cecelia Tolbert, who won first place in the poster contest.

— Pat Burr

April 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

13

Belmont Abbey team inspired by trip to Rome Rachel McKimmon Intern

BELMONT — The Belmont Abbey College women’s soccer team led the college in its first athletic program foreign tour and through an experience of faith March 4-12, traveling through Rome, Subiaco and Naples.

The team experienced the differences in practicing the Roman Catholic faith by Italians compared to Americans.

“The main thing I noticed was that Catholicism is definitely dominant. It is great to see a Catholic community so strong,” said Meghan Philp, a senior on the team from Houma, La. In Rome team members attended Mass held at San Pio V, a local church within walking distance of their hotel.

The liturgy was more formal than many students had seen before, they said, and it was entirely in Latin.

“The Italians are, for sure, much more conservative than we are here in how they conduct Mass,” said Danielle Huff, a freshman at Belmont Abbey from Canton, Ohio.

Despite the language differences, team members connected with the Gospel reading of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11). The homilist referred to the Italian professional (Serie-A) soccer team, Frosinone Calcio, that the Belmont team planned seeing play that day. He likened the Frosinone team’s fans to being as committed to their team, no matter their poor performance, as the father’s unmoving faith in his son in the parable.

At the Vatican, the team was awed by the great crowd that filled St. Peter’s Square to listen to the pope’s general audience address. Seeing such diversity among the crowd, standing together in common faith, was inspiring, team members said.

Cassie Manion, a sophomore on the team from Pittsburgh, spoke of her feelings of being in the holy center of Vatican City and inspiring growth in her

faith. “Seeing the Vatican puts things into perspective and gives you a new appreciation,” Manion said.

The team also toured the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, seeing some of the history of what built the Catholic faith in Rome as well as artifacts recovered from ancient Rome.

“My most notable experience was my trip to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, where I came to understand my Catholic traditions in a new perspective in terms of the start and beginnings of the Church,” said Megan Nanney, a senior from Shelby.

The team traveled to Subiaco to tour the Monastery of St. Benedict, established by St. Benedict, the founder of the Benedictine order. This specific excursion connected the team in a deeper sense as the Monastery of St. Benedict is the sister monastery to Belmont Abbey and St. Benedict and his virtues are a hallmark of Belmont Abbey College. The team was able to see significant history in the monastery, most notably the cave of St. Benedict, as the story of the cave is frequently studied in the Belmont Abbey curriculum.

“Getting the chance to personally see where the theologians stood and lived was incredible. It’s hard to believe that places like this are able to hold so much meaning and holiness,” said sophomore Kooba Richard from Carthage.

In Naples, the team spent a day touring the grounds of the ancient city of Pompeii and they hiked up Mount Vesuvius. On their off time, the team relaxed and enjoyed the view of the Mediterranean Sea as they shopped and dined around the city.

The team was rewarded with an experience like no other. Not only did they succeed in their three games against Italian semi-professional (Serie-B) teams, but they also were given the opportunity to witness a practice of faith in a different way they were accustomed to.

“This trip really opened my eyes to how awesome God really is,” Philp said.

Photos by Rachel McKimmon

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Saint Pius X Catholic School is conducting a search for the position of Principal beginning 2016-2017 academic year. Saint Pius X Catholic School, located in Greensboro, NC and founded in 1955, serves 430 Kindergarten through 8th Grade students and will be welcoming two classes of Pre-Kindergarten students for the 2016-2017 school year.

The ideal candidate must: • Be an effective and proven leader that fosters teamwork and success.

• Be a practicing Roman Catholic with a current understanding of issues in the Catholic Church.

• Have attained at minimum a Master’s degree in educational leadership or its equivalent and possess or be eligible for a North Carolina State Administrative Certificate preferred.

• Have five years of administrative experience with a demonstrated progression of responsibilities, preferably in elementary education.

Application Process: After visiting the school’s website, www.spxschool.com and carefully reading the job description, please submit the following electronically within one document to Therese Chase, Search Committee Chair.

• A letter of interest written uniquely for Saint Pius X Catholic School highlighting your skills and experience; • A current resume along with salary requirements; • One page statement of educational philosophy and leadership practice; • List of 5 references with name, connection to the candidate, phone number and email address of each (references will be contacted only with the candidate’s permission and not before a mutual interest is clearly established).

Submit resume and accompanying documents by May 1, 2016 to: tchase@spxschool.com

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 15, 2016 14

César Hurtado

La visita de un ángel

D

ebo confesar que la idea de trabajar durante el pasado Viernes Santo no resultaba nada atractiva para mí, ni para mi familia.

Normalmente la fecha es para pasarla en casa y, particularmente, me trae muchos recuerdos de cuando chico, en casa de mis padres, no se podía escuchar música fuerte, se saboreaba un plato de bacalao a la vizcaína acompañado de arroz blanco y papas amarillas, mientras todos veíamos, casi por obligación, el ‘Sermón de las Siete Palabras’ que transmitían las cadenas de televisión, seguidas de las clásicas películas bíblicas como ‘El Manto Sagrado’, ‘Moisés’ y ‘Marcelino, pan y vino’.

Sin embargo, ya había hecho una cita para recibir en las oficinas del diario donde trabajo a una niña violinista que había interpretado una pieza religiosa, durante la misa del Domingo de Ramos, en la Iglesia San Gabriel, a la que regularmente asisto con mi esposa e hija.

Aquel día solo pude escuchar la brillante ejecución musical, más no pude ver a la niña, por lo que solicité a Carmen Calvar, directora del Coro Alegría Hispana de San Gabriel, me contactara con la familia de la prodigiosa ejecutante para poder realizar una entrevista.

Sin otra fecha disponible, su madre, Jenny Clemente, ofreció visitarme el Viernes Santo. No podía decir que no. Negar la fecha no hubiera sido apropiado. Además quería conocer a la niña que había originado tantos maravillosos comentarios, no solo por su ejecución, sino porque, además, Giovana Dubuc, la niña de solo once años que esperaba conocer, solo HOLA Noticias tiene la mitad de su brazo derecho y utiliza una prótesis para tocar el violín.

Gracias a Dios que la cita se concretó. Gracias a Dios que Giovanna, su madre y su hermanito llegaron a las oficinas y me regalaron casi una hora de su tiempo para conversar con ellos y tomar algunas fotografías.

De otro modo, no hubiera podido conocer un verdadero ángel.

Giovanna resultó ser toda una sorpresa. Para su corta edad razona como una persona adulta, pero en su razonamiento hay más dulzura, cariño, atención y respeto que racionalidad y ciencia.

Me encontré desarmado. No sabía qué preguntar, cómo abordar la entrevista.

Temía que algo que pudiera decir sobre su condición lastimara a ella y su familia.

Giovanna respondió todas mis inquietudes, cómo se había interesado por el arte, cómo había decidido aprender a tocar violín, y claro, tenía que preguntarlo, por qué razón tenía su bracito así y si esa condición la incomodaba.

Con una generosa paciencia y gran ternura contestó todas mis preguntas. Así me enteré que su ‘problema’ era de nacimiento, y que, en verdad, ese no era un ‘problema’ sino un aliciente más para alcanzar las metas que le presenta la vida.

Con un bracito menos, esta niña practica escalada en roca, toca violín, pinta, juega voleibol y no se limita en nada. Con un bracito menos, este angelito me enseñó que la fuerza no está en el cuerpo sino en el espíritu de cada uno de nosotros. Y que un espíritu invencible, de la mano de Dios lo puede todo.

Como titulé la historia, ‘solo el cielo es su límite’, pues Giovanna nos demuestra cada día que no hay tareas imposibles, y que los contratiempos de la vida y las impertinencias de otras personas que nos juzgan por cómo lucimos, como pensamos, o por lo que hacemos, no deben detenernos en nuestra tarea de estar cada día más cerca de Dios, y de su perfección.

Como me dijo su madre, Jenny Clemente, “¿Sabes, la perfección es solo una idea que tenemos en nuestra mente? Y para mí, mi hija es perfecta.” ¿Sabes Jenny?, para mí también.

César Hurtado, productor audiovisual graduado en la Universidad de Lima, es miembro de la Iglesia San Gabriel en Charlotte y periodista para HOLA Noticias en Charlotte.

Fotos por JOSE SANCHEZ | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Iglesia de San Vicente de Paul celebra retiro familiar del Jubileo de la Misericordia CHARLOTTE — El Ministerio de Fe de la Iglesia de San Vicente de Paul en Charlotte, realizó el primer retiro en español: “El Año de la Misericordia y la Familia,” el pasado Sábado, 9 de Abril, en esa parroquia. El Padre Gabriel Carvajal, vicario de la Iglesia de San Gabriel en Charlotte, fue el primero en dirigirse a los participantes. El Diacono Ruben Tamayo, quien sirve en la Iglesia de San Vicente de Paul, también ofreció una charla. El evento fue amenizado por el cantautor católico dominicano, Jorge Morel, quien también predicó acerca de la familia.

Mix

April 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In theaters

(Pat Boone). Leading the charge against her is a serpentine attorney (Ray Wise) for the American Civil Liberties Union. While the legal debate showcases the evidence for the historical existence of Jesus, the very real threats to religious freedom in contemporary society are blurred by a fictional premise that feels implausible. This gives rise to an off-key tone throughout director Harold Cronk’s follow-up to his 2014 original. Though appropriate for most moviegoers, the film also suffers from a pervasive sense of victimhood and sometimes painful sentimentality.

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

‘The Boss’ After a prison stint for insider trading, a disgraced businesswoman (Melissa McCarthy) moves in with her former assistant (Kristen Bell) and the secretary’s preteen daughter (Ella Anderson). While minding the youngster, she strikes on the idea of staging a comeback by starting a for-profit version of the Girl Scouts to market her longsuffering hostess’ outstanding brownies. But her plan is threatened by the ex-lover-turned-rival (Peter Dinklage) whose tip to the authorities brought about her downfall.

Dead-end subplots and trashy humor alternate with failed attempts at a more serious tone. Whether exposing her backside to her roommates or working through the emotional problems bred during her childhood in an orphanage, McCarthy’s character makes a thorough nuisance of herself, inspiring more grimaces than giggles.

Much slapstick violence, pervasive vulgar humor, rough and crude language.

CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R

‘God’s Not Dead 2’ Flawed religious drama in which a history teacher (Melissa Joan Hart) at a public high school, who is also a committed evangelical believer, gets in hot water for quoting the New Testament in class. With her job on the line, she heads into a court battle backed by an untried but good-hearted lawyer (Jesse Metcalfe) and with the emotional and spiritual support of her kindly grandfather

‘Other movies’ n ‘Meet the Blacks’: CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R n ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13

On TV n Saturday, April 16, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Marie’s Story.” A religious sister teaching at the Larnay Institute in central France offers to work with the blind and deaf daughter of a 19th century artisan. Based on true events. n Sunday, April 17, 12 p.m. (EWTN) “Papal Events: Holy Mass with Priestly Ordinations.” n Sunday, April 17, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Hours to Ordination.” Bob Dolan visits seminarians at the Pontifical North American College in Rome as they reveal their emotions and thoughts standing on the threshold of the priesthood. n Saturday, April 23, 8 p.m. (EWTN)“St. Barbara.” A cinematic look at St. Barbara who became a Christian and suffered martyrdom in the early Church. n Sunday, April 24, 5:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Armenia’s Christians.” A look at the Church in Armenia, which was brought there by the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew. Since then, Christianity in Armenia has endured great suffering but has preserved the identity and cultural heritage of the people. n Sunday, April 24, 10 p.m. (EWTN) “St. Catherine of Siena.”

Reenactments and dramatized recitations of St. Catherine of Siena’s most influential works and writings. An EWTN original docu-drama, filmed on location in Italy n Monday, April 25, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Celebrating the Spirit of St. Mary Euphrasia.” The pivotal events of St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, told through a monologue as if she is addressing her sisters from discussing her efforts to spread St. John Eudes work and her founding of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. n Tuesday, April 26, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Walk to Mary.” Bob Dolan joins hundreds of pilgrims for the annual 21 mile Walk to Mary, beginning at St. Norbert Abbey’s National Shrine of St. Joseph and ending at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin. n Thursday, April 28, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love.” St. Gianna Molla was a physician, wife, and mother who refused an abortion, despite knowing that the pregnancy could result in her death.

THE ORATORY School Principal Saint Leo Catholic School, located in beautiful Winston-Salem, NC, is seeking a principal for

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

(803) 327-2097

Center for Spirituality rockhilloratory.org

oratorycenter@gmail.com

the beginning of the 2016 – 2017 academic year. As part of a vibrant parish of 1,850 families, our school is the home to students pre-school through eighth grade. We are seeking a candidate to lead the school forward, in full accordance with its mission, while honoring the academic, religious, communal and spiritual traditions the school has established over the past 63 years.

The successful candidate will meet the following requirements: • Practicing Catholic in full communion with the Catholic Church.

• Minimum of a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, or its equivalent, and possess, or be eligible, for a North Carolina State Administrative Certificate.

• 5 years of administrative experience with demonstrated progression of responsibilities, preferably in elementary education.

• 3 years of classroom experience Application Process: • A letter of interest, written specifically for Saint Leo Catholic School, highlighting your skills, experience, education, educational philosophy and personal attributes.

• A current resume • A list of 5 references to include the following: Name, Relationship to the candidate, Phone number and email address

Please submit resume and required documents by Friday, May 6, 2016 to: mbyoung@stleocatholic.org

15

VISIONS IN FAITH Healing Our Culture as Living Words Sunday, June 12 – Wednesday, June 15 Father Jeffrey Kirby This year’s program is about brokenness and healing, about light and darkness. It’s about death and living fully. It’s about encountering the Living Word in our lives and allowing ourselves to become living words in our culture.

Inspired by various scenes from Scripture, we’ll explore Jesus as the Living Word and our call to become living words sent to heal our culture and share the abundant life we have received.

This event is offered for laity and religious, with a late afternoon / evening schedule suitable for commuters.

Father Jeffrey Kirby has served as the Vicar of Vocations for the Diocese of Charleston and is the author of several books, CD’s and DVD’s.

Cost: $125 tuition for all sessions / $40 per day $200 room and board $21 daily supper for commuters

Our nation 16

catholicnewsherald.com | April 15, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

Wolfe said. “You cannot understand Mother Angelica without reference for the One that she loved with a passion: Jesus, the eternal word, who became man and dwelt among us.”

In Brief

Mississippi diocese supports religious exemption

Homily: ‘God was full of surprises when it came to Mother Angelica’

JACKSON, Miss. — The Diocese of Jackson would like to continue to provide education and social services “while remaining faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church,” Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz said. He said the diocese supported “and would continue to support” a religious exemption in Mississippi law “on behalf of the mission of the Catholic Church” with regard to those ministries. He issued the statement after Republican Gov. Phil Bryant April 5 signed into law the Religious Accommodations Act, passed by the state Senate March 30. It says the government cannot prevent churches from refusing to marry a same-sex couple, faith-based employers from firing an individual whose “conduct or religious beliefs are inconsistent with those of the religious organization,” or a private agency from blocking the adoption of a child because of religious beliefs.

Democrats and other opponents of the legislation had called for Bryant to veto the measure, calling it a “hateful bill” that they say allows outright discrimination of same-sex attracted people. In his statement Bishop Kopacz said the diocese “had no involvement” in provisions of the bill “that addressed business and government operations.

The Church will continue to work to protect its First Amendment right to worship, to educate and to serve in the public domain while respecting the dignity of all citizens,” he said.

HANCEVILLE, Ala. — With Mother Angelica having been essentially bedridden for 15 years following a series of strokes in 2001, staff at the Eternal Word Television Network and members of her order, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, had plenty of time to plan for her funeral. “We at EWTN had many plans for when this day would come,” said Father Joseph Wolfe of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word in his homily at the April 1 funeral Mass.

“But God was full of surprises when it came to Mother Angelica.”

One surprise: Because Mother Angelica, 92, died March 27, Easter Sunday, some revisions had to be made as Church law prohibits reading from the Office of the Dead during the Easter octave. The first reading for the funeral Mass, celebrated at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, also had to be changed. Selected to take its place was a passage from the Book of Revelation, where St. John said he “saw a new heaven and a new earth.” Mother Angelica “prepared as a bride for her husband, adorned for her husband,” Father

Georgia governor vetoes state RFRA measure ATLANTA — Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory and Savannah Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer said that like all of the U.S. Catholic bishops, they support the Religious Freedom Restoration Act but “do not support any implementation of RFRA in a way that will discriminate against any individual. Indeed, the dignity of each individual is the basis for religious liberty,” they said in a statement issued March 29. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed H.B. 757, a state religious exemptions bill. Supporters said it would protect religious freedom of clergy, for example, who oppose same-sex unions and do not want to perform such weddings. But critics of the bill called it “appalling” and said it would have given faith-based organizations in Georgia the option to deny services and jobs to same-sex attracted people.

bishops’ committees urged them to support Fleming’s bill, known as H.R. 4828, and noted its “modest scope.”

New rules ensure faith-based groups can vie for funding WASHINGTON, D.C. — The federal government has issued rules intended to allow faith-based organizations as well as neighborhood groups to apply for federal grants and awards on an equal footing with other nonprofits. The new rules outline how nine Cabinet-level agencies – the ones most likely to issue grant money – are to treat funding requests from faith-based and other groups. Those who have seen the rules say they maintain protections against bias not only toward the faith-based groups, but also toward the recipients of the services rendered by those groups with the federal funds won, so that recipients do not feel coerced into religious activity as a condition for receiving services.

USCCB urges lawmakers to back Conscience Protection Act

Pro-life advocates oppose new RU-486 guidelines

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. John Fleming, a Louisiana Republican who also is a physician, has introduced a measure to provide legal protection to doctors, nurses, hospitals and health care providers who choose not to provide abortions. Fleming said the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 “offers common sense conscience protections” for those on the front lines of the medical profession. In a letter to House members March 31, two chairmen of U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pro-life advocates expressed dismay with new Food and Drug Administration guidelines that effectively expand how pregnant women can use RU-486, a drug that induces abortion. The new rules, announced March 30, allow a woman to use RU486 – known generically as mifepristone and by its brand name Mifeprex – later into pregnancy and with fewer visits to a doctor.

— Catholic News Service

Our world

April 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Share truth of family with mercy, help those struggling, pope says Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The same mercy and patience that are essential for building a strong family must be shown to those whose families are in trouble or have broken up, Pope Francis said in his highly anticipated postsynodal apostolic exhortation.

The document, “’Amoris Laetitia’ (The Joy of Love), on Love in the Family,” released April 8, contains no new rules or norms.

However, it encourages careful review of everything related to family ministry and, particularly, much greater attention to the language and attitude used when explaining Church teaching and ministering to those who do not fully live that teaching.

“No family drops down from heaven perfectly formed; families need constantly to grow and mature in the ability to love,” Pope Francis wrote. People grow in holiness, and the Church must be there to give them a helping hand rather than turn them away because they have not attained some degree of perfection.

The exhortation was Pope Francis’ reflection on the discussion, debate and suggestions raised during the 2014 and 2015 meetings of the Synod of Bishops on the family. Like synod members did, the pope insisted that God’s plan for the family is that it be built on the lifelong union of one man and one woman open to having children.

Synod members, including priests, religious and laypeople serving as experts and observers, talked about everything from varied cultural forms of courtship to marriage preparation and from the impact of migration on families to care for elderly parents.

Pope Francis’ document touches on all the issues raised at the synods and gives practical advice on raising children, urges a revision of sex-education programs and decries the many ways the “disposable culture” has infiltrated family life and sexuality to the point that many people feel free to use and then walk away from others.

“Everyone uses and throws away, takes and breaks, exploits and squeezes to the last drop. Then, goodbye,” he wrote.

Much of the document is tied to the theme of God’s mercy, including Pope Francis’ discussion of welcoming the vulnerable.

The synod issues that garnered the most headlines revolved around the question of Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried, as well as Catholic attitudes toward homosexuality.

“In no way must the Church desist from proposing the full ideal of marriage, God’s plan in all its grandeur,” Pope Francis said.

He repeated his and the synod’s insistence that the Church cannot consider same-sex unions to be a marriage, but also insisted, “every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity.”

On the question of families experiencing difficulties, separation or even divorce and remarriage, Pope Francis said responses to the questionnaires sent around the world before the synod “showed that most people in difficult or critical situations do not seek pastoral assistance, since they do not find

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read the full text of “Amoris Laetitia” as well as reactions and discussions by Church leaders, observers it sympathetic, realistic or concerned for individual cases.”

The responses, he wrote, call on the Church “to try to approach marriage crises with greater sensitivity to their burden of hurt and anxiety.”

Particularly in ministry to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, Pope Francis said, pastors must help each couple look at their actions and circumstances, recognize their share of responsibility for the breakup of their marriage, acknowledge Church teaching that marriage is indissoluble and prayerfully discern what God is calling them to.

Pope Francis said it would be a “grave danger” to give people the impression that “any priest can quickly grant ‘exceptions’ or that some people can obtain sacramental privileges in exchange for favors.”

At the same time, he insisted, “the way of the Church is not to condemn anyone forever; it is to pour out the balm of God’s mercy on all those who ask for it with a sincere heart.”

Divorced and civilly remarried couples, especially those with children, must be welcomed in Catholic parishes and supported in efforts to raise their children in the faith.

Generally, without an annulment of their sacramental marriage, such a couple would not be able to receive Communion or absolution of their sins unless they promised to live as “brother and sister.”

But every situation is different, the pope said, which is why the Church does not need new rules, but a new commitment on the part of pastors to provide spiritual guidance and assistance with discernment.

Pope Francis wrote that he understood those “who prefer a more rigorous pastoral care which leaves no room for confusion. But I sincerely believe that Jesus wants a Church attentive to the goodness which the Holy Spirit sows in the midst of human weakness, a mother who, while clearly expressing her objective teaching, always does what good she can, even if in the process, her shoes get soiled by the mud of the street.”

The pope said, “We put so many conditions on mercy that we empty it of its concrete meaning and real significance.

That is the worst way of watering down the Gospel.”

In many respects, Pope Francis wrote, Church members themselves have presented and promoted such a dreary picture of married life that many people want nothing to do with it even though they dream of a love that will last a lifetime and be faithful.

“We have long thought that simply by stressing doctrinal, bioethical and moral issues, without encouraging openness to grace, we were providing sufficient support to families, strengthening the marriage bond and giving meaning to marital life,” he wrote. “We find it difficult to present marriage more as a dynamic path to

personal development and fulfillment than as a lifelong burden.

“We also find it hard to make room for the consciences of the faithful, who very often respond as best they can to the Gospel amid their limitations, and are capable of carrying out their own discernment in complex situations,” the pope wrote. Yet, “we have been called to form consciences, not to replace them.”

Pope Francis praised Blessed Paul VI’s encyclical “Humanae Vitae,” which insisted every sexual act in a marriage must be open to the possibility of pregnancy, and included a large section reiterating what has become known as St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.”

Pope Francis called for Church leaders to ensure more married couples are involved as leaders in designing and carrying out pastoral programs for families. Their witness is key, he said.

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In Brief Pope to visit Lesbos to highlight plight of refugees VATICAN CITY — In an effort to highlight the dramatic situation of refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis and other Christian leaders will meet with the migrants April 16. The joint visit by the pope and two top Orthodox leaders in the region also shows “that the Christian churches are united on the frontlines of major challenges, before humanitarian emergencies, problems of justice and peace in the world today,” said the Vatican spokesman. The pope accepted invitations by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox, to make the one-day visit, the Vatican said.

— Catholic News Service

CCDOC.ORG

Grieving Loved Ones Are Not Alone Last year, Catholic Charities provided 118 individuals with a dignified burial in Mecklenburg County. Catholic Charities is the only such program in the Char-Meck area to help families who do not have the means to bury their loved ones. Without such a program, these individuals would be left unclaimed at the morgue.

The Burial Assistance program serves families who have no insurance, are unable to negotiate with a funeral home or do not have the finances to pay the costs associated with death expenses.

If you need assistance, call 704.370.3232 to speak with a social worker. The program relies on the generosity of individual donors and community supporters. To donate, visit the website ccdoc.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 15, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Deacon Kevin Bezner

Why are the faces of saints arresting?

A

fter looking at a photograph of St. John of Kronstadt (a Russian Orthodox Christian presbyter and a member of the synod of the Russian Orthodox Church who lived from 1829 to 1908) and thinking of other images of saints he had seen, a friend once commented to me: “Why are their faces so arresting?” Without thinking, I replied: “They are filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Since the invention of photography in the 1800s, we have been given a glimpse of what saints actually looked like in life. While paintings and icons can bring us into the presence of the saint depicted, and we can see in these images the same calm, peace and light of the Holy Spirit that the saint has gained through long years of loving and seeking God, the photograph reveals in a way other images cannot that the saint actually was flesh and blood like the rest of us.

Yet, like paintings and icons, they also reveal how unlike us they are.

The first photograph of a saint that I reflected on was one of St. Silouan the Athonite (1866-1938). In this photograph the saint, eyes St. John closed, most likely in prayer, looks off into the distance. His face, seen of Kronstadt from his left side, slightly tilted upward, reveals a brilliant light.

When I look at this photograph, I am drawn to the calm of St. Silouan’s face. I can sense his inner prayer life, his contemplative spirit, his love of Jesus Christ.

The photograph of St. John of Kronstadt viewed by my friend depicts the saint in a formal setting. Viewed from his right side, his head is slightly tipped upward; he looks off into the distance. His eyes have an intense gaze. His bearing suggests that he stands firm in his faith.

Another photo I admire is one of a Western saint, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Carmelite nun who lived from 1873 to 1897. She looks so St. Silouan young in this photo. Her face and eyes are bright with light. In this the Athonite image, she appears filled with childlike love and trust in Christ. Hers is truly a holy face.

What all of these saints have in common is that their faces reveal their sanctity. In their images, we catch a glimpse of the extraordinary light of the Holy Spirit.

St. Seraphim of Sarov (who lived from 1754 or 1759 to 1833), emphasized that the “true goal of our Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God,” and spoke of this light in his conversations with his disciple Nikolai A. Motovilov. The saint once said, “… many people have witnessed how the Lord often demonstrated the action of the grace of the Holy Spirit in those whom He had sanctified and illumined by His great inspirations.” Among those “sanctified and St. Thérèse illumined” he counted Moses at Mount Sinai and the Transfiguration of Lisieux of Our Lord at Mount Tabor. Hearing this, Motovilov wanted to know how he could understand completely how he was in the Spirit of God. As recounted in “The Joy of the Holy: St. Seraphim of Sarov and Orthodox Spiritual Life” by Harry M. Boosalis (South Canaan, PA: St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 1993), St. Seraphim took Motovilov by the shoulders and told him that they were both in the Spirit of God and that he should look at his face. Motovilov said, “I cannot look … because your eyes are flashing like lightning, and your face has become brighter than the sun! My eyes are hurting from the pain!”

St. Seraphim replied, “Don’t be frightened, lover of God! You yourself have now become as bright as I am. You are now in the St. Seraphim fullness of the Spirit of God; otherwise you would not be able to see of Sarov me like this!”

Motovilov eventually looked. In looking, he said he was “… seized with an even greater sense of reverent awe.”

St. Seraphim of Sarov is one of the most renowned Russian monks and mystics in the Eastern Orthodox Church. I haven’t seen a photograph of him, but you see something of this light in an image that was circulated when he was canonized in 1903 and in a family portrait made in 1831.

In such images of saints, we see in the faces of men and women like ourselves the light and presence of the Holy Spirit, which can fill us with awe and illumine our path to Christ and eternal life.

Father Deacon Kevin Bezner serves at St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Mission in Charlotte. This commentary was originally published on the blog www.thechristianreview.com.

Sr. Constance Carolyn Veit

W

e Little Sisters spend our lives caring for the elderly, but I try to keep up with young people as much as I can. Recently I read a blog for young women about the impact of our throwaway culture on the quality of personal relationships. The more we move around, according to a recent study, the more likely we are to develop attitudes of disposability toward our material possessions – and we also come to perceive relationships in the same way.

An attitude of disposability promotes superficiality rather than deep personal relationships. Research suggests disposability is detrimental to our mental and physical health. It’s no wonder that while they often seem absorbed in their mobile devices, young people crave real community and truly meaningful relationships.

Pope Francis understands the hearts of the young. His message for this year’s World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated April 17, is based on the realization that vocations are born within the community that is the Church. “The call of God comes to us by means of a mediation which is communal,” the pope wrote. “God calls us to become a part of the Church and, after we have reached a certain maturity within it, he bestows on us a specific vocation. The vocational journey is undertaken together with the brothers and sisters whom the Lord has given to us: it is a con-vocation.”

My conversations with women in discernment confirm that young people strongly desire life in community. At the same time, they want to give the best of themselves to the Church. How important it is for us as a community of faith to journey with young people in discernment, and to support their first steps into the

How to give birth to new vocations priesthood and consecrated life!

It is no less important to offer our friendship to mature priests and consecrated women and men who give of themselves each day for the sake of God’s people. I cannot begin to express how much the support of countless members of the Church meant to us Little Sisters of the Poor in the months leading up to our recent Supreme Court case.

Many people commended us for our courage, telling us that we were standing up for religious believers of all faiths. But we could never have done it without the prayerful support of so many!

As we celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis is calling on all the faithful to appreciate the ecclesial dynamism of vocations, “so that communities of faith can become, after the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, like a mother’s womb giving birth to new vocations. “The motherhood of the Church finds expression in constant prayer for vocations and in the work of educating and accompanying all those who perceive God’s call,” the pope wrote. “The Church is also the mother of vocations in her continual support of those who have dedicated their lives to the service of others.”

When people asked our foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan, to pray for them, or when she wished to thank someone, she often suggested, “Let us say a Hail Mary together.” On April 17, let’s be mothers and fathers of vocations by offering a Hail Mary – or a whole rosary – for the priests and religious who have influenced us, and for the young people in whom we perceive the potential to be holy priests and consecrated women and men.

Sister Constance Veit is the communications director for the Little Sisters of the Poor in the United States.

April 15, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Spotlight

Praying for our priests: Sacred Heart parishioner creates unique rosary Sister Mary Raphael

Come and see Y

outh is a time when people naturally start seeking answers about the reason for their existence. It is a time for dreaming dreams and looking to the future with hope and enthusiasm. Questions arise: “What do I want to do? What will I be? How can I find the fulfillment I am looking for?”

To those men and women asking such questions, the late St. John Paul II once said, “You are at the great crossroads of your lives and you must decide how your future can be lived happily, accepting the responsibilities which you hope will be placed squarely on your shoulders, playing an active role in the world around you.”

He went on to challenge the young people, “There is a wonderful way of experiencing love in life: it is the vocation

‘The best attitude to have when seeking God’s will is one that desires and resolves to give 100 percent of oneself to the Lord in whatever capacity He reveals ... Discerning one’s vocation is really like unwrapping a beautiful and precious gift.’ to follow Christ in the celibate state freely chosen or in the state of virginity for the love of the kingdom of heaven. I ask each one of you to question yourselves seriously about whether God may not be calling you to one of these paths.”

He was repeating the invitation of Jesus to His first disciples, “Come and see.”

Yet, to many people the phrase “vocation discernment” is either foreign or overwhelming. Some incorrectly make a daunting project out of what should be a dialogue between God and the soul. It is not a puzzle to piece together or a mystery to solve.

Discovering one’s vocation is not an obstacle course to race through, but it is a journey that takes time and interior growth. Because it involves a dialoguing relationship with God, it requires a balance between active pursuit and passive waiting and receptivity.

Along with patience and docility, discernment takes courage. It can be quite challenging to seriously set aside the domination of one’s own desires to

earnestly ask, “What do You want of me, Lord?” Proceeding to trust in God’s timing for His response demands enduring fortitude.

Interestingly, St. Alphonsus claims that while having that burning desire to seek the Lord’s will, we must also be detached from the answer. He says, “To have this light (from God), you must pray to Him with indifference. He who prays to God to enlighten him in regard to a state of life, but without indifference, and who instead of conforming to the divine will, would sooner have God conform to his will, is like a pilot that pretends to wish his ship to advance, but in reality does not want it to: he throws his anchor into the sea, and then unfurls his sails.”

The best attitude to have when seeking God’s will is one that desires and resolves to give 100 percent of oneself to the Lord in whatever capacity He reveals. It is true that sacrifice will be made, but in those moments of sacrifice, the soul encounters Christ Who initiated the invitation to “Come and see.’”

Discerning one’s vocation is really like unwrapping a beautiful and precious gift.

God loves us so much individually that He prepared a path for each of us to pursue, and in following our unique vocations, we will discover deep peace, joy and, ultimately, union with God. Let anyone who is considering a religious vocation take encouragement in the words of retired Pope Benedict XVI: “Friends, I again ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of His way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find courage and support to walk the way of the Lord.

Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s liturgy, you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ’s disciples today.” (New York City, April 19, 2008) And finally, parents, grandparents, and dear diocesan family – let us all keep in mind that it is our responsibility to pray to the Lord to send laborers into the harvest.

It is our duty to encourage and support our youth on their discernment path.

Pope Francis reiterated on the 2013 World Day Prayer for Vocations: “Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood or to the consecrated life there is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father, a community…. This is why Jesus said: “Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest,” that is, God the Father, “to send out laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38).

Vocations are born in prayer and from prayer, and only through prayer can they persevere and bear fruit.

Sister Mary Raphael is a member of the Daughters of the Virgin Mother, a community dedicated to serving the spiritual and practical needs of the sacred priesthood and of seminarians in the Diocese of Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE — There’s plenty of one-of-a-kind rosaries, but none are quite like the one Kathleen Harrison has designed.

Adorned with the hand-stamped names of 50 priests important to her family, the Harrisons easily pray for each of them as they pray the rosary. The idea came about last fall, Harrison explained, when she was at MiraVia with Sister Mary Raphael and Robyn Magyar, one of the founders of the Mary’s Sons apostolate.

“Together the three of us were praying and talking about the different ways to pray for priests and show them support, and this idea popped in my head,” said Harrison, who is a parishioner at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. “We’ll pray the rosary as a family for priests important to us, and most of the time we forget which priest we were on and who we haven’t prayed for yet.”

Harrison found someone in California through the online handmade marketplace Etsy who could hand-stamp up to nine characters on a round, flat disc and put a hole in the top. From there, a friend who makes rosaries in New York, Darlene Griswold Kerfien, assembled the rosary.

The rosary, which includes 49 names of priests and Bishop Peter Jugis as well as one blank disc on the rosary for a prayer intention of the family as the “Ave” markers, was blessed at the Chrism Mass.

Harrison said she has more names and is beginning to design another rosary. Her husband Dr. Matthew Harrison is a convert, her uncle is a priest, and her son Matthew is applying to attend the new St. Joseph College Seminary, she said, so there are several priests who are influential and impactful in her family.

— Kimberly Bender, online reporter

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